Thanks, Teddy. This is added to my favorite Teddy video list. These watches are out of my league, so I’m a Casio guy for the most part. I was surprised that when I charged one of my cheaper watches (with and infrared flashlight)then went to bed, I could still read the watch until the early hours of the morning. A pleasant surprise. Keep up the good work.
Love the educational and historical aspects of this kind of videos, it's played a huge part in getting me into watches! So nice to have that crazy lume glow when stepping out of the sun ☀️
I’m glad you showed the time lapses. You can really see how brands like Seiko and Citizen are essentially no different when it comes to lume. They all faded fairly quickly.
Even so, if I charge my Seiko diver at midnight, I can still read it by the lume until the room is light enough in the morning to be able to read it by ambient light.
I think it is not only the raw material but also the processing and applying it. I have experienced a number of different brands and for some reason the JLC Polaris really lights up a room like an Apple watch when freshly charged and is still readable in the dark after 5 hours. I don’t know how they do it but others (including Rolex) don’t come close.
Even if very few brands still use it, I prefer Tritium over any kind of Super Luminova. I would even question the usefulness of any lume since it pretty much disappears after a rather short period of time.
Great presentation as expected, comprehensive and to the point. Tritium is my favorite form of lume on a watch. Great job by you and the team, much appreciated.
This was such a fun video, and I learned a lot too. I was aware of the use of radium in vintage watches, but I had no idea what materials are used today. I have a couple Seiko watches, and I'm impressed by how well they glow hours after I've gone to bed.
Great video!! Thanks for going in depth about lume and other aspects of watches that you have done in the past. Appreciate your knowledge and your time providing this to us.
Hi Teddy, the one information I was hoping to obtain is, is there any lume degradation for S-Luminova/Lumibrite after several years? If so, what factors do impact the longevity and potency of a lume material? (e.g. prolongued exposure to UV, long intervals between charging, etc.) Thank you!
Based on my experience there is some. But it could also just be that newer watches have a more modern lume material and therefore perform better. But a +20y old Rolex with Luminova still holds a charge for some hours.
Great video! Would have been curious to see a comparison showing all the watches on screen at the same time showing their lume brightness and fading over time (with an added tritium tube watch).
I have a beautiful Steeldive SD1974. And trust me it beats all the expensive watches you tested in the video, both in terms of lume brightness and longevity. I put it to the test and it was still quite legible in the dark after 40 minutes
Most of the watches here, will be easy too read in the dark after 6-8 hours🤷♂️ try sleeping with your watch and read the time when you wake up in the dark👀
Super informative video. Is it safe to own vintage 1960s radium lumed dials today? I have an omega constellation with some lume on the dotted indices and hands. Any advice for wearing/storing pieces like this? Thanks Teddy.
Very Good Teddy! Give us more of this kind of educational content. I Would love to know more about how can we evaluate products and distinguish if it good, bad, hype or only the branding. Tks!!
Tritium Gas Tubes do not ‘glow consistently’ for 12.32 years then ‘lose their luminescence’. Tritium has a Half Life of c. 12.3 years; meaning that the tubes are always losing brightness. After 12.3 years there will be half the number of decays per second. As such absolute brightness is reduced 50% after that time. But the tubes will still be glowing for decades, just at a constantly reducing level; halving brightness every 12.3 years.
If I recall correctly, the human eye is most sensitive to green light, so that may explain the lean towards green over time, or why it stuck around, or it's a coincidence we're still using green with the materials available for lume. It would be good to see how long it takes for the lume to drop to half of the initial value, rather than what it looks like at fixed times. But it would require some reasonably calibrated equipment.
One of my ideas is an electric "dark-powered" lume system, like those night lights in your house. It would have a sensor in the dial that would trigger it when your environment gets dark enough, and then shut it off when the light comes back. It would light the whole dial, just bright enough for legibility, but dimly enough that it doesn't murder the battery.
Like what Tim Mosso did with anglage and detail of finish, Teddy, brilliant job here, very insightful for true horological topics, not just watch fanaticism, but those who appreciate the nuances of the parts that are the sum of the wristwatch ⌚ 🥂
Great video thanks. My metric is whether my watch is still visible towards the end of a movie. Most of my watches with luminova are pretty much invisible by the end of the movie, my tritium gas watch is still visible. My Tudor Pelagos seems to last the longest of my conventionally lumed watches.
The brightness one sees via a camera in lume in the Rolex, Tudor, Seiko, and Citizen watches at the five minute mark is what I see with the naked eye in most of my watches at around the 45 minute mark, which is sufficient enough for me since most recreational dives with a single cylinder will last around that timeframe. 👌🏼
Very nice review. I must say that now that the winter is coming the luminescent material on the hands becomes more valuable. I enjoy pretty much the durability of the Speedmaster. Especially with only a charge of 20/30 seconds it stays easily legible all night long, until morning. Very worth mentioning Thank you very much for the accurate review. Please keep up the nice work!
I bought a Steeldive SD1970 'Willard' and the lume on that watch is just crazy bright. Even the bezel is fully lumed. Very long lasting too. It's better than many much more expensive watches. The SD1970 is super value for money anyway.
I enjoyed this video very much. I would've liked an illustration of the new X-1 lume over 5 minutes. It's very good and in some ways a game changer. The Newmark 71 has X-1 lune and it's visible most of the night.
You should do a follow up Video about Backlit Dials and LED tech. Casio is a great example. They used to be an afterthought. The GA2100 changed all of that in 2019. LED front lit for the analog Dial and Backlit for the digital display, pure genius. I love when someone shows me a 5-6 figure Watch... I just ask them "Can it do this?" and hit the LED Light Button... And smile knowing I paid less than the shipping on their Watch...
I've owned and handled lots of watches over the years. In my experience, nothing beats a Seiko Tuna when it comes to lume. I've got an SBBN033 that literally lights up the room. Whatever Seiko did with that generation of Tuna models is the gold standard in my opinion.
This is great! I can't find anything on the material used on my Orient Kamaso - the main hands are brighter, but the brightness is uneven and seems to be bolstered by time in the sun? Is this the deal with this watch? Also, Teddy I've called your shop twice this week left a message for Will once but don't seem to be able to get a response or pick up? Like to ask you folks some questions. Thanks.
I prefer seiko lumebright for better wearing experience. Althought the lume last shorter than superluminova, it catch the light easier and you can see the glow as soon as you walk below the settle in most time, which bring fantastic experience compare to superlumminova
Looks like we'll need a more detailed watch-recommendation video for all the best "lume" dials for different price points and styles. I got a Tissot PRX Quartz which was solid enough for my use case but I think I may need something a bit brighter, but dive watches and tactical aren't really my style, either.
Be interesting to see the same comparison test with very cheap brands like Timex, Casio, and Armitron. Was so very happy when Timex came out with Indiglo. It came out while I was in the Navy. Most sailors I knew made the switch to Timex just for the Indiglo.
Great as far as you went. So, I go to bed at 11 p.m. I wake up at 3 a.m. to go and do whatever. Or I just want to see what time it is when I wake up at 3 a.m., 4 hours into a dark night. The 5 minute comparison really shows me little that is practical for me. How about a 4 hour test of the Seiko, Citizen, Tudor, Rolex and Marithon or Ball? From personal experience with Seiko, Citizen, Rolex and Ball, I know that only one of them is truly visible after 4 dark hours. It is the Ball with Tritium tubes. The others are mere indistinct shadows. It really isn't even a contest.
I love when Teddy does these deep dives into scientific aspects of the watch industry
Agreed; I would love to see more videos on metallurgy and the use of more obscure elements for making alloys
It's great to see some brands using Lume in a creative context. Nice video, Teddy.
Yes - the Mido and also the Tissot Sideral.
Loved this video. Great job Teddy and the whole team that put this together!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks, Teddy. This is added to my favorite Teddy video list. These watches are out of my league, so I’m a Casio guy for the most part. I was surprised that when I charged one of my cheaper watches (with and infrared flashlight)then went to bed, I could still read the watch until the early hours of the morning. A pleasant surprise. Keep up the good work.
😂06:04 Teddy’s sarcastic tone on Rolex’ secrecy cracked me up!
Love the educational and historical aspects of this kind of videos, it's played a huge part in getting me into watches! So nice to have that crazy lume glow when stepping out of the sun ☀️
I’m glad you showed the time lapses. You can really see how brands like Seiko and Citizen are essentially no different when it comes to lume. They all faded fairly quickly.
Even so, if I charge my Seiko diver at midnight, I can still read it by the lume until the room is light enough in the morning to be able to read it by ambient light.
There is honestly no comparison between the 62MAS and BB Pro that I have...Seiko lume is absolute rubbish compared to Tudor.
Seiko and Citizen lume is some of the best in the business
Seiko lume is rubbish compare to Tudor 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I think it is not only the raw material but also the processing and applying it. I have experienced a number of different brands and for some reason the JLC Polaris really lights up a room like an Apple watch when freshly charged and is still readable in the dark after 5 hours. I don’t know how they do it but others (including Rolex) don’t come close.
Thanks for the extra work on this! I really enjoyed learning more about the history and comparisons
Even if very few brands still use it, I prefer Tritium over any kind of Super Luminova. I would even question the usefulness of any lume since it pretty much disappears after a rather short period of time.
Great presentation as expected, comprehensive and to the point. Tritium is my favorite form of lume on a watch. Great job by you and the team, much appreciated.
Thanks for watching!
My favorite watch channel brother!
This was such a fun video, and I learned a lot too. I was aware of the use of radium in vintage watches, but I had no idea what materials are used today. I have a couple Seiko watches, and I'm impressed by how well they glow hours after I've gone to bed.
Great video!! Thanks for going in depth about lume and other aspects of watches that you have done in the past. Appreciate your knowledge and your time providing this to us.
Very interesting Edward & very informative.
Very interesting video, Teddy. More! 😊
Love educational content like this
Thanks, Teddy! I feel illuminated!
I love this! Science dives that help me appreciate watches of every level. These and your videos on various angles of watch history.
Hi Teddy, the one information I was hoping to obtain is, is there any lume degradation for S-Luminova/Lumibrite after several years? If so, what factors do impact the longevity and potency of a lume material? (e.g. prolongued exposure to UV, long intervals between charging, etc.)
Thank you!
I am wondering about this as well.
Based on my experience there is some. But it could also just be that newer watches have a more modern lume material and therefore perform better. But a +20y old Rolex with Luminova still holds a charge for some hours.
The Ressence Type 3 BBB does it best. One of my dream watches to own.
Great video! Would have been curious to see a comparison showing all the watches on screen at the same time showing their lume brightness and fading over time (with an added tritium tube watch).
Pretty good idea for the video, really like the quality and the content of your videos! 👍
Awesome video, Teddy, as always. You and your channel are by far my favorite for watch content. Thanks for the great vids and take care! Cheers
I have a beautiful Steeldive SD1974. And trust me it beats all the expensive watches you tested in the video, both in terms of lume brightness and longevity. I put it to the test and it was still quite legible in the dark after 40 minutes
Most of the watches here, will be easy too read in the dark after 6-8 hours🤷♂️ try sleeping with your watch and read the time when you wake up in the dark👀
Thanks Teddy! The best and most reliable information about watches as usual.
I appreciate that!
Nice job Teddy. Always interesting stuff. I love the history and tech of watches videos you do.
I learn a lot with your videos. Even with my lack in english understanding , i can catch a lot of usefull informations. Thank you so much TEDDY.
Glad you mentioned the Radium Girls. We need to pay them their due respect.
Super informative video. Is it safe to own vintage 1960s radium lumed dials today? I have an omega constellation with some lume on the dotted indices and hands. Any advice for wearing/storing pieces like this? Thanks Teddy.
I learn so much from your videos, Teddy.
I love these educational and historically focused videos.
Very Good Teddy!
Give us more of this kind of educational content.
I Would love to know more about how can we evaluate products and distinguish if it good, bad, hype or only the branding.
Tks!!
Tritium Gas Tubes do not ‘glow consistently’ for 12.32 years then ‘lose their luminescence’.
Tritium has a Half Life of c. 12.3 years; meaning that the tubes are always losing brightness. After 12.3 years there will be half the number of decays per second. As such absolute brightness is reduced 50% after that time. But the tubes will still be glowing for decades, just at a constantly reducing level; halving brightness every 12.3 years.
Really cool video. Especially the comparison at the end. Loved it.
Sweet overview Teddy. Well done...👍
Great video! I read the book “Radium Girls” a few months ago & it was tragic & eye-opening. I’d certainly recommend it!
I appreciate these kinds of videos!
Whoa! My brother and I were just discussing lume on watches and this just got uploaded! 😎
Thoroughly enjoyed that video ! The watch I own with the best lume is my Aquaracer. It’s quite splendid in the dark !
Thanks for the video. I was hoping to learn how I can care for lume - i.e. is it bad to have it out in the sun all the time?
Best watch channel on TH-cam
More nerdy stuff, please! 😊
Brilliant video, more like these please Teddy
Exactly what I was looking for!
Thank you Teddy
Excellent video - thanks for putting it together
Great episode, love these educational videos.
If I recall correctly, the human eye is most sensitive to green light, so that may explain the lean towards green over time, or why it stuck around, or it's a coincidence we're still using green with the materials available for lume. It would be good to see how long it takes for the lume to drop to half of the initial value, rather than what it looks like at fixed times. But it would require some reasonably calibrated equipment.
I loved your video and learnt a lot. Could you elaborate on jewels ? How they are manufactured, their purpose, their maintenance... Thank you so much
As always, Well researched, great facts
Awesome video, very well done. Always very enlightening topics.
Great education experience Teddy love it , can you tell us more type numeral dials
definitely want to see more of this type of video!
Really enjoy your content!
Presenting the results stacked would be fantastic.
Love to see the "nerdy" stuff! keep it coming!
One of my ideas is an electric "dark-powered" lume system, like those night lights in your house. It would have a sensor in the dial that would trigger it when your environment gets dark enough, and then shut it off when the light comes back. It would light the whole dial, just bright enough for legibility, but dimly enough that it doesn't murder the battery.
That sounds cool.
Like what Tim Mosso did with anglage and detail of finish, Teddy, brilliant job here, very insightful for true horological topics, not just watch fanaticism, but those who appreciate the nuances of the parts that are the sum of the wristwatch ⌚ 🥂
Great video thanks. My metric is whether my watch is still visible towards the end of a movie. Most of my watches with luminova are pretty much invisible by the end of the movie, my tritium gas watch is still visible. My Tudor Pelagos seems to last the longest of my conventionally lumed watches.
The brightness one sees via a camera in lume in the Rolex, Tudor, Seiko, and Citizen watches at the five minute mark is what I see with the naked eye in most of my watches at around the 45 minute mark, which is sufficient enough for me since most recreational dives with a single cylinder will last around that timeframe. 👌🏼
Super awesome info, thanks.
I understand now why a lot of modern watches that are vintage inspired have that kind of peachy colored lume. Thanks!
This is great content Teddy.
Very nice review. I must say that now that the winter is coming the luminescent material on the hands becomes more valuable. I enjoy pretty much the durability of the Speedmaster. Especially with only a charge of 20/30 seconds it stays easily legible all night long, until morning. Very worth mentioning
Thank you very much for the accurate review. Please keep up the nice work!
I love getting up in the night and seeing my Marathon GSAR glowing in the watch case long after the other watches have 'shut down' for the night!
Teddy please make a video of some of the brightest lumes out there!
Great video Teddy. Loved the luminescence test. I happen to own both a Prospex SBG097 and a Sub and in person the Seiko LumiBrite smokes the Rolex.
I bought a Steeldive SD1970 'Willard' and the lume on that watch is just crazy bright. Even the bezel is fully lumed. Very long lasting too. It's better than many much more expensive watches. The SD1970 is super value for money anyway.
My SD 1970 is still readable after 7 hours in darkness.
I enjoyed this video very much. I would've liked an illustration of the new X-1 lume over 5 minutes. It's very good and in some ways a game changer. The Newmark 71 has X-1 lune and it's visible most of the night.
which watch is teddy wearing in this video? it looks stunning.
Please someone answer who knows ❤️
Longines heritage classic sector dial i think.
@jj.64 thanks dude 👍
Super interesting Video!
You should do a follow up Video about Backlit Dials and LED tech. Casio is a great example. They used to be an afterthought. The GA2100 changed all of that in 2019. LED front lit for the analog Dial and Backlit for the digital display, pure genius. I love when someone shows me a 5-6 figure Watch... I just ask them "Can it do this?" and hit the LED Light Button... And smile knowing I paid less than the shipping on their Watch...
Very interestinf topic!
I've owned and handled lots of watches over the years. In my experience, nothing beats a Seiko Tuna when it comes to lume. I've got an SBBN033 that literally lights up the room. Whatever Seiko did with that generation of Tuna models is the gold standard in my opinion.
Wish you’d try a Seiko LX - it’s LX is in reference to lux light brightness - far exceeds base Seiko divers. Thanks the video!
is X1 the latest and greatest?
Do you happen to know what lume is in my planet ocean 1st gen? I'm really happy you also had the monster up. I feel fortunate to have one too
Fantastic video!
Very interesting and an enjoyable watch.
Wonder if there are watches with both Tritium and Normal lume
Great video please make more similar
This was a fun one
Perfect dude❤
Hey Teddy love ur vids. Any plans on reviewing brands like About Vintage?
Hi Teddy, can you please do a video about brand new vs used watches - eg - New Longines GMT vs used Omega Seamaster would be great
Amazing content
Can tell what type lime longines sprit green edition is ?
This is great! I can't find anything on the material used on my Orient Kamaso - the main hands are brighter, but the brightness is uneven and seems to be bolstered by time in the sun? Is this the deal with this watch?
Also, Teddy I've called your shop twice this week left a message for Will once but don't seem to be able to get a response or pick up? Like to ask you folks some questions. Thanks.
Great video.
after 5 minutes onwards, how long normally the luminesce light will last ?
Please do a best lume watch series. Seems wise/zelos are kings but it’s hard to find high end brands reviewed.
I prefer seiko lumebright for better wearing experience. Althought the lume last shorter than superluminova, it catch the light easier and you can see the glow as soon as you walk below the settle in most time, which bring fantastic experience compare to superlumminova
Interesting video🎉🎉
Thank you for the video I now have better idea of how lum works
Looks like we'll need a more detailed watch-recommendation video for all the best "lume" dials for different price points and styles. I got a Tissot PRX Quartz which was solid enough for my use case but I think I may need something a bit brighter, but dive watches and tactical aren't really my style, either.
Be interesting to see the same comparison test with very cheap brands like Timex, Casio, and Armitron. Was so very happy when Timex came out with Indiglo. It came out while I was in the Navy. Most sailors I knew made the switch to Timex just for the Indiglo.
Nice touch for the .5 min 1 min and 5 min segment.
love my rolex tritium!!!!! I can still see it sometimes when my eyes are fully adjusted to the dark
For an actual dive how long does the lume need to work before you come up for air anyway? 30 minutes?
Great as far as you went. So, I go to bed at 11 p.m. I wake up at 3 a.m. to go and do whatever. Or I just want to see what time it is when I wake up at 3 a.m., 4 hours into a dark night. The 5 minute comparison really shows me little that is practical for me. How about a 4 hour test of the Seiko, Citizen, Tudor, Rolex and Marithon or Ball? From personal experience with Seiko, Citizen, Rolex and Ball, I know that only one of them is truly visible after 4 dark hours. It is the Ball with Tritium tubes. The others are mere indistinct shadows. It really isn't even a contest.
You should compare with Signum, they make full lume watches with C3 or BGW9 and are completely crazy to see... Seriously considering one