Mark- I believe the very earliest 2447S watches had ivory white dials and then the slightly later ones had the starburst finish. I had a 56795 polyback with the ivory white dial and all of the 53XXX through 56XXX watches had white dials, including this 53785 watch in the HODINKEE post I wrote that was sold by Nic Green:

http://www.hodinkee.com/blog/2011/1/6/the-earliest-heuer-carreras-understanding-the-inspiration-fo.html

Likewise, take a look at Jeff's 563XX Fisher Decimal polyback:

http://www.onthedash.com/Guide/_Chronographs/63.Carrera/a.Manual_(1960s)/Carrera_12/c.Reference_2447D_Decimal/Ref_2447D_First/?show=14Carrera2447D.jpg

I have examined a number of the earliest 2447S Carreras in that 53XXX to 56XXX and have not seen a starburst finish, either strong or weak, on any of those dials. Have others?

: I wonder if it was an experiment due to some dissatisfaction that
: they couldn't get the white printing on black dials anywhere
: near as fine as the black printing on the silver/white dials. It
: doesn't seem all pervasive - plenty of the dark-dialled watches
: of the period still have the white printing - but it does seem
: to have been tried on a number of watches, from these 45 Datos
: to 2447s and Dato 12s too. They seem to have reverted to white
: by the second execution watches, though to my eye the printing
: quality still leaves something to be desired in comparison to
: the black on silver, including in both panda variants. By the
: time of the 1153 they had nailed it, but the first gen watches
: produced alongside still had variable printing in comparison.

: Eric, to my knowledge the launch Ss had the silver starburst dials
: and the off-white ones belong to a later period. Some of the
: early ones have oxidised and aren't as shiny but the starburst
: should still be at least a little evident.