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Tony Duronio 3T WIS 
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Many collectors here are "LUME" freaks. I think we all enjoy a watch, especially divers that have good lume. An observation and a few questions............... Observation...most lume on watches suck, sure they glow big and bright when charged, but lose it very fast, tritium tubes and Seiko excluded. Question1...is it that much more expensive to use the top quality Superluminova (C-3)?? I think, than the cheaper stuff?Invicta and some others uses Tritium, which is junk, IMHO. Question2...IMHO Seiko has the best lume product for watches. I believe it is proprietary, but with all the technology out there, why wouldn't a company copy it? Is it that expensive to develop? What say you??? |
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chris s. 3T WIS 
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Good Question, Tony. I've also wondered if it was that much more expensive? Last edited on Wed May 14th, 2008 10:53 pm by chris s. |
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KenC Admin 
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I don't know about the individual cost per watch, but on a mass production scale, it adds up. An extra $0.10 per watch on a million units becomes $100,000.00, Bottom line, great lume is available to all...if a one man show like Kent Parks can get it, then any dial maker can get it. |
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Tony Duronio 3T WIS
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KenC wrote: I don't know about the individual cost per watch, but on a mass production scale, it adds up. An extra $0.10 per watch on a million units becomes $100,000.00, Bottom line, great lume is available to all...if a one man show like Kent Parks can get it, then any dial maker can get it. No argument, but wouldn't you pay $10.00 more for the watch if done right? I would. So the minimal cost passed on would be a welcomed item. |
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KenC Admin
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Tony Duronio wrote: KenC wrote:I don't know about the individual cost per watch, but on a mass production scale, it adds up. An extra $0.10 per watch on a million units becomes $100,000.00, Bottom line, great lume is available to all...if a one man show like Kent Parks can get it, then any dial maker can get it. Well, yes and no...my opinion is that I will buy watches at the market price if they meet my criteria...I don't think I would be willing to pay a 1000% mark up simply to have the manufacturer do it right. It's kinda like "up charges" for sapphire crystals...if a manufacturer has a watch that everybody else can produce with sapphire crystal for X $ and his watch comes with a mineral crystal for the same price (but) I can upgrade to sapphire for "only" X $ more....I pass! |
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steve6387 3T WIS 
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Tony Duronio wrote: No argument, but wouldn't you pay $10.00 more for the watch if done right? I would. So the minimal cost passed on would be a welcomed item. You and I certainly would. But we're the vast minority. The real question is: Would John Q. Public pay that extra $10.00 or even know enough to ask about the lume in the first place? --Steve |
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KenC Admin
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steve6387 wrote: Tony Duronio wrote:No argument, but wouldn't you pay $10.00 more for the watch if done right? I would. So the minimal cost passed on would be a welcomed item. My point is...why does the manufacturer have to charge an additional 500% to 1000% ....Seiko (and others) put superluminova on watches that retail for as little as $20. |
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Paxman 3T WIS 
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Nothing is more dissatisfying than a beautiful watch with poor lume. the real test is not the initial charge but how legible the lume is after a number of hours. I would be willing to pay and upcharge for kick ass lume, but my expectation is that any manufacturer worth their salt will insure a bright glow. My guess is that John Q. Public doesn't give a crap or notice the difference!  As a wise man once said, "If it don't glow, it has to go..." |
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Skipdawg 3T WIS 
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I think a watch maker should show as much pride in the product from the start and do it right from the start at the best possible price. The watch should then go over better and sell faster with more customers wanting one. About the only times I am really willing to pay more for is for Special Editions, Limited Editions and such. And those to me should always be made with the best products available. The lume, crystal and all other materials. |
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Tony Duronio 3T WIS
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KenC wrote: Tony Duronio wrote:KenC wrote:I don't know about the individual cost per watch, but on a mass production scale, it adds up. An extra $0.10 per watch on a million units becomes $100,000.00, Bottom line, great lume is available to all...if a one man show like Kent Parks can get it, then any dial maker can get it. Good point  |
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steve6387 3T WIS
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KenC wrote: My point is...why does the manufacturer have to charge an additional 500% to 1000% ....Seiko (and others) put superluminova on watches that retail for as little as $20. Good point. Agree 100%. It should be a no brainer, when you consider a Seiko Monster will go toe to toe and often beat some uber exclusive watches when it comes to lume.  |
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Tony Duronio 3T WIS
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KenC wrote: steve6387 wrote:Tony Duronio wrote:No argument, but wouldn't you pay $10.00 more for the watch if done right? I would. So the minimal cost passed on would be a welcomed item. Missed this before, but Ken are you saying that Seiko does not have a proprietary lume, they just use Superluminova??? I did not know that. |
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KenC Admin
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Tony Duronio wrote: KenC wrote:steve6387 wrote:Tony Duronio wrote:No argument, but wouldn't you pay $10.00 more for the watch if done right? I would. So the minimal cost passed on would be a welcomed item. Again...yes and no...Seiko does use their own in-house proprietary lume called Lumibrite...but it is very similar to SL ! |
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Tony Duronio 3T WIS
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KenC wrote: Tony Duronio wrote:KenC wrote:steve6387 wrote:Tony Duronio wrote:No argument, but wouldn't you pay $10.00 more for the watch if done right? I would. So the minimal cost passed on would be a welcomed item.  |
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daanbc 3T WIS 
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John Q public, won't and doesn't know the difference of a lume. For that fact, They don't even know the word lume. (glow in the dark) is more apparent for these terms. The public will notice a "lume" for the first couple of minutes, then forget about it. Only folks that are into watches will know and see the difference. I for one would like to have ALL my watches have great lume. But there are some companies that don't really strive to earn bussiness. They strive to make a quick $$. |
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slinky469 3T WIS 
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daanbc wrote: John Q public, won't and doesn't know the difference of a lume. For that fact, They don't even know the word lume. (glow in the dark) is more apparent for these terms. The public will notice a "lume" for the first couple of minutes, then forget about it. Only folks that are into watches will know and see the difference. I for one would like to have ALL my watches have great lume. But there are some companies that don't really strive to earn bussiness. They strive to make a quick $$. I agree. Most people just dont care if it glows or not. mater of fact i bet John Q Public buys a watch because it looks good to him and later on that night he looks at it and replies WOW it glows.  |
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Skipdawg 3T WIS
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slinky469 wrote: daanbc wrote:John Q public, won't and doesn't know the difference of a lume. For that fact, They don't even know the word lume. (glow in the dark) is more apparent for these terms. The public will notice a "lume" for the first couple of minutes, then forget about it. Only folks that are into watches will know and see the difference. I for one would like to have ALL my watches have great lume. But there are some companies that don't really strive to earn bussiness. They strive to make a quick $$. LOL very true. But many a watch company can make a watch to appeal to John Q Public. All it has to do it tell time and maybe have the date for them. If the watch company wants to make something real good to appeal to the standard WIS or WIS collector they best be on the top of their game. Just look at the way some WIS on other forums pick apart some watches. In such a Arena WIS can make or break a new company. So the designers and manufacturers targeting the WIS community over the general public has more to win or loose. |
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Crue4 3T WIS 
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I have to side with the "if it don't glow, then it must go"... I am diver style fan.. and if the lume is not very good, then I just can't fall in love with it.. I cannot for the life of me understand a dive watch with average or poor lume.. just doesn't make any since... How can a Kobold Seal which is rough and rugged and all that... yet have average to poor lume at $2500... makes NO SENSE... (not picking on the Seal b/c their are other examples.., but then again I guess I am kinda picking on it..).. I have had a few relumed over the years, and really appreciated them so much more when they glowed brightly... but honestly a dive watch period should have good to great lume out of the box... and it just is hard to justify paying the prices we are paying today for pieces only to have to spend even more on them and the time waiting to send them out for relume (which also by the way will void the manufacture's warranty). |
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steve6387 3T WIS
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Skipdawg wrote: ...such a Arena WIS can make or break a new company. So the designers and manufacturers targeting the WIS community over the general public has more to win or loose. I'm glad you brought that up as I hadn't really thought about it. It makes you appreciate the guts and effort that folks like Enzo/Kenzo/Korsbek bring to the table. They lack the resources to compete with big boys from a marketing/production perspective. Their market is narrowly defined... I imagine it's a make or break deal for them right out of the gate. --Steve |
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Crue4 3T WIS
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By the way there was an article in Watch Time magazine a couple issues back Dec 2007 page 92 actually... which discussed the origin of Super Luminova and Seiko Paraphrased from article: RC Tritec AG was the first manufacture of "strontium aluminated" named SuperLite and showed up in Swatches in 1993. One year, Japense firm Nemoto was granted a patent on strontium aluminate enriched with europium and dysprosium (which was the same substance that Tritec had already commercialized)... Nemoto's patent prevented the import of Swatches to the Japan and the US that contained the "Lume". Same year, Seiko launched watches that were lumed with Nemotos mixture materials and called it LumiBrite (doesn't clarify if Seiko altered or added anything to the mixture) RC Tritec and Nemoto reached agreement in 1998 and founded a joint venture named LumiNova AG, under this agreement, Tritec ordered the mixture from Nemoto, and processed it in Teufen to attain right color and size in Switzerland according to customer's order specs. They named this "SumperLuminova". Although SuperLuminova was Swiss Made, many Swiss watch manufactures were troubled that it was a Japanese-Swiss joint venture. Nemoto therefore agreed to grant LumiNova AG a license to fabricate super-luminova in Switz... which is what we now know today as "Super-Luminova". I found it interesting.. |
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Tony Duronio 3T WIS
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Crue4 wrote: By the way there was an article in Watch Time magazine a couple issues back Dec 2007 page 92 actually... which discussed the origin of Super Luminova and Seiko Great info, I must of missed that article:D |
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Upside 3T WIS 
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Crue4 wrote: By the way there was an article in Watch Time magazine a couple issues back Dec 2007 page 92 actually... which discussed the origin of Super Luminova and Seiko I was just going to mention this article. It was a good one! |
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Dookie 3T WIS
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thanks for the info guys.....now i knoww....... Last edited on Wed May 14th, 2008 05:09 pm by Dookie |
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Willieboy 3T WIS 
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Skipdawg wrote: I think a watch maker should show as much pride in the product from the start and do it right from the start at the best possible price. The watch should then go over better and sell faster with more customers wanting one. I agree 100%. Why any maker would go to the trouble to produce an otherwise beautiful watch and then skimp on the lume is beyond me. For what it's worth, the lume on my Zilla and another Citizens diver is every bit as good as that of my Monster. Just as bright initially and lasts as long or longer than the Monster. I'd like to defend the gas tubes too. When all my lume watches have given up the ghost, my Tritium tubes are still buring brightly. I also have Tritium night sights on my carry pistol and it too just keeps on glowing. I like the stuff. |
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woo sau 3T WIS
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Was interested to hear of invicta's tritium, any more info? i get annoyed with lume that has to be chargd and is only bright after recent strong light exposure. Tritium is more fun and keeps me awake at night but it is radioactive a litttle? and thus maybe notsafe for the moder? |
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Willieboy 3T WIS
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I don't think you have to worry about being irradiated by Tritium Woo Sau. |
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