Lume and its importance in your life

My last musing post for the night. 😁

Sorry distracts me from crap I have to consider.

SO!

I like lume. I wake up in the middle of the night perhaps because apnea and I want to know what time it is,

When I get watches restored, if they were lumed to begin with, I might have them relumed.

Example:



This was done by Kent Parks at Everest Watch Works. He is fabulous.

At times my watchmaker will indulge my desire to see my watch at night... and I will tell you that, after dark adaption, I can see the radium lume from my vintage watches and alarm clocks (because who doesn't want a Style 5A lumed BIg Ben?).

At times, however, he's "it's only original once, leave it" though I know he could do it if he wanted.

He's so goshdarn talented, I let it go.

But what do you think? What is your lume story?

I purposely bought a Datejust without any lume, because I hope to keep it for idk, 50 years? And not have to worry about the lume breaking or being there but not working.

This was my mentality about 2 years ago; when I bought said Datejust.

However, a few times that I’ve slept with my skx013, it is neat to wake up and see your wrist to check the time real quick.

So now I understand the lume fans out there.

The speedy I just bought has lume on it too, and it looks lovely in the dark.

would I relume it or the skx a 50 years down the road?

I am not sure lol

Because of my job and habit, I wear my watch to bed. I wake up quite frequently so a watch with a kickass lume is super useful. The non-lumed watches stay in the case for the most part.

I am the same. The watches that don’t have lume tend to stay in the watch box.

I like my lume old and dark, and if I wake up in the middle of the night my radioactive radium dial Westclox 1940s Moonbean clock still shines.

I'm not too keen on the multi coloured lume we are seeing on some of the later watches coming out, and forgive me, but with my OCD I just could not wear a watch with cracked and missing lume. Yes, fear of more of it "falling" into the movement, but more so, everytime I looked at the watch, that is all I would see. So, for purity sake, I don't buy them, hence do not have to tell someone I got my pre moon Speedy relumed! Lumes history is also a very interesting story as in The Radium Girls etc. Good luck with the apnea. I was told today that pistachios are good to assist sleep.

I also use old Westclox alarm clocks. I can usually see the lume just fine after dark adaption... even the 1910-vintage ones.

Fishing before sun up most weekends and getting a job at work at 1am, lume is a big yes for me.
In watches and knives it seems lately

Spyderco has come up with a nice Delica in lume.



Then I had to get some custom handle scale on a fixed blade.



In the boat I have many things that are glow in the dark. Pliers, fish lip grips, gaf, knife holder, first aid kit has glow in the dark markings.

I change to this at night, in order to be able to read it in the dark.



I’m reluctant to relume a vintage piece. I’m much more likely to find a vintage piece (at a steep discount) that has already been luminova’ed.

This fit that category:



It’s a nice -66 CB that was Omega-serviced before I got it. I do have proper replacement tritium dial and hands, but I haven’t had the heart yet.