Mido Multifort Super Automatic

[arron]

Mido Multifort Super Automatic

Hello. This Mido belonged to my grandfather and was given to me by my uncle. It measures 29.4 mm. The case is stamped 1605. I don't see a serial number on the movement.

I've not had luck finding out much about it online. Is there a database somewhere to get more information. Does anyone know anything about this watch. Any idea on who in the U.S. would be a good person to restore it. It ticks, but i'm sure it needs a good COA and the dial and hands need restoration. Thank you.

[KarlvonKoln]

If I'm reading it right, it seems to be a Mido calibre 617 movement.  It would be made around WWII or a little after.  The Multiforts I've worked on had fragile mainsprings.  And replacements were scarce at the time.  Be cautious working on it.

[arron]

thanks for that information.  after posting i set my Geiger counter on it and it was over 1500; which concerns me.  Now i'm not so sure how i will handle the restoration.  I'll either send it out to someone who works on radium watches or wait until my skill set develops before i try to handle it.  For now it will remain entombed in plastic in my workshop.  Still looking for more info if anyone has some.  thanks.

[JohnR725]

4 hours ago, arron said:

after posting i set my Geiger counter on it and it was over 1500; which concerns me.  Now i'm not so sure how i will handle the restoration.  I'll either send it out to someone who works on radium watches or wait until my skill set develops before i try to handle it. 

always interesting every time we discussed radium. I was at a lecture on Saturday morning the subject was refinishing hands. Eventually I got to radioactive hands like tritium and of course radium. Amusingly they were commenting where the radiation usually doesn't go through the movement except it depends on how hot the radium is and how thick the movement is but the general feeling was that the radium wasn't a problem except of course the radon gas. Plus the recommendation was ideally a bunch of equipment you don't half copper facemasks etc. etc.

Then a course is a problem of that also came up in the lecture of any time you restore the hand and/or dial even if you think it will make it somehow better you may find out that down the road if you were to sell the watch the diehard collectors will be very unhappy if it's not original including with its radio. I've heard stories of people buying Rolex watches will bring a Geiger counter with the verify that the dial has the proper amount of radium and it hasn't been played with.

then looking at your pictures as far as radium damage goes it doesn't look bad at all. The yes if the radium is super strong I've seen pictures and we have a sample at work where it will burn the plastic crystal action transit blog from the radium and you can also burn the dial where the hands once for. So give a light color dial the radium hands stay above it in the move the hands you can oftentimes get a radium  burnt affect. The same things happens with brand-new radium hands that are on a paper sheet if you move the hand you can see the paper underneath his discolored from the radium.

The biggest problem I see with your watch is is that rust I see in the center? Looks like rust I don't see it in the movement but if that's rust that would be very very bad

then as you are seeking information notice the three letters on the balance bridge? those are a US import code for tax and duty purposes that existed at one time. It's how the American companies can stay competitive by not allowing inexpensive imports in the country. Basically the taxes would raise the price up so the watches were all expensive. So if you look at the link the first entry is this AOC Heuer, Mido, Roamer (Meyer & Stüdeli)

http://www.ranfft.de/uhr/info-uscode-e.html

 

 

 

[Galilea]

21 minutes ago, JohnR725 said:

always interesting every time we discussed radium. I was at a lecture on Saturday morning the subject was refinishing hands. Eventually I got to radioactive hands like tritium and of course radium. Amusingly they were commenting where the radiation usually doesn't go through the movement except it depends on how hot the radium is and how thick the movement is but the general feeling was that the radium wasn't a problem except of course the radon gas. Plus the recommendation was ideally a bunch of equipment you don't half copper facemasks etc. etc.

Then a course is a problem of that also came up in the lecture of any time you restore the hand and/or dial even if you think it will make it somehow better you may find out that down the road if you were to sell the watch the diehard collectors will be very unhappy if it's not original including with its radio. I've heard stories of people buying Rolex watches will bring a Geiger counter with the verify that the dial has the proper amount of radium and it hasn't been played with.

then looking at your pictures as far as radium damage goes it doesn't look bad at all. The yes if the radium is super strong I've seen pictures and we have a sample at work where it will burn the plastic crystal action transit blog from the radium and you can also burn the dial where the hands once for. So give a light color dial the radium hands stay above it in the move the hands you can oftentimes get a radium  burnt affect. The same things happens with brand-new radium hands that are on a paper sheet if you move the hand you can see the paper underneath his discolored from the radium.

The biggest problem I see with your watch is is that rust I see in the center? Looks like rust I don't see it in the movement but if that's rust that would be very very bad

then as you are seeking information notice the three letters on the balance bridge? those are a US import code for tax and duty purposes that existed at one time. It's how the American companies can stay competitive by not allowing inexpensive imports in the country. Basically the taxes would raise the price up so the watches were all expensive. So if you look at the link the first entry is this AOC Heuer, Mido, Roamer (Meyer & Stüdeli)

http://www.ranfft.de/uhr/info-uscode-e.html

 

 

 

Maybe I should ask this in the safe zone, but without a Geiger counter how would I know which of my lumed vintage watches are radioactive, and if we are only taking about a few watches what's the risk one would be facing?

Edited August 13, 2023 by Galilea

[Nucejoe]

Does anybody know how much tritium a person ingests during a life time? 

[RichardHarris123]

As a very rough estimate.  Assuming tritium is present in water at 0.1 ppm, 2 litres of water drank per day and a life expectancy if 70 years, 5 ml. 

[Geotex]

Working with de-cased hands and dials containing tritium is less concerning. By the time tritium lume is a teenager it has lost half of its radioactivity. Most of the existing watches with exposed tritium lume (as opposed to those using the isotope sealed in encapsulated glass tubes) are 30-50 years old and have only a small fraction of what they started with. Radium, however, has a half-life of 16 centuries, so it'll be there when we are all gone. It also emits a more penetrating and damaging type of radiation so it deserves a bit more consideration when exposure occurs during repair and restoration. 

[arron]

Any recommendations on who might be able to restore this for me?

 

Regarding Galilea's question: I'm no expert but the things i look for are raised painted numbers that look crusty, brownish in color.  also, the year of manufacture, especially 40s-50s.  Others may have other red flags they look for.  Hope that helps.  Arron.

[Nucejoe]

Thats good to know, so I try to enjoy every nano  liter of tritium I drink, but I can't care less how long after my death  is radon active in fossils thats not my remains anyway.

 

 

[Galilea]

1 hour ago, arron said:

Any recommendations on who might be able to restore this for me?

 

Regarding Galilea's question: I'm no expert but the things i look for are raised painted numbers that look crusty, brownish in color.  also, the year of manufacture, especially 40s-50s.  Others may have other red flags they look for.  Hope that helps.  Arron.

Thanks, and I do have some of those watches. The red/brown lumed ones from the 50s. I assume then I am never to open them, or shall I hurl them onto the golf course adjoining my house post haste? It seems harsh, but they keep knocking balls through my windshields, and yelling "Fore"! afterward but accepting no responsibility.

[arron]

some folks collect the radium watches, i would prefer not to.  i mistakenly bought a few and will sell them with full disclosure about the radium.  this one, however, is a family heirloom so i'm going to keep and hopefully wear it once i get it restored and get rid of the radium.  Good luck.

[Neverenoughwatches]

9 hours ago, Galilea said:

Maybe I should ask this in the safe zone, but without a Geiger counter how would I know which of my lumed vintage watches are radioactive, and if we are only taking about a few watches what's the risk one would be facing?

So millions of folk wore these watches for decades on their wrists, to what risk ? Its use as a watch lume was banned sometime in the 60s, I wonder if a health warning was broadcast for the folk that were already wearing them ?

[arron]

John, I think you are right that there is rust on the dial.  There is also some rust inside on the stem.  It still ticks and the balance seems good.  I'm torn about what to do on this one given its sentimental value.  There are some dials and hands on ebay that I could swap out (not the same style), but that will detract from its originality.  On the other hand I don't want to relegate it to a plastic container, never to be appreciated.  Decisions, decisions.

[JohnR725]

24 minutes ago, arron said:

I'm torn about what to do on this one given its sentimental value.  There are some dials and hands on ebay that I could swap out (not the same style), but that will detract from its originality.  On the other hand I don't want to relegate it to a plastic container, never to be appreciated.  Decisions, decisions.

 there is another way to do this replace the entire watch. When I was looking for your watch yesterday I noticed the link below notice the colorful band and in your picture we can just barely see the colorful band not sure it's the same one though. Then as her variety of watch sites out there selling watches like this went to get all the words right off the dial maybe just replace the entire watch. You can keep this watch in honor of what it is and then have another watch to where which is identical and honor the original watch by not restoring it.

so basically the link below shows that identical watches do exist you'll just takes some time to find them and then you can restore that and if you feel really confident in the restore of the new watch you can always come back and do this one.

https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/vintage-mido-multifort-extra-super-automatic-30mm.3987250/

 

[arron]

I have to say that that is a clever idea.  That gives me another option to think about.  Funny that you found one with a similar plaid-type pattern band.  Not sure that too many folks would wear that pattern today, but it must have been a thing back then.  Thanks John.

[rossjackson01]

What about making a replacement dial that looks the same? Would this be a practicable option?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt1nmSqS-Ps

 

[JohnR725]

10 hours ago, Galilea said:

Maybe I should ask this in the safe zone, but without a Geiger counter how would I know which of my lumed vintage watches are radioactive, and if we are only taking about a few watches what's the risk one would be facing?

see what happens if I don't pay attention 100% at lectures I can't answer your question. so yesterday's lecture one of things he did talk about was and I didn't pay attention 100% was how the tell the difference between radium, tritium and basically everything else. One of the ways is with UV light things like the modern stuff will Floris incredibly well. The reason I didn't pay attention hundred percent was because I have a Geiger counter so I can tell with radioactive.

Then basically the feeling at the lecture was it's not an issue we've had multiple discussions about it on the group there some people become extremely panicky and others it just don't give a darn as long as you don't go poking at it you'll be fine but even in the lecture he talked about actually restoring tritium hands for instance by taking some other hands taking the material mixing it up again and using it wearing nice facemasks goggles not reusing the tools etc. etc. but when it came to radium he wasn't really in favor of any of its. On the other hand they once made radium and refinishing kits because I actually have one lurking someplace it was in the material house ones that I thought it was quite amusing I believe I banished it someplace out of the way.

if you don't have a Geiger counter one of the ways that you can tell is you put the watch in a dark box basically for 24 hours of not sure the exact time apparently the modern luminescent materials when charged up glow for quite a number of hours don't get very faint and the bill still glow city seal something up in a black box no light exposure 24 hours be safe then go into a black room allow your eyes to adjust depending on how long that takes and look at the hands of their still glowing or the dial apparently the radium itself will glow blue from my quick googling of how to tell if I have radio. His sockeye cause the zinc something to floor S because long ago that's been burnt to crisps by the radiation but apparently the radium actually does glow. Otherwise their cheap geiger counters on Amazon US have be careful a lot of them are not of the right type and are not sensitive enough

maybe before you run out via Geiger counter look at this YouTube channel. He goes looking for radiation and antique stores or a prime place to find it and it isn't just the radium watches is looking for. One of my friends based on this went and bought a Geiger counter discovery sure enough some of the stuff in his house has ceramic with radiation. I think the only radiation I have each the radium hands which is a set of were banished someplace else in the house where don't have to worry about them.

https://www.youtube.com/@RadioactiveDrew

 

[arron]

16 hours ago, Galilea said:

 

 

5 hours ago, rossjackson01 said:

What about making a replacement dial that looks the same? Would this be a practicable option?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt1nmSqS-Ps

 

thanks, I watched the video.  Very cool way of making a nice looking dial.  I probably won't be trying that anytime soon, but it's good to know it's possible.

[rossjackson01]

14 hours ago, JohnR725 said:

see what happens if I don't pay attention 100% at lectures I can't answer your question. 

 

John. So glad that I, and you, are members of this forum. It's a shame I live so far away, and am so old in the learning of this wonderful hobby. I would love to have met you. I do ask many questions, and you take the time to acknowledge and deliver answers. It must be galling for you when we come back with the same question some time later. For that I am grateful that you take the time, yet again, to formulate an answer.  I find the written word hard to assimilate, possibly in the 10% range. Visual representation I can assimilate,  possibly in the 90%. I do however hang on your 100% for my 10%. So, please continue to chide. 

[Nucejoe]

14 hours ago, JohnR725 said:

 how the tell the difference between radium, tritium and basically everything else. 

Madame currie couldn't see those little  things coming out of lumed hands in your watch,  she just saw an effects. " There must be something going on here "  she said, some activity or something invisible too,  then she thought , oh man,  this here film is an instrument of detecting whatever comes out of this stuff، must be radiant,  radiation of radio nature. then she had luunch and coffee as she wondered more. 

soon after ,  Radio+active=radioactive  became the talk of town folks.

Each radioactive element or nuclear reaction either goes back to where it came from or goes in some new direction, does lots of thing to stablize, more often than not it throws out excess energy to reach stability, massive particles or near zero mass particles or no mass at all.

Massless particles franticaly go around, its here now but on the moon in 1.3 seconds.

Even today we try to detect whats being thrown out and analyse our data to figure out whats radiating them radiation.

Kind Rgds   

 

[markr]

Anyone worried about radium watches should send them to me right away.