New Watch Tips

Tritium, an isotope of hydrogen, is both naturally occuring and man-made. It is very useful for watch dials that can be read at night.

Tritium (H3) is a radioactive isotope of the element hydrogen-symbol H. Tritium occurs naturally in the atmosphere from the reaction of cosmic rays and air molecules. It is also produced in nuclear reactors during production of electricity.

Tritium is an atom of hydrogen with one proton and 2 neutrons giving it an atomic weight of 3. Tritium has a half-life of about 12-1/2 years. This means that 1/2 of the original amount will decay in 12-1/2 years. While this half life is relatively brief in the world of radioactive materials, this gives tritium some useful properties.

Tritium when encapsulated in watches, exit signs, aircraft gauges and other applications, will glow for up to 25 years. The radioactive decay of tritium is not dangerous to man in these applications because it emits a very weak beta particle that can be stopped by even a piece of paper. Since the tritium is encapsulated in small packets made of glass or plastic, radiation doesn’t reach the skin. The benefits of this decay is a bright display that can easily be read at night. The light emitted is not visible during the day, but at night, the glow is very visible. This makes tritium very popular for night visibility applications. Pilots, the military, police and others like the visibility without having to press any buttons to read the display. Several watchmakers are now using tritium displays for their displays. They have displays that far exceed the brightness of standard luminescent watch dials that require “charging” by exposure to light. These have become very popular watch styles with the general public as well as military, pilots and law enforcement.

Tritium watches come in many styles and prices. There is a style for just about anyone. Now you can tell the time in the dark and look in style at the same time.

About The Author

Neil Rosenfeld is webmaster at www.mytimeisyourtimetoo.com. -Tritium watches and chronographs. All rights reserved.

Written By: Neil Rosenfeld

The American Railroad was the second most influential contribution to the advancement of our early nation. Our county’s founding papers were first. The Railroad linked the industrialized east with the growing west.
The keeping of time went hand and glove with the railroad. For safety reasons it was vital to know when a heavy loaded and fast moving train was to be on a certain stretch of track. The American Waltham pocket watch and the telegraph working together brought the standard of time, that made rail transportation safer and dependable.
Soon as American watch factories perfected their manufacturing and marketing process, these prized mechanical wonders were attainable to the commoner and railroad man alike. While their protective gold cases were beautiful works of art, gold was soft and expensive. Coin silver though beautiful and more affordable than gold, was also sometimes too soft for the rugged demands placed on a pocket watch case. An alloy was developed specifically to meet the needs of the American pocket watch case that answer the question of durably and affordability. This combination of 45% nickel, 54% copper and 1% manganese was called silveroid, silverore, silverode or silverine. It was easy to polish, very hard and looked just like coin silver.
The early American pocket watch is prized for it’s beauty and function. These watches bring very high prices today, and an American pocket watch in great condition with a coin silver case is considered rare and collectable.
During lean economic times, silver was substituted for the very affordable silveroid, yet rightfully, the remaining silver cased American pocket watches will always hold their collectability and high value.

About the Author

From an article by T. Nelson, Antique Watch Repair Service

Terry Nelson’s specialty is the restoration of mechanical timepieces. “I’ve restored and sold thousands of high quality timepieces for nearly 20 years and now make my services available to the world through the internet.

Written By: Terry Nelson, Antique Watch Repair Service