One of the Best Tests of Authenticity for Accutron Watches!
Nov 23, 2019 6:17:33 GMT -8
Post by Accutronitis on Nov 23, 2019 6:17:33 GMT -8
A while ago I sold my 1962 Bulova Accutron Astronaut watch to a buyer in New York who is now a good friend of mine, On receiving the watch he made a video demonstrating one of the best tests that can be done to verify the authenticity on many watches that date back before 1968, The Geiger counter test!
I had never thought of this test and I had no idea he was going to perform this test on the watch I had sold him but I had no doubt that the watch was a Genuine Factory Original 1962 Bulova Accutron Astronaut so my integrity was never in any real danger. BUT I found out later that he is a lawyer by profession...
He started making the video unsure if it would pass the test and if it had failed the video would have been used as evidence BUT of course it passed and a very happy buyer shared the video with me.
Here is the video of my former watch being tested...
I'm a little bit surprised just how hot (radioactive) the dial and hands still were after 60 years but it turns out that even though the paint doesn't glow like it once did this is not because of radioactive decay but rather its primarily due to the breakdown of the crystal structure of zinc sulfide used in the radium paint that was used on the dials and hands of pre 1968 watches, The radium remains hot even after 60+ years because it has a half-life of about 1600 years which means about half of the radium will decay into other elements after 1600 years...
I had never thought of this test and I had no idea he was going to perform this test on the watch I had sold him but I had no doubt that the watch was a Genuine Factory Original 1962 Bulova Accutron Astronaut so my integrity was never in any real danger. BUT I found out later that he is a lawyer by profession...
He started making the video unsure if it would pass the test and if it had failed the video would have been used as evidence BUT of course it passed and a very happy buyer shared the video with me.
Here is the video of my former watch being tested...
I'm a little bit surprised just how hot (radioactive) the dial and hands still were after 60 years but it turns out that even though the paint doesn't glow like it once did this is not because of radioactive decay but rather its primarily due to the breakdown of the crystal structure of zinc sulfide used in the radium paint that was used on the dials and hands of pre 1968 watches, The radium remains hot even after 60+ years because it has a half-life of about 1600 years which means about half of the radium will decay into other elements after 1600 years...