I've heard of using coffee to DIY the hands to yellow/brown, but can the same process be easily performed (with care!) on the markers?

To be clear, I don't want to remove any tritium, just change/add color...

I don't have the tools or know-how to do this myself, but maybe my watchmaker could help...

Am I out of my mind to even consider this?

 

Time and Sun has been the best method, has worked for years.

 

My best advice is to let someone else go first.

My not-so-good advice is to go for it, as I would like to see how it comes out.

 

I'm not sure if I have the balls to be the first!

I'm hoping to hear someone say that they did this successfully(or know someone who did!) without any loss of tritium, and a nice result with pictures.

 

Your watch is only original once. And at the end of the day, you'll have an altered, modified, non-original watch, which you will need to disclose at sale. Assuming you still wanted to do this, one other thing you'd need to consider is this: you have to get this exactly right - repeating the process perfectly and consistently, seventeen times over (12 markers, two dots, three hands). Take a look at any relumed Speedmaster dial, where the only task is trying apply lume to the dial consistently 17 times over (not even worried about tinting existing lume without over tinting, under tinting, damaging, washing away, dissolving), and you'll see how difficult this task is to even get remotely right.

 

Yep, certainly, time and sun-exposure would be the safest, and most reliable method. Not sure if I have the patience to wait another 5 to 25 years, however!

Less patience will be required to find one that looks nice already, and buy that... been going on 3 months now, but what's the hurry?

 

I know this isn't what you'd like to hear, but - do not do this.

Keep it original, don't tamper with it - and in some years time, when you are looking at the range of pictures you've taken, you'll notice the slight change through the years and feel much more connected with it.

Sentimental, who, me??

 

I suppose the risk/benefit ratio to mod the color is a bit high, including changing it's originality, but I thought it was something to consider. I haven't bought the watch in question, but it's the watch I've been looking for in every single way (price, condition, reliable seller) except for the markers' color. Ironically, I suppose if you could find fault, it would be that it is too well preserved !

Thanks for all the input here. I will probably just continue to wait for a different watch that has more patina...

 

Simples, send it on to me, limitless sunshine here and I promise not to send it back until the hands are a nice yellow/brown.

 

You're a funny man, Stuart!

Don't you have a fine Speedie, already?

 

I wonder if a continuous black light on the watch would be of any good... surely someone's done a test on tritium to see how the color change is affected by various wavelengths of light.... hmmm... time for an experiment? Or, just another excuse to buy a series of tritium-marked watches!

 

I thought you lived in Scotland????

 

I'm thinking of going ahead and blowing my 'wad' on an Ed White instead of sending a watch to Stuart.

Don't cha think that's a better option? (sorry, Stu!)

 

Global warming

 

Strangely enough no, I really should try one out after all these years. Let's keep this between ourselves, if the good Lady "A" gets wind of this i'm dead meat

 

If you don't like the Lume, don't buy the watch Imho.

There will be another watch that you like without doing something as to reLume...My 2 cents

 

Eyes straight to the FS thread for a while