T Swiss T

Hi

I am looking at purchasing a Da Vinci Perpetual Chronograph 3750 and at the bottom of the face it has T Swiss T which I believe by reading previous posts means tritium. Is there any real difference between Tritium and Lumanova, and if so what is it?

Also I have been informed that the watch i am purchasing was originally purchased in 2009 but according to IWC Workbook search found on www.weeber.biz/IWC/Workbook/1999_00/3750.htm

the last year that IWC used Tritium in their watches was 1999/2000. It seems very unusual that a watch produced in 1999/2000 could sit around in a store for 9 years before finally being sold for the first time.

Am I missing anything here. I am making an assumption that the T in the watch description on the link referred to above means Tritium.

any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Shane

Yes, the "T" is a designation for the use of tritium on the hands and markers. Because tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, it was discontinued from use, not only for the safety of the owner, but also for the safety of the factory workers.

As to the age of any watch at retail, it can happen that a particular watch is stored for a long time. It may have been misplaced or simply was a slow moving and unwanted model for the AD's clientele. Whether this is what happened to yours is unknown. You have to trust your authorized AD and have a good relationship whim them.

Nine years, however, sounds a bit unusual.

Thanks bill, your advice is most appreciated. How dangerous is tritium? surely it can't be that dangerous..... Can it? Like has anyone died from wearing a da Vinci of this era? There appears to have been a lot of them made during this time. Because they have tritium in the watch do they usually sell at a discount to a model that doesn't have tritium in it?

I have no issue with it at all and neither should any owner. The radiation level is minimal. If there were any concerns at all, it's with the workers at the factory who are touching the raw material over an extended time. I did not intend to make anyone have any concern.

A bigger drawback is its half-life. The lume will fad away after time.