Thank you Dennis, I appreciate the compliment and totally agree; it is amazing that these nearly 100 year old watches run perfectly fine with a little TLC.
Be careful with that watch. Although the luminescent paint may have long since stopped glowing, the radium in the paint has a half life of 1600 years, so it is still highly radioactive. You should have the case checked to make sure that you are not getting an extra dose of radiation when you wear it.
Hi. The biggest danger is inhaling radium dust, not necessarily wearing the watch. See this article: www.nytimes.com/2006/04/11/health/really.html#:~:text=THE%20CLAIM%20%2D%2D%20Antique%20watches,give%20them%20their%20characteristic%20luminosity. 97% of the radiation from radium is alpha radiation, also known as alpha particles. These particles have such a large mass that they can only travel for a few centimeters, and they’re quickly absorbed. The watch crystal and the case absorb all the alpha particles while wearing the watch. The particles also can’t penetrate the epidermis, so the skin absorbs them without entering the body. Alpha particles are dangerous inside the body because it kills and mutates cells. That’s why those poor radium girls got sick. They licked their brushes with luminous paint hundreds of times a day and ingested radium.
@@WolfeVintageWatches It's not the radium itself that gets you...it's the radon decay that you inhale: www.hodinkee.com/articles/new-report-shows-radium-dials-might-pose-serious-danger
Interesting read, thanks for linking that article. I hadn't thought about the radon gas, just the radium particles. I need to brush up on my nuclear physics apparently... I appreciate the education. One of the many wonderful benefits of the watch community!
It is amazing that it still runs at all. Great review of this watch.
Thank you Dennis, I appreciate the compliment and totally agree; it is amazing that these nearly 100 year old watches run perfectly fine with a little TLC.
outstanding work , Thank you
It’s too bad you don’t have this for sale. It’s my grandmothers birth year and she would be amazed to see it.
How do you tell year and month from serial number?
I use this website to look up serial numbers: pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/serialnumber/hamilton
Be careful with that watch. Although the luminescent paint may have long since stopped glowing, the radium in the paint has a half life of 1600 years, so it is still highly radioactive. You should have the case checked to make sure that you are not getting an extra dose of radiation when you wear it.
Hi. The biggest danger is inhaling radium dust, not necessarily wearing the watch. See this article: www.nytimes.com/2006/04/11/health/really.html#:~:text=THE%20CLAIM%20%2D%2D%20Antique%20watches,give%20them%20their%20characteristic%20luminosity.
97% of the radiation from radium is alpha radiation, also known as alpha particles.
These particles have such a large mass that they can only travel for a few centimeters, and they’re quickly absorbed. The watch crystal and the case absorb all the alpha particles while wearing the watch.
The particles also can’t penetrate the epidermis, so the skin absorbs them without entering the body.
Alpha particles are dangerous inside the body because it kills and mutates cells. That’s why those poor radium girls got sick. They licked their brushes with luminous paint hundreds of times a day and ingested radium.
@@WolfeVintageWatches It's not the radium itself that gets you...it's the radon decay that you inhale: www.hodinkee.com/articles/new-report-shows-radium-dials-might-pose-serious-danger
Interesting read, thanks for linking that article. I hadn't thought about the radon gas, just the radium particles. I need to brush up on my nuclear physics apparently...
I appreciate the education. One of the many wonderful benefits of the watch community!
Seeing the watch on your wrist would be awesome. So we get a feeling how a smaller watch wears on the wrist.
Good idea, thank you!