I was explaining why there were T's on either side of swiss made recently and realized I hadn't seen this on the forum and just assumed it was common knowledge, but you know what happens when you assume.
The "T" means that tritium was applied to make the hands and/or markers glow in the dark. A low level radioactive material. You don't need to worry about it, but don't be licking or eating the hands/dial either. The real victims of Radium were the watch dial painters, they would be encouraged to keep a fine point on their brushes by licking them. Before Trtium, Radium was used starting around 1900 as a means of illuminating watch hands and markers at night. It was widely used up until around the 1940's give or take, when the dangers of radiation became known. After that a less powerful radioactive material, Tritium began being used. Tritium is being phased out of watch dials by luminous compounds like Luminova which glow better, when charged, but need light to charge one reason Tritium is still being used in true submersibles.
______________
Don't be LEFT out
LeftyDNA
The "T" means that tritium was applied to make the hands and/or markers glow in the dark. A low level radioactive material. You don't need to worry about it, but don't be licking or eating the hands/dial either. The real victims of Radium were the watch dial painters, they would be encouraged to keep a fine point on their brushes by licking them. Before Trtium, Radium was used starting around 1900 as a means of illuminating watch hands and markers at night. It was widely used up until around the 1940's give or take, when the dangers of radiation became known. After that a less powerful radioactive material, Tritium began being used. Tritium is being phased out of watch dials by luminous compounds like Luminova which glow better, when charged, but need light to charge one reason Tritium is still being used in true submersibles.
______________
Don't be LEFT out
LeftyDNA
