Hy everyone,
Does anybody know that IWC has replacement dials and hands for the ref. 431 from 1940? The original are radioactive as we know.
If you had a 431, would you change the dial to a replacement dial, but still keep the original?
Or another question: Is IWC able to restore dials, or replace the radium with Superluminova?
Thank you!
Two of the 3 questions can I anwer.
1. I doubt that IWC still has Original dials and hands (Radium loaded)for "die grosse Fliegeruhr.
2. If I had one with an Original dial I would keep it that way. At the end an Original military IWC dialed watch will keep better value than one with a replacement dial.
3.Radium loaded dials are not handled anymore in the factory. This has to do with safety rules and the securety conditions which are mandatory for the room and the personnel. Sometimes watches are offered with a Radium dial. This can be changed ( not restored) for a SuperLuminova dial, if available for the particular model.
The same is true for Tritium dials.
IWC will never return any dial removed, radio-active or not. They keep removed parts which are subject to possible forgery. Dial restorations are outsourced and executed by specialised company's.
Kind regards,
Adrian,
(alwaysiwc).
This topic has been debated many times so I consulted my Watchmaker and he said he has worked on so many Raduim painted watches over the years and carefuly handled pose little danger.
This goes some way in reinforcing the research I did.
What I have found is that the real danger is inhaling or ingesting the radioactive dust. The withdrawal of radium paint was because the dial painters were getting sick. They were painting 100s of unprotected dials at very close proximity to their faces.
The general feeling of people out there who tested Omega Trench Watches and IWC Mark IXs was that they should be safe for occasional wearing.
There were a few warnings for Radium dialled watches:
1. Don't store too many watches in one box as they will irradiate each other.
2. Don't sleep with one one your wrist.
3. Don't store one on your bedside table.
4. Don't open the case.
Other than that the danger seems to be low from what I have read.
Those who painted the dials would suck the brushes before painting the dials, they got all sorts of cancers so the warnings need to be heeded.
Greg, they were pointing the end of the brushes (the bristles), with their mouth...not sucking them...Your wording give the wrong impression ;-)
Jimmy
Dear Probusscafusia1868,
I wrote an article on the topic :"Experiments with Radioluminescent Dials from IWC Military Watches". It is available in the Forum Archives. Use the spy glass on the top in the right corner. Tick : Experiments, Radioluminescent.. and the article (from 2007) pops up.
Essentially Mark is right about the possible health risks of Radium loaded dials and hands. But if you know how to avoid stupid actions, everybody can wear a Radium watch without any significant danger as I, being a doctor, have measured myself.
Kind regards,
Adrian,
(alwaysiwc).
Thanks Adrian for the reference.
I have one radium dialled watch and I wear it for maybe 1 to 2 days in a 3 month cycle. I do not sleep with it on anymore although I used to.
Is this article still available for viewing? I cannot seem to link to it in the Archives - just receive a not found message.
**Not Found
The requested URL /Articles/LuminousMilitaryDials.pdf was not found on this server.
Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
Thank you
John
Hi John,
please write to me : avdmeijden@skynet.be and I send you an electronic copy.
Adrian,
(alwaysiwc).