Tritium Dial or T < 25

[Zi Pie']

Hi folks,

When did Rolex stop making tritium dial with the mark T < 25 on it? For what I read online it seems in the late 90's.
Can anyone confirm ?

The reason of my question is that I found for sale 16713 GMT II Serti with a tritium dial but the watch production according to the seller is 2004 (it has no holes case), so I am little skeptical on the authenticity of the dial.

Thanks much.

-Pietro

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Zi Pie'

Hi folks,

When did Rolex stop making tritium dial with the mark T < 25 on it? For what I read online it seems in the late 90's.
Can anyone confirm ?

The reason of my question is that I found for sale 16713 GMT II Serti with a tritium dial but the watch production according to the seller is 2004 (it has no holes case), so I am little skeptical on the authenticity of the dial.

Thanks much.

-Pietro

Up till 1960 Rolex used the word SWISS then dials were Radioactive Radium from around early 1960 on Rolex used T.Swiss.T less than 277 MBq (7.5mCi) and Swiss <T25 less than925 MBq (25mCi)on there dial depending on how much radioactivity they had from 1960 till mid/late 1998.Swiss only dials were then used with Luminova from 1998 to 2000, then after 2000 back to Swiss Made with Superluminover now lume is chromolight more on the blue colour spectrum

[Zi Pie']

Originally Posted by padi56

Up till 1960 Rolex used the word SWISS then dials were Radioactive Radium from around early 1960 on Rolex used T.Swiss.T less than 277 MBq (7.5mCi) and Swiss <T25 less than925 MBq (25mCi)on there dial depending on how much radioactivity they had from 1960 till mid/late 1998.Swiss only dials were then used with Luminova from 1998 to 2000, then after 2000 back to Swiss Made with Superluminova.

Thanks that helps a lot. So technically is not possible to see a Swiss <T25 on a watch made in 2004. Pic of the watch in question.

[Skee-Bum]

There is a YouTube video from Hodinkee that runs through all the reference points of the GMT. I believe it talks to the point you are concerned about, the guys in the video seemed very knowledgeable.

I will see if I can get the link to post. https://youtu.be/P6HHBnxyY7E?si=gGH_SaFqbemEqVhx

[Zi Pie']

Thanks Skee-Bum, I am going to watch it !!

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Zi Pie'

Thanks that helps a lot. So technically is not possible to see a Swiss <T25 on a watch made in 2004. Pic of the watch in question.

What is the case serial of watch in question,and back then TT serti dial GMT watches were not the fastest sellers,and no internet chart can give a exact date when any watch was made only a approx date between X-Y years.

[Zi Pie']

Originally Posted by padi56

What is the case serial of watch in question,and back then TT serti dial GMT watches were not the fastest sellers,and no internet chart can give a exact date when any watch was made only a approx date between X-Y years.

It is a D Serial, 2004. That was one of my first thought. I also thought maybe it is a service dial that RSC had hanging around, but why would they put a tritium dial if they had the new ones. SoI am close to think that the dial is either fake or added after purchase, which if it was done 10/15 years ago it is possible, given that back then they were not very expensive like they are today (if you can find one).

Another thing, the few TT serti dial GMT that I see coming up for sale they have all tritium dials, holes cases, and old clasp.

[swiss_seth]

Originally Posted by padi56

Up till 1960 Rolex used the word SWISS then dials were Radioactive Radium from around early 1960 on Rolex used T.Swiss.T less than 277 MBq (7.5mCi) and Swiss <T25 less than925 MBq (25mCi)on there dial depending on how much radioactivity they had from 1960 till mid/late 1998.Swiss only dials were then used with Luminova from 1998 to 2000, then after 2000 back to Swiss Made with Superluminover now lume is chromolight more on the blue colour spectrum

Are you sure the activity for the Radium lume was only 7.5 to 25 mCi? In my experience - even with appropriate filter shielding so we are counting out alpha and only looking at beta and gamma the Radium dials hit me as a much higher level.

However I am not good enough at math to calculate those figures lol

[codecow]

That looks like a stock photo and not a photo of whatever you’d be buying.

[Zi Pie']

Originally Posted by codecow

That looks like a stock photo and not a photo of whatever you’d be buying.

Yeah, I asked already couple of pics. But the jeweler confirmed that the GMT is a D serial and it has a Se Tritium Serti Dial.

[cornerstore]

The “Tritinova” dials were fashioned in the very brief period (typically Rolex U serial range) when Rolex was transitioning from Tritium to Luminova. The dials were pre-stamped “SWISS – T<25” for tritium, however they had Luminova indices and hands applied during manufacture.

[Nanisa22]

he might be in park or stopped at a light.