Do you shy away from buying Radium dialed & handed watches?

airansun · Feb 12, 2020

I know I do. Particularly the pre 50’s watches that have lots of radium on them, for example with radium painted Arabic numerals, like my grandfather’s WWI watch.

Of course, this is a little funny for me. I played with this watch as a child, when it was broken and had no crystal in it. After I had it repaired in the 80’s, I wore it everyday for maybe a year or so, without thinking about the risk. And I still wear it occasionally. Just confessing that I can be inconsistent. I’ve never metered it; I suppose I should.

But I’m much less likely to put up significant bucks for a radium watch. Little 50’s Seamaster radium dots don’t worry me, for example, but when the radium dots get to Submariner size, I get reluctant to buy because I’d hesitate to wear it regularly. Perfect example of a radium watch that I did buy but don’t wear much:

Honestly, I can’t imagine ever regretting buying this piece, but I argue it’s the exception for me.

What’s your view on collecting radium watches? If you have a bunch, do you store them in a special way?

Lazy_Lightning · Feb 12, 2020

I have one radium watch. I store it in a watch box separate from my other watches—but I don’t do that for any specific scientific reason.

It’s also a watch that I have in regular wrist rotation.

Tony C. · Feb 12, 2020

Working on them is risky, and of course no one should sleep with them strapped to their wrists. They should also be stored in a well-ventilated space. But there is no evidence that wearing a radium watch, even a relatively "hot" one, is dangerous.

Lazy_Lightning · Feb 12, 2020

I’ve always wanted to test the radiation level. Are the inexpensive defectors from Amazon worthwhile?

Tony C. · Feb 12, 2020

This topic has been well-covered. Those interested in digging deeper should refer to this thread:

https://omegaforums.net/threads/radium-geiger-counter-measurements.82149/

Fritz · Feb 12, 2020

I motorcycle as close to year round as you can in Canada, riding mostly in the city and I’ve worked around chemicals most of my professional life.

i figure a little radium is the least of my worries

Braindrain · Feb 12, 2020

I wear them and it's fine. It's a lot less "hot" through the caseback.

Walrus · Feb 12, 2020

Is it accurate that eBay didn’t allow these to be sold/shipped anymore? Someone mentioned that in the other thread. If I saw a nice specimen I don’t think it would scare me away

redpcar · Feb 12, 2020

Just don't say Radium or Tritium in the listing.

Fastsled · Feb 12, 2020

Funny I am reading the book “Radium Girls” right now. I’m pretty sure I do not want a radium watch!

noelekal · Feb 12, 2020

I can't be concerned about it. Lots of vintage style out there with radium.

vicsdca · Feb 12, 2020

Fastsled
Funny I am reading the book “Radium Girls” right now. I’m pretty sure I do not want a radium watch!

Just don't lick (or eat) the lume and you should be fine

Evitzee · Feb 12, 2020

Fastsled
Funny I am reading the book “Radium Girls” right now. I’m pretty sure I do not want a radium watch!

The radium girls were wetting the tips of the brushes to help apply the radium, they ingested enough radium over the years to cause real health issues. That's a lot different than having a radium dial watch on your wrist. But i draw the line at putting radium on slipper buckles as mentioned in this ad.

Mad Dog · Feb 12, 2020

I’ve heard from various “double secret probation” sources that a Mad Dog action figure* is 1,000 times more harmful than a vintage watch that has a radium dial and hands...

*LATE ENTRY: Not a doll!

cvalue13 · Feb 13, 2020

Mad Dog
Mad Dog action figure* is 1,000 times more harmful than a vintage watch

I assume that’s because radium is known to be 1,000 times less harmful than cargo shorts?

::rimshot::

Eve · Feb 13, 2020

I only owned one single radium watch. It was a wonderfull 18k solid gold PiePan Conny, that i got from an original owner in full set.
I was not aware of the radium, when i opened up the watch. When i realised it, i started reading online, researching, bought myself a Geiger counter and was surprised by the high reading this watch indicated. I actually started feeling very uncomfortable about it and sold it. I also promised to never buy a radium watch again.
Its not that i feel they are terribly dangerous for wearing, but i like to regulate my watches by myself and i dont feel comfortable around radium. But thats just me.
I will probably never find such a cool deal again, but i have no regrets! 😀

KAP · Feb 13, 2020

My thoughts are there are a lot of nice vintage watches out there without radium so I stick to non-lume, tritium, or luminovia.

lindo · Feb 13, 2020

Eve
I only owned one single radium watch. It was a wonderfull 18k solid gold PiePan Conny, that i got from an original owner in full set.
I was not aware of the radium, when i opened up the watch. When i realised it, i started reading online, researching, bought myself a Geiger counter and was surprised by the high reading this watch indicated. I actually started feeling very uncomfortable about it and sold it. I also promised to never buy a radium watch again.
Its not that i feel they are terribly dangerous for wearing, but i like to regulate my watches by myself and i dont feel comfortable around radium. But thats just me.
I will probably never find such a cool deal again, but i have no regrets! 😀

Good you have no regrets - but I regret not owning your 18K pie pan: it looks superb. And at my advanced age I don't give a tinker's about exposure to watch dial radium.

timecube · Feb 13, 2020

Braindrain
I wear them and it's fine. It's a lot less "hot" through the caseback.

So....
what numbers do you see through the caseback?

Duracuir1 · Feb 14, 2020

I bought an old watch for $30. I bought it mostly because I wanted the strap as a model to replicate (I make watch bands - see « adventures in strap making ») Have a look at the shipping details...dangerous goods? Is this due to the radium? Is it a coincidence? Was is stored near a « Mad Dog action figure ? »