Would You Buy/Wear a 'Hot' Vintage Rolex Submariner?

[ref1655]

'hot' as in the radiation emanating from an older mid-50s Submariner with deteriorating radium hands & dial.

a colleague came across an older, 100% original Submariner (the kind with no crown guards) & the area between the dial & crystal was dusty + there were hairline cracks on the dial...typical signs of radium breakdown.

just out of curiosity, he took a Geiger counter reading comparing it with the luminova dial on one of his other watches & a tritium model from the early 1980s. both registered zero but the older Submariner excited the counter, registering what he estimated to be the radiation one might incur while undergoing minor dental x-rays over a period of 15-20 years.

his conclusion was that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to use the watch as a 'daily wearer' or to have it on while sleeping at night. radium apparently has a half-life of 1600 years while tritium's is approximately 12.5 years or so.

his last experiment was to expose the watch to some x-ray film & the dial left faint ghost images.

this watch was part of an estate sale & he eventually passed on purchasing it figuring why buy a potentially dangerous watch just for the sake of antiquity. would you have done the same?

[linesiders]

If I came across one I could afford I would do it. I would not duct tape it to my skull at night ;) but I would wear it on occasion and otherwise store it in a pelican case somewhere safe.

I have some hot radium hands and dial bits that set off my radiation detector. I get no readings from outside the pelican case.

[iliketime]

that sounds dangerous...

[harry in montreal]

What is the final verdict? Post 1960 are Likely ok? I have a 61 excl point sub and I believe these are fine. Am I wrong?

[Paul_I]

I thought you meant stolen . . . No, I probably would not wear it.

[ref1655]

Originally Posted by harry in montreal

What is the final verdict? Post 1960 are Likely ok? I have a 61 excl point sub and I believe these are fine. Am I wrong?

according to sources, Rolex switched from radium to tritium around 1963-64...older GMTs & Subs have the most radium content due to the larger design of their dial markers. the old bakelite GMT bezel had radium-illuminated numbers & some are still glowing to this day.

[05carbondrz]

I would wear it,No question.

[R.W.T.]

I'll take it.

[crowncollection]

Not daily but certainly from time to time


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[jackruff]

Yes all day long....If only I had a chance!!! ...Never ever heard of anyone ever getting a lesion on their forearm....If your worried about a little radiation from a watch I suggest that you don't ever explore the toxic world we have created.... Yep mobile phones are safe as is Bluetooth, WiFi etc etc etc....

[Qinhan]

The real question is: will wearing it cause you to grow a mutant arm?

[jackruff]

I'm in if I can grow that bad boy......!!!!

[Mick P]

Chaps

If I had such a watch, I would definitely wear it. We all got to die of something, so what the heck.

Regards

Mick

[linesiders]

Originally Posted by harry in montreal

What is the final verdict? Post 1960 are Likely ok? I have a 61 excl point sub and I believe these are fine. Am I wrong?

It is highly radioactive - sell it to me cheap!!! To save yourself, of course

No, you are fine. The exclamation dial indicates it does not have Radium. I have somewhere my radiation results in micro sieverts. So I will find them and post them, or I will just test my Excl Dial.

It is higher than a T<25 or a T SWISS T (I believe is less than 15) but not like a 65 Big Crown

Originally Posted by Paul_I

I thought you meant stolen . . . No, I probably would not wear it.

Were you a Nuke?

Originally Posted by ref1655

according to sources, Rolex switched from radium to tritium around 1963-64...older GMTs & Subs have the most radium content due to the larger design of their dial markers. the old bakelite GMT bezel had radium-illuminated numbers & some are still glowing to this day.

Some transitioned earlier, many were swapped out along the way.

If you folks are not comfortable with your radium Rolex or Tudor watches, please send them my way

[offrdmania]

You are exposed to radiation in your daily life anyways. Standing close to a microwave while in use gives off a low dose. Drinking tap water, especially in urban areas where runoff comes from factories has a low dose of radiation. cell phones, florescent lamps, Televisions, computer monitors, etc all contain trace millirem. I wouldnt worry about an occasional wear of a watch.

[Paul_I]

Originally Posted by linesiders

Were you a Nuke?

Enlisted as Intelligence Analyst, commissioned to JAG.

[harry in montreal]

Thanks for note John. Maybe we will work something out down the road. It has a nice little excl point, Eh?
Still can't believe it's April and no bos/Mtl first rounder to watch

[linesiders]

Originally Posted by Paul_I

Enlisted as Intelligence Analyst, commissioned to JAG.

Ahah.

Originally Posted by harry in montreal

Thanks for note John. Maybe we will work something out down the road. It has a nice little excl point, Eh?
Still can't believe it's April and no bos/Mtl first rounder to watch

Haha. Oh, the Sox are playing, which gets me to Football.

[AS1]

Originally Posted by crowncollection

Not daily but certainly from time to time


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

agreed

[VaRobot]

Originally Posted by offrdmania

You are exposed to radiation in your daily life anyways. Standing close to a microwave while in use gives off a low dose. Drinking tap water, especially in urban areas where runoff comes from factories has a low dose of radiation. cell phones, florescent lamps, Televisions, computer monitors, etc all contain trace millirem. I wouldnt worry about an occasional wear of a watch.

Most of your above references are non-ionizing radiation. Radium gives off Ionizing Radiation. There is a difference, apples and oranges..............

"millirem" is a term associated with ionizing radiation.

Daily EM radiation,(cell phones, florescent lamps, etc.) is typically non-nuclear in orgin. Radium has Nuclear Decay properties which associate with gamma release.

Gamma = Ionizing

I still have a radium lumed timex that exceeds daily recommended exposure.

It's all a matter of probability...........................

[droptopman]

I would wear it. No question.

[renfield33]

Did he measure the dial in or out of the case? It's possible the case and crystal block all of the radiation. I don't know for sure.

[ref1655]

Originally Posted by renfield33

Did he measure the dial in or out of the case? It's possible the case and crystal block all of the radiation. I don't know for sure.

it was measured with the case/crystal intact.

Originally Posted by VaRobot

Radium gives off Ionizing Radiation. There is a difference, apples and oranges...I still have a radium lumed timex that exceeds daily recommended exposure. It's all a matter of probability....

that was his concern...chances are you won't grow an extra limb or a third eye from excessive radium exposure but over time, it can destroy bone & marrow tissue to the point where one is terminally anemic. that's what happened to madam curie over the course of her experimentations with radium.

as VaRobot stated, it's all a matter of probability + one's genetic/inherent predisposition to radioactive exposure...thus it might be best to err on the safe side.

incidentally & as an afterthought...I had an opportunity to get a brief look at this watch. the hands/dial were kind of 'crusty' looking, reminiscent of a corroded car battery & I thought to myself, who would want to wear something so crappy looking? unlike a nicely-aged tritium patina, the decomposing radium had taken on sort of a light orange rust-colored appearance.

[linesiders]

Originally Posted by harry in montreal

What is the final verdict? Post 1960 are Likely ok? I have a 61 excl point sub and I believe these are fine. Am I wrong?

So I measured mine, which is like yours, and it pulls 0.2 uSv/h, which is about 3 x background radiation where I live and a lot less than some highly populate areas.

I have one of these and am please with it: http://www.amazon.com/GQ-GMC-320-Plu.../dp/B00I8GQ1EC

However, it does not detect all types of radiation but it can help determine minuscule watch parts, from ones would don't want to inhale or sit in your lap.

[ref1655]

Originally Posted by linesiders

So I measured mine, which is like yours, and it pulls 0.2 uSv/h, which is about 3 x background radiation where I live and a lot less than some highly populate areas.

that's good device to own (or have access to) especially if one were collecting older pre-tritium watch models or a watch repairman servicing vintage-era timepieces.

incidentally, just got off the phone & ran your reading by the individual who had considered buying this older model Submariner...he said the one he tested gave a reading of 0.3 uSv/h.

I would imagine that the RSC (or any watchmaker) neither appreciates/enjoys/or looks forward to these kinds of watches coming in for periodic servicing. being that radium is easily ingested via breathing and/or soft tissue contact, pro-active precautionary measures must be taken when opening them up.

[linesiders]

Originally Posted by ref1655

that's good device to own (or have access to) especially if one were collecting older pre-tritium watch models or a watch repairman servicing vintage-era timepieces.

incidentally, just got off the phone & ran your reading by the individual who had considered buying this older model Submariner...he said the one he tested gave a reading of 0.3 uSv/h.

I would imagine that the RSC (or any watchmaker) neither appreciates/enjoys/or looks forward to these kinds of watches coming in for periodic servicing. being that radium is easily ingested via breathing and/or soft tissue contact, pro-active precautionary measures must be taken when opening them up.

It is a good device to have for little more than $110 - especially if you are going to be handling vintage parts that might be radium. I have purchased several sets of hands from various vintage markets and off the Bay that were radium and cause a lot of clicking noise.

0.3 uSv/hr is actually not bad. 3 my concern would be elevated. 0.3 is like eating 3 bananas per day

Good chart here on relative doses (I am not professionally trained in this):

[Paul_I]

Originally Posted by linesiders

Ahah.



Haha. Oh, the Sox are playing, which gets me to Football.

[Ckci]

No! To me the problem is the length of time of the exposure!

[eco8gator]

No...why take the risk.

I would maybe put it on for a min for a wrist show but that's it.

I have measured wrist watches with crazy levels of radiation but like its been said its all about exposure over some period of time. And in most cases you have to be with in inches of the dial side to get the full brunt of it. The case back side level are significantly less based on what I have measured.

Example Enicar Seapearl 600....150uSV/hr dial side with in an inch; <10uSV case back side with in an inch.

My watch radiation test:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAcApQYsATA

Sensor used for measurement was an LND7317...which is very sensitive to alpha, beta and gamma radiation.

If your going to dabble in watches with Radium lume get a good geiger counter so you know what you and others may get exposed to. In the end you not the only one getting exposed. Keep that stuff away from kits and pregnant women and your pocket:)

[watchlovr]

I would and have worn "hot watches"
This is my post on a UK forum with readings and comparisons.
Watch is a Rolex 6536-1 Submariner from 1958.
http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...=off+the+scale