Calling all Crunchers! Community Assistance Required
So, my grandparents are currently in the process of downsizing and in the process they came across a bunch of vintage/antique watches that they thought I would enjoy having:
Some of them are really cool! Like this vintage Mido Multistar II, that really wants to run, but appears to have some issues concerning the date function:
I may send this one out to a watch maker to bring it back to life -- that red dial is a stunner!
This Cronow 7-jewel watch:
This EverSwiss dive-style watch:
An old-school Ingersoll Mickey Mouse:
A classic Sellita wind-up women's watch:
And this Diantus ladies watch:
Others of them have given me pause, however, due to the dials and the materials used. As many of you are aware, I have serious misgivings about keeping watches with radium dials. Although some of these watches clearly have tritium dials, given their ages, I am not concerned about them. There are, however, three watches included in the collection which have me concerned and/or have made me wonder about their level of safety.
First, I am concerned about this Ingersoll Yankee pocketwatch, which I did not recognize until I was able to scrape off some of the dirt from the badly mangled/warped crystal:
In particular, I think that the hands, and the 3, 9 and 12 on the dial may have radium-based lume applied to them. Any thoughts?
Similarly, this Titus watch which a heavily yellowed crystal was given to my grandfather by my great uncle in 1945 (I know from the engraving on the case back). I'm pretty sure that Titus was acquired by and became a part of Zenith in the 60's.
I gave it a quick wind and it sprang right to life. But again, I think that the numerals are coated in radium paint. Any thoughts on this one?
Lastly, this Harman alarm watch with gorgeous blued hands may really be a travel watch in the guise of a pocket watch:
This one also started right up and kept on ticking (rather loudly!) with the smallest wind. I'm thinking that it dates from the 60s and that from the blue color of the luminescent pain that this is tritium based and generally inert, but I wanted to get the community's take on it.
@Aurelian I know that vintage watches are your jam in particular, so if you have any thoughts on any of these, I'd love to hear them! Thanks in advance!
The above goes for the community at large, also! Thanks for your help!
My problem isn't that I want a watch....it's that I want ALL the watches.
I can't see any of these pictures on my computer. I can on my phone.
If radiation is your primary concern a visit to a Geiger counter may put your mind at ease. I suspect that there is little more than background radiation being emitted from any of these watches. Unlike hatters of old, watchmakers never suffered from radium related illnesses once they learned never to lick the paint brush. It looks like the Cronow's handset has been relumed.
Titus is alive and well in Hong Kong. The Mido and the Titus will be the most desirable pieces for collectors.
@Aurelian Thanks for your help.
I'm interested in rehabilitating both the Mido and the Titus for daily use.
In particular, I am looking into removal of the radium from the dial of the Titus and the re-luming with an inert superluminova compound and, later, a restoration of the case and service of the movement. The Titus was a gift from my Great Uncle to his younger brother (my grandfather) in August, 1945. He had just returned from serving in the infantry in Europe in WWII, where he was wounded in action and awarded the Purple Heart. Unfortunately, he was clipped by a drunk driver while riding on his motorcycle and killed in 1947. I think it would be worthwhile to restore it and put it back into use as a family memento.
The Harman still works. Any thoughts on whether that lume is tritium or radium based? I think it's the former based on the color, but I'd be grateful for your input.
Two videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R_gt931bnc&t=1498s
Discusses radium at about the 8:50 mark.
And: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6oPf3Pq6bU
Removing radium paint from the dial may be more dangerous than leaving it in place. Alpha radiation will not pass through your skin. The danger is always ingestion, not in the occasional wearing. For the watchmaker it is an occupational hazard.
I agree that the Harmon's color has more of a green tint. It could also be that it sat in a dark drawer and was not exposed to much light. A Geiger counter will tell you.