My theory was twofold

One theory is that the watch was built and sold between the period 1960-1963 so the watch was born that way. This could mean the watch got chrono papers from 1958/59 but the watch was not yet assembled and was assembled and sold later. So I guess a sales receipt could establish the sales date.

But unless we hear the story form the original owner all the ideas remain theories.

Finally I don't consider them service dials because I doubt there are any gilt dials that would be considered service. Just original dials that could have be replaced by Rolex to cover themselves when the Radium count was much higher than 0.25 as it has been reported before some registered 1.0 to 1.3. So a new dial placed by Rolex at service not "service dial".

Crazy fun world of Rolex. We need a time machine to bring us back there or to find someone who was there. It seems funny no one ever says hay I was there and this is what we did at Rolex.

A+

Bill

Two cousins: 5508 and 6542 BOTH Exclamation Dot.

By: amanico : November 30th, 2012-15:55

All is in the title, but it is much more interesting than a simple announce. First of all, if I saw several exclamation dot dials on 5508, I much rarely saw this detail on a 6542 from '58. ( All in all, I may have seen 3 or 4 maximum, and a few others fro...

It didn't????

By: Ares501 - Mr Green : December 1st, 2012-00:20

Well...well...now...now....my friend... :) Sincerely Damjan

;) The pictured 5508 Exclamation Dot is not mine. It belongs to a very gfood friend.

By: amanico : December 1st, 2012-00:38

A lovely pair so both you and your...

By: Highlander65 : December 1st, 2012-03:58

friend are two lucky men!! Thanks for posting my friend! Cheers, K

thanks for sharing the pictures

I couldn't resist. This is not every day you see these 2 side by side!

By: amanico : December 1st, 2012-14:55

I have a theory about these exclamation marks from late 50's

By: Bill : December 1st, 2012-11:00

If we are willing to accept and I say both IF and WILLING to accept the idea that the exclamation point and the underline for that matter has anything to do with the change from radium to tritium 1960 to 1963 then we can draw a possible conclusion. The co...

Honestly, I don't know what to think about the true meaning of the " ! "

By: amanico : December 1st, 2012-15:06

As well as the - dials. I guess that is the beauty of the Vintage Rolex World. A pity that Rolex doesn't communicate on those details. Best, Nicolas

We don't know the true meaning of the exclamation dial but

By: Bill : December 1st, 2012-15:15

They seem to be more commonly associated with the transition period which is better associated with the1960-1963 period. Please don't misunderstand me both watch could have been born this way and the logic simply says they where assembled and sold at a la...

This will be an eternal debate, I fear.

By: amanico : December 2nd, 2012-02:06

I saw several from 58 / 59, and most often in the 60 / 62 range, indeed. To know if they were replacement dials, I doubt it, when it comes to the 6542 for one reason. We have replacement dials for the 6542 on 2 periods, one in the Sixties ( OCC ) and one ...