Radium watch dial, Timex

All my radium watches have been disposed of properly. This is demonstration of the radioactivity from a radium-containing 1950's Timex watch dial, using Geiger counter.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• radium
• watch
• dial
• girls
• timex
• vintage
• watches
• radioactive
• radioactivity
• wristwatch
• antique
• old
• dangerous

[kurt84fstom2]

And people actually wore these things on their wrists for 8 hours a day???

[alanswatches]

Sometimes for more than 8 hours. Many people sleep with their watches on.

[stephendonnelly88]

Fascinating. Just curious: what of what manufacturer and model is Geiger counter? Thanks! :-)

[alanswatches]

Eberline RM14

[SuperFlanker35]

Curious but how much does an RM14 cost?

[alanswatches]

I'm not sure, sorry.

[Nimsoft]

It means you should probably eat the source.

[wauquelin]

Yikes.

[ballonman124]

Ha ha when the red dot comes on you know your in trouble.

[bringmethehorizon850]

if it went off the chart i would highly suggest not touching the damn thing ro getting near it

[nostalgiajunkie70]

In 1917 Ingersoll watch advertised "one can tell the time by the "Radiolite's" glowing hands and figures, which are coated with a new substance containing genuine radium in minute proportions". But it was the girls in the different watch factories who kept putting the tip of the brush in their mouth that got sick and died. There are office buildings still in use today that used to be radium labs but have been "decontaminated".....Is that really possible?

[nostalgiajunkie70]

In 1917 Ingersoll watch advertised "one can tell the time by the "Radiolite's" glowing hands and figures, which are coated with a new substance containing genuine radium in minute proportions". But it was the girls in the different watch factories who kept putting the tip of the brush in their mouth that got sick and died. There are office buildings still in use today that used to be radium labs but have been "decontaminated".....Is that really possible?

[avianmosquito]

Yes, they're that oversensitive. A harmless wristwatch will set them off.

If you hold them up to the sun, they'll squeal. (Which doesn't make much sense.)

[CTSabotage]

lmao *BEEEEEEP*

I love how it does that... but dude, thats scary considering how people wear watches and dont even know if they are radiated or not O_o

Not even just watches, all kinds of stuff too...

Shit... I need a Geiger Counter :P

[CAESARbonds]

@wauquelin

Yes very scary such a radioactive watch.

[DidntKnowWhatToPut1]

@sleeper554

They cause bone cancer, stop wearing it

[KarbineKyle]

Awesome! I'm into the same thing too. I like the Geiger Counter with the Pancake Probe, it's very useful, since it picks up the Alpha too, not just Beta and Gamma, like most Geiger counters! Radium-226, (the most abundant) is an Alpha emitter, but with a piece of paper or foil over the screen, it would deflect all the Alpha particles, and it wouldn't be anywhere near that high of a reading! I'm getting an old Radium Button, (about the size of a nickel), and it will be extremely high! Nice!!