Nickel Allergy Revisited

[Victoria]

After a lifetime of wearing watches, I've broken out with what seems to be a nickel allergy.

This, I'm told by RWGers, is due to the fact that our beloved reps must have a higher than usual concentration of nickel in the SS bracelets or buckles. This sucks.

EDIT: It also could be due to improper post-cleaning use of Cape Cod. You're supposed to rinse the bands with soap and water (see thread here).

The solution I was given was to apply some clear nail polish on the needed areas. I'm hesitant to do so, in case I ruin the finish. Does anyone have (before or after) photos about how it will look?

Yesterday, I wore the famous Yaarrrr! buckle from StrapCulture, on a pricey XaMas strap. I didn't wear it tightly, as would be usual. I lasted all of 30 minutes before the chafing got to be too much. There was an angry red ring around my wrist, which dissipated with some Cortisone-10 solution, overnight.

Here is a general Nickel allergy info site:

http://www.nickelallergyinformation.com/

They refer people to, amongst other products, a Nickel Solution ($22) site. The first product "detects" nickel in your jewelry, the second is a varnish (which really looks like clear nail polish).

http://www.athenaallergy.com/welcome.htm

Wonder if anyone has experience with these kinds of things?

I love my watches, but I don't want to look like this one day:

P.S.: One of the things they counsel you to stay away from are foods high in nickel content. These include potatoes, but also chocolates. Now, I hate chocolates, but just thought you'd like to know that, during this Festive season so full of these two foodstuffs.

[alant]

Oh no sad to hear that. But at least you managed to find the root of the cause so now you just have to be more careful. Hope you can find a solution and need not give up this hobby. Then again health is important too better don't neglect it. Ummm..so far another alternative is that you wear gloves then wear your watches over your gloves...not too practical and it will be a waste to cover up all your beautiful fingers and nails too. Cheer up ok. Merry Christmas to you too!

[Victoria]

Oh no sad to hear that. But at least you managed to find the root of the cause so now you just have to be more careful. Hope you can find a solution and need not give up this hobby. Then again health is important too better don't neglect it. Ummm..so far another alternative is that you wear gloves then wear your watches over your gloves...not too practical and it will be a waste to cover up all your beautiful fingers and nails too. Cheer up ok. Merry Christmas to you too!

Thanks, Alant! Merry Christmas right back atcha!

No, there's no question of giving up on the watches. I will have to rotate the gens a little more, and apply that clear nail varnish/polish to the high-nickel areas like cheap rep bands, and the like. Also, I have to lay off the leather conditioners and Cape Cod cloths.

Just wondering if others have had their own woes with nickel allergies, and if they can share their experiences.

Mayo Clinic Link: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nickel-allergy/DS00826

[TeeJay]

Have you thought about trying a Bund strap? I believe Strap Culture sell them... Could save any contact with the watch from causing a problem Sorry to hear you've had another 'breakout', I know how upsetting Emily finds it when her psoriasis flares up.

[scoobs1971]

Sorry to hear Vic. A friend of mine also suffers from a nickel allergy and only wears titanium watches, which works good for him. But I really hope for you that you can find a way around that....

[Victoria]

Have you thought about trying a Bund strap? I believe Strap Culture sell them... Could save any contact with the watch from causing a problem Sorry to hear you've had another 'breakout', I know how upsetting Emily finds it when her psoriasis flares up.

Thanks, TeeJay! I do have a Spartacus Bund strap, as a matter of fact, from HKTAN. It's too masculine on me.

I'm so sorry to hear of Emily's psoriasis...now that truly is a problem, but hopefully, she copes well!

Obviously, people with allergic predispositions (as I am currently) will get these rashes more often, but I wonder if the pricier reps out there are made of less nickel content, or it's all the same?

I only say this because I have yet to experience any rashes with the Davidsen PAMs I have...how about those high-end SFSO cases, etc.?

@Scoobs: Thanks so much too! Don't worry. Every problem has a solution, except death. *g*

@Jetsons: Very kind of you, thank you. ...no, I haven't YET washed the bands with soap & water, as I heard one must in another thread. I am sure going to have to, but I was always scared the cheapo reps I have wouldn't survive the "dip". I will, don't worry.

BTW, interesting observation on gen Rolexes and nickel content. I have never experienced an ounce of bother with the gen Rollies BUT as you know, these allergies take time to develop. OTOH, I have smallish ladies all-gold Rolexes and only one SS DJ. Hmm.

[Jetsons]

Victoria, it may not be the steel that's inflicting the rash. This is usually a problem with genuine rlx watches which use the high nickel content 904L steel on cases and bracelets. Who knows exactly what the different rep manufacturers use but nickel being expensive as it is, I doubt the content would be high.

Do wash the watches with soap & water before wearing if using cleaners or polishes. Those chemicals can be nasty on the skin.

Hope you recover pronto!

[KB]

Just as an aside I had this happen and I painted the back of my fave watch at the time with clear nail polish (you wont even be able to see it Victoria) however it didn't solve the problem.

Either what caused the rash was eating through the varnish or my wrist didn't fully heal until long after I gave up wearing the watch.

One thing that has been pointed out is that areas with high humidity can worsen the problem.

Ken

[Victoria]

Just as an aside I had this happen and I painted the back of my fave watch at the time with clear nail polish (you wont even be able to see it Victoria) however it didn't solve the problem.

Oh dear. It's good to know you won't be able to see it though, Ken. How do you take it off, with nail varnish/polish remover?? Obviously, an acetone substitute.

Either what caused the rash was eating through the varnish or my wrist didn't fully heal until long after I gave up wearing the watch.

That is a shame, Kenberg. Retiring a favourite piece must be awful for watch lovers like us.

(It was the Andrew PAM 113 that I was wearing yesterday BUT I never had that reaction before. I can deduct it was the StrapCulture buckle, which I rarely wear)

One thing that has been pointed out is that areas with high humidity can worsen the problem.

Good insight! We were at 80% humidity (81F) yesterday. The South of the USA is unusually high in humidity, so paradise comes with a price.

EDIT: ...well, I'm wearing a gen Tiffany watch right now, which I showed in the Wristcheck, and no problems. It does seem to be my reps. Anyway, I'll try that clear polish! Ciao for now, guys!

[TeeJay]

Thanks, TeeJay! I do have a Spartacus Bund strap, as a matter of fact, from HKTAN. It's too masculine on me.

Maybe it's just the particulars of the strap itself... The bund strap on Emily's J12 is anything but masculine

I'm so sorry to hear of Emily's psoriasis...now that truly is a problem, but hopefully, she copes well!

To be honest, she does cope very well, but, that's because it manifested when she was very young (the youngest person in the region to be diagnosed with it), and, at it's most severe, the coverage was apparently very severe. It's eased a lot in the time I've known her, and now is little more than light spotting/dryness around the hairline (smaller area than the Trill-spots painted on Terry Farrell and Nicole deBoer in Sheep Dip Nine ) compared to when we first met, and there was more coverage on her arms, legs, back and torso, but, it seems to be calming down, and strangely, without the benefits of medications, as, eventually, it stopped being effective, but, it then just 'calmed down', so I think it's very much stress-related. Sadly, being an inherited condition (which she got from her scum-bag bio-dad) our children will likely inherit it as well, and have to go through the same... Oh well, here's keeping fingers crossed, and indeed, she does cope well, probably much better than my first post indicated

Obviously, people with allergic predispositions (as I am currently) will get these rashes more often, but I wonder if the pricier reps out there are made of less nickel content, or it's all the same?

I only say this because I have yet to experience any rashes with the Davidsen PAMs I have...how about those high-end SFSO cases, etc.?

I wouldn't like to say about the price of reps being the factor, but you could well be onto something about the nickel content of the metal. I am still of the opinion that my 127 could be the kind of 'base model' Davidsen then modifies. It appears visually identical to the one you showed a while back, and, when winding the crown, it has the same 'spring-back'/reverse which has been mentioned as being a recurring issue with Davidsen's watches. The only thing I'm not too sure about with regards the movement, is that it is very fiddly finding 'the sweet-spot' to do the reverse-winding/second set function. That said, I suspect Davidsen is putting different movements into his watches, so who knows

PS

I've been wearing mine on the dive strap for a few days now, and, although it doesn't look 'as smart', as it does on the leather, it certainly looks nice, and, as Emily's step-dad (who insists I should just get a 'more reliable quartz' ) commented, it looks 'more modern', than it looks on the leather.

[KB]

Just one last point, I haven't bothered to remove the varnish as 1. You can't see it anyway (and I believe I ended up putting about three coats on) and 2. Who knows it might do some good as I do occasionally still wear the watch (a Pam 192, how could I not!) without any adverse reaction, thought this may be more from the limited wear.

Ken

[sssurfer]

There was an angry red ring around my wrist

Vicky, was that ring all around your wrist, not at the buckle only?

Did you already wear that strap (buckle excluded)?

[Chicken Manny]

In order for an allergic reaction to occur, the skin of a sensitive individual must be in direct contact with the object containing the nickel. For watches, this necessarily means the case or the bracelet. Another condition for an allergic response is that the nickel must be liberated rather easily from its alloy onto the skin in the form of cations, or positively charged particles. Thirdly, these positive ions must be transported by some sort of fluid serving as an electrolyte. This liquid most often is sweat, but may also be water from the sea or from a swimming pool.

The stainless steel used in the manufacture of watchcases liberates varying amounts of nickel ions depending on the nature of the alloy and the proportions of the individual components. A stainless steel created for medical purposes gives off practically no nickel.

For those persons who are allergic to nickel, which usually manifests itself in the form of dermatitis, they should definitely avoid wearing costume jewellery or earrings made of nickel silver.

Another important factor in the liberation of nickel ions is the condition of the metal surface that is in contact with the skin. Rough or porous surfaces retain the electrolytic fluid, usually perspiration, and thus become very active zones for producing the allergenic cations. The resulting corrosion of the metal then generates even higher concentrations of the metal ions. Upon examination of the back of a chrome-plated watch case that has been attacked by sweat, it is surprising to see how much corrosion has taken place and, therefore, easy to understand why the wearer's skin can become sensitive.

In addition to stainless steel watches and bracelets, the bi-colour models made of gold and steel can also be problematic for people with sensitive skin. Gold and stainless steel have different electric potentials and the transportation of ions in the sweat is accelerated. Therefore, an increase in galvanic corrosion results in an even greater risk of allergy. The rate of corrosion and the rate of allergies are closely linked. When the two metals are soldered together, the corrosion often occurs at the joint. A cavity then appears becoming the site of even more erosion.

The solution to the nickel-allergy problem is to use alloys that give off no or very little nickel cations. As mentioned above, there is a type of stainless steel used in medical devices that liberates hardly any nickel ions. AISI 316 L stainless steel is a common material used in our watches (or at least claimed). True AISI 316 L should minimize allergy reactions in most nickel allergy suffers.

[Victoria]

Vicky, was that ring all around your wrist, not at the buckle only?

Did you already wear that strap (buckle excluded)?

Hey :sss: -- thanks for your concern. To answer both your questions.

Yes.

Yes.

Today, I wore my HBB RG (from Italy!) and didn't experience one moment's worth of itching or irritation. So I just have to lay off FOR A WHILE, the SS bracelet watches and coat the buckles of my PAMs in clear varnish. A small sacrifice to be able to wear my Panerai, Rolexes and Cartiers, in comfort.

@ChickenManny: Wow! That is information overload, and very appreciated. Thanks!!

[Dizzy]

i have suffered from Nickle alergies all my life. Ive never been able to wear any cheap jewellery becasue within an hour i have a bad rash forming. Rolex used 904L which has a higher nickle content than 316 stainless. Most reps are made from 316 becasue its cheaper. 904L is a higher quality of metal but does contain more nickle. Some people are alergic to a gen rolex bracelet but thats pretty borderline. Most reps should be fine these days. Although i bought a Breitling Bentley chrono T from Paul last summer and i got a reaction from the caseback only. The color of the metal on the caseback if different from the rest of the watch so its obviously a diff grade of stainless with more nickle so its bothering me. The quick fix for that caseback was a piece of good qaulity duct tape and some precision trimming and you dont even know its there. I also get bad reactions from all grades of silver jewellery unless its rhodium coated. Kens also right about humidity. Watches that i cant wear in the summer, cause absolutely no reaction at all in the dryer winter months.

@ Victoria - i have seen and used those spray or brush on "fixes" and they are basicly a thin spray on varnish that will need to be applied occasionally. Just be careful that the coating doesnt gum up necklaces and things like that. Some seem to work better than others.. some are invisible and some look like you coated your jewellery in clear glue... so test a small hidden area and see how it looks and go from there. I have never used this brand you show here but im sure it will work and smell better than nail polish

If you ever find a new "miracle cure" or anything that works well please let me know

cheers

dizz

[rolli]

before i wear a watch i use from time to time a disinfectant from the apothecary's shop for the casebacks,

and also before i wear a strap the first time.

rolli

[steppen]

do an 'agnelli' on it, wear it over the cuff, problem solved

great look

[madasboot]

I love my watches, but I don't want to look like this one day:

Dear God!!!!

Is that contageous?!? I fear for the pearls...

[Victoria]

Dear God!!!!

Is that contageous?!? I fear for the pearls...

Oh, I didn't see this reply before, Madasboot.

Okay, update. I've had enough of the itching, scratching, and ugly red band around my wrist. I finally gulped air, and applied clear nail polish to my PAM deployant a few hours ago.

No itching, no scratching...I think it works, people!

I used Sally Hansen "Dries Instantly" nail varnish. U$4.99 at CVS.

(And no more Cape Cod cloths for me)