At the top, here's another Reference 2406, with the same Tachymeter / Telemetre scales. This one is earlier and has the flatter "Heuer"; you would have to say it has a lot more fine detail in the printing . . . study the numerals in the Telemetre scale, for example, and the difference is clear. Notice that the earlier and later dials are different in some other details, for example, placement of the "Base 1000".

At the bottom, here's another Reference 2406, with the TT scales . . . the middle and bottom samples are later than the top one, and have radium dials. Seems that the printing on this bottom dial is similar (or even identical) to the printing that we saw on the Sotheby's sample. Simplest explanation -- whoever printed the radium dials (center and bottom) did not get the fine detail that we saw on the earlier non-radium dial (top photo).

Of course, these no-radium and radium dials may have been printed over the span of a few years . . . but the older one definitely looks stronger. And the two later ones look very similar.

Thoughts from our readers? John?

Jeff