On the latest FHH Roadshow in Paris, I noticed a uncommon classic Blancpain Fifty Fathoms No Radiation on a wrist and I used to be interested in why the watch had a ‘No Radiation’ image that includes so prominently on the dial.
Launched in 1953, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms is credited as being the primary skilled dive watch (see Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Documentary: Story Of The World’s First Diving Watch (Video))
To maximise legibility underwater, the primary Fifty Fathoms fashions had the arms, numerals, and indexes painted with a radium-based lume (see Radium Watch Dials And Radium Ladies: Who Would Have Thought ‘Consuming’ Radioactive Materials Was Lethal?).
This continued into the Nineteen Sixties; nevertheless, because of the Chilly Battle, folks grew to become extra acutely aware of the well being dangers related to radiation, and the extremely radioactive radium lume was changed by tritium, which, whereas nonetheless radioactive, is far much less so than radium and doesn’t pose a threat to well being.
To place the radiation of tritium in perspective: the commonest and considerable isotope of uranium is uranium-238, which has a half-life of 4.5 billion years; the radium-226 utilized in watch lume like the primary Fifty Fathoms fashions has a half-life of 1,600 years; tritium has a half-life on simply over 12 years.
Within the early Nineteen Sixties, Blancpain changed the radium lume on the Fifty Fathoms Aqua Lung with tritium lume. And to spotlight this new more healthy model they positioned a vibrant “No Rad” or “No Radiation” image boldly on the dial.
For a 60 12 months outdated watch this Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Aqua Lung ‘No Radiation’ regarded in wonderful situation and nonetheless seems good at this time.
For extra info, please go to www.blancpain.com/en/collections/fifty-fathoms-collection
You may additionally take pleasure in:
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Documentary: Story Of The World’s First Diving Watch (Video)
Radium Watch Dials And Radium Ladies: Who Would Have Thought ‘Consuming’ Radioactive Materials Was Lethal?
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique: Time to Transfer on From the Rolex Submariner?
Blancpain Tribute To Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC: Prepared For Extra Than A Fast Swim