Bulova 1930 Albert

Submitted by Constantin on August 30, 2013 - 5:36pm
Manufacture Year
1930
Movement Model
10AN
Movement Date Code
Shield
Movement Jewels
15
Movement Serial No.
605242
Case Serial No.
0038315
Case shape
Tonneau
Case color
White
Case Manufacturer
Bulova
Gender
Mens
Bulova watch
Bulova watch
Bulova watch
Bulova Watch
Bulova Watch
Geoff Baker
Posted September 2, 2013 - 5:29am

No, Yes, No, Absolutely NOT. The burn marks are forever, they can't be removed so you should change it if you're going to wear it. As Rob stated there really is no danger in wearing it. If you are scared and consider burying it, please consider burying it in my safe, not your back yard.  Have it serviced, have the dial repainted and relumed - don't forget to have the hands relumed as well (don't worry they won't use radium paint this time) then WEAR IT, proudly, it's a great watch.

Reverend Rob
Posted September 2, 2013 - 12:18pm

I've been involved with a series of online discussions on Radium since my days at watchmaking school. 

We had members with Geiger counters test the actual emissions of the dials, and did sweeps of areas used to service or re-paint the dials after removing the old Radium paint. It has been an exhaustive couple of years, and this is what we discovered:

There is little  risk when wearing the watch, the main danger is from ingestion. We do not recommend anyone attempt to re-finish the dials without proper prep or training. Any tools used will be contaminated and showed small amounts of radioactivity after being used. The bench, work pad, and other areas showed signs of contamination, even with precautions taken. 

A lot has been published and even movies made regarding the Radium industry, so I will spare you any long winded history. The main problem is with accidental ingestion, which includes inhaling Radium paint dust. Simply wearing the watch poses a very  low risk. In comparison, some areas we live in have higher background radiation that what you would be exposed to wearing this watch. 

The crystal will have to be replaced, those burns don't buff out. This happens with the old type of celluloid crystal, and as far as I'm aware, doesn't happen with acrylic crystals. 

The new lume, as Geoff points out, is non-Radium and not dangerous. The original dial, will remain radioactive even if cleaned. We came to the conclusion that it wasn't worth the hassle of re-luming the old dials, but that is because we come across this situation a lot in our daily work. 

More than you ever wanted to know:

http://mb.nawcc.org/showthread.php?70060-a-little-more-on-Radium&highli…

And here is a thread dealing with the whole subject of Radium watch dials, including actual Geiger counter results:

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f11/how-dangerous-501090-post3672724.html

This is a personal decision, and it should be an informed one. My personal opinion is that the risk is low, but I personally have had many radioactive exposures in the form of CT scans, so any additional radiation I am exposed to I take very seriously. 

 

Constantin
Posted September 2, 2013 - 3:05pm

Thank you for your comments and the interesting information.
I do not think I'll be wearing the watch, but I'll probably change the crystal, if I find one that fits.
I'll probably leave the dial and hands in their original state, hoping that will not look too bad, I'm not a big fan of re-finished dials.