Hey all.

Looking for a quick spot view on something. Sub arrived today, it's from 1968 and a 5512.

Q, I think I am just being overly cautious, but how long would you expect the original tritium lume to glow after being placed in sunlight.

I would say that within about 2 mins it is basically impossible for me to see the dial markers any more after sitting in a well lit room and then going to a pitch black room.

Does that feel about right?

This is the UV lume shot I got from the seller, and it looked even and good to me.

My Pogue has way less lume (it’s just a dot) and fades after about a minute.

 

Two minutes is actually quite long for vintage tritium...

 

Apologies for the bathroom shot haha.

Video below. Basically at 1 minutes it's really hard to see with my eyes. Phone sensors are a little better.

2 minutes was probably a little over estimation...

 

For a 1968 tritium dial? You're lucky it even glows for 10 seconds.

 

Ok. I feel a lot better.

Hit up Eric Wind (windvintage) - not the seller I purchased from but a seller I trust wholeheartedly and have done a chunk of business with - and he had the following to say (I sent him the vid):
"There is a batch with zinc sulfide supposedly in the lume that glows for a long time in that serial range"
Then he asked for the first two digits of the serial: 17.
Then he said "Cool, yes that is the correct glowing for that range".

Found an article saying the same:
https://quillandpad.com/2014/11/25/...5512-with-still-radiant-zinc-sulfide-markers/

 

Yes, it should be a zinc sulfide dial, so it's ok that it glows. 1970s Rolex lume is generally pretty much dead.

1966 on the left, 1977 on the right, a few seconds after UV excitation.

 

Awesome, thank you Sir.

Initially a total panic for me, but now see lots of them searching the web in the 66-68 range.

In fact some sellers using it to make it sound super rare and exclusive haha. Any angle for a sale!

 

Similar to my 5512 which I have owned for longer than I care ro remember. Mine is a neat font in the 1666### serial range with the "puffy" lume.

 

I am a really happy man this afternoon. Work, or stare at wrist... work, or stare at wrist

 

Enjoy and wear in good health!!!!

 

This is all new to me. Amazing. I had a 1971 5512 and the lume was…. Not there.

curious stuff.

congrats

 

I have a '66 as well that glows brightly. I suppose when you consider 3-4 years of glowing original tritium-marked dials to the number of years the lume is 'dead'... it is a rare lume application!

 

Interesting! I thought that pretty much all tritium lume dials are dead by now. Certainly the lume on my 1996 Sub 14060 (SWISS - T < 25 on the dial) is completely dead, and has been for some time...!

 

The lume is dead on these zinc sulfide dials since they are more than four tritium half-lives old, but the phosphor still responds to excitation.

 

It glows exactly as it should.

Absolutely correct for a zinc sulfide dial (that also matches the serial).

Nice 5512 meter frist!

 

Wrist shot from yeaterday.