When Did Timex Stop Using Radium?

By the 1960s the amount of radium used in watch dials was approximately one-hundredth the amount used in the early 1900s; in 1968 it was banned altogether. Another radioactive material, tritium, arose as a successor.

How can I tell if my watch has radium?

If it has luminous markers, and made prior to the 1960s, then the watch most likely has radium. After 1998, watches may have Swiss or Swiss Made on the dial, however by this time LumiNova was used instead of radium. T: indicates that tritium was used, as opposed to radium.

Do watches still have radium?

Radium is highly radioactive. It emits alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. If it is inhaled or swallowed, radium is dangerous because there is no shielding inside the body. ... By the 1970s, radium was no longer used on watch and clock dials.