# Tritium Vials



## arty11 (Jan 15, 2007)

Starting another thread here as I can't seem to find too many opinions with the search button.

Just bought a Traser Black Storm Pro (tactical edition) and am very pleased with it. Thing is, the lights don't seem 'THAT' bright. The websites and information with the watch says 100 times brighter than painted illumination. Mine aren't that bright at all. Yes, they are bright enought to be able to see when it gets dark, but the illumination on my seiko military style watch is brighter! Some comments said that you can practically read with the traser vials! There's no chance I can do that! Is there something wrong with mine, or is the '100 times brighter' thing marketing BS? I'll still be keeping it, but I was just underwhelmed by their brightness considering this is such a big selling point of the watches, expected more!

Any help much appreciated!

Cheers

Arty


----------



## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Its a shame you seem 'underwhelmed' by the lume...

The think with the vials is that it will be brighter than most 'painted' lume, but you have to take into account surface area, it also depends on the vial size, a large area of say, Seiko lume ( for example the Monster) will be brighter than a small trit vial, BUT the vial will stay at the same lume intensity long after the painted lume has faded....


----------



## arty11 (Jan 15, 2007)

Thanks for your reply Jasonm. I know it sounds a bit petty as I am pleased with it, but you know how it is when something just niggles you. The Seiko I have is just a cheap military styled one, nothing special at all but the lume is definately brighter. This does fade through the night whereas the traser doesn't, but ultimately it looks brighter when you go into a dark room! Something I was expecting the traser to be far better for, but hey. Are all Traser watches the same birghtness?


----------



## MIKE (Feb 23, 2003)

You should find once you have "night vision" the lume will be quite bright,, Even my ones that are 15 years old are still readable once your eye's pupils have opened up.

A normal lume watch will not be readable after 15 years.

Here's some of mine.



















Mike


----------



## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

I think you've possibly hit the nail on the head Mike. I've used in mine in 'proper' pitch black and that's when you really start to appreciate them.


----------



## arty11 (Jan 15, 2007)

Right, ok, maybe i'm being too critical and expecting too much. As I say, i'm more than happy with the watch, no problems with that, I just kind of expected them to be brighter. Not to worry then! I do appreciate what you're saying about them not fading though, this I am grateful of! Maybe it's one of those things where once you get used to it and then you go back, you really notice the difference!?


----------



## limey (Aug 24, 2006)

Here's something else to think about, at least from my point of view.

My watches are usually covered by my sleeve, thus not getting the lume charged. So I walk up the stairs without turning the light on and can't read my watch. And we're not talking an old watch, pick from an SKXA35, two new Citizen diver's, O&W M6, Doxa it's all the same. If the lume isn't charged it won't glow.

I don't have a tritium vial watch, but this should not be the case with them.

I know, I need to buy clothes with shorter sleeves.


----------



## murph (Aug 14, 2006)

I imagine it depends on they way they are mounted as well. I have a feeling that my marathons may seem brighter than my sandys but it's been a while since I even looked at them, let alone worn one in the dark. I do seem to recall even E issues are still bright enough to read even if they are well past one half life and, of course, you can still excite the lume like a normal watch to make them brighter for a while.


----------



## arty11 (Jan 15, 2007)

Hmmm to be honest, i've kind of become used to them now. I still don't think they look 100 times brighter than standard ones, but they're plenty bright enough for to be able to see them so i'm not going to worry about it! The main thing I am grateful for is that I don't need to think about charging it under a light if i'm going to need to be able to tell the time in the dark! So, i'm happy now.

Arty


----------



## ESL (Jan 27, 2004)

The key thing with tritium vials is surface area. On average - the surface area of a tritium vial is small compared to the typical painted lume area on a standard watch. So the perception is that because there is a larger area illuminated, that it is brighter. A fully "charged" Seiko Monster will completely outclass any trit dialled watch for hours. But after that - the tubes will win hands down.

I am, however, convinced that just like in all manufacturing, tritium tubes are subject to manufacturing variance and some will be brighter than others. I used to have an H3 Navigator which I thought was very bright indeed, much more so than some standard lumed watches that I had. I later bought another (cheaper) branded watch with trit tubes and was dissapointed with the lume, there was no way is was of a similar intensity. I have also seen a Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon with trits, and it was astounding - just like neon tubes, never mind tritium tubes.

This leads me to suspect that trit tubes may be either "graded" or sold in lots, sorted by similar intensity levels, so that manufacturers can make watches with balanced levels of lume accross the dial.

I may be completely off the mark, but I have seen different executions of trit dialled watches of differing intensities. So at the very least - there is variance.


----------



## arty11 (Jan 15, 2007)

Cool, thanks for that reply! I appreciate your thoughts and experience. Sounds like i'm not going completely mad after all then!

The Seiko watch I am comparing to is only brighter fully charged admittedly, I just thought that when it says that tritium was 100 times brighter it was when the lume was charged on comparative watches. Maybe it's when they've been left for a couple of hours!?

Maybe I have a less bright batch in my particular version!? Who nows!? I would have throught that the Trasers were one of the better sample of the tritium vials though!? Maybe not.


----------



## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

Why don't you email Traser and make them aware of your concerns? Also, you could locate a watch retailer near you and compare it to other similar watches? It would be interesting to see their reply.


----------



## arty11 (Jan 15, 2007)

Errrm, slight problem with that, the nearest one is miles away! I'm in North Yorkshire so there aren't really any near me!

I would be interested to see if another one of the same watch is as bright or brighter though! Maybe they are all different!? I hope this doesn't make me sound really picky though as they are bright enough to read don't get me wrong and i'm pleased with it, but just expected them to be brighter from all the hype about them. Some people have even claimed they can almost read with theirs!!! There's no chance I could read a sausage with mine! I think this is probably making me think that mine must be not quite as bright as others!


----------



## MIKE (Feb 23, 2003)

Hi Arty,

On your watch, are the tubes partialy obscured by the chapter ring, as on my SandY 660










or is the full tube showing as on my Marathon?










This could be why you are not happy with it. I can't remember the dial on this Traser.

Remember with these "traser" watches you don't get that glow like you get on a new Seiko Divers for example, as you come in from say the outside in the sunshine. Then into a the house where it's still bright daylight but just that bit darker, enough to notice the lume glowing.

Mike


----------



## arty11 (Jan 15, 2007)

Hi Mike,

Mine is like the first one. They are in a little window of say around 2mm square on the hour markers, then on the hour and secont hands. Maybe that's why then if they're partially obscured in their little windows!? Is your Marathon one brighter than your Sandy then I take it?

The model is a Traser Black Storm Pro (tactical edition â€" the one with the red secondhand) I got it from www.h3-watches.co.uk

Arty


----------



## MIKE (Feb 23, 2003)

The SandY is a lot dimmer as it's some 15 years old but is still legible at night, once your eyes have adjusted.

The Marathon is far brighter as it's a lot newer.

If they were the same age, the Marathon would be brighter as the whole tube is visable compared to the partialy, (by about half) obscured SandY.

Mike


----------



## arty11 (Jan 15, 2007)

Mike, I think you might have hit the nail on the head then! Maybe they are 100 times brighter if you see the whole tube! Mine are in little windows so that could be stopping some of it I suppose! Thanks for that, think that eases my uncertainty!

Arty


----------



## MIKE (Feb 23, 2003)

arty11 said:


> Mike, I think you might have hit the nail on the head then! Maybe they are 100 times brighter if you see the whole tube! Mine are in little windows so that could be stopping some of it I suppose! Thanks for that, think that eases my uncertainty!
> 
> Arty


 

I would just enjoy your watch









Mike


----------



## Mrcrowley (Apr 23, 2003)

ESL said:


> The key thing with tritium vials is surface area. On average - the surface area of a tritium vial is small compared to the typical painted lume area on a standard watch. So the perception is that because there is a larger area illuminated, that it is brighter. A fully "charged" Seiko Monster will completely outclass any trit dialled watch for hours. But after that - the tubes will win hands down.
> 
> I am, however, convinced that just like in all manufacturing, tritium tubes are subject to manufacturing variance and some will be brighter than others. I used to have an H3 Navigator which I thought was very bright indeed, much more so than some standard lumed watches that I had. I later bought another (cheaper) branded watch with trit tubes and was dissapointed with the lume, there was no way is was of a similar intensity. I have also seen a Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon with trits, and it was astounding - just like neon tubes, never mind tritium tubes.
> 
> ...


Where did you see the Ball George? I would like to see one in the flesh - I like em.


----------



## James (Jul 17, 2006)

They are all about the same and are not as bright as a Seiko for instance, but the glow is different and just cool. Output is a governed amount of radiation. It is true that a full tube showing will be brighter, radiation output is still limited even if not showing the full tube. The more tubes you have including size on hands, seconds hand etc the lesser tritium they will contain, keeping in-line with the governed amount allowed, usually less tubes larger ones will have more tritium or be longer bringing it up to the 26 millicuries max, either way they can only reach set limit. At least that is the way the Marathon rep explained it to me. One other factor is amount of phosphorus still though it is the tritium degrading it that gives you the light.

Enjoy the watch the Black Storm is a nice solid piece with serial number, I was looking at the KHS equivalent


----------



## arty11 (Jan 15, 2007)

...and enjoy it I am! Very happy with it to be honest! For Â£200, it's not a bad bit of kit really.

Cheers

Arty


----------



## ESL (Jan 27, 2004)

Mrcrowley said:


> Where did you see the Ball George? I would like to see one in the flesh - I like em.


It was well out of the way MrC. I saw one at a "Watches of Switzerland" in Cardiff. I'm not even sure they were stocking them - The sales guy told me it was a commission sale. It was nice though - I have kept looking at them ever since.


----------



## limey (Aug 24, 2006)

James said:


> They are all about the same and are not as bright as a Seiko for instance, but the glow is different and just cool. Output is a governed amount of radiation. It is true that a full tube showing will be brighter, radiation output is still limited even if not showing the full tube. The more tubes you have including size on hands, seconds hand etc the lesser tritium they will contain, keeping in-line with the governed amount allowed, usually less tubes larger ones will have more tritium or be longer bringing it up to the 26 millicuries max, either way they can only reach set limit. At least that is the way the Marathon rep explained it to me. One other factor is amount of phosphorus still though it is the tritium degrading it that gives you the light.


Very interesting, James, thanks for that.


----------



## murph (Aug 14, 2006)

Here is a page with a couple of graphs comparing luminova to H3. There are plenty of others going around from the manufacturers etc.

http://www.europastar.com/europastar/watch_tech/QIT200.jsp

I don't think there is anything to stop non American watchmakers using more than 25 mCurries except they obviously wouldn't pass the NRC specs without asking for an exemption which would limit their market. I'm sure I read that some slightly older tritium watches had higher levels at times. Of course there is nothing stopping manufacturers using less, which I'm sure most do in case they go over the limit inadvertently.


----------



## mattjg01 (Jul 3, 2006)

Interesting link murph. I've been thinking about a tritium vial watch for a while now and the info on this thread and the link have increased my interest.

Now just got to locate a decent one for a bargain price


----------



## arty11 (Jan 15, 2007)

Getting used to my Traser now and to be honest, it is pretty bright. I think I was initially expecting mega bright things like LEDs so was underwhelmed by how bright they actually were. The thing is, I actually think the better thing about the vials isn't how bright they are, but how it's consistent throughout the night, or whatever light you're in. It's always visible! I am definately seeing the benefits now and to give it credit i'm now quite impressed.

I had thought about selling it on at first, but I think i'll be keeping it. I just can't help but still look at the Breitling Avenger Seawolf which is what i'd REALLY like. Saying that, I might be disappointed by it if I got one!?


----------



## mattjg01 (Jul 3, 2006)

If you really want the Breitling, go to a dealer and have a look at it. Have a good look at it and see if it's still what you want.

If it is you can either take the plunge or hang around and wait for a used one to show up on the forum, it'll happen sooner or later. Then if you find that you are disappointed you can always flip it for something else.


----------

