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Thread: Which watch has the best lume?

  1. #1
    Master
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    Which watch has the best lume?

    have been looking through my collection and i would say that the monster probably has the best lume of all of my watches.
    So the question is which watch has the brightest, longest lasting lume?
    Thanks,
    Andrew

  2. #2
    Grand Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    From experience another vote for Seiko, although my SMP is not far behind!
    /vince ..

  3. #3
    Master doug darter's Avatar
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    My Breguet Type XX.

    Just a few seconds exposure to my halogen reading light, and it glows really brightly for hours and hours.

    Worst is my Explorer 1. Glows very dimly for about 30 seconds.

  4. #4
    Grand Master Dave E's Avatar
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Seikos are (rightly) famous for their lume quality. My Omega Seamaster GMT is also extremely good, as is the Marathon SAR. I don't think there's much to choose between the Omega and Seiko, actually.
    Dave E

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  5. #5
    Thomas Reid
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Of mine, fj4.




    Best wishes,
    Bob

  6. #6
    Grand Master mr1973's Avatar
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Quote Originally Posted by doug darter
    My Breguet Type XX.

    Just a few seconds exposure to my halogen reading light, and it glows really brightly for hours and hours.

    Worst is my Explorer 1. Glows very dimly for about 30 seconds.
    The new Explorer 1? Or the 1016?

    My 114270 has quite a good lume.

    I found that Eddie's watches offer GREAT lume, the 18 and the 14 work like a light bulb at night ;-)
    I'm not as think as you drunk I am.

  7. #7
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Quote Originally Posted by dawson2k5
    So the question is which watch has the brightest, longest lasting lume?
    Longest according to my experience: any watch with the luminous tritium glass vials.

    Tritiums glow a whole night, even if not charged with light than taking it out from under a jacket sleeve to check time a couple of times during a murky nordic november day.

    I take every chance to post pictures of the Precista Commander: :D






  8. #8
    Grand Master Dave E's Avatar
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Quote Originally Posted by mr1973

    I found that Eddie's watches offer GREAT lume, the 18 and the 14 work like a light bulb at night ;-)
    That's true, the PRS-17A I have is like a torch, really good lume. Eddie's other watches I have are all pretty good, but the 17 definitely stands out.
    Dave E

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  9. #9
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Of the watches I currently own, the '17Q stands out.

    Dave

  10. #10
    Master DimGR's Avatar
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Omega SMP wins

  11. #11
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    thats not a lume this is a lume..... 8) .... :lol:


    jsar for area and the way it pics up charge soooo easy




  12. #12
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Of mine, the Fifty Fathoms followed closely by the Panny GMT..both glow strongly all night.
    cheers
    Mark

    daytime shot

  13. #13

    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    speaking by experience:

    omega smgmt
    seiko divers
    time factors
    mkii

    are very luminous and long lasting
    I believe they all use superluminova

    I have a reverso with tritium that is now a joke (10 yo) and a tudor chrono that never glowed unless it was 3am totally dark and in deep night vision.

    having saud this, I need to buy more watches HAR HAR HAR!

  14. #14
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Quote Originally Posted by bubi
    speaking by experience:

    omega smgmt
    seiko divers
    time factors
    mkii

    are very luminous and long lasting
    I believe they all use superluminova

    I have a reverso with tritium that is now a joke (10 yo) and a tudor chrono that never glowed unless it was 3am totally dark and in deep night vision.

    having saud this, I need to buy more watches HAR HAR HAR!
    As Bubi says, except my PRS-18 was very bright, but my PRS-17C is pretty dim by comparison [and at odds with what is said above RE 17A and 17Q]

    Obviously the PRS-20 is lume central 8)

  15. #15
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Quote Originally Posted by jo.st
    Quote Originally Posted by dawson2k5
    So the question is which watch has the brightest, longest lasting lume?
    Longest according to my experience: any watch with the luminous tritium glass vials.

    Tritiums glow a whole night, even if not charged with light than taking it out from under a jacket sleeve to check time a couple of times during a murky nordic november day.
    The vials are not charged by light, they glow themselves due to the phosphor coated vials filled with tritium gas. Over the years the tritium will fade and in the end stop glowing, tritium has a half life of 12˝ years.

    From my experience the best watches regarding lume, are Seiko, SMP and Marathon SAR.

    Thomas

  16. #16
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    My 17Q was very good.

    Samurais are excellent too:



    I've never relied on lume to read the time - a bit like chronos, I sometimes use just for fun :wink:

    Cheers :)

  17. #17
    Journeyman
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Another vote for Seiko


  18. #18
    Banned
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    seiko :)

  19. #19
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    IWC Pilot, clear and to the point. :D

  20. #20
    Grand Master Rod's Avatar
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    My Omega SMP, PRS17A, Traser 6502 (Best) and Seiko SKX031. :)

    Rod

  21. #21
    Grand Master Scottishtrunkmonkey's Avatar
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    This guys pretty good :wink:

    Respect the past, live the present, protect the future

  22. #22
    Craftsman
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    The Seiko lume is pretty good, as it is probably the brightest in the beginning. However it does not last as long as others. The number 1 on my list is the Stowa Seatime Prodiver, followed by the B&M Capeland XXL Diver!

    all the best

    Jan

  23. #23
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Best Seiko and SMP

    Worst Breitling

  24. #24
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Breitling has pants lume, possibly one of the worst in my collection.
    Shame really as a good lume really makes a watch, IMHO.
    Thanks,
    Andrew

  25. #25
    Grand Master Scottishtrunkmonkey's Avatar
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Quote Originally Posted by dawson2k5
    Breitling has pants lume, possibly one of the worst in my collection.
    Shame really as a good lume really makes a watch, IMHO.
    Thanks,
    Andrew
    My superocean is pretty good :?
    Respect the past, live the present, protect the future

  26. #26
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    All the seiko diver's that I have had so far always had great lume.

    :)

    VA

  27. #27

    Re: Which watch has the best lume?



    My seiko wins.

    :D

  28. #28
    Grand Master Dave E's Avatar
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Quote Originally Posted by Scottishtrunkmonkey
    Quote Originally Posted by dawson2k5
    Breitling has pants lume, possibly one of the worst in my collection.
    Shame really as a good lume really makes a watch, IMHO.
    Thanks,
    Andrew
    My superocean is pretty good :?
    Likewise, mine is pretty good. Limited area, but what there is is pretty bright and long lasting.
    Dave E

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  29. #29
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Quote Originally Posted by dawson2k5
    Breitling has pants lume, possibly one of the worst in my collection.
    Shame really as a good lume really makes a watch, IMHO.
    Thanks,
    Andrew
    The Seawolf I had, also had very poor lume, small dots with very little SL.

    But the rest of the watch was oh so sweet, in an ideal world the raised numbers on the dial should have been lumed IMO.

    Thomas

  30. #30
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    oh dont get me wrong the lume is OK, but it ain't great, on my CA it is actually quite good, just thought that an expensive watch would have good lume, or at least be better than a seiko.
    thanks,
    Andrew

  31. #31
    Grand Master Seamaster73's Avatar
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Of the ones I currently own, the PRS-18 and PRS-20 take some beating.

    Of all the watches I've owned it is, as with so many other qualities, the Seiko Marine Master that is the champ.

  32. #32
    Grand Master mr1973's Avatar
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Quote Originally Posted by pastrana72


    My seiko wins.

    :D
    Love the 556 lume!
    I'm not as think as you drunk I am.

  33. #33

    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Seiko lume takes some beating


  34. #34
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    How about a full-face lume watch? Damasko, Chronoswiss etc. That's going to be pretty hard to beat for overall brightness.

  35. #35
    Grand Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Quote Originally Posted by Chabsy
    Worst Breitling
    Don't agree! My 3 Breitlings - Superocean, Steelfish & Chrono Avenger all have excellent lume - although not as good as my SMP, but not far behind.
    /vince ..

  36. #36
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Quote Originally Posted by dawson2k5
    oh dont get me wrong the lume is OK, but it ain't great, on my CA it is actually quite good, just thought that an expensive watch would have good lume, or at least be better than a seiko.
    thanks,
    Andrew

    Breitling Aerospace and B-1 both have last-through-the-night lume - the latter also has a backlight which is perfect.

    As to the cost of the watch - well, Rolex is known for having relatively poor lume - it just lasts, but it's dim come the early hours.

  37. #37
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    When I said Breitling is the worst, it is the fact the lume it self aint bad just the amount of it I would like to see lumed numbers

  38. #38
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    When i posted about the lume i spoke from the experience of the models i posted, there may be many other models with better lume, i just have not had them in my hands as of yet, the CA has a good lume, my only complaint is with the montbrillants and the chronomat.
    thanks,
    Andrew

  39. #39
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Quote Originally Posted by Chabsy
    When I said Breitling is the worst, it is the fact the lume it self aint bad just the amount of it I would like to see lumed numbers
    Fair enough. I thought the Rolex Explorer should have lumed numerals - they look like they are, but aren't.

  40. #40
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?



    My Omega PO is pretty good. The Rolex SD next to it is pathetic to say the least.... :roll:

    Shaun

  41. #41

    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    My XXI leads as my personal favourite, has a wonderful crispness, colour and overall legibility.

    Stephen

  42. #42
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Judging from my personal experience I would say that the following watches have an extremely good night visibility due to a top class lume compound.

    -Seiko SKX007

    -Dreadnought

    -Stowa Seatime

    -PRS 18

    -Seiko Prospex Darth

    -Citizen Auto-Zilla 1000m


    Jan

  43. #43
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Quote Originally Posted by mark a.
    How about a full-face lume watch? Damasko, Chronoswiss etc. That's going to be pretty hard to beat for overall brightness.
    Well there is lots of SL on this Damasko and it does last through the night, but still no where near Seiko lume.



    Thomas

  44. #44
    Craftsman
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Personal experience in random order;

    Seiko Monster / Seiko SKX 007 / Any modern Seiko Diver

    Omega Seamaster 300 22 54 5000

    and of course Eddie's Prs 18A

  45. #45
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Of all the watches I have owned..............the Omega PO without a doubt!

  46. #46
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    My Stowa Airman has outstanding lume, all the indices and the numbers are bright and clear - unlike my photography skills which are awful!

    To change the subject slightly, 2 offenders IMHO for rubbish lume are my Fortis Pilot Pro PVD and the Damasko DA36 I used to own, both bordering on 'why did they bother', perhaps all of Damasko's lume goes on the DA37s which seem to glow like beacons!

  47. #47
    Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?



    Orfina MKII with tritium paint. Not the brightest watch but long lasting (12 years or more). Also magnetic shielded to 100,000 units. :)

  48. #48
    Grand Master
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    I'm quite partial to my 856S. Glows as bright as any of my Panerais.

  49. #49
    Craftsman
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    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Of watches I currently own:

    Officine Panerai Luminor GMT 088 is the brightest great lumed markers broad hands and lumed second hand.

    Ball "Mad Cow" with tritium tubes is the best after about 4 hours,

    Of everything I've owned:

    1. Ball COSC Diver -- lots of lume to rival Superluminova but in always equally bright tritium tubes. Hands down winner.

    2. Girard Perregaux Seahawk II Pro 3000 -- best Superluminova thanks to broad sword hands, lumed centered second hand, and large markers with differentiation at 12, 3, 6, 9.

    3. Panerai 187 Diver - thick hands like my current Pam 88, great indicators, lumed second hand.

    4. Omega Planet Ocean 45.5 mm Chrono.

    My current Rolex with the Maxi-dial is the best of the Rolex line, but not as good as a Seiko Monster.

    Also, I owned a Nautic Timer with the full dial lume. Those don't work nearly as well after a few hours as the initial lume would lead one to believe.

  50. #50

    Re: Which watch has the best lume?

    Three all-nighters:
    Sinn EZM 3:


    Seiko Marinemaster 300m:


    The brightest, longest-lasting lume was on the Orient 300m (it even glowed in the shades at daylight):

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