With a half life of 1600 years, radium is here to stay

 

The other day, yet another vintage Rolex came in for repair. The original dial and hands were well preserved with a rather heavy and thick coating of luminous material. A perfect collectors’ example. However, this was a bit worrying as the 1930s luminous material was a mixture of phosphor and radium, and while the phosphor no longer glows, the radium is still as potent as it was 90 years ago. Clearly before we proceeded with disassembly, we needed to measure the radioactivity level, and the ensuing reading was undoubtedly concerning. 4 micro-Sieverts per hour, about 6 times more than the safe level. I called the customer to let him know that while I have no problem repairing the watch, a restoration would make little sense as, if he were to wear the watch for 8 hours a day, he would be exposed to the same levels of radiation as flight attendants or nurses working in a hospital. There are two problems with radium. One is the radiation itself and secondly the creation of radon gas. I am not an expert in this field, but it is the radon gas that is far more harmful than the radiation which comes off the watch dial. A single World War II military watch with a heavy coating of radium can blast 20 µSv/hour or more, which 40 times the safe level. The same goes for military Panerai watches, and if you have a collection of a few stored in a safe deposit box you are protecting yourself from radiation, but not radon gas. According to well documented medical research, radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer, with smoking being the first. Radioactive substances are invisible killers and should be taken seriously. If you have a watch with radium dial, and you come in, I would be more than happy to assist. If you wish to dispose of it, call the specialists: https://www.industry.gov.au/strategies-for-the-future/australian-radioactive-waste-agency Here is an interesting article on recent findings of radium in the Swiss watchmaking industry. "Nearly 1,000 watchmaking buildings and workshops in Switzerland could be contaminated by radium, a radioactive element that was used to add luminescence to watch dials and hands until the 1960s." https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/watchmaking-fallout_one-thousand-swiss-buildings-could-be-contaminated-with-radium-/44070300 And here is the photo of the radiation level of the watch we recently restored. Safe to wear! You can find the link to the entire restoration here: https://youtu.be/iJv5vGt2Us0

Finally a whole box of railway pocket watches, again well within a safe level. Bottom line is collect railway pocket watches and avoid military.

Another War Veteran Saved

Well, we are so pleased to see this one being reunited with its owner: A World War II military pocket watch issued by the Australian Department of Defence. The watch arrived with a broken heart. What made the restoration tricky is the rather obscure Montilier calibre 62 movement. A classical restoration process which took us almost 6 months to source the parts and complete. Montilier was established as a watch brand in 1852 by Etienne-Ovide Domon, founder of Fabrique d’Horlogerie Montilier. The Montilier factory, built in 1855, was the first in the Swiss watchmaking industry to manufacture complete watches in-house. The technicality of Montilier watches won awards throughout Europe, and by 1890, Montilier watches were being exported around the globe. During World War II, Montilier produced many military watches which were particularly special due to their robustness and quality. The watch we have today is no exception, and we are happy to report that this World War II Australian military pocket watch has been restored to working order.

Fact or Fiction?

Whether a fictional character wore Rolex or Omega is kind of irrelevant. What remains a relevant undeniable historical fact is that in 1936, Omega, like many other Swiss brands, flirted with some rather strange characters.

This one comes straight from the Omega Bible: A Journey Through Time, page 233.  '3752. Official Omega of the Axis Agreement, 1936: A Lepine with an enamel dial featuring the portrait of Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler, who concluded in October 1936 the Axis Agreement between Italy and Germany. Cailbre 38.5 L T1, minute track with 13-24 markings, blued steel Plume hands, gun metal case with a gilt reed bezel. (ref. MA 141 LV)'

Following the liberation of Rome by Allied forces, Mussolini and his mistress, Claretta Petacci, had attempted to escape to Switzerland but were captured by the Italians underground on April 27, 1945. They were executed the following day, and their bodies were hung on display in Milan plaza. "I didn't know that" said Andrew. Now you do.