# Full lume dial



## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

Woke-up in a sweat this morning. Suddenly realised that I don't have any full lumes and need to get one PDQ.

What to get?

Any photos?

Rob....


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## Padders (Oct 21, 2008)

I had a Damasko DA37 for a while to scratch the same itch. To be honest I was underwhelmed. I know it looks good in the pic but I am not sure if it was the lume material used but it was less readable than, say, either a sword/Blake SMP or Seiko Monster which for me are the lume high water mark. I think you may be disappointed whatever you get tbh unless you can maybe find a Seiko one.


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## deano1956 (Jan 27, 2016)

how about a bit of deep blue?? from America










deano


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

deano1956 said:


> how about a bit of deep blue?? from America
> 
> 
> 
> deano


 That's nice Dean.


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## Mr Levity (Feb 24, 2013)

Roy has (had ? haven't checked lately) a Seiko Sports 100m for sale at a very good price.

I bought one from him a while back and I like it despite it not being my usual thing..


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## carlgulliver (Apr 6, 2008)

Argos have a lotus military full lame dial on sale for £20 :thumbsup:


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

carlgulliver said:


> Argos have a lotus military full lame dial on sale for £20 :thumbsup:


 Hey! Thanks for that. I may get one to try and if I don't like it, I'll use it as a comp' prize.

Rob....

Just thought. It may be a bit small.


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## Padders (Oct 21, 2008)

carlgulliver said:


> Argos have a lotus military full lame dial on sale for £20 :thumbsup:


 Dial doesn't sound much cop then :wink:


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## Nigelp (Jan 28, 2015)

I don't need a lume dial my new blue strap is so electric and vivid, did I mention I've got a *BLUE STRAP*


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## Sulie (Jul 14, 2015)

Padders said:


> Dial doesn't sound much cop then :wink:


 They are a great watch and the lume is mad lol

Lorus military and the sale it's a great buy

Cheers


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

Sulie said:


> They are a great watch and the lume is mad lol
> 
> Lorus military and the sale it's a great buy
> 
> Cheers


 Do you have one? "lume is mad" good mad or bad mad?


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

Padders said:


> Dial doesn't sound much cop then :wink:


 It is, read the post. It's a Lotus. artytime:


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## The Canon Man (Apr 9, 2010)

I think the Orbris Morgan full lume dial is one of the nicest around at the moment.


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## carlgulliver (Apr 6, 2008)

Sorry I meant Lorus lol


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## Toddy101 (Feb 23, 2015)

I had a great Citizen that I'd been after for a while. Unfortunately it was too small for me so had to let it go. Mad lume though!


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## Sulie (Jul 14, 2015)

robden said:


> Do you have one? "lume is mad" good mad or bad mad?


 It's a good mad,take it on holiday and just a little light and it lights up and lasts a long time intact over night


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

Sulie said:


> It's a good mad,take it on holiday and just a little light and it lights up and lasts a long time intact over night


 Last question. How big are they?

Rob....


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## Sulie (Jul 14, 2015)

I think about 36mm from memory can't get to it if you need larger than the pulsar military full lume is rather good too my old one resold recently

Sorry 37mm


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

Sulie said:


> I think about 36mm from memory can't get to it if you need larger than the pulsar military full lume is rather good too my old one resold recently
> 
> Sorry 37mm


 Right then decision made, on what you've said. I'll go get one Monday.

The car is in for the mot on Monday. Five minutes walk from Sainsburys, who happen to have an Argos inside.

So instead of sitting and eating in their café while I wait, I'll go into Argos and buy the watch...........probably be cheaper than eating anyway

and healthier.

Rob....


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## RWP (Nov 8, 2015)

Full lume......fun but the ones I have seen, admittedly at the lower end, disappointing.


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## windows95 (Dec 16, 2014)

Archimede Outdoor? Not sure if the newer version has full lume dial mind.

















Decent through the night.


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## Badcrumble (Nov 2, 2007)

I have an Aevig Corvid. Not sure if the full lume is still available.










Wore it for the first time in ages yesterday, love it.


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

windows95 said:


> Archimede Outdoor? Not sure if the newer version has full lume dial mind.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Very Niiiiiiiiice.

Rob....


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## cactus (Feb 10, 2011)

I wouldn't mind a full lume myself, quite fancy the Aristo aviator. :thumbsup: would post a photo of it but find posting photos pretty much impossible on the forum.


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## Sulie (Jul 14, 2015)

windows95 said:


> Archimede Outdoor? Not sure if the newer version has full lume dial mind.
> 
> 
> Decent through the night.


 Never seen this one before very nice indeed


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## rafy1 (Oct 11, 2016)

I always wanted a Full lume dial, so I got one: the Kalmar 1 from H2O, quite affordable watch with nice 2892 movement and several exchangeable bezels / crown guards to change the look of the watch. So all perfect on the paper, but after receiving it I will not hide you that I had been a bit disappointed of the Full lume dial con. I am still keeping it, as I said to me it was important to have one Full lume dial in my watch collection. But it will be my one and only. For the simple reason that I never remove my watch: even when sleeping, and the night the full lume on this watch is like a torch.... (maybe due to too much Sun in Dubai during the day, I do not no know...). So good to go to the washroom during the night and no need to switch on the light  But it might awake you due to the high luminosity of the dial... Even my wife was complaining about it, and asked me to wear a sock on my hand to cover the watch while sleeping  (LoL).

In scuba diving it is OK, but not better than classic black dial with white markers.

So I am really having a mixed feeling of the Full lume dial concept  It is nice to see but to me not as a watch that you can wear all the time  Something very cool on this watch that I very like is the big lumed wave logo at the back on the watch, which is quite useful when you are searching for your watch. Yes a Full lume dial is a must have, but need to be purchase in consideration to avoid possible disappointed.

Some pictures below: the watch is the same watch with the same Full lume dial; but with different straps, bezels, and crown guards which can be swapped between: bronze, DLC and others Stainless Steel, as you wish on this model; which is quite cool and easy using simple Hex screw drivers delivered with the watch.


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

Great pics, as usual, Rafy. :thumbsup:


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## Biker (Mar 9, 2013)

Glad we did this, I have often wondered about them


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## Padders (Oct 21, 2008)

He does like his H2O's our Rafy does he not!


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## Biker (Mar 9, 2013)

Aye, 'appen.


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## Jonesinamillion (Feb 21, 2016)

The lumed rotor looks amazing @rafy1 :yes:

... but it in reality, how much sunlight dies a rotor see in order to "charge" it?


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## Padders (Oct 21, 2008)

H20 have thought of that. Obviously Superluminova wont be any good since while the watch is on the wrist it wont be charged by ambient light so they had a brainwave and instead fitted Plutonium based lume paint on the rotor so that it glows without stimulus. For around 10,000 years. There was something mentioned about a lead wristband but i didn't catch the full story.


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## ZenArcade (Aug 17, 2016)

For a full lume dial I would think the best would be Seiko and their various sub brands. Lorus have one for about £20 then there is a Pulsar military chronograph for about £60. Orient have one that Creation sells as well as the Orient 3 star that were common on ebay a few years back. These have Seiko lumibrite which I would prefer over any of the others. I have read a few problems with Damasko customer service which would put me off not to mention those super hardened cases being marked with Nato straps. There are also quite a few threads on watchuseek regarding the Archimede outdoor watches and a few youtube videos with things like discoloration on the bracelets, cases get easily marked like Damasko etc


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## rafy1 (Oct 11, 2016)

Jonesinamillion said:


> The lumed rotor looks amazing @rafy1 :yes:
> 
> ... but it in reality, how much sunlight dies a rotor see in order to "charge" it?


 Sorry the lume is not on the Rotor, but on the sapphire windows display of the back case. It takes generally very fast to get it charge, I want to say very few minutes.

One very important thing I have forgotten to mention, and which is very important to take in consideration when you are purchasing a Full Lume dial is which type of Lume / "Super-Luminova" it is: I personally prefer the "BGW9" which is showing White colour in normal light condition, and white blue colour in the dark. Versus the "C3" type which is more light green colour in normal light condition, and strong green in the dark. And even if on pure technicality the C3 is growing a little bit brighter than the "BGW9"; for a pure aesthetic (general good looking of the watch) and for scuba diving I much prefer the "BGW9", Which is to my eyes more class, modern, sober, and stylish compare to the C3 (old classic type of Lume) 

Same comment for the Bezel & Handsets => I always suggest and recommend the "BGW9" vs. the "C3"

Rafy.


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## bowie (Mar 12, 2005)

i like full lume


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## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

Very late on this one, and what a fantastic thread this is with some cracking watches. I must admit that generally speaking, buying a watch for its lume can be a bit of a hit and miss affair. I do like my Seiko military kinetic and certain other watches in my collection that have a whole-dial lume which acts as a sort of backlight to the hands and markers. If I am correct, the £20 "Lotus" watch from Argos mentioned earlier on this thread is in fact a Lorus and it shares the same sort of Lumibrite dial as my Seiko. The only problem with this sort of dial lume is that you usually have to forego dial colours other than a sickly green colour. I think that Kristina had a Timex Indiglo watch a while back that has effective lume - now she wears an Omega deVille quartz; one of my best buys but unfortunately without any lume at all.


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## windows95 (Dec 16, 2014)

Thanks Rob & Sulie, I have been lucky to do some club racing sometimes, the Outdoor is always on the wrist as I look at my watch a huge amount on race day, its super legible at a glance and slim so it slides nicely under the suit cuff.

To note, mine is not the hardened version..


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

Right then.

Picked up the Lorus from Argos whilst waiting for the car's mot (passed ok) yesterday.

Tried it last night, about 11 o'clock, and Wow!...........to start with.

By 2 o'clock, could just about make out the time. By 4, no chance. The dial still had a glow but not enough to pick out the indices or the hands.

To be fair, maybe I didn't give it enough charge. So now it is sitting by the window until it gets dark, then move it to under a light somewhere and see what it's like tonight.

Maybe I'm expecting too much from a sub £20 watch. If it performs the same tonight, I may take it back, and then try the more expensive Citizen Promaster NY00400-09WB, if I can get one somewhere.

Rob....


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## Sulie (Jul 14, 2015)

robden said:


> Right then.
> 
> Picked up the Lorus from Argos whilst waiting for the car's mot (passed ok) yesterday.
> 
> ...


 Hi Rob, glad you like it, and wow you have some dedication to check up on the lume... did you set your alarm clock ?? or did the glow wake you up 

Mine lasts most of the night, I too thought by 04:00 hrs it had faded and was a bit blurry when getting up for earlies at work, but then realised I had no glasses on LOL

Mines bright during the day too 










let us know the results of the next test plse  :thumbsup:










Cheers

Sulie


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

Sulie said:


> Hi Rob, glad you like it, and wow you have some dedication to check up on the lume... did you set your alarm clock ?? or did the glow wake you up
> 
> Mine lasts most of the night, I too thought by 04:00 hrs it had faded and was a bit blurry when getting up for earlies at work, but then realised I had no glasses on LOL
> 
> ...


 Will do.

Not dedication Sulie, sometimes I just don't sleep much.

Rob....


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

Sulie said:


> Hi Rob, glad you like it, and wow you have some dedication to check up on the lume... did you set your alarm clock ?? or did the glow wake you up
> 
> Mine lasts most of the night, I too thought by 04:00 hrs it had faded and was a bit blurry when getting up for earlies at work, but then realised I had no glasses on LOL
> 
> ...


 Right then.

Watch spent the day by the window but it was a grey day. Last night it spent about two hours, 6 inches below a 5 watt LED spot lamp.

As the night before really. Started off Wow, Missed the 2 o'clock (asleep). But 4 o'clock was a bit better. Not easy but could work out the time.

Now, if I go for the Citizen which is nearly ten times the price of this one, will it be ten times better lume?.......... I think not.

But will it be even twice as good?..........I just don't know.

I have never had any problems with the Citizen lume on their divers and I think I read somewhere that they use Lumibrite as well, but wait to be corrected on that.

I must admit that I am tempted to go for the Citizen. Any thoughts?...........Anyone?

Rob....


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## windows95 (Dec 16, 2014)

Guess your not going to know until you buy it, not fancy something tritium?


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## Brucy (Oct 4, 2016)

Second windows on the tritium, nothing compares, glows like a torch at 4:00am


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

windows95 said:


> Guess your not going to know until you buy it, not fancy something tritium?


 Tritium full face?


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## Padders (Oct 21, 2008)

Due to health and safety concerns, Tritium comes in little glass tubes these days, not as paint so tritium full dial is out. It has the questionable advantage that it permanently glows without external stimulus, well for around 10 years before it is noticeably depleted but even new it is much dimmer than fully charged quality S-L lume which does of course require light stimulus. Tritium will appear brighter than S-L after, say, 4-5 hours of darkness but not before in my experience. It finds use in watches aimed at the military but for the bloke in the street, I think S-L outshines it. See what I did there?


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## Brucy (Oct 4, 2016)

Yep, so what your saying is SL is in your face then fades... or all go and no stamina or for those really wanting to know the gory details... I can't say it


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## Padders (Oct 21, 2008)

Well yes there is a stamina deficit with S-L I must agree. To be fair if you were after a bedside watch/clock which will get little or no actual wear then one of the circa £50-100 quartz movement tritium tube watches like those from Nite etc might make some sense.


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

Padders said:


> Due to health and safety concerns, Tritium comes in little glass tubes these days, not as paint so tritium full dial is out. It has the questionable advantage that it permanently glows without external stimulus, well for around 10 years before it is noticeably depleted but even new it is much dimmer than fully charged quality S-L lume which does of course require light stimulus. Tritium will appear brighter than S-L after, say, 4-5 hours of darkness but not before in my experience. It finds use in watches aimed at the military but for the bloke in the street, I think S-L outshines it. See what I did there?


 I've got divers that will see me through the night (See I can do it as well  ) but I want a full dial one that won't break the bank.

Rob....


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## Padders (Oct 21, 2008)

This article gives a good round up of tritium tube watches, no full dial though

http://www.uniquewatchguide.com/tritium-watches/


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## Biker (Mar 9, 2013)

TBH almost all of my lume dial watches can be read if I wake up in the middle of the night, they don't glow bright enough to light the way but I can certainly tell the time.


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

Decided to keep the Lorus for a competition prize and ordered the full lume Citizen............should be here tomorrow.

Rob....


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

Just in and will test it tonight.

Rob....


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## Biker (Mar 9, 2013)

:thumbs_up:


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## SlimJim16v (Mar 29, 2011)

Great choice. I have one and even going from sunlight to a darker room, it glows nicely.


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

Much prefer the Citizen, size, looks and to wear.

Last night both watches (Citizen and Lorus) charged up by sitting under a spot light for a couple of hours.

Five o'clock this morning both watches were still glowing albeit not as bright as last night.

Being a Citizen fan, it pains me to say that the Lorus was easier to read without using my spec's.

I think the problem is, that the Citizen has lumed hands as well (why?) and they sort of meld into the background, whereas the Lorus has plain

hands, and standout against the background.

So, IMHO if you just want any watch, so long as it has a full lume dial..............get the Lorus.

Not a bad little watch, the Lorus. Under £20, full lume,seems to be quite robust and even the seconds hand is hitting every marker spot-on.

Rob....


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## Brucy (Oct 4, 2016)

The citizen looks cool, nicer than the Lorus, but a big clap  for the Lorus being standout legibility!

I think I've read that article before Padders, Uzi and Hummer I think do the sub $100 tritium watches and absolutely Biker I have a few SL that glow right through the night but definitely not as bright as the Tritium. I have to say the Nite MX10 I have has a great clarity even amongst tritium comrades like Traser & Luminox. I had a full dial lume Accurist in the 90's and I remember is lasting all night... sort of like the Lorus


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

Brucy said:


> The citizen looks cool, nicer than the Lorus, but a big clap
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 The Citizen glow is good but I don't think the hands should be lumed as well.

I think Ill look for different hands that will fit and do a hand mod over the next few days.

Rob....


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## SlimJim16v (Mar 29, 2011)

I did read a post somewhere where they replaced the hands with ones from another Citizen, or possibly painted them black. Looked OK, but having got mine, don't think it's worthwhile.

No idea where, but will have a look.


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

Right. Job done. Will see how it performs tonight/tomorrow morning.

Before.










After.


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

It's weird. The two photos above, at first glance, look upside down to me because of the crown.

Anyway! The black hands worked a treat. 4,30 this morning I could read the time a lot easier than before.

Rob....


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## Lancman (Jul 1, 2016)

Looks good, are those different hands or did you just paint the originals?

My 50th post prize to myself was this Momentum Torpedo which arrived yesterday:










The lume is not spectacular - not even as bright as a £2 Soki to begin with and quite grainy in appearance, but unlike the Soki it does at least last most of the night. I could just about tell the time at 6 am this morning.


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## ed335d (Aug 29, 2012)

I don't have any, but the Mrs has one


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