It seems that virtually all things
can be transformed into “glow in the dark” these days. When it comes to
watches, this feature has been around for quite some time. Many pieces offered
illuminated dials and bright faces to make underwater and dark time-telling a
breeze. You may find that the history behind this type of accessory addition is
somewhat interesting and to some a little disturbing.
Did you know:
- In the 18-19th centuries, watchmakers boiled down volcanic rock and painted the dial to create sheen on the face of timepieces
- Radioactive radium was added shortly thereafter, as it would emit particles that would give off a glow-like effect
- Radium infused paint was created in the 20th century and added to dials and hands of the watches, green was the color of choice
- In 1914 an American company (U.S Radium Corp) began to mine radium and produced radium paints
- Thousands of US workers, mainly women, were hired to apply the paint to hundreds of dials a day
- Not until the 1990’s was a non radioactive product introduced to the market
Although these basic facts give us
a timeline, there is a history behind glow in the dark watches. Unfortunately,
it was discovered that when workers would lick
the tips of their paintbrushes to create a pointed edge, the dangerous material
(radium) would be ingested. Many workers would become very sick and there were
deaths as a result of this. It was some time into the 1920’s that a group of
employees banded together to bring a lawsuit against the company. These ladies
were known as the “Radium Girls”. As a direct result of this, the factory was
ultimately shut down and new regulations were established.
Radium was no longer used as a
form of illumination and another material called tritium was introduced. Although
this is also a radioactive material, it is far less harmful and much more
regulated. Ultimately though, the use of any matter that is radioactive in nature
was prohibited. Chemists and engineers worked on an alternate source for glow
in the dark painting and illuminating products.
Super LumiNova was revealed to the
world in the 1990’s. This amazing product had the ability to glow at night
while being “charged up” in the sun during the day. This is composed of a form
of phosphorescent pigmentation, also called lume. This is the brand that is
used to this very day.
