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What are correct hands for a Tri-Compax Moonphase (cal 287) 1940's

  1. morningtundra Apr 21, 2020

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    I commonly see either the thin, sword style (usually gold) or the fat, plongeur style. Which would be correct?

    Presumably, for the 1940s, these would be pre-tritium lume? Perhaps radium?

    (images: Google)

    plongeur.jpg sword.jpg
     
  2. Dan S Apr 21, 2020

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    I imagine it depends on the dial, since some have lume and some don't. There might even be more styles.
     
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  3. calalum Apr 21, 2020

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    We can wait on some of those more in the know, but I think that Dan is correct-dials with lume seemed to generally have hands with lume and a dial with no lume should generally have hands with no lume. Here are a couple examples of the latter.

    UG Tri compax 2d wrist.JPG UG tri compax dial.jpg
     
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  4. Traveler Apr 21, 2020

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    My ex watch with ex hands like OP pic one

    AD433429-85DF-4567-B731-A8B95FC2DF69.jpeg
     
  5. morningtundra Apr 21, 2020

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    Curiously, I have not come across dials with lume pips. Perhaps I need to look longer, and perhaps they’ve just fallen off and been removed.

    Also dials don’t seem to show radium burn, which makes me wonder what the lume material is on these plongeur hands.
     
  6. morningtundra Apr 21, 2020

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    Oh now this ones interesting. That green looks like radium. Did you ever take a giger counter to this? After ~80(?) years of radiation exposure, wouldn’t the dial be more toasty looking?
     
  7. Dan S Apr 21, 2020

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    The dial lume is often on the numerals. Some numerals are lumed, some are painted. You need to look closely at good photos.
     
  8. morningtundra Apr 21, 2020

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    Ah, I’m seeing what you’re talking about now. I mistook many for paint, or even refinish. But you’re right — they have that green-black moldy hue.
     
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  9. Larry S Color Commentator for the Hyperbole. Apr 21, 2020

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    Lumed hands = Lumed dial indices... always. Sometimes the dial can be painted not lumed. Then non lumed hands are ok.
     
    Edited Apr 21, 2020
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  10. bgrisso Apr 22, 2020

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    There are many possible types of dial and hand combinations, it's one of the cool things about UG ! Also makes it frustrating to try and catagorize definitively.

    Better to look at individual examples, rather than generalizations.

    The lume for the types of examples being shared in this thread so far is radium, and yes they def register on a meter.

    One thing that I find interesting is the range of possible aging on the dial lume vs hand lume often seems quite varied, and more often than not, they don't match.

    That very first pic in this thread is good example, offhand that looks to be original radium on the dial and hands.
     
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  11. Traveler Apr 22, 2020

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    I did - it was off the charts - I sold the watch!
     
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  12. MarktheTime Apr 22, 2020

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    And yes again to non-lume dial, non-lume hands....
     
    C2ED0AB2-2876-44D4-AB22-CCDCBE263A39.jpeg
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  13. morningtundra Apr 22, 2020

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    Oh my! Three very fine-looking specimens!
     
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  14. morningtundra Apr 22, 2020

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    I don't blame you! Some of those look absolutely deadly! In a gorgeous, sexy sorta way...
     
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  15. waXology Apr 26, 2020

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    Don't forget the radon gas they emit when decaying. Radium watches kept in non ventilated areas is deadly. I have a radon detector and it shocked me. Was like 10x safe levels with only one watch.
     
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  16. bgrisso Apr 26, 2020

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    How would you define a non ventilated area? Is there any room in a residential house that would be considered non ventilated?
     
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  17. jsducote Apr 27, 2020

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    Problem solved:
    canary winder.jpg
     
  18. chicagowatch Apr 29, 2020

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    +1

    Not to de-rail the thread too much, but I would also like to know. What do folks recommend for best practices in regards to safely collecting radium watches?
     
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  19. waXology Apr 29, 2020

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    Mine were in a sliding wardrobe. Basically 0 ventilation. Readings were off the scale (For Radon gas) not radiation. I think it's worth noting the radiation levels are ok if the watch has it's crystal on etc. Though it decays to gas which is a carcinogenic.

    Here's a story from a few years back: https://news.sky.com/story/wartime-...at-can-cause-cancer-researchers-warn-11405557

    It's worth a thought.

    Stay safe.
     
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  20. OMEGuy Apr 29, 2020

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