Homage Forum

Hi friends,

I wanted to check in to see if anybody might know any information regarding this dial.

My brilliant watch friend provided some information that this style might be attributed to a Panerai’s 1940 piece where the wording of California is shown on the dial.

Unfortunately, I’ve been doing some research the last few days and I haven’t had any success finding any information or a matching dial that has the wording California on the dial.


Any feedback would be helpful.


Thank you in advance!






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goodguy1444 wrote:

Hi friends,

I wanted to check in to see if anybody might know any information regarding this dial.

My brilliant watch friend provided some information that this style might be attributed to a Panerai’s 1940 piece where the wording of California is shown on the dial.

Unfortunately, I’ve been doing some research the last few days and I haven’t had any success finding any information or a matching dial that has the wording California on the dial.


Any feedback would be helpful.


Thank you in advance!






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi, some fine Reading for you!
https://perezcope.com/

Nottingham wrote:

goodguy1444 wrote:

Hi friends,

I wanted to check in to see if anybody might know any information regarding this dial.

My brilliant watch friend provided some information that this style might be attributed to a Panerai’s 1940 piece where the wording of California is shown on the dial.

Unfortunately, I’ve been doing some research the last few days and I haven’t had any success finding any information or a matching dial that has the wording California on the dial.


Any feedback would be helpful.


Thank you in advance!






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi, some fine Reading for you!
https://perezcope.com/

Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nottingham wrote:

goodguy1444 wrote:

Hi friends,

I wanted to check in to see if anybody might know any information regarding this dial.

My brilliant watch friend provided some information that this style might be attributed to a Panerai’s 1940 piece where the wording of California is shown on the dial.

Unfortunately, I’ve been doing some research the last few days and I haven’t had any success finding any information or a matching dial that has the wording California on the dial.


Any feedback would be helpful.


Thank you in advance!






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi, some fine Reading for you!
https://perezcope.com/

Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hello, great question.

The picture you have included in your post is an homage to the 3646, made by Rolex for Panerai. It was a very large watch 47mm with a long strap. At the time, the Italian frogmen who used these timepieces could strap them to their leg while sitting on top of their manned torpedo submarines. Because it was dark and water probably murky, it would have been easy to become disoriented, and did you strap the watch to your leg with 12 o’clock pointing towards you or away? Thus having a watch that was easy to tell where 12’clock was was essential. A dial with Roman numerals on the top half was created and called “error proof”.

In the 1930’s Rolex began producing a very popular watch, the Rolex Perpetual, or bubble back. They came with various dial designs, some of which featured the “error proof” dial.

After WWII the Japanese government stimulated their economy to encourage regrowth and many Japanese citizens suddenly had money to spend. One item of popularity was the Rolex bubble back, in particular with the error proof dial. Japanese vintage watch dealers quickly ran out of these watches so they looked to the US market. Soon they ran dry as well, so a California based dial refinishing company, Kurt Rich Dial Corp. began to reprint standard bubble back watch dials with the “error proof” dial. These refurbished dials became known as California dials because of where they originated.

So no, the dials never have said California on them, they are just a nickname.

Here is a California dial from my collection:

jrlmsla wrote:Hello, great question.

The picture you have included in your post is an homage to the 3646, made by Rolex for Panerai. It was a very large watch 47mm with a long strap. At the time, the Italian frogmen who used these timepieces could strap them to their leg while sitting on top of their manned torpedo submarines. Because it was dark and water probably murky, it would have been easy to become disoriented, and did you strap the watch to your leg with 12 o’clock pointing towards you or away? Thus having a watch that was easy to tell where 12’clock was was essential. A dial with Roman numerals on the top half was created and called “error proof”.

In the 1930’s Rolex began producing a very popular watch, the Rolex Perpetual, or bubble back. They came with various dial designs, some of which featured the “error proof” dial.

After WWII the Japanese government stimulated their economy to encourage regrowth and many Japanese citizens suddenly had money to spend. One item of popularity was the Rolex bubble back, in particular with the error proof dial. Japanese vintage watch dealers quickly ran out of these watches so they looked to the US market. Soon they ran dry as well, so a California based dial refinishing company, Kurt Rich Dial Corp. began to reprint standard bubble back watch dials with the “error proof” dial. These refurbished dials became known as California dials because of where they originated.

So no, the dials never have said California on them, they are just a nickname.

Here is a California dial from my collection:

+1. Thank you you did this!!!

@jrlmsla
Very nice Oyster dial, it seems to be in really good condition.

Anecdote found in reading Rolex's patent:
the main reason to use Roman numbers seems to be that these are easier to lume!
Fact is using triangle and bars instead of 12/3/6/9 makes it really more convient to lume.

Fizzzz wrote:[mention]jrlmsla[/mention]
Very nice Oyster dial, it seems to be in really good condition.

Anecdote found in reading Rolex's patent:
the main reason to use Roman numbers seems to be that these are easier to lume!
Fact is using triangle and bars instead of 12/3/6/9 makes it really more convient to lume.

I can see how that is true. If you look at my dial the Roman II gets a bit sloppy. A single line would certainly be easier. Great find!

jrlmsla wrote: ↑August 1st, 2023, 10:52 am

Fizzzz wrote:@jrlmsla
Very nice Oyster dial, it seems to be in really good condition.

Anecdote found in reading Rolex's patent:
the main reason to use Roman numbers seems to be that these are easier to lume!
Fact is using triangle and bars instead of 12/3/6/9 makes it really more convient to lume.

I can see how that is true. If you look at my dial the Roman II gets a bit sloppy. A single line would certainly be easier. Great find!

Sounds quite logical for a company to reduce production costs...
I've also read that Hans Wilsdorf was always willing to use existing parts, no waste!
This could also explain why we can see vintage cases with 2 numbers stamped,
and the same argument has been used to explain the "Rolerai": recycling cases originaly made for OP.

goodguy1444 wrote:

Hi friends,

I wanted to check in to see if anybody might know any information regarding this dial.

My brilliant watch friend provided some information that this style might be attributed to a Panerai’s 1940 piece where the wording of California is shown on the dial.

Unfortunately, I’ve been doing some research the last few days and I haven’t had any success finding any information or a matching dial that has the wording California on the dial.


Any feedback would be helpful.


Thank you in advance!






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I appreciate all your responses!!


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