9 Best Lume Watches [Watches with Best Luminous Glow]
Lume is a natural part of many watches today, but not all lame is created equal.
Luminescence in watches came about for watches during the first world war as soldiers needed to be able to keep track of the time even in low-lit conditions. Now, more watches than not have luminescence in one way or another due to the legibility benefits it offers. Most watches just have a bit of luminescence on the hands and perhaps also on the markers but some lume glows much stronger and longer than other watches.
In this article, we will look closer at the best lume watches, meaning watches that have the strongest and brightest luminescence.
How long does Lume last on a watch?
The answer to that question is that it depends. Namely, it depends on which type of luminescent material is used and how much is applied.
For example, tritium, which was more common back in the day, is a radioactive substance that glows constantly due to it being radioactive. Tritium has a half-life of 25 years, and so will glow for a very long time before it finally becomes so weak that it is hard to see it.
Most watches today, on the other hand, do not use radioactive lume. Instead, the luminescence glows from being charged by light. When fully charged, most watches tend to glow the brightest for 4 to 12 hours before the luminescent glow loses some of its brightness, although not all of it.
With that said, the most reliable lume on a watch will be tritium since it doesn’t have to be charged and lasts for a long time. But for safety reasons and practicality reasons, tritium has become less common in more recent times, although it is still used by some brands.
Do all watches have Lume?
Most watches today use lume in one way or another due to the benefit it offers. Most watches have luminescence on the hands and on the markers, but some may only have luminescence on the hands.
However, with that said, there are also many watches that do not have lume. The most common example of this is dress watches. Since dress watches aren’t really built to be functional and to achieve a cleaner appearance, the lume is sometimes omitted. Whilst this does affect the legibility in low-lit conditions negatively, it does allow for a cleaner look.
What Is Lume on a watch?
”Lume” in watches has many different names. Lume watches, luminous watches, glow in the dark watches are just some of the many names used to describe a watch that is luminous, and glows in the dark. Obviously, the whole watch on a luminous watch doesn’t glow. Usually, it is only the markers and the hands of the watches that are luminescent. The purpose of luminescence is to improve legibility, but there are several factors that affect the legibility of a watch and how strong it can glow.
The most important factors are:
- How much luminescence material is applied
- What type of luminescence material is used
- How and where the luminescence is applied
There are generally two factors that are most important to achieve a good lume. It needs to glow brightly and it needs to glow for a long time.
Which watch has the brightest Lume? – Best Lume watches
Below, we’ll have a look at some of the watches on the market that have the best lume. We have focused particularly on affordable watches for this article, with some, slightly more expensive. There are of course digital watches with a backlit LCD screen, but these are technically not lume watches, as they do not fit into the definition of lume, as described by Wikipedia:
”Luminescence is the emission of light by a substance as a result of a chemical reaction or an enzymatic reaction”
For obvious reasons, most of the watches in this list, most of them will be sporty, robust, sports watches, and dive watches.
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Luminox Quartz XS-3051-L
First up, we have this tough and durable watch from Luminox with a focus on durability, performance, and of course legibility.
The watch is presented with a 44mm polycarbonate case with a thickness of 14mm and a unidirectional rotating bezel with sharp teeth edges and large crown guards protecting the crown at 3 o’clock. For contrast, the bezel has large white minutes markers.
The watch has a black dial with large white Arabic numerals, and inside of these, there are smaller 24-hour markers for military time. At 3 o’clock, you also have a convenient date window. This watch has an emphasis on legibility, and of course the lume as well. Victorinox does lume a bit differently and does not have applied lume like many other brands. Instead, the watch has applied lume tubes. The lume tubes are applied around the outer part of the dial as well as on the hands. The result of this is lume that glows extremely bright and for a long period of time. Sometimes, in order to achieve good luminescence and excellent legibility in low-lit conditions, you need to do things differently, and Luminox has succeeded very well with this.
Specifications
- Thickness: 14mm
- Diameter: 44mm
- Movement: Swiss quartz
- Water resistance: 200m/660 feet
- Crystal: Mineral glass
Seiko SRPB55 Black Ion Prospex Automatic
Seiko is a brand that is known and appreciated for many things, and one of those things is luminescence. The Seiko Prospex SRPB55 is a watch with a sporty design and of course with great lume. It is presented with a 44mm case with a black ion finish which gives a sportier look. The crown is large and is protected by crown guards. Since it is a dive watch, it is equipped with a unidirectional rotating bezel, also black ion-plated. It has an aluminum bezel insert positioned at 12 o’clock.
The watch has a black waffle texture design which provides depth to the dial and gives a nice and carefully thought-out impression. Now to the lume of this watch which certainly doesn’t disappoint. The watch has applied, large metal hour markers with gold frames, filled with a generous amount of luminescent material. The hour hand is short and has a broad arrow tip, and the minute hand has a broad sword-shaped design – of course also filled with luminescence. Because of the large amount of Lumibrite used for the markers and hands, the lume glows strong and long. Positioned at 3 o’clock, it also has a convenient date window.
Since this is a dive watch, it has a good water resistance of 200m/660 feet, meaning you can go diving and swimming without any issues.
Another great value proposition of this timepiece is that it is powered by the in-house automatic caliber 4R35 with a power reserve of 41 hours which beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour and is equipped with 23 jewels.
All in all, this sporty dive watch has a masculine and well-made design with superb performance and excellent legibility.
Specifications
- Power reserve: 41 hours
- Water resistance: 200m/660 feet
- Diameter: 44mm
- Jewels: 23
- Frequency: 21600 BPH
- Movement: Automatic caliber 4R35
Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster BJ8050-08E
The Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster BJ8050-08E is a tough and sporty dive watch with an emphasis on performance. The watch has a stainless steel case with a diameter of 48mm Also, the case has a round shape without lugs which makes it wear a lot different than a standard case with regular lugs. With that said, the only visible part of this case is the large stainless steel bezel. It has a unidirectional rotating bezel with a luminous pip at 12 o’clock.
The bezel has black and large markers. The case is fitted with a black rubber strap which goes well together with the diving purpose of this watch. So whilst the case is very large, it wears smaller than what its dimensions suggest because it doesn’t have lugs. Also, to create a more comfortable fit, the crown is positioned at 9 o’clock and protected by crown guards. On top of the case, it has a mineral crystal.
The watch is powered by a Japanese Eco-Drive quartz movement meaning it gets energy from solar and ambient light and eliminating the need for replacing its batteries.
A robust dive watch of course needs good water resistance, and this watch has an impressive water resistance of 300m/1000 feet. This one can go deep diving without any issues.
Now to the dial, which is the main focus of this article. Not only does this watch has excellent legibility in regular conditions, but it also has exceptional legibility in low-lit conditions thanks to the excellent lume. The dial has a matte black dial and a small date window positioned at 3 o’clock. The dial features large applied metal hour markers filled with a generous amount of luminescence. The hands are large and broad and have pointy tips. For a touch of color, the minute hand has an orange frame.
Specifications
- Diameter: 48mm
- Water resistance: 300m/1000 feet
- Movement: Japanese quartz
- Crystal: Mineral glass
Seiko Prospex SBBN031
The Seiko Prospex SBBN031 is in Seiko’s more premium segment and thus naturally also has a higher price tag, but this is also very evident with what you are getting. This watch is a great improvement in terms of quality and finishing compared to Seiko’s most affordable alternatives.
This watch is a ”Tuna” watch which refers to its rounded case shape which has barely any crown guards. So whilst it has a large case size of 47.7mm and thickness of 14.7mm on paper, it wears a lot smaller than that. This Seiko Prospex Tuna is built for performance and is meant for diving. For durability, the stainless steel case shape has metal shrouds that protect the case, as well as work as crown guards for protecting the crown which is positioned at 4 o’clock. To provide additional protection, it has a hard coating on the case. On top, it uses Seiko’s signature Hardlex glass.
Being a dive watch, it features a unidirectional rotating bezel as well as a black aluminum insert with a luminous pip at 12 o’clock. The water resistance is also very good at 300m/1000 feet
In relation to its case, the dial is relatively small which makes the watch appear smaller on the wrist. The dial is black and the hour markers with luminescence on them are painted and not applied which gives it more of a vintage-inspired look. If there is one thing that this watch does well, it is lume. This watch has received extremely great reviews and praise due to its strong and bright lume which enables excellent legibility in all environments. The hands are of course also filled with lume, and the sword-shaped minutes hand and arrow-tip hour hand.
All in all, this is a great choice if you’re looking for a high-quality robust, and sporty dive watch that offers better performance and attention to detail than Seiko’s less premium watches do. With this said, despite the higher price, it still offers great value for money.
Specifications
- Water resistance: 300m/1000 feet
- Movement: Japanese quartz caliber 7C46
- Crystal: Hardlex
- Diameter: 47.7mm
- Thickness: 14.7mm
Seiko Prospex Monster Blue
The Seiko Prospex Monster is a watch that always comes up when the discussion of the best lume watches comes up.
The watch has a sporty and rugged design but at the same time a design that is quite versatile and works surprisingly well on many different occasions.
The first impression is that the black solid steel unidirectional rotating bezel takes up most of this watch’s property. The lugs are designed to work and look almost like shrouds, and one of them also works almost as a crown guard for the large crown at 4 o’clock as well.
The watch is equipped with a beautiful blue dial with a sunburst finish and has a relatively large rehaut. As mentioned, this watch has great legibility, and this also goes with the legibility in low-lit conditions thanks to the strong and powerful lume. The dial has large applied hour markers with metal frames filled with luminescence, an arrow-tip hour hand, and a sword-shaped minutes hand. The large size of the markers and hands improves the legibility, but it also means that a generous amount of lume has been applied for a strong and long-lasting lume.
Powering this watch is the Seiko in-house automatic caliber 4R36. This is a robust and durable movement that is a great value proposition for this watch. It has both a manual-winding function and hacking seconds.
The water resistance is 200m/660 feet which is quite good and meets the minimum requirement in order to be classified as a real dive watch.
Specifications
- Movement: Seiko caliber 4R36
- Water resistance: 200m/660 feet
- Crystal: Hardlex
Seiko Prospex 200M “Samurai” SRPB51K1
We already looked at one of the Samurai Seiko Prosper divers, but this one has a more classic appearance with its steel bracelet and non-black ion-plated case.
The distinguishing feature of the Seiko Samurai is its aggressively angled lugs which add to its sportiness and looks quite nice. The case has a diameter of 43.8mm and a thickness of 13.8mm so it is quite large, but not unreasonably large for men who want something sporty and a watch with some presence on the wrist. In addition, it of course has a unidirectional rotating bezel with an aluminum insert, and like on most Seiko watches, it uses a Hardlex crystal.
The watch has the same waffle pattern which is quite nice and keeps it from being plain and boring. The applied metal hour markers with luminescence are also very large. So are the hands which give exceptional legibility in all environments. The lume is strong and has a long-lasting effect. At 3 o’clock, you can also find a convenient date window.
The water resistance is 200m/660 feet which is what can be expected from a dive watch and means you can go diving and swimming with it without any issues,
Last but not least, to go with its sporty theme and to make it more versatile, it is presented on a stainless steel bracelet with a fold-over safety release clasp.
Specifications
- Diameter: 43.8mm
- Thickness: 13.4mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Water resistance: 200m/660 feet
- Crystal: Hardlex
Luminox LM8822.MI Recon Point Black
For the serious adventurer, or simply for those who want a seriously sporty and masculine watch with great lume, the Luminox LM8822.MI Recon Point is a great choice.
This watch has a large and black 45 mm polycarbonate with an anti-reflective sapphire crystal on top. It has a rugged case design with a unidirectional rotating bezel. The crown is protected by crown guards at 3 o’clock.
For accuracy and reliability, it is powered by a quartz movement. The water resistance is also quite good at 200m/660 feet.
Still, the dial is the highlight of this watch. It uses Luminox’s signature lume tubes for the hour markers and on the hands. This provides an exceptional and long-lasting glow. It also has a date window discreetly tucked in at 3 o’clock. Being a military-style watch, it has both 12-hour and 24-hour markers on the dial. The watch is mostly monochrome with black and white, but Luminox has also added some details in orange/red to make it more interesting and give it a bit of a sportier look.
Specifications
- Diameter: 45mm
- Movement: Swiss quartz
- Water resistance: 200m/660 feet
- Crystal: Sapphire
Seiko SRPA21 Prospex Padi
The Seiko Prospex Padi SRPA21 is a high-performing, durable, and stylish dive watch with a unique design. It uses Seiko’s signature cushion-style case shape and has a diameter of 45m and a thickness of 14mm. The crown sits protected between the extended case design and the lugs are essentially just a cutout of the case design. This case shape is iconic for Seiko and closely associated with its durable divers. It uses Seiko’s signature Hardlex crystal.
Since it is a PADI watch, it means that it is done in collaboration with the Seiko diving group. All Seiko Padi watches have a red and blue color scheme that looks fresh and vibrant.
The watch is powered by Seiko’s trusted and robust in-house caliber 4R36 which has hacking seconds and manual-winding functions. The power reserve is approximately 41 hours.
The watch has a beautiful blue dial with a sunburst finish and a red and blue aluminum insert for the unidirectional rotating bezel. Since this is a dive watch, it has, as we can expect, a water resistance of 300m/660 feet. The dial has painted rather than applied hour markers but has a lot of luminescence applied to them. The same goes for the arrow-tipped hour hand and sword-shaped style minutes hand. Thanks to this, the SRPA21 is known for having a strong and long-lasting lume.
If you want a robust and qualitative dive watch with a unique design and a vibrant and colorful appearance, this is a highly popular choice.
Specifications
- Movement: Automatic in-house caliber 4R36
- Water resistance: 200m/660 feet
- Crystal: Hardlex
- Diameter: 45mm
- Thickness: 14mm
Victorinox AirBoss Automatic 241507
Last but not least, we have the Victorinox AirBoss 241507 which is, as the name suggests, a pilot’s watch. And as a pilot’s watch should, it has an emphasis on legibility, including in low-lit conditions.
The watch has a stainless steel case with a diameter of 42mm and a thickness of 12mm which should fit most men well (after all, pilot’s watches should be a bit oversized) and is also nicely finished. The case is completely satin-finished for a sporty look but has beautifully beveled edges which show that Victorinox has paid attention to the details.
The dial is carefully thought-out with lots of small and intricate details which contribute to giving a clean and stylish look. The dial is grey/black and has a sloped chapter ring around the dial. At the center, it has a matte finish, and just outside of the center, it has a nice striped pattern. The dial has applied Arabic numerals filled with luminescent material and diamond-shaped hands as well which provide excellent legibility. This watch is known and appreciated for its strong and great lume. The dial also has both 12-hour and 24-hour markers as well as a date display at the 6 o’clock position.
Powering this watch is an automatic movement with a 38-hour power reserve. The movement can also be viewed through the see-through case back at the back.
In a pilot’s watch, the water resistance isn’t crucial, but it still has a resistance of 100m which is quite good.
Specifications
- Power reserve: 38 hours
- Water resistance: 100m/330 feet
- Diameter: 42mm
- Thickness: 12mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Crystal: Sapphire
Do you need lume in watches?
The answer to that question depends! Some people do not care about lume on watches at all, whilst, for others, it is a crucial criteria in their decision-making process.
For the most part, it depends on the type of watch you are going to buy and how you are going to use it. In general, sports watches pay much more attention to lume than elegant dress watches. It’s rather self-explanatory, but sports watches are tools that are built for functionality and a purpose. As such, good legibility is one of the most important features of a tool watch. On the other hand, a lot of elegant dress watches do not use lume for their watches. Whilst this naturally harms legibility in low-lit conditions and makes it more difficult to read the time, manufacturers (and customers) do not find it as important.
If you find legibility a really important aspect of a watch and often struggle with reading the time, good lume is probably something you need in a watch.
What Lume Is The Strongest? – History of lume in watches
The technology behind the lume in watches has changed a lot over the decades. The benefit of radium was that it glowed really strong and since it is radioactive, it emits a constant and bright glow, without having to charge with light. When manufacturers started incorporating lume in their watches, they used radium. As you know, radium is a highly radioactive substance that causes cancer and serious health-related issues when in contact with it – in particular for long periods of time. And the issue was that this was exactly the case for the so-called “radium girls” who worked with applying radium to watch dials around the 1920s. Due to the health-related issues of radium, it was eventually banned.
In turn, watch manufacturers started using tritium instead. This is also a radioactive material, but not anywhere close to radium. But due to the fact that tritium is radioactive, most watch brands today have stopped using it – except for some brands. This includes, for example, Victorinox, but to make it safer and the glow more powerful, they use small tubes with tritium rather than applying the tritium directly onto the dial.
Today, watch brands have come a long way in the development and innovation of lume for watches. Rolex uses its own proprietary Superluminova, many others use Luminova. This is not radioactive but has to be charged by light to glow.
What are the different colors of lume?
As you have probably seen, different watches have different colors on their lume. The most common are green and blue. This is because different types of lume emit different colors. For example, C3 Superluminova has a 100% relative brightness and gives a green/yellow sheen as it glows.
Another common luminescence is BGW9 which emits blue light. Lume is available in all kinds of different colors, but keep in mind that the further you get from the classic blue or green colors, the weaker the lume will be, in general.
Which is the best lume watch?
Different watches pay different attention to the lume on their watches. All of the brands on this list are brands that often put a lot of focus on functionality and performance, and as such, you can also expect them to offer great lume. Some of the best brands when it comes to strong lume is Seiko, Victorinox, and Citizen. If we look at more expensive and luxury alternatives, we have Omega, Rolex, Tudor, and Bell & Ross.
How do I make my watch Lume brighter?
The best solution is to buy a watch with a strong lume. But apart from that, the easiest way to make your lume glow brighter and stronger is to use a UV torch on it. This charges the luminescence and allows it to glow as strongly as possible. This is of course not possible with tritium lume watches since this lume isn’t charged by light.
Another, more complicated method is to apply more luminescence and perhaps a stronger luminescence, but this requires either some skills or to get help bu an experienced watchmaker.
How important is Lume on a watch?
The answer to that question is that it depends on your needs. In some cases, a good lume on a watch may be extremely important. But in other cases, it may not be important at all.
For example, if you are going diving, the lume is extremely important. In the darkness of the water, lume is crucial to be able to read the time at all in many cases. At the same time, if you’re going to a formal lunch or dinner and wear a dress watch, the lime may not be as important.
With that said, different watches have different needs and purposes. If you have a collection of several watches, there may be a great emphasis on legibility for some of them, but for other watches, you may pay more attention to other aspects.
