Err Buddies...here are some brief news articles excerpt from The New York Times archive...
1. STRONTIUM IN SOME WATCHES; A. E. C. Seeking to Recover 600 Rolex GMT Masters -- Warns of Dan... [PDF]
WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- The Atomic Energy Commission said today it was trying to recover more than 600 Swiss wrist watches because several had been found to contain too much radioactive strontium 90....
December 18, 1959 - Article
The initial research done by Buddy Harris has pointed to the above article also...
To Orchi's own understanding...
At that time...
there was a concern by AEC to have ordered Rolex to recall more than 600 Rolex watches...
n these 600 watches were said to be Ref 6542 GMT Master...
Subsequently Rolex launched a massive advertising campaign to recall these Ref 6542 GMT Master watches...
Now since we know...
the 6542 GMT Masters were produced with Bakelite bezel laced...
with Strong luminous markers specifically for the aviation pilots...
we however did not know BEFORE that the luminous compound of these markers contain...Strontium-90...
which is clearly stated by the AEC at the time...in December of 1959.
"AEC was trying to recover more than 600 SWISS wrist watches because SEVERAL HAD BEEN...
FOUND TO CONTAIN TOO MUCH RADIOACTIVE...STRONTIUM-90..."
Prior to December 1959...
surely Rolex had started to use the luminous compound loaded with Strontium-90...
on their watches...
But Why was AEC trying to recall over 600 of these Ref 6542 GMT Master watches only...?
Orchi thinks now...
that the extra combination of the Strontium-90 luminous compound...
found on the numeric hour markers of Bakelite Bezel for Ref 6542 alone would have
exceeded the permissible dosage...
It is also believed that...
the Ref 6542 GMT Master Dial luminous hour markers at the time would also be containing Strontium-90...
This was perhaps the main reason why the AEC was trying to recall the Ref 6542 GMT Master watches...
sold in the USA during that time...in the late 50s.
The AEC did not have to recall the other Rolex Submariner n Explorer or other Rolex models of watches...
simply NOT because the other Rolex watch models did NOT have...
Strontium-90 luminous markers...
it is believed that the main reason would obviously be...
that at the time the other Rolex models of watches did NOT containing TOO MUCH Radioactive Strontium-90...
So now...
hopefully this would explain n support Orchi's proposition to share in O & P forum...
that indeed...in the late 1950s n early 1960s...
Rolex was indeed supplying their sport watch models...
with the Strontium-90 luminous compound applied on the hour markers of Dials...
n the hour markers of the Bezel too in the case of Ref 6542...
Despite what Orchi had published previously since 2008...
Orchi now believes the "Exclamation Point" or Dotted Dial...
under the 6 o'clock marker...
found on Rolex sport watches between 1958 until 1961 or 1962...
= Strontium-90...!!!
Most of the time...
by comparison to its predecessor of Radium luminous compound used by Rolex...
the Radium luminous markers of Rolex watches would normally have been disintegrated with appearance of heavy Patina...
On the other hand...
these Rolex sport watches having the Strontium-90 luminous compound markers...
would mostly be looking still fresh n tidy...in good shape n glowing like Christmas trees in the dark n under strong UV lights...
Here are some pictures credit to the Rolexpassionreport.com...
n those found elsewhere from the internet...
The related articles published in VRF recently...
are credit to the painstaking research of Buddy Harris...
in VRF...
"The watch was tested and it is PERFECTLY SAFE for your use"...
However...
It does NOT mean it's is NOT Strontium-90 or Radiation FREE...(ZERO Strontium-90 or Radiation reading)
For the above explanation...
Orchi is unsure of the date of the above Rolex paper...
Maybe it was issued after 1962...
when Tritium was used instead of Strontium-90...
subsequently...
The Bakelite Bezel insert might have been relumed or replaced at that stage...
Or it could be that simply...the Bakelite insert of 6542 GMT Master...
for Japanese market...did not contain Strontium-90 luminous paint on its markers...
Again Orchi believes...the sticker says "Guaranteed RADIATION Safe"...
but it does NOT mean...the watch is RADIATION FREE...
or having ZERO Radiation reading.
So far in Orchi's novice studies...
here are the basic understanding:-
1. The Radium luminous paint would emit...<b>more harmful GAMMA energy Radiation reading...</b>
Radium luminous compound is self disintegration or degrading due to Radium decay...
(meaning the other Phosphorous elements of Zinc Sulfide crystal used would tend to be broken down to smaller particles n damaged with no glow or mild glow under UV light...by now over 50 years)
Radium luminous paint when react to moisture would turn to darkish colour or stain...
This is evident in the Radium Dial or Hands of watches found...
where the Radium luminous markers are usually stained with darker Patina...
n damaged due to the lost of Zinc Sulfide crystals...(blown to dust so to speak)
However...the Radium Dial or Hands would still be emitting high energy Radiation reading...
due to the very long half life of Radium decay...(1600 years)
2. The Tritium luminous paint would emit...least harmful n Mild or Low BETA energy Radiation reading..
However after some time...due to shorter half life span of Tritium decay...(12.5 years)...
the smaller quantity of Tritium mixture might not be enough to excite the other Phosphorous elements of Zinc Sulfide...(in regulated mixture)...
thus the luminosity of Tritium paint would degrade sooner in relatively shorter time...
This is evident that these days we see so many of Tritium luminous markers on Dials...
n hands have lost most of its luminosity...even on watches made from the 1970s...
1980s...or 1990s...
It is also very common to see many watches with Tritium markers turning to having heavy Patina...or stains...
which could be due to excessive exposure to moisture...or darkness...
(lack of Sunlight perhaps)...
3. After the provision of documentary proof...
Orchi believes now that...the Strontium-90 luminous paint...
was readily available to the SWISS watch industry...
n Sr-90 was being cheaper to Radium...
Sr90 had 3 advantages over Radium with SWISS watch industry...
It was friendly to Zinc Sulfide the main element to produce Phosphorous paint polymer...n not cause as much damage to it...as opposed to Radium.
It could be formulated to yield colours...which could be more versatile as opposed to Radium.
It was much cheaper n being a pure Beta energy emitter it was less harmless as opposed to Radium(Gamma emitter)
With almost 30 years half life property...
it was actually better performing than Tritium(12.5 years half life)...
Orchi now thinks even the last generations of Rolex Gilt Dials passed 1960s...
n the earliest Matte Dials...although marked with SWISS T<25...
could possibly have the Strontium-90 luminous paint on Dial markers n hands also...
or some other Phosphorous lume compound...instead of Tritium...(no proof yet)
n these Dials made passed 1963/64 until 1967 or so...
would still emit strong glow in dark...
or under the strong UV light...
Here are a couple of examples... :wub:
May be it is about time Orchi buys a more sophisticated Geiger counter meter...
or find a scientific laboratory...
to test the individual readings of Alpha...
Beta n GAMMA energy Radiation from Rolex watches...LOL!
Or perhaps Orchi should consider to strip off all sorts of luminous paint on Dial or Hands markers...
to submit them for scientific tests...
to see whether the luminous compounds...
are either Radium...Strontium-90 or Tritium...LOL!
Err...is there any TRF Buddies willing to donate any old n damaged Rolex Dials...
to Orchi...? LOL...!