Radium, when did Rolex stop using it?

[vegard_dino]

Hi all.

When did Rolex stop using Radium on there dials and/or hands?

I am dreaming of a vintage Rolex, a late 40`s-50`s model, but was told to look out for watches with Radium.

[rolexpawn]

Originally Posted by vegard_dino

Hi all.

When did Rolex stop using Radium on there dials and/or hands?

I am dreaming of a vintage Rolex, a late 40`s-50`s model, but was told to look out for watches with Radium.

You have nothing to fear, it is harmless unless you lick the dial.

Information:

Luminova: Nemoto, a Japan based company developed this for the lume on watches. This is used on Rolex watches from about 1998 until present. This is the safe lume used today. Since it is new no one knows if it will age like the other lume Rolex used.
Tritium: This was used on Rolex watches from 1960 to 1998 when it was banned. This was also radio-active. 12 year shelf life on the lume. This will change color with time, making it awesome looking.
Radium: This was used on Rolex watches until 1960. Due to risk of cancer (of people applying Radium to the dials and yes they did have people get cancer from this) they quit using this. This was radio-active. This will change with time, making it awesome looking.

[HL65]

I love to look out for watches with radium--that is to own! There is no worries as long as you don't sleep with watch on your lap-LOL...Or open up watch and get radium in eyes or mouth etc.

[vegard_dino]

LOL, Great.

Thanks.
Then the hunt is one.

[bb3188]

radium lume was used up to early 1960's
its not too bad but to be safe, i do take some precautions,ie not wearing it for too long a period....
\cheers Mark

[Saxon007]

Here is a fascinating (and somewhat horrifying) story about radium and watches.

http://www.damninteresting.com/undar...-radium-girls/

[vegard_dino]

Thanks for the information.

[rolexpawn]

Another interesting note, was the exhumed a body that worked at the plant and the radiation was so high they had to wear protective clothing and re-bury here in a led coffin. That body was exhumed decades after her death.

[DiamondJack]

That's a real eye opener and thanks for sharing. Crazy to think that Marie Curie's notebooks still cannot be handled today because of the 1,600 year half life of Radium......

[HL65]

Because I am concerned with everyone's health and safety - please those who are worried send me radium watches- 6200's, 5510's, 6538's - all Big Crown Subs, 6542 Baklelite, Panerai- 6152's, 6152, 6154 and 3646's etc..I will take them off your hands to help keep you from dangers of radiation at no cost to you...

[onkyo]

Originally Posted by SteelerFan65

Because I am concerned with everyone's health and safety - please those who are worried send me radium watches- 6200's, 5510's, 6538's - all Big Crown Subs, 6542 Baklelite, Panerai- 6152's, 6152, 6154 and 3646's etc..I will take them off your hands to help keep you from dangers of radiation at no cost to you...

You are a nice guy Ken....

[HL65]

Originally Posted by onkyo

You are a nice guy Ken....

Thanks Pav- as are you my friend! My offer is for you too but something tells me you will live with the danger!

[rolexpawn]

Marie Curie died in her 60's which is good for a woman. Her husband was not so lucky he fell while trying to cross a street and was whacked by a buggy. So they were not that affected by the research.

[Welshwatchman]

Originally Posted by rolexpawn

Marie Curie died in her 60's which is good for a woman. Her husband was not so lucky he fell while trying to cross a street and was whacked by a buggy. So they were not that affected by the research.

Marie most likely died as a direct result of her prolonged exposure to relatively high levels of radioactive emissions from the discovered elements Radium and Polonium.

Pierre was known to be in a bad way (fatigue, fainting and nausea) before he fell in front of a carriage.

Their research papers, books, pens etc are still too "hot to handle", some 100+ years on.

[rolexpawn]

Originally Posted by Welshwatchman

Marie most likely died as a direct result of her prolonged exposure to relatively high levels of radioactive emissions from the discovered elements Radium and Polonium.

Pierre was known to be in a bad way (fatigue, fainting and nausea) before he fell in front of a carriage.

Their research papers, books, pens etc are still too "hot to handle", some 100+ years on.

Marie still did good for living that long, (actually she did much better than the girls painting dials). She was pregnant when she was working with Radium. Irène Joliot-Curie was also in her 60's when she died, her sister Ève Curie lived to be 102.

[DiamondJack]

Originally Posted by rolexpawn

Marie still did good for living that long, (actually she did much better than the girls painting dials). She was pregnant when she was working with Radium. Irène Joliot-Curie was also in her 60's when she died, her sister Ève Curie lived to be 102.

Yes but the fact that she actually died from leukaemia (aplastic anemia) as a direct result of exposure to radioactive material during her research must raise a few eyebrows. Even her cookbook, which was never kept in her laboratory and contaminated just by personal contact, needs to be kept in a lead lined box and anyone handling it must wear protective clothing.

But did you read what some of the radium dial painting girls were doing for a joke.... so not only licking the end of the brush to help with accuracy of their pianting but also painting their teeth and nails as a joke to surprise their husbands/boyfriends when the lights went out Crazy when you look back on it now but at the time radium was being touted as being a general health cure-all.

Given the 1,600 year half life of radium, be interesting to pop a geiger counter next to one of those old dials...... probably still buzzing away like it did when new

[marcello pisani]

Originally Posted by vegard_dino

Hi all.

When did Rolex stop using Radium on there dials and/or hands?

I am dreaming of a vintage Rolex, a late 40`s-50`s model, but was told to look out for watches with Radium.

end of the 50s.

[onkyo]

Originally Posted by SteelerFan65

Thanks Pav- as are you my friend! My offer is for you too but something tells me you will live with the danger!

I enjoy living life on the edge.....

[vegard_dino]

Hi and thanks for good information :)

[HL65]

Originally Posted by onkyo

I enjoy living life on the edge.....

You and me both!! Marcello- my offer also good for you if you get worried please send radium my way!

[rolexpawn]

Originally Posted by SteelerFan65

You and me both!! Marcello- my offer also good for you if you get worried please send radium my way!

Did a GMT or Submariner have a radium bezel once as a experiment in the 1960's?

[DiamondJack]

Originally Posted by SteelerFan65

You and me both!! Marcello- my offer also good for you if you get worried please send radium my way!

Surely you have enough radium tucked away already Ken. We'll soon be able to tell where you bank from the gentle glow in the night sky from all your glory pieces .....

[HL65]

Originally Posted by DiamondJack

Surely you have enough radium tucked away already Ken. We'll soon be able to tell where you bank from the gentle glow in the night sky from all your glory pieces .....

[HL65]

Originally Posted by rolexpawn

Did a GMT or Submariner have a radium bezel once as a experiment in the 1960's?

1950's Bakelite 6542 GMT...Not an experiment but the real deal.

[rolexpawn]

Originally Posted by DiamondJack

Surely you have enough radium tucked away already Ken. We'll soon be able to tell where you bank from the gentle glow in the night sky from all your glory pieces .....

That is a interesting theory, how many watches do you need to have in your possession before it become a health problem?

[rolexpawn]

Originally Posted by SteelerFan65

1950's Bakelite 6542 GMT...Not an experiment but the real deal.

Bakelite was an interesting concept by Rolex.

[DiamondJack]

Originally Posted by rolexpawn

That is a interesting theory, how many watches do you need to have in your possession before it become a health problem?

If you do a search on the web for radium half life, you will see that it's only really an issue for watch repairers who may breath in the radium dust released over the years when the crystal is removed. Even though there have been cases of people trying to claim against watch manufacturers in the past, it is far more likely for people to have come into contact with radium from other sources. But watch repairers are definitely at risk given close proximity of their nostrils to the dial when repairing them.

But a while back, a lorry/truck in the US carrying old radium aircraft dials set off a Homeland Security alert as it passed one of those roadside radioactive scanners

[marcello pisani]

Originally Posted by SteelerFan65

You and me both!! Marcello- my offer also good for you if you get worried please send radium my way!

oh damn.. unfortunately I have no watches with radium dial !!

only with "boring" tritium !!

[HL65]

Originally Posted by marcello pisani

oh damn.. unfortunately I have no watches with radium dial !!

only with "boring" tritium !!

But as I know some of them...I can't feel badly as they are super grails as well!! At least you know you have a friend in me that was willing to take on the danger of radium for you!

Cheers- Ken

[marcello pisani]

Originally Posted by SteelerFan65

But as I know some of them...I can't feel badly as they are super grails as well!! At least you know you have a friend in me that was willing to take on the danger of radium for you!

Cheers- Ken

no really .. only "trit" dials..
in any case thanks for your kind proposition .. much obliged ...
and btw... where have you seen them ???
I almost never play with the "today on my wrist" competition ...