Radium VS Tritium VS SuperLuminova

[HogwldFLTR]

The half live decay of Tritium is approximately 12 years. Of Radium it is 1600 years. How long does the glow from Superluminova actually last before recharging is needed? Is it really sufficient for an ExpII for the function of cave exploration for example? How about those early pre 1960 watches with Radium. They should pretty much be glowing as bright as the day they were made. Any examples of the lume on those?

[Old Expat Beast]

Radium may still be glowing, but you don't want it, believe me. Look up Radium Girls on Google.

Edit: And see this post too. http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=316000

[HogwldFLTR]

Well aware of the Radium girls. There are quite a number of pre-'60 watches out there and people who wore them didn't die (that I'm aware of.) Definitely no edible. Never the less they should glow for many lifetimes.

[Old Expat Beast]

Also, cave explorers carry flashlights, they don't need their watches to glow in the dark.

[HogwldFLTR]

But that's not really the hype for the Explorer II (which was better lume). Not such an issue on dives where dive times are relatively short and I suspect chromalight work fine. I of course realize that Radium could never be brought back due to the environement and all the cradle to grave laws that would make it a law suit nightmare.

[Quotron]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Radium may still be glowing, but you don't want it, believe me. Look up Radium Girls on Google.

Edit: And see this post too. http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=316000

How would one get radium poisoning from wearing a watch? The Radium Girls is a completely separate issue as they were, in some extreme cases, painting their nails and lips with the material before going out on the town.

Considering the number of watches sold with radium painted markers and hands, there should be well documented evidence of wrist bone cancer from the radium paint. To my knowledge there is none.

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by Quotron

How would one get radium poisoning from wearing a watch? The Radium Girls is a completely separate issue as they were, in some extreme cases, painting their nails and lips with the material before going out on the town.

Considering the number of watches sold with radium painted markers and hands, there should be well documented evidence of wrist bone cancer from the radium paint. To my knowledge there is none.

The GMT Master had radium painted on the bakelite bezel.

Anyway, I'm not suggesting it's the same risk, just using the Girls to illustrate the point that there is a reason that Radium was discontinued. It's unsafe.

[HogwldFLTR]

But with todays technology, there would be no real nead for human interaction with the material. We're a long ways from using lips to point paintbrushes in sweat shops.

[sierra11b]

If you're concerned about recharging modern luminescence then Rolex is not your brand. I love Rolex and am about to purchase another but it ain't for the lume... And I love lume almost as much as bacon wrapped donuts.

If you want lume in the Rolex blood line consider Tudor and the Pelagos. Otherwise, consider a high end Seiko (GS, Prospex - best lume i've ever witnessed) and the very few other brands with far superior lume to Rolex that will last X10 the length of any after a full charge. A properly done dial with thick-applied luminescence will be legible for 10hrs with the first ~6 hours being strong.

I think Rolex purposely dumbs down the lume by comparison to the brands I mention. Why? Because modern luminescence when done properly can be so useful it's border-line obnoxious and sufficient enough to read a newspaper in pitch black... Imagine sipping your martini in half-lit room across the way from your future-ex when your watch shines like a beacon... Not what Rolex wants IMHO.

I've never seen a Radium dial but don't see the need... I wouldn't be scared to wear one but likely wouldn't be able to afford a radium Rolex in the first place. And if I did there's few watchmakers willing to work on them anymore.

As for Tritium, I've owned near-dead and modern tritium dials and they aren't as bright as luminova (although they don't need recharging and are consistent until years pass). If you're going Tritium in a Rolex it's strictly for patina these days. If you want to experience modern H3 get a Ball, but it still won't be near as bright as the brightest luminova.

[bayerische]

I'm sure Radium could be used safely today, but consumers are "over-informed" now a days, and I'm sure there would be fear and myths about the Radium radiation before radium dials would even hit the shops.

[HogwldFLTR]

Originally Posted by bayerische

I'm sure Radium could be used safely today, but consumers are "over-informed" now a days, and I'm sure there would be fear and myths about the Radium radiation before radium dials would even hit the shops.

How about the arsenic almost everyone carries with them constantly. No out cries about its dangers. Of course I talk about the semiconductor devices in the cell phones made from GaAs.

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Originally Posted by HogwldFLTR

How long does the glow from Superluminova actually last before recharging is needed?

Rolex says up to 8 hours for the blue "Chromalight" lume...

That's on a good day (or night, really )...

I've found it varies depending on the dial. A "maxi" dial like seen on the Explorer II 216570 or SD 116600 would glow longer than for instance a DJ dial simply because the markers and hands are larger and can hold more SL....

[Jake B]

Well, I used to have a couple of radium painted watches from around WWII & the radium had pretty much burned the dial dark brown (or that's how it looked anyways) & nothing glowed at all. I tossed them around 2000 or so after they sent a counter nearly off the charts. Just not something I want around.

[Jake B]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Also, cave explorers carry flashlights, they don't need their watches to glow in the dark.

You mean their not guided by the light of their glowing lume???

[Jake B]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

The GMT Master had radium painted on the bakelite bezel.

Anyway, I'm not suggesting it's the same risk, just using the Girls to illustrate the point that there is a reason that Radium was discontinued. It's unsafe.

Yes, and if I remember correctly a large batch of them were recalled due to excessively high radiations.

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by Jake B

Yes, and if I remember correctly a large batch of them were recalled due to excessively high radiations.

That's right. Posts 1 and 10 of the thread linked to up top here are from that period.