# When Did Glow In The Dark Watches Stop Using Radium?



## Joseph Divito (Feb 28, 2007)

I have a couple 1960s vintage Timex watches with glow in the dark dials. I was wondering when most watch companies stopped using radium in their glow in the dark materials? I have read one source that said any watch from the mid 1960s on would be safe. I'm looking at a few Omega watches from 1963 that are glow in the dark, and I do perform my own routine cleaning and oiling of my watches, so I would occasionally be opening the cases of my own watches (though I don't do it every day professionally).

I think I'm generally safe since I don't open the cases all the time, but I would prefer to avoid the radium paint variety of glow in the dark watches if possible. I keep hearing different stories about how safe these watches are to collect and wear.

Thanks,

Joe


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## watch_newbie (Aug 22, 2008)

I recommend you to purchase a Geiger counter (it is pretty cheap) and you will sleep without problems.


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## watch_newbie (Aug 22, 2008)

And Tritium is radioactive as well


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## James (Jul 17, 2006)

Many in watch factories contracted cancer, mostly women. It was common practice to "wet" the brush, that is point it and a practice not condoned was to twirl it between the lips


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## watch_newbie (Aug 22, 2008)

Yes, I've read that poor girls had shining hair and lips when meeting in the night with their boyfriends


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## in_denial (Aug 3, 2005)

potz said:


> Afaik Radium was used right up to the 1950's. Some sources even say it was used up to 1968 in watches and 1978 in clocks.
> 
> 226RA has a half life of about 1600 years and the glow of the paint used on dials and hands decreases because of the damage the alpha particles emitted by the Radium do to the ZnS crystals also contained in the paint. The Zinc sulphide is luminescent and glows when excited by a radioactive material. Today Tritium (H3) is used. This has a half-life of just under 13 years.


I thought most people stopped using tritium and moved to Superluminova or equivalents about ten years ago - For Swiss watches, T - swiss made - T indicated tritium. and L (or nothing) for a modern watch indicates Superluminova (i.e. the non-radioactive fluorescent material which charges in the light.

-- Tim


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

I think Tritium ( H3 ) is only used in the vials these days....


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## James (Jul 17, 2006)

potz said:


> Co-rrect. Traser being the most well-known user of this technology. The Swiss company Microtec I believe manufacture these vials.


And a company in Ontario until a year or so ago I believe. As far as I know its still closed due to contamination of the surrounding earth and water table


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