I want to start off by saying that there's no right or wrong here.
Tropical dials, patina or even just the slightest case-back scratch can be a major sticking point when considering what watch buy. However, it essentially all boils down to personal preference.
Some collectors love that a watch comes with its own life story and bears the scars to prove it. (I've written more on my feelings here.) Others want perfection. Watch forums are heaving with worried enthusiast's desperate pleas on how to get rid of a ding on their new DateJust or just to be comforted that others have done the same.
I suppose a big part of this POV is the stigma that surrounds polishing watches. Somehow seeing your trusted companion cut an ever so slightly leaner figure changes how you perceive them. like seeing your dad lose in a fight, you'll never look at him the same again.
Now, I do tend to feel this idea that polishing is the devil is a bit over-egged. When done with care and skill, polishing can be an excellent way of breathing new life into your timepiece. On the other hand, When put into the hands of a buff-happy jeweller it's tantamount to abuse.
Tropical dials have the same polarising effect on people; I happen to love them but yet again I'm also partial to pineapple on pizza (Only God can judge me). I feel it gives real character and uniqueness to something that's in most cases been mass-produced.
So where do you fall on this issue? - Patina Turner or Pristina Agulera?
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