Reply With QuoteCan't comment on the truth of it, but what's written there implies the Alaska Project was designed for such conditions which we know of course it wasn't. Alaska was simply the code name Omega chose to employ.
Yes, this is a known fact
Absolute rubbish
I don't know
I don't care
White dials and Snowblindness (Is this for real?)
Below is an extract of the review* by Ariel Adams of the Marathon 36MM Arctic MSAR Automatic:
Is this true? Are white dials easier to read in polar conditions?“Arctic” because the dial is white, and no, not because ice is white. Even though the polar regions are very cold, they are also very bright. Snow and ice reflect an enormous amount of light compared to other terrain, and hence the term “snow blindness.” This is caused by the overload of UV rays, which bounce off the ice and hit your eyes. This blindness also makes things like instruments and dials difficult to see. A white-colored dial with high-contrasting black hands and hour markers is a wise idea for such terrain. One of the seminal watches to present this dial color theme to modern audiences is the Omega Speedmaster Professional Alaska Project."
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* Marathon 36MM Arctic MSAR Automatic
https://www.ablogtowatch.com/maratho...w194026-watch/
The Quartz version
https://www.ablogtowatch.com/maratho...ands-on-debut/
When the quartz version came out I thought... when the auto version comes out I am going to get it... but now the auto is out I decided against it. More about that later.
THIN is the new BLACK
Can't comment on the truth of it, but what's written there implies the Alaska Project was designed for such conditions which we know of course it wasn't. Alaska was simply the code name Omega chose to employ.
Based on his comments it's important to caveat that it's white dials with high-contrasting hands and hour markers e.g. black, that are easier to read in Arctic conditions - so not all white dial watches qualify. Makes sense from a legibility perspective.
That's an interesting claim. If you were to go to a snowy arctic region without eye protection, get snow blindness, can you really read the time on a white dial better?
It is probably something to do with the contrast and would help with the hands and markers are dark so that they are more obviously in a bright environment.
I am amazed that is what is ususally such a sceptical environment as TZ-UK, I am the only one so far to call it the utter tosh that it is.
Well the Smith's A454 that Sir Edmund Hillary and Sir Vivian Fuchs on their Trans-Antarctic expedition had a cream white dial so I guess that it must have worked for them.
Do the experiment! Set up a very bright environment, with lots of light and lots of aluminium foil, then look.
Best wishes,
Bob
My guess it’s a load of old pony.
When it snows I wear my DA37, just in case.
F.T.F.A.
Well.
I wore a Speedie Alaska in bright, freezing conditions in the mountains surrounded by snow.
My experience was that the white dial was helpful but I did not wear it outside of the UK. The light reflected by the dial seemed higher compared with a standard Speedie - although the white on black vs. black on white colour schemes would offer similar contrast.
:0)Originally Posted by magirus
What makes legibility is contrast.
The white on black is very legible
The black in white similarly so.
The difference is the tritium tubes, which are a large proportion of the area of the hands.
The tubes are much closer to the white in tone, so they aid the legibility of the black dial version, because they contrast with the dial underneath and blend with the hands. The same tubes hinder the legibility of the white dial one, because they break up the black hands, and have low contrast to the dial underneath.
Well said Dave. on one can say you are a man of few words. (lol)
I've heard this claimed before, with regards to the "polar" explorer.
Personally I think it's probably nonsense.
Although a white dial would reflect more ambient light, which might aid visibility in low light conditions...
Just set a mock up simulation with my bright sunny garden, glass topped table to emulate the snow glare and several Ice cold gin and tonics to emulate the freezing conditions.
You know what I got so pi$$ed I couldn't give a f@@k what time it was!
Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk
Haha made me laugh !Just set a mock up simulation with my bright sunny garden, glass topped table to emulate the snow glare and several Ice cold gin and tonics to emulate the freezing conditions.
You know what I got so pi$$ed I couldn't give a f@@k what time it was!
Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk
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