1601 questions..

[CompactRod]

I've a silver dial 1601 with '0 T SWISS T O'. Is there any special meaning? Any guess how old is this watch? Is this watch worth keeping as I'm thinking of selling away this watch to exchange for newer models as the second hands stop periodically. Hope nothing major with the movements.

[SPACE-DWELLER]

T SWISS T means that your DJ 1601 has a Tritium dial that emits less than 227 MBq (7,5 mCi) of radioactivity. Tritium is a mild radio-active substance (beta waves) that has a half life of 12,5 years. Therefore you should not wonder why it does not glow anymore. Tritium (or rather the phospers it was bonded with) made the hands and indices glow CONSTANTLY. Tritium sometimes "ages" over the years and turns slightly yellow (discolours). Trtium was banned in 1998, but a few companies still use it.

SuperLuminova - which is used today - however, needs an external source of light to make it glow and also loses its glow gradually (typically it can last 6 hours on a good "charge" of light). It has not yet been proven that SL loses its overall glowing quality over years, though, and SL is also expected not to discolour by age like Tritium did.

The "O"'s in front of the "T SWISS T" don't ring a bell with me?

See more about luminous materials here:

Luminous materials used by Rolex! CLICK!

Your DJ 1601 is from the 1970ies, I guess, but I'd have to see a pic to be sure.

[Wolfgang427]

The "O" in "O T-Swiss O" simply means that the hour markers or indices on the dial are white gold.

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Thanks, Wolfgang!