Speedmaster Dial Help

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galaxytime

·Nov 18, 2024

Just found this dial in a drawer from a watchmakers collection I purchased recently. Curious if it is a service dial or the watchmaker kept the orifginal dial after swapping it out. It's not in the greatest condition but not really bad either. Any info would be highly appreciated. So far this is the only item I've found for any Speedmaster other than some movement parts.
Thanks for the comments in advance.

 

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mac_omega

·Nov 18, 2024

Did you check the lume? UV? Geiger counter?

 

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dsio

·Nov 18, 2024·Ash @ ΩF

It’s always a bit of a mystery when you find pieces like this, I’ve turned up some perfect condition 321 Speedmaster components over the years in watchmakers junk collections that made no sense yet were cheap, had clearly been there forever and were original. The only dials I’ve found like that had broken dial feet but this one appears to still have them, wonder why it was removed…

 

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masteroftime

·Nov 18, 2024

dsio

It’s always a bit of a mystery when you find pieces like this, I’ve turned up some perfect condition 321 Speedmaster components over the years in watchmakers junk collections that made no sense yet were cheap, had clearly been there forever and were original. The only dials I’ve found like that had broken dial feet but this one appears to still have them, wonder why it was removed…

I feel like there are a number of watch owners that would go to their watchmaker and ask them to “make their watch glow again” and end up getting a new dial.

 

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masteroftime

·Nov 18, 2024

The uneven step is wonky. I saw something similar on a watch recently and couldn’t find any info online. Anyone have insight?

 

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dsio

·Nov 18, 2024·Ash @ ΩF

masteroftime

I feel like there are a number of watch owners that would go to their watchmaker and ask them to “make their watch glow again” and end up getting a new dial.

This is an entirely plausible answer for sure, you see so many 321 Speedmasters with new everything on eBay that the owner thought they were increasing the value of for sale, that can’t be just a recent phenomena

 

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galaxytime

·Nov 19, 2024

mac_omega

Did you check the lume? UV? Geiger counter?

Not yet but I'm going to borrow a Geiger counter from a friend today.

 

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galaxytime

·Nov 19, 2024

masteroftime

The uneven step is wonky. I saw something similar on a watch recently and couldn’t find any info online. Anyone have insight?

Great eye! I completely missed that. Hopefully someone has some insight.

 

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padders

·Nov 19, 2024·Oooo subtitles!

I had a 321 Speedy with an early 1970s service dial that had an uneven step like that. Some dials back in the day were clearly made like that. I wonder if the common denominator is that this is also a service dial of some kind. A Geiger reading will answer quite a few questions (and ask some new ones). I guess it could be the A5 tritium dial used on the late 2998s but it needs a better eye than mine to say for definite.

Edited: Nov 19, 2024

 

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galaxytime

·Nov 19, 2024

I just looked on amazon and I was surprised how inexpensive a Geiger counter is. Going on a slight tangent here but does anyone have any experience with Geiger counters from Amazon?

Edited: Nov 19, 2024

 

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galaxytime

·Nov 20, 2024

The highest reading obtained was 7.12 at 3-5mm from dial. At 15cm the reading is 0.50 usv/h and at 30cm the reading is 0.17 usv/h. I'm just starting to read about this so not sure what all these numbers mean.

 

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impaw

·Nov 20, 2024

Wow, Amazon was quick, you already got the geiger counter!?
Will be interesting to see what you find out!

 

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Dan S

·Nov 20, 2024

galaxytime

I just looked on amazon and I was surprised how inexpensive a Geiger counter is. Going on a slight tangent here but does anyone have any experience with Geiger counters from Amazon?

Yep

 

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Davidt

·Nov 20, 2024

galaxytime

The highest reading obtained was 7.12 at 3-5mm from dial. At 15cm the reading is 0.50 usv/h and at 30cm the reading is 0.17 usv/h. I'm just starting to read about this so not sure what all these numbers mean.

It means the dial has radium.

 

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galaxytime

·Nov 20, 2024

I'm sure I've been exposed to many dials with radium over the years and while I have been careful handling them, in hindsight I could of and should of been more careful.
Is there a general consensus on what to do with loose dials containing radium? From my understanding they don't pose much risk while encased.

 

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Davidt

·Nov 20, 2024

Birth to protect it and avoid radium dust contaminating the area, I’d store it in a dial holder or at the very least a sealed container

 

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Dan S

·Nov 20, 2024

Davidt

It means the dial has radium.

Absolutely. Without radium, the reading will be background level, maybe a couple of tenths in those units.

 

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galaxytime

·Nov 21, 2024

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate the info and love learning new stuff. Not sure I want to even keep the dial and wouldn't think they have any/much value. Now I'll have to check on how to dispose of properly.

 

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Davidt

·Nov 21, 2024

Stick it on eBay.

 

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mac_omega

·Nov 21, 2024

So after we know it has radium lume what is the conclusion? Is it a dial for 2998 ?