[pelikan3]

First, let me politely ask, PLEASE, no "weak stream" references, I can feel them coming a mile away. Thanks!

One of the features I liked about the Hamilton Ventura 50th Anniversary quartz, is the luminescent hands. I have always wondered why more casual watches that you would wear more often during the day, had glow in the dark hands, but dress watches, which are often worn only at night, do not have some means of being read in the dark. So, when I learned of the luminescent hands on the Ventura 50th, I was very excited.

BUT, I learned very quickly that the hands don't glow brightly for very long.
I contacted Hamilton to learn if this was a pervasive issue, or if it could be fixed. The techs there, and a number of people who have the same watch, told me they encountered the same thing. I have also had people tell me that other Hamiltons, such as some of the Khakis, don't glow very brightly for long.

So, here's my question... short of sending the watch off for 3rd part luming, is there a duration of exposure or a type of light, that causes any luminescent hands to fire up and stay bright for hours, even if they tend to be weaker? Is it just a threshold that needs to be reached to excite enough electrons, or am I just stuck?


Thanks!

 

[Rusty]

Sunlight is best. In the evening before retiring for bed, I will sometimes put a watch under a desk lamp for 30 seconds or so. Most of my watches, including my Khaki SWAT glow well overnight.

 

[mgiraz]

I don't think there is any special light that will make a difference...But I have heard that the thicker the lume paint the longer it will last. Anyone feel free to correct me here.

 

[pelikan3]

I don't think there is any special light that will make a difference...But I have heard that the thicker the lume paint the longer it will last. Anyone feel free to correct me here.

You make it sound so tawdry...

But, I fear you are correct. I have heard that some Hamiltons just don't have that much lume on the face so they don't glow as brightly or as long as others.

It's funny, one of the threads asked if anyone had ever bought a watch they felt didn't live up to the price they paid. This is a little different. I'm a gadget guy, and I use a Treo 755p phone. PDA phones always have a feature or two that doesn't live up to spec, and most of us just live with it, unless that particular feature (or lack thereof) is a deal breaker. That's kind of how I feel about this. I wear my watch to bed and I like to have it glow so I can tell the time. It doesn't glow as well as I'd like or as long, but, it's still a really cool watch, and, since I know it's the same with all of them ( I called Hamilton AND spoke with a few others who own one), I'm not returning it for repair or whatever, because you know they won't paint more lume on the hands.

 

[MacDaddy]

I just got a Khaki Field Mechanical Officer Watch (the 2804 movement version) and I charge it for about 30 seconds under a bathroom mirror light and wear it to bed. It's good all through the night for me.

 

[bczolone]

I have to say that my khaki auto chrono does a pretty good job, although not up to seiko or my omega, it still is readable when I get up.

Now my new Navy Sub Quartz...:crying:...well I can maybe make it out in the morning, but it might be wishful thinking...in other words, the navy is a big loser in the lume department, but the khaki is completely acceptable.

Might be the cost difference and/or the fact that the khaki has the numbers lumed, vs. the navy with these micro tiny dots and NOT the numbers lumed...

 

[foghorn]

Lume is great but I never really rely on it .
I wear a watch to bed but still look at the alarm clock for the time.
Lume is secondary to me.
But it is high on the cool factor.

I feel a GF thread coming on!!!

 

[mgiraz]

I have a couple of"sleepers"...Luminox Navy Seals...Like having nothing on.....my wrist!hmy:

 

[pelikan3]

I just wanted to see if there was a more effective way to charge a weak lume. But, I guess not.

 

[bczolone]

someone told me to use a blacklight to get it to lume better, but I don't notice much of a difference

 

[Wally]

I can't imagine the Ventura having a strong lume with those thin little hour markers. The strength of SuperLuminova is determined by quantity used, and the scarce application of it on the 50th ltd Ventura leads me to believe it can't possibly be very bright (never seen one though). However, I wouldn't consider this a drawback though. Little lume on a dress watch is still better than no lume, and INFINITELY better than too much lume. My Seamaster 2254 has SuperLuminova painted all over the dial and shines like a light stick at night. That wouldn't be very fitting on a dress watch, would it?

Regarding light source, I do find the Sun and fluorescent lamps to be the best two options. Both ensures a equal spread, and a very strong glow. Incandescent lamps on the other hand, register a very uneven distribution of glow and takes much longer to "charge up".

 

[Rusty]

After 12 hours+ with my new Ventura, I can see that the lume is NOT great. But I'm with Wally in that most watches of this type don't usually have any. The fact that the hands have lume at all is a plus.

 

[pelikan3]

Rusty,

If you don't mind, would you charge the lume on your new Ventura and tell me how long it lasts and how clear it stays? The luminescent parts are quite small. When I charge mine they glow brightly and clearly. After a bit, the glow dims and they get rather muddy and non-descript. Sometimes it hold up somewhat through the night. Sometimes it's gone within a few hours. Hamilton says it's the same on all of them because of the small amount of luminescent material. But, it's nice to corroborate experiences.

Congrats again, by the way.

Thanks!

 

[Rusty]

Yeah, it is pretty dim by early morning. This is a watch that I probably will not wear overnight.

 

[pelikan3]

Thanks Wally. I wasn't sure if this was the norm or an inconsistancy in production.

Rusty, you must have read my mind because you answere before I asked. Thank you.

I agree. Any lume is better than none. Especially on a dress watch (though I wear it casually too) where you often can't read the time at night.