First of all, happy Holidays to all OF members!!!

I have scientific question: can changes in the air pressure (when traveling with vintage watch by plane) cause some damage to tritium hands? Will the fact whether watch is sealed (passing pressure test) or not play any difference here?

It is known that often old lume has a micro cracks from shrinking over time. Can pressure changes force it to flake?

Appreciate any thoughts and expertise.

 

Usually pressure is creating mechanical damages when it's not balance.
High pressure from outside compare to low pressure from the inside --> submarine issue
Low pressure from outside compare to high pressure from the inside --> first deep diving watches without helium valve have their crystal poping...

Regarding Tritium I will be more concerned by thermal shock, dilatation and humidity.

 

Thank you for the reply.
I'm trying my best to protect vintage pieces from any shocks, including thermal and humidity.
May I ask in which event dilatation may happen to the tritium?

 

I see no logical reason why modest changes in pressure should affect the lime on the hands. As @Willbur mentioned, the pressure is equal on all sides of the hands, so there is no net force.

 

Thank you! Make sense.

 

The biggest danger is when the hands are removed for movement servicing. After that, mechanical shocks, like dropping the watch, or even wearing it during certain types of activities.

 

Like skiing?

 

Agree, so far the most damage to the tritium hands I've seen are coming from watchmakers and couriers..

 

Depends on your style

I think riding motorbike, mountain bike and something involving vibrations.. Or direct shocks like boxing, paintball

 

As a pilot, here is my take:

Flying in a private, small airplane is not pressurized, but the altitude is so low, pressure is not a factor.

Flying in a commercial, large airplane is pressurized, though the altitude is high, the pressure is not a factor.

 

Wow, thank you so much for the info!

 

This has been to 13,000ft in an unpressurised aircraft, tritrium lume still OK (air pressure ~60% of takeoff point at sealevel). If we had any idea the wave-lift was so strong we'd have taken oxygen with us and got well past 20,000! I still would not have worried about the hands The watch has lots of aluminium-tube airmiles too, not so much fun.

 

And especially skiing at 12,000 feet.

 

At 13,000 ft and climbing without O2, the watch would be the last thing I’d be concerned with.

 

Yeah, we knew.

Nose down for 120kts -- still going up.

Brakes full out -- 100fpm descent.

No loose objects? Harnesses tight? We spun down to 4,000 AGL.

Neither of us had a camera either and there was a lovely glory around our shadow on the clouds below

 

This turning in to a nice thread Great stories!

 

I used to shoot wearing a Speedmaster or a trench watches with no shock protection. No issues.

Think of how many watches were worn during the world wars and they came back just fine.

Tom

 

Good for you! I believe it depends on how the tritium degraded over the decades in particular example. Some hands has micro cracks form shrinking over time. Some Speedmaster lume holds very well, on others even reseting the second hand or small shock may cause some damage on tritium.

I don't think many vintage watches were worn during world wars or were tested to go to the Moon. They were new at the time.
I talk about 30-50 years old vintage watches. Tritium is like a paint, prone to cracks and shrinking and become fragile over the years.

 

Generally watches from the big wars weren't retired after the armistice. They were usually then worn for decades afterward by their owners, and many still have no lume issues. Where they do, I'm inclined to suspect moisture or careless handling during services moreso than pressure or temperature.