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We know luminous watches can be extremely useful, whether it be pitch black outside, or whether you’re 70 meters underwater and visibility is very limited. However, glow in the dark watches have checkered past, to say the least. It was not easy to develop something which was so bright without a single light source without using experimental chemicals and radioactive material.
The Panerai Radiomir was the first watch to use luminous material on the dial and hands. A patent was filed in 1916 for the use of this substance which contained the element radium. The purpose of this innovative design was for the Italian navy. The task was straightforward, yet had never been done before, to create a large waterproof watch that would be visible at great depth.
Unfortunately, the workers manufacturing Panerai dials were exposed to radium. Whilst the substance is mostly harmless, workers would lick their fingers, or sometimes hold implements in their mouths. This would lead to radium being ingested, which will make you very sick and if continued, can develop cancerous growths.
In modern-day, most watches do not use radioactive material to glow in the dark. Of the models which do use such materials, they are still extremely safe. You would literally have to break open your watch, take the hands from the dial and eat them to get any negative effects at all.
Super-Luminova and Lumibrite are two examples of lume based companies that sell their expertise and materials to a variety of watch brands. Other watchmakers produce their own lume paint and technology in-house.
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How Long Does Lume Last?
When fully charged, luminous watches can last for around 4 hours before fading. Some high-end brands may last a lot longer than this. Whereas poorly made Chinese watches may fade in less than 20 minutes.
Over time, the luminous coating on watch hands will wear away and will either need to be reapplied or given replacement hands. This is not something which you should be concerned about as it takes a very long time to subside. If you buy an expensive mechanical watch, you could expect to replace your hands once every 15 years or so.
Which Watches Glow In The Dark The Best?
There are a variety of brands that use very high quality lume on their watches. As you would expect, brands such as Rolex have very high quality lume. This would make sense as their watches are high quality throughout and are very expensive when compared to cheaper brands.
Other brands (specifically Japanese) are well known for their quality luminous dials. Specifically, Seiko and Citizen are praised for their long lasting lume.
Under $150
Casio Illuminator – Budget Choice
The first thing to mention about the Casio Illuminator is that it’s under $20. For this reason alone, it should be a consideration for a night watch. One simple press of a button will reveal the time, day and date. You won’t need to worry about the lume wearing out since the watch is battery-powered and illuminated by a backlight.
As this is a Casio, you will likely already be well aware of its toughness. Although it isn’t bombproof like its G-Shock cousin. It still is very tough and can be dropped in water, scuffed, scratched, thrown and will still easily survive.
Invicta Pro Diver
Invicta gets quite a harsh time when being discussed as a brand. However, there is no denying that their watches are of good value. Critics of the brand do not like the oversized and garish designs, coupled with fairly unsophisticated movements. This is fair enough, but a lot of Invicta pieces sell for well under $100 – this dive model included.
If you’re looking for a cheap dive watch to see in the dark, this Invicta is a decent choice. It runs on a miyota quartz movement and all hour indicators + hands are lumed up very well.
Timex Weekender
The Timex Weekender is a very simple and plain watch. There is not much to it. As far as the dial goes, other than having both 24 and 12 hour indicators in every position, this could be any watch brand.
What separates Timex from the competition is its Indiglo technology. By pressing the crown inwards, this causes the entire dial of the watch to light up for a few seconds, making the face fully visible. Other watches may have lume, but they do not have anything quite as convenient as this.
Citizen
Citizen are a Japanese brand that truly builds their watches to last. For this particular model, as it has a quartz movement, it should last around 15 years. Which is obviously great value for money.
There are not a lot of luminous gold watches on the market, as for some reason manufacturers like to make all of their watches in stainless steel. The silicone strap is both durable and lightweight, meaning that this is a less clunky and oversized watch to see in the dark.
Skagen Fisk
The fisk is Skagens take on a fashionable diving watch. As you can see, the Danish brand has put a lot of effort into illuminating all of the hour indicators, as well as the top of the bezel. Although the watch is very well lumed and durable. It should be noted that this is NOT a dive watch. Whilst it does have general water resistance, this is more of a fashion watch than something that should be worn at depth underwater.
Over $200
Luminox
Luminox is the official navy SEAL watch. These watches have been designed to be beaten up, submerged in water for long periods of time and generally withstand all of the elements. As SEALs spend a lot of time underwater, obviously the dial and hands must be bright enough to read in the darkest of conditions.
The case of the watch is made from a lightweight weatherproof carbonox compound, which is very resilient. Overall, if you want a tough analog watch that is easy to read in the dark, look no further.
Panerai Luminor
As the first brand to make a watch that could be seen in the dark depths of the ocean. The Panerai Luminor is truly an iconic and instantly recognizable watch. Its oversized case and simple dial design set it apart from the other dive watches which rely on large bezels and complications.
Its distinctive case design has done well for the Panerai brand over the years, who have not really needed to tweak their products too much over the best part of 70 years. Obviously these days, people won’t be doing too much diving with a Panerai as it is a legitimate luxury watch with a heavy price tag.
Seiko Monster
Seiko aptly named this dive watch the monster. With a 42mm case size, it doesn’t seem too big, but it is also extremely thick and has a concave bezel. There is a lot going on with the dial, with all of the hands being different shapes and colors.
The watch has a workhorse movement with a 41 hour power reserve. Not only this, but it is a legitimate professional diving watch, for use in dark and murky waters, hence the “PADI” written towards the bottom of the dial.
Hamilton Khaki Takeoff
Hamilton is yet another company which is known for both their high quality lume and high quality watches. The entry-level luxury brand has put a fine Swiss automatic movement into this piece, so it will certainly not let you down when you most needed.
The bezel has a serrated edge, so this watch is not something you will worry about knocking or scuffing, despite it being reasonably expensive. The black ion plated dial is a nice contrast against the strong glow you get from charging the lume on the hands and numbers.
Tag Heuer Formula 1
Formula 1 watches are a staple of the Tag Heuer brand and are the lowest price Tag Heuer watches you can buy. The main reason for this is that they use a quartz (Swiss) movement, rather than a higher end automatic movement you will find in the Carrera range.
In terms of lume from Tag Heuer. I have always been impressed by how long it lasted. Tag Heuer is a brand that can sometimes come under a lot of fire for not living up to expectations. However, when it comes to finishing a watch nicely and not cutting corners. They certainly do the job.
