Super Luminova

[tarrigoni]

I've been looking around at getting a new watch and I want something that glows which doesn't need to be charged up like phosphorescent paint.

Does SuperLuminova fit the bill or do I need to go with Tritium?

I'm looking for an all black watch with a black bracelet....

Any ideas?

 

[Mute]

Super Luminova needs to be charged. Tritium doesn't. However, tritium has a shelf life of roughly 7+ years. It will start to fade and when the life is over it needs to be replaced. Super Luminova never needs replacing. That's why most of the top watch manufacturers are switching to SL from tritium.

 

[tarrigoni]

do the luminox/traser watches use tritium?

how long does the superluminova last after a charge?

i like being able to pick up my watch at 2 am and seeing what time it is..

 

[Mute]

I believe some of the Luminox watches are still using tritium if not all of them. Superluminiova if given a full days charge in sunlight or a bright charge before bedtime for like 20 seconds will generally be viewable in complete darkness almost until the next morning.

Keep in mind that tritium will have a steady but not very bright glow, while Superluminova when charged has a very bright glow for about a minute and be less obvious but still quite useable in darkness for a few hours. If you're diving or doing something which requires the need to see the watch in darkness, either will serve you well, but if you are going to be in an environment where constant sunlight isn't always available for long hours at a stretch (e.g. a cave, the north pole....etc) then tritium might be the better choice.

 

[DougCxx]

I have never seen the superlumina-whatever but I have owned one of the Luminox watches, it was great in the dark. You could almost read by its light if you held the watch right up next to the paper. You could easily read it across the room, from a dozen or more feet away (the 12-o'clock vial is red).

I don't really think the 7-year half-life to be much of an issue. I never noticed mine getting dimmer, but I never had a new one to compare it to I guess. If you are wanting a black plastic one anyway, it will get generally worn somewhat in that amount of time and they cost about $130. Over seven years that's only about $18.50 per year.

I had tried some of the other earlier/cheaper "luminous paint" watches that you had to "charge up", I don't bother with them now. The problem was I hardly ever knew in advance when I would need to see what time it was in the dark. The tritium just glows all the time.

I don't have a Luminox at the moment, but then I don't have any other watch either. I've just never gotten around to buying another one.
What finally killed my Lunimox was that the little holes in the plastic case where the pins that hold the wrist-band fit in, those holes in the case eventually wore out to where the wrist-band would not stay attached. So if you wanted maximum lifespan, you'd be getting a metal-case watch anyway.
~

 

[TNRonin]

Gotta wake this one from the dead....

Doing some searching on the Tritium lifespan I read on Mute's post that the half life of H3 was about 7 years, actually it is 12.5yrs for the watch stuff per the numerous FAQs I've read.

 

[rsilvers]

Watch companies are changing over because tritium is illegal in Switzerland.

A watch that needs charging is no good as if you wake up in the middle of the night, it won't be charged.

http://www.kronometric.org/article/lume/#4.0

SuperLuminova becomes less bright than tritium after 40 minutes.