New guy/first Rolex

[TonyMac]

Hi everyone and thanks for having me. This is my first post. I love old stuff, especially old guitars and amplifiers. So, when I finally decided to buy a Rolex I wanted a vintage piece. I wound up (no pun intended) with an Oyster Royal Precision Ref 6480. Serial #211XXX. It’s beautiful. The patina on the dial is super groovy. It of course has radium lume. I know this has been done to death, but data on the web is all over the place. I have 2 questions. 1: Am I wrong to worry about this watch as a daily driver? And 2: What’s the best way to store this watch when I’m not wearing it? thank you so much for indulging a newbie.

[Tom1675]

Originally Posted by TonyMac

Hi everyone and thanks for having me. This is my first post. I love old stuff, especially old guitars and amplifiers. So, when I finally decided to buy a Rolex I wanted a vintage piece. I wound up (no pun intended) with an Oyster Royal Precision Ref 6480. Serial #211XXX. It’s beautiful. The patina on the dial is super groovy. It of course has radium lume. I know this has been done to death, but data on the web is all over the place. I have 2 questions. 1: Am I wrong to worry about this watch as a daily driver? And 2: What’s the best way to store this watch when I’m not wearing it? thank you so much for indulging a newbie.

Radium is not to be messed with on the daily imho. I would Geiger it and post the results here. Depending on those results you will spur a larger discussion .

[jatco]

Welcome...
Great first post and great looking watch.
Not sure about the radium issue..but Im sure others do.. and not sure if I'd want to wear it daily..so as to keep it in its current state, vs dings etal..
just sayin.

[TonyMac]

Thanks. I can do that.

[TonyMac]

Here’ my Geiger reading.

[Chris]

The quantity used on a dial won't harm.

They stoped using it because it was very bad for the people who worked in the manufacture and had to paint all day long these dials

These 'paiters' came into contact with large amounts of radium. Way too much
And some got ill.
Taken from another thread.

[TonyMac]

Originally Posted by Chris

The quantity used on a dial won't harm.

They stoped using it because it was very bad for the people who worked in the manufacture and had to paint all day long these dials

These 'paiters' came into contact with large amounts of radium. Way too much
And some got ill.
Taken from another thread.

Thanks.
When I placed the Geiger over the top of the watch, I got a reading of 0.82 uSv/hour. Quite a bit higher than normal background radiation.

[Yachtbuoy]

What's the reading from the caseback? You won't be wearing it dial contacting the skin though!

[TonyMac]

It is lower. About half. 0.42uSv/hr. Still above typical background radiation.

[Yachtbuoy]

Doing some insane napkin math here but basically wearing that watch every minute of every day for a year would be exposing yourself to 3.6 millisieverts.

Like IIRC you get more radiation exposure from a CT scan, although if the risk is really unbearable and you wanted something you could wear daily you definitely want a watch with Tritium.

[Styles Bitchley]

Originally Posted by TonyMac

Here’ my Geiger reading.

You’ve got a geiger counter just sitting around the house?? That’s awesome.

Beautiful patina on that watch.

[Nick9]

On a less than atomic level…your watch has a really neat and relatively uncommon sector dial and nice vintage arrow markers. Patina is nice and the lume that’s left is the right colour.

Good vintage pickup, in my opinion. Should probably have it serviced if it isn’t already.

[TonyMac]

Thanks everyone. I do really like this watch. I will not be wearing it every day, despite my desire to do so. Sounds like I’ll have to consider a 2nd, more recent model.

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by Styles Bitchley

You’ve got a geiger counter just sitting around the house?? That’s awesome.

20 bucks on Amazon.

[Lakeman]

Welcome

[EEpro]

Any granite counters you can measure?

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by Chris

The quantity used on a dial won't harm.

They stoped using it because it was very bad for the people who worked in the manufacture and had to paint all day long these dials.

I'd be interested in seeing an authoritative source for this.

My understanding was that there were also concerns about long-term issues for the wearer, although admittedly this perception is similarly unsourced.

I'm always a bit concerned about wearing my heavily radiumed old Tudors. Radium hands, thick radium for numerals, radium hour dots. You couldn't fit more radium on if you tried.

OP, I see radium only on your hands.

Interesting discussion.

[TonyMac]

Originally Posted by Yachtbuoy

Doing some insane napkin math here but basically wearing that watch every minute of every day for a year would be exposing yourself to 3.6 millisieverts.

Like IIRC you get more radiation exposure from a CT scan, although if the risk is really unbearable and you wanted something you could wear daily you definitely want a watch with Tritium.

Actually that would be .82 x 24 x 365 = 7,183.2 uSv/year. But who’s counting.

[MrGoat]

I am just impressed OP casually whips a Geiger counter out like we all have one in our junk drawer.

Gorgeous watch btw, I think it’s awesome you went vintage. The watch has lots of character, I don’t know if I would daily it though (just to keep from destroying parts that are relatively hard to source).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Yachtbuoy]

Originally Posted by TonyMac

Actually that would be .82 x 24 x 365 = 7,183.2 uSv/year. But who’s counting.

I love the condescending tone of your post, but you clarified that it was .42 uSv/hr from underneath the caseback. Feel free to strap your watch dial-side down, however!

[linesiders]

Originally Posted by TonyMac

Here’ my Geiger reading.

OOOoohhhhh, insert Matthew McConaughey Rookie Numbers Meme here.


*** Disclaimer: Not a Scientist / Engineer (well a little) / Healthcare Professional ***

Couple things: everyone knows a watchmaker who is like 60-80 years old - these guys lived Radium.

Don't sleep with it, wear it sometimes, store it in a box inside your safe. And THEN test. You will likely be around background emissions levels.

[TonyMac]

Originally Posted by Yachtbuoy

I love the condescending tone of your post, but you clarified that it was .42 uSv/hr from underneath the caseback. Feel free to strap your watch dial-side down, however!

Sorry bout that. I meant no offense. I was deep down the rabbit hole on this issue. Apologies.

[MILGAUSS88]

Originally Posted by TonyMac

Actually that would be .82 x 24 x 365 = 7,183.2 uSv/year. But who’s counting.

Another point you are listing microsieverts, and he was using millisieverts.
You need to move the decimal over 3 digits.

[MILGAUSS88]

A person is exposed to 6 microsieverts per hour during a plane flight or 600 microsieverts for an x-ray.
In comparison to the sub 1.0 readings from the watch.

So a pilot or stewardess would be much more likely to develop an illness from radiation than someone wearing a watch with radium.