Why do Rolex bezels fade?
Many people have theories and many have speculated, but I’ll tell you why Rolex bezels fade and why they fade at different rates.
Back in the 50’s Rolex began using aluminium inserts, these bezels fade because of sunlight, friction from wear and tear, salt water and sweat. But what was interesting is that the bezels faded at different rates and this is all because of colour theory and UV light.
UV light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength from 400nm to 100nm (shorter than visible light). Because watches are worn outside and in the sun its safe to assume this is what has caused the fading….. unless people try and bake their bezels to achieve the same look but that’s another story.
UV light has a shorter wavelength than visible light. Light with a shorter wavelength has more energy than light with a longer wavelength.
Blue light is more toward the short wavelength end of the visible light spectrum. It is a shorter wavelength and has more energy. Longer wavelength visible light (like red) is more toward the the infrared end of the visible spectrum and therefore has less energy.
Because of their greater energy, the shorter wavelengths of light cause more bleaching/ fading of the pigments in the paint and more fading. So why does the red colour fade quicker than the blue. Simple, it has to do with what light is reflected by each colour and what light is absorbed.
Red pigment reflects the long wavelength red light. Red pigment also absorbs more the destructive high energy short wavelength light like the blues and greens. Blue graphics will reflect the destructive short wavelength light better than reds causing the blue part to fade a lot slower.
The model in the picture at the top of this article is the ref 16750 which was in production from 1980 to 1988. It used the 3075 with quickset date. The dial was either Matte or Glossy. This reference used tritium lume.
This watch had been out of action for some years due to some problems with the rotor being excessively worn and the need for some new parts to be replaced. If you would like your GMT or any other Rolex serviced then reach out to us at repairs@obrhorology.com.au for a no obligation free quote.
