Yard sale score - bunch of hand-winders for $5 each
I've been hunting for cheap vintage watches to disassemble and it looks like this is it!!
My Geiger counter says that the Le Roy is hot, so I think I'll put it off to the side and never open it.
Does anyone know anything about the brand "Oral"? It's ungoogleable. Both are new old stock, coming with original papers from "R & H Products", Montreal. The cheap packaging makes me think they're not hugely valuable but $5 seems like it was an extremely fair price.
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sagebrush
child of the 90s... collector on a budget... happily married and loving the socially acceptable way for men to talk about their jewelry habit
Canada
Member since
Last active: 1 month ago
6.50” / 16.51 cm
Congratulations on your find.
Is this a trick to get us to google "Oral Watch"? I kid, at $5, that is a score, especially if you are using them to hone your repair skills. I agree, the Le Roy is the winner of the bunch. Congrats on the pick ups and let us know if you get them running.
I really bought this with every negative intention (to tear it apart for my own sick amusement), but it looks pretty good on wrist. My only complaint is that the handset is visibly quite cheap (or else we live in an age of technological marvels and my standards are very high).
The Oral watches look to be old pin pallets, pop the backs and see. They were probably dime store watches in their day. Your watchmaker will know how to handle the radium on the Le Roy. I still would pop the back to see what it is.
Just asking but is a Geiger counter something that all watch collectors should have? 😜
The Oral watches look to be old pin pallets, pop the backs and see. They were probably dime store watches in their day. Your watchmaker will know how to handle the radium on the Le Roy. I still would pop the back to see what it is.
One jewel, and someone left a big fingerprint on it before I ever did. It's a Brac Caliber 2014 with the "Oral" name tastefully engraved on it. The visibly non-sterile assembly of a cheap movement certainly feels similar in spirit to the AliExpress mushroom brands of our era.
15 jewels and a screw-on case back marked "CANADIAN W. C. CO." in the Le Roy... I only needed the barest push to peek inside this one, so thank you.
Just asking but is a Geiger counter something that all watch collectors should have? 😜
Only if you are interested in vintage pieces. Radium wasn't phased out until the 1960s, and has a 1600 year half-life, meaning that those really old lumed watches are just as radioactive today as they were in the 1920s-1960s, even if the phosphors that glowed have long since been burnt out by the radiation.
Radium was replaced by Tritium and Tritium was generally used until the 1990s, when superluminova replaced it. However, tritium's half life is about 12.5 years, so the oldest tritium pieces have already been through five half-lives, meaning that their radiation level is about 3.1% as high as it was when new. In another 60 years or so, they will have been through 10 half lives and will be considered essentially inert.
Only if you are interested in vintage pieces. Radium wasn't phased out until the 1960s, and has a 1600 year half-life, meaning that those really old lumed watches are just as radioactive today as they were in the 1920s-1960s, even if the phosphors that glowed have long since been burnt out by the radiation.
Radium was replaced by Tritium and Tritium was generally used until the 1990s, when superluminova replaced it. However, tritium's half life is about 12.5 years, so the oldest tritium pieces have already been through five half-lives, meaning that their radiation level is about 3.1% as high as it was when new. In another 60 years or so, they will have been through 10 half lives and will be considered essentially inert.
Appreciate the science lesson. I’m an engineer so this is really interesting. I guess I can cross out pre-1960s watches on my watch journey.
Appreciate the science lesson. I’m an engineer so this is really interesting. I guess I can cross out pre-1960s watches on my watch journey.
If you want some fascinating, but devastating reading, look up Radium Girls.
If you want some fascinating, but devastating reading, look up Radium Girls.
Looked it up. Just terrible. I wonder what atrocities people 100 years from now will write about the time we live in.
One jewel, and someone left a big fingerprint on it before I ever did. It's a Brac Caliber 2014 with the "Oral" name tastefully engraved on it. The visibly non-sterile assembly of a cheap movement certainly feels similar in spirit to the AliExpress mushroom brands of our era.
15 jewels and a screw-on case back marked "CANADIAN W. C. CO." in the Le Roy... I only needed the barest push to peek inside this one, so thank you.
Aha! The other Oral case back says "Basis Watch / SWISS MADE". Now that's a brand name that gets some Google hits (...mostly for being the ultra-affordable of its day).
So it looks like, for God knows what reason, some Basis watches were released with "Oral" branding. If Oral was a winner, I won't even speculate what prospective names didn't make the cut.
I really bought this with every negative intention (to tear it apart for my own sick amusement), but it looks pretty good on wrist. My only complaint is that the handset is visibly quite cheap (or else we live in an age of technological marvels and my standards are very high).
I'm also a fan. I don't care how cheap it is or was. You can't just walk into a store or surf the internet and buy one now, so that makes it sort of priceless. It looked good in its photo and even better when you're wearing it, which is the true test. And even if it wasn't a looker, I give it an 'A' for Authenticity.
Looked it up. Just terrible. I wonder what atrocities people 100 years from now will write about the time we live in.
That book seems to get thicker by the day.
Awesome finds!
so far I have only found 1 watch at an estate sale and also paid 5$
https://youtu.be/k4eIUPq6A_8