How to determine the quality of luminescence on a watch?

[kinson]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if there is a good way to tell how well the luminescence on a watch performs? I guess my usual method of cupping the phone and peering at it in the watch store isn't very effective :p

My current Seiko seems to work OK, when I switch off the lights before I go to bed it glows nicely, but I always find that it's useless when I'm watching a movie at the cinema. I find myself angling the watch to catch the light from the movie to tell the time.

I guess I'd be looking to find out 1) how long the glow can last on average 2) how bright it will be.

I was reading somewhere that diving watches have minimum specifications that they need to be able to glow xxx in pitch dark or something?

Cheers.

[maximillian]

on average my seiko diver glows about six hours till it just disappears..but maybe pams & BALL watches glow longer..

yes regarding the diver..about 10cm distance from the eye the lume has to be readable underwater i think..but do correct me if im wrong guys 

[sshark]

BALL watches luminescence are guaranteed to glow for 25 years

[besview]

Just go out and buy a Ball watch..Glows for 24/7 consistently and freaking bright too esp the Night train,Normal superluminova glows for a few hrs and then lose its brightness

[kinson]

25 years??? that's some impressive technology! I'll go check it out later. Cool beans.

[TheHobbit]

I am guessing that Ball uses the best brightness level which suppose to last 20 years. The other levels are 10 and 15. Since Tritium have a half life of about 12 years, the 25 years should be achievable, just that the luminosity would be half as bright as when you first get the watch.

[sshark]

It is not much of a technology nowadays. It is just low radiation radioactive material. Every 12 yrs,half of its Remaining mass is gone.

[kinson]

Hrmm, it's still impressive. So that means that if I hide myself in a pitch dark room for 25 (or 12-years), it'll still be glowing and I can tell the time?

My original question still stands, though. I don't see any way for me to tell if my watch can glow well from the box/specifications. I went to watch Narnia last saturday and couldn't tell the time kinda disappointing. I'm just trying to figure out how to avoid it in the next watch I purchase.

Cheers.

[terrenceterrence]

epic movies...wear a G-shock. problem solved 

[kinson]

epic movies...wear a G-shock. problem solved 

Hehe. Not a fan of digital watches, still love analogs. I just always find it hard to accept that expensive watches can't tell me the time but those RM15 pasar malam watches with a built-in light can do so, lol.

[sshark]

The movies u watched must be pitch dark. I've no prob reading the time from my watch with a some light reflected from the silver screen

[kinson]

The movies u watched must be pitch dark. I've no prob reading the time from my watch with a some light reflected from the silver screen

Nah, not exactly pitch dark, it depends on the scene of course. but then again, more often than not I have to angle my watch to catch the light. Figured the glow-in-the-dark would be able to handle that :p

[chrisyen]

A good watch should hv gd finishing, the highly polished metal hour marker normally reflect at most angles... So u dun need to find the angle by right... Check out the grand seiko, omega, iwc...
The hour marker are purposely finish to shin so that u can read!!!

Ball tritium last 25 yrs? Yes...
But that means from the day the tritium gas tube manufacture...
It takes time to be delivered to the dial/hand/bezel maker!
It takes time to be fixed on dial/hand/bezel
it takes time the watch to be assembled
it takes time the watch to be tested for shock, wr...timed n regulated
It takes time the watch to be sent to the country for sales
it takes time the watch sit on the display or safe
it takes time the watch to be sold n worn by it's owner

so 12.5 yrs from the manufactured time... The brightness will slowly gone...
Next 12.5 yrs, it will be dimmer n dimmer...

So likely second time u service ur watch, ball Service Centre will ask u to change ur dial
 

[TheHobbit]

Hrmm, it's still impressive. So that means that if I hide myself in a pitch dark room for 25 (or 12-years), it'll still be glowing and I can tell the time?

My original question still stands, though. I don't see any way for me to tell if my watch can glow well from the box/specifications. I went to watch Narnia last saturday and couldn't tell the time kinda disappointing. I'm just trying to figure out how to avoid it in the next watch I purchase.

Cheers.

Technically if what you want is a watch that glows in a pitch dark room for sometime, go with Tritium tube. It is self illuminating. Luminova needs to have an external light source to charge it before it glows. However the glow will diminish after sometime. Tritium will have a more consistent glow, but it is dimmer. As for telling time in a cinema, you will need a watch with EL backlight as the constant bombardment (of light) from the screen will cause your pupils to dilate and makes reading the dim light of the watch difficult.

[ck77]

Like Chris mentioned, my t-dial submariner has zero lume (tritium ran out of lume after 12.5 years). But reflect the light very well thanks to its white gold hour markers and hands.

[terrenceterrence]

try a white dialed watch. maybe the contrast would be better

[jacky8888]

I would suggest LumTec. I was told the lume can last for 6-8 hours in total darkness. Any sifu here can confirm. ?

[kinson]

I would suggest LumTec. I was told the lume can last for 6-8 hours in total darkness. Any sifu here can confirm. ?

Whoa, I saw some of the models have the whole watch face glow, lol. People in the cinema would hate me (which is awesome) :p

[skccks]

i never calculate my LumTec LumZilla can last how many hours......must try it..........

[sshark]

ho hurry take ur time and report back