How much of an issue is the blued hands of a watch in the evening. Im considering a Dornbluth & Sohn with the white dial and blued hands but the lack of lume might be restricting in the evening. The blue and black dial versions have lume on the hands making them a bit more useful at night. So who uses a non lumed watch and is it an issue in the evening or a non issue?
Last edited by markyboy.1967; 4th November 2018 at 16:21.
My pub watch, which I'll be winding and donning later, perfectly legible in dimly lit bars, and on the dark streets between them . . .
PS. When this hobby has run it's course I'll likely sell most of my small group and use the proceeds for a Dornbluth. The Archimede was bought from SC to test the water re size and style.
F.T.F.A.
I have one of Timefactors new PRS29-am watches with the blued hands (superb).
I was a litltle reticent as there is no lume but if there is enough light to see and not walk into things i find the contrast on the face is enough to see the time. It is not as good as a lumed watch obviously but they are very good and the classic look is a nice change.
FWIW, the 6B/159 from which the PRS-29AM takes its inspiration was produced to a specification supplied by the Air Ministry in the early days of WWII around the time of the Battle of Britain. These watches would have been worn by aircrew, presumably including night sorties. They had no lume. This may have been because (a) it would have increased costs and (b) at the time it would have been radium lume which is highly radioactive and could create problems when servicing these watches. In any event, I don't think for a minute that the AM would have supplied items which were clearly unfit for use (even though it was usual to gripe about supplied kit - there may even have been some who moaned about the lack of lume!).
Deck watches as used by the Navy (pocket watches) were also unlumed, presumably for the same reasons, but also such watches were in use long before lume (radium) was discovered. I don't think any mariner would have limited the use of his watch to the daylight hours...
Last edited by Geralt; 4th November 2018 at 10:40.
A non-issue, unless you’re in complete pitch-black.
Besides, for my money heat-blued steel is one of the nicer finishes in watches, and it would be a shame to detract from the way the colour beautifully shifts on the hands by requiring lume instead.
Of course you can always gaze at the the rear of a Dornbluth, which will light up your life . . .
The white dial should ensure maximum contrast with the hands so I doubt there'll be an issue.
Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk
I thought the blue dial ones had steel hands? Anyway I have a white dial one and never had a problem reading the time on it.
It's a complete non-issue for me.
That's lovely.Originally Posted by magirus
My pub watch, which I'll be winding and donning later, perfectly legible in dimly lit bars, and on the dark streets between them . . .
PS. When this hobby has run it's course I'll likely sell most of my small group and use the proceeds for a Dornbluth. The Archimede was bought from SC to test the water re size and style.
I have no issues with lack of lume on my GS. I wear my gshock to bed anyway.
I’d really not let it concern you, and great choice of brand!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Just had a look at the Dornbluth, which I was unfamiliar with. It's a beautiful thing.My pub watch, which I'll be winding and donning later, perfectly legible in dimly lit bars, and on the dark streets between them . . .
PS. When this hobby has run it's course I'll likely sell most of my small group and use the proceeds for a Dornbluth. The Archimede was bought from SC to test the water re size and style.
Thanks, it’s the 99.1 that I’m looking at, simple but elegant.
Thanks everyone who replied seems the lack of Lume isn’t an issue. Cheers.
Last edited by markyboy.1967; 4th November 2018 at 16:19.
Another consideration: applied or painted indices?
Still to decide what configuration I’m wanting and have plenty of time as I won’t order till next year and then looking at 6-9 months wait for it to be made.
I've been considering that watch myself. FWIW I preferred the painted hands
Mine is painted numerals, you can always get applied numerals when you get it serviced in a few years time so no big deal.
Actually, this inspired me to peruse the Dornbluth website again & the 42mm diameter of the 99.1 would make it a no go for me. By all accounts it wears big as well. I would have to go for the Q-2010 Klassic at 38.5mm with my 6.75" wrists.
I prefer painted (actually they are printed) indices. I think they look better and there is no danger of them becoming detached and rattling around under the crystal.
Yes, I stand corrected :-)
I’m going through the same thought process. Not sure how/where you could try both for size.
I’m the opposite with over 7.5” wrists. I like a 42-45mm watch so a nice size for me.
A Dornblüth is one of the most legible watches available (can be read in pretty much any light) -- and, as has been mentioned, has a just gorgeous movement.
Cue gratuitous photos of my 99.1 . . . .
Personally, I've always regarded lume as a bit of a gimmick. By the time you actually need it, it's faded.
Blued hands, on the other, are a thing apart. Not Dornblüth I'm afraid, but you get the gist . . . .
.
That Dornbluth is stunning, a watch worth wearing.
Blue hands watches with white dials are very classy. I disagree though that by the time you need lume it is faded. If i get up at night i always check my watch and whatever watch i am wearing i have never had an issue seeing the time right through the night.
I agree with the legibility of blue hamd watches but if there is no light then they are no use so always put another watch on when i sleep or go shooting at night.
I have to agree personally with the view that lume is a bit of a fad. I say this as someone who does a job that involves me often working late into the evening/night and most of the time a watch is hidden away under a shirt cuff so when lume is actually needed its hardly visible. Any kind of applied numerals on a white dial are much easier to read in poor light than a printed dial with a blurred green or blue lume on it. I understand if you happen to be wearing it in bright sunlight all day or "Charging" it on a window sill but the second option seems to defeat the idea of actually wearing a watch.
I found it much the same as radio controlled watches, multi function G Shock watches when really needed there was not much difference between them and a £10 Casio when it come to readability or durability, in short a bit of a gimmick really.
Agree with comments above, the contrast between hands and dial is enough to make the lack of lume a complete non-issue unless you are in perfect darkness.
A gratuitous pic. 38mm on 6.75”
Very nice. Is that the Q-2010 Klassic?. Any chance of some more gratuitous shots from different angles esp. head on?Agree with comments above, the contrast between hands and dial is enough to make the lack of lume a complete non-issue unless you are in perfect darkness.
A gratuitous pic. 38mm on 6.75”
Thank you. I’ve just got a couple of pics on my phone that I’ve uploaded. It’s not the Q-2010 Klassic but probably the same size, give-or-take.
It’s a ‘Kal 04.0’ which were limited in numbers. I can’t link to the threads right now but there’s a couple of interesting posts about them on this sub-forum. I found this one within the membership here and still very glad to have it.
Nothing quite as grand as a Dornbluth & Sohn, but I have a Nomos with similarly heat blued hands on white dial and no issues with telling time at night, assuming you are using it somewhere with streetlights.
I personally have never had a situation where I had to rely on lume to tell the time. Ofc lume can be helpful but like people have mentioned, it usually runs out by the time you need it - even when you take the time to charge it before you leave.
I've got a Dornbluth price list. Why is the Q-2010 Klassic twice the price of the 99.1? They're both SS & look very similar other than the size. Different movement, but still...
One movement is bought in and then worked on; one movement is entirely in-house
Blue hands... Lume gone!
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
