Buying an affordable watch is very easy, as is buying a watch with great quality lume. However, this becomes difficult when you want the best of both worlds. This is because although lume paint is not the most expensive component when making a watch, it is one of the first things to cut back on when designing something to fit inside a budget.
There are many different types of lume, which include LCD backlights, Swiss super-luminova, Seiko lumibrite, and many others. Even within the super-luminova range alone, there are 6 different degrees and color ranges that determine the strength of lume paint. It goes without saying then, that there is a huge difference between the quality of lume. Some watchmakers put a lot of investment into this area, whereas others skimp on it and spend more on areas such as advertising.
It should be quite obvious that high-end luxury watches have top-quality lume since they are made without cost controls in mind. However, there are quite a few budget watch brands mentioned below that allow the average consumer to buy a watch at a cheap price, yet not compromise on the quality of its luminous glow.
In short, it is unusual, yet still entirely possible to buy an affordable watch with good quality lume.
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Why Is Good Quality Lume Needed?
If you work a job at night or enjoy diving at great depths, lume is the only thing that will allow you to view the time. Human vision is simply not good enough to view a watch dial properly in any situation without daylight.
The luminous glow is either emitted by the luminous paint reflecting light or tritium tubes. If you want a watch with a bright dial in the dead of night then good quality lume is a necessity.
Other than this, there is no real reason that the average person would want a luminous dial. If you work a standard 9-5 and do not really care about being able to see your watch dial in total darkness, good quality lume is not needed. It’s for this reason that so many watch brands do not make the investment into high-expense lume dials.
How Long Does Luminescence Last On A Watch?
If lume has been fully charged by light, then it will last around 12 hours (provided it is high quality). Tritium tubes will simply stay bright 100% of the time since they are radioactive and are always glowing when viewed in a dark environment.
In terms of lifetime longevity, tritium is the best choice since T25 tritium has a half-life of 25 years. This means that it will be at full brightness for 12.5 years before decreasing somewhat.
Lume paint does not last forever, but is mostly based on two main factors. These are the quality of the paint used – such as Swiss super-luminova compared to a cheap Chinese alternative. Swiss super-lumi will last many more years than Chinese creations.
Secondly, is the amount of luminous paint applied. A thicker coat is more expensive since more paint is used. However, as it begins to wear over time, it will not wear as thin and maintain a solid brightness.
The 7 Best Cheap Watches With Great Lume
Timex Expedition Gallatin
By far the cheapest watch you can buy in terms of value for money. The Timex Expedition Gallatin is a classic indiglo model but goes one step further with lumed hands.
If you are not already familiar with Timex indiglo feature, by simply pushing in the crown, the entire dial is illuminated by an LCD backlight. This is a more common feature in digital watches but is a staple within the Timex brand. Whilst not a true lume watch, the hands of the Gallatin are still coated in luminous paint in order to add extra visibility to the watch.
If you are on a strict budget of under $100, this is pretty much your best bet. If you want a true lume watch for under this cost, your alternative would be a Seiko 5.
Seiko Monster
A clear upgrade from the Seiko 5 budget range, the Seiko Monster series can still be picked up for a reasonable price, especially when it is on sale. You can expect to pay anywhere between $300-$500, for which you will receive a very well lumed watch.
Since this watch is built to divers professional specifications (Prospex), you can guarantee that it has good quality lume since it absolutely has to be visible underwater. This is confirmed by the fact that Seiko uses their proprietary lumitbrite paint on both the hands and dial.
Whilst Seiko lumibrite is not the absolute best lume that money can buy – it is still far ahead of the competition. Given the price tag and quality, it is pretty good value for money.
Luminox Sea Turtle
Luminox offers something a little different from other budget brands since they use radioactive tritium. This is nothing to be concerned about since it is concealed in tiny tubes and poses no harm to humans.
Dotted around the outer dial are several tubes filled with tritium, as well as placed along both the minutes and hours hand. These tubes are luminous and do not need to be charged by light. Due to their natural properties, they will be visible under any lighting conditions.
Made in Switzerland, the quality of Luminox watches is guaranteed. Granted, they only use quartz movements and don’t make mechanical watches, but not everyone wants an automatic timepiece. Especially if you’re looking for something 100% visible and reliable.
Citizen Aviator
A very large numbered and clear dial to read, the Citizen Aviator has stuck to a traditional pilots watch layout. Even if you have poor eyesight, this watch is incredibly easy to read given just how large the numbers are.
Powered by light, you will never have the misfortune of running out of battery at an awkward time. Eco-drive movements are some of the most convenient and easy to use.
It goes without saying that the Japanese brand use good quality lume and are renowned for not skimping on construction. For under $150, this is one of the best watches you can get for this price with good quality lume. There are only 2 or 3 alternatives that have already been mentioned. Nothing else really comes close to the price.
Marathon Navigator
A classic H3 tritium watch from Marathon. Much like their rival brand Luminox, Marathon makes tritium-based watches that will only fade once the element reaches its half-life (approximately 12 years). Compared to regular lume paint, this is an extremely long time.
Marathon watches are a little more expensive than Luminox watches since many of their models are mechanical. This variation of the navigator is a quartz model so is less expensive than a regular Marathon watch, but still towards the upper end of “affordable”. Nonetheless, it is still a unique watch and a good choice for somebody looking for something a little different.
Orient Ray
The great thing about Orient is that they are owned by Seiko. For this reason, you get Seiko quality and parts, yet do not pay the full price. Orient uses lumibrite lume on all their modern watches – which is exactly the same as Seiko. The key difference is that you’re able to pick up an Orient Ray for under $200, but would pay around $300 for a watch of this quality from Seiko.
Available in a variety of different colors, Orient watches are stylish and not too oversized, keeping with a traditional and not overtly loud style.
You cannot really beat Orient in terms of value for money. That does not just hold true for lume, but also applies to all other features of their watches.
Momentum Atlas
A huge, yet lightweight watch. The Momentum Atlas features a large 44mm dial which is easily visible in both light and dark settings. As the watch case is made from titanium, this ensures that even though the watch is oversized, it is considerably lighter than a stainless steel model.
Momentum are a watch brand that are renowned for its easy to read dials at night. Whilst the Atlas won’t be to everyone’s taste, it certainly should be a consideration for those who are on a budget, but want something which will stay bright for a good 12 hours or so.
