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Was it just Radium and Tritium used as a lume in vintage Omega dials?

Horologist
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While I was sifting through general watch sites , one particular site I accidentally found had the following image of a certificate issued by Rolex claiming that it tested the bezel to be free of Radioactive Strontium 90 ( another deadly calcium tracker like Radium)

https://storage.googleapis.com/pubzapuscentral/watchprosite/rolex/38/scaled/rolex_image.3575638.jpg

The question begs to ask
-Why would it be tested to be free of Strontium 90 unless it had been used by the company at any stage?

By the look of the certificate, this is likely to have happened after the transition of Radium to something like Strontium and perhaps then Tritium ( around the period 1958-1963) ) ?

If Rolex had been using Strontium at some stage, wouldn't it be likely that other watch companies may have also used it? I have been searching for information about Omega if it had also been in a similar situation where Strontium could have been used at any stage?. Just wondering if anyone ever pondered on this? Just curious as the ride down the rabbit hole keeps getting more and more deeper?
 
H
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Before 1962, Omega used radium lume for all watches. Then they started to change from radium to tritium.
 
Horologist
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I was always wondering why some Omega dials that were believed to have had Tritium and not marked as Tritium could have instead had other lume apart from Radium ( ie Strontium -90).
Strontium 90 is a low energy Beta emitter similar to Tritium being a low energy Beta emitter.
I could not help thinking if Strontium 90 was used instead which would theoretically answer why some non radium dials were not marked as Tritium as they most likely may not have been Tritium but instead Strontium as they give off the same Beta particles?? Surely Omega company would not overprint some non labeled T dials and not others with T after they were required by law Mind boggles
 
Dan S
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That certificate refers to a bezel, not the dial, and it is well-known the Strontium was used in early GMT-Master bezels (ref 6542), which were then recalled.

Promethium was used on dials for a short time by some brands. I have not heard of Strontium being used on dials, but it wouldn't shock me.

And as you probably know by now, images are preferred to links.

rolex_image.3575638.webp
Edited:
 
Dan S
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Here is the famous recall notice for the 6542 bezel. I have never heard of any other recalls, or any recalls for dials.

Rolex-GMT-Master-6542-Statement.webp
 
Horologist
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Dan S Dan S
Here is the famous recall notice for the 6542 bezel. I have never heard of any other recalls, or any recalls for dials.

Rolex-GMT-Master-6542-Statement.webp
Yeah,that was the site! I wonder what year that recall happened?
 
Dan S
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Horologist Horologist
Yeah,that was the site! I wonder what year that recall happened?
Not sure what site you are referring to, that document is all over the internet. As for when the AEC required the recall ... google it and let us know.
Edited:
 
Horologist
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Dan S Dan S
Not sure what site you are referring to, that document is all over the internet. As for when the AEC required the recall ... google it and let us know.
After returning from work, I managed to google to find the following links

https://www.watchprosite.com/rolex/...d-the-6542-in-dec-1959-/732.1237736.10222576/

And also check this out, I found this one quite interesting

https://www.horolonomics.com/2020/05/the-history-of-radioactive-rolex-with.html
 
sheepdoll
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I recall a NAWCC article about Timex experimenting with Strontium 90. I recall it saying the building was still sealed.

It had another interesting tidbit. The workers were monitored. One couple did not show any residual buildup. Turned out they went out and got sloshed on beer regularly. So the high increase of liquids was washing it out of the system before it could bond.

I suspect that like many things, radiation studies rely heavily on statistical methods. Which of course also gives us modern AI. So I suspect on average anything I read three times is probably true. Within some margin of error or other.
 
Horologist
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To add further to this thread, I have just found another site about "Strontium-90 and Swiss watch dials" discussed in the UK Parliament circa 1962 of Strontium used in luminising watches ( therefore not likely just restricted to the bezel of the Rolex GMT which was recalled at a later date.

Dan S Dan S
... as you probably know by now, images are preferred to links.
(Sorry for this as I have to add this as a link as my current software will not allow me to copy and paste any images here at moment).

https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1962/mar/29/british-strontium-90-and-swiss-watch

I quote a passage from the link which hopefully some of you may find interesting

Since the beginning of 1958, Strontium 90 has been supplied to Switzerland for medical and research purposes only. Prior to 1958 a quantity of Strontium 90 supplied by the Authority to a firm in Switzerland was understood to have 1066been used for luminising watches, and supplies to this firm were discontinued. At one time, it is fair to add, Strontium 90 may reasonably have been thought by a section of the watch industry to be safer than radium, because it does not give off gamma radiation or radon. It was also thought to be superior as a luminising agent.
 
Dan S
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Horologist Horologist
To add further to this thread, I have just found another site about "Strontium-90 and Swiss watch dials" discussed in the UK Parliament circa 1962 of Strontium used in luminising watches ( therefore not likely just restricted to the bezel of the Rolex GMT which was recalled at a later date.


(Sorry for this as I have to add this as a link as my current software will not allow me to copy and paste any images here at moment).

https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1962/mar/29/british-strontium-90-and-swiss-watch

I quote a passage from the link which hopefully some of you may find interesting

Since the beginning of 1958, Strontium 90 has been supplied to Switzerland for medical and research purposes only. Prior to 1958 a quantity of Strontium 90 supplied by the Authority to a firm in Switzerland was understood to have 1066been used for luminising watches, and supplies to this firm were discontinued. At one time, it is fair to add, Strontium 90 may reasonably have been thought by a section of the watch industry to be safer than radium, because it does not give off gamma radiation or radon. It was also thought to be superior as a luminising agent.
If you read that full exchange, it is apparently referring to a debunked rumor about watch dials. I don't think there is any benefit in promoting false rumors on the internet, since people will find this thread in the future by searching. Here are the relevant sections that you omitted:

- THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL AND MINISTER FOR SCIENCE (VISCOUNT HAILSHAM): My Lords, Her Majesty's Government cannot accept responsibility for statements in the American Press....

- LORD KENNET: My Lords, may one take it, then, that this probably refers to an old story that is now cleared up?

Moreover, your timeline is confused and I don't follow your logic. In particular, I see no reason to assume that the section you quoted is referring to anything other than the Rolex GMT bezel, which was actually recalled prior to 1962 according to the earlier link. In fact, this seems likely to be related to the Rolex recall, which was highly publicized.

If you find actual evidence that Sr-90 was used on a dial, please post it. As I mentioned before, it is certainly plausible that it could have been done briefly in the late 50s. However, I don't know of any evidence for it. In fact, given that the US AEC requested the Rolex bezel recall, it would be logical that they would have done the same for any Sr-90 dials, if they existed. But as I mentioned above, we don't know of any such recalls.
Edited:
 
Horologist
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Dan S Dan S
I don't think there is any benefit in promoting false rumors on the internet, since people will find this thread in the future by searching

If you find actual evidence that Sr-90 was used on a dial, please post it. As I mentioned before, it is certainly plausible that it could have been done briefly in the late 50s. However, I don't know of any evidence for it. In fact, given that the US AEC requested the Rolex bezel recall, it would be logical that they would have done the same for any Sr-90 dials, if they existed. But as I mentioned above, we don't know of any such recalls.
Firstly, I would like to clarify that I am not promoting anything; neither for nor against it! May it be false or not ? I am as curious as anyone else! I do not know which is why I shared the information I found! I just found the link which was an interesting read where the information was discussed and quoted what I found interesting in that article ! Period! I could have cut and pasted the whole article but quoted only what caught my attention! I never said it was conclusive! Perhaps someone knowing more about it with documented facts can share! It would be nice to know! I am very curious. Sorry I never intended to create an arguement!
 
Dan S
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It’s not an argument. I just want to avoid creating a thread where it looks like we are claiming that Sr-90 was used on dials. Let’s just make sure we present the facts carefully. You know how things spread on the internet and people get freaked out by radioactive substances.
 
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