Tritium or superluminova hands?

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watch_my_six

·Jul 18, 2024

Hi OF. I purchased these Speedmaster hands based on them being described as "vintage", but the seller couldn't confirm the type of lume. I was hoping they were tritium, but they appear to be superluminova. Does that look correct? Thanks,

 

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Davidt

·Jul 18, 2024

Look luminova. How long do they glow for? Tritium, even from the 80’s would be seconds/minutes, luminova is hours.

 

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gbesq

·Jul 18, 2024

Let them sit under a bright incandescent light or bright sunlight for a bit and then take them into a closed dark windowless room. If they glow not at all or glow very faintly once your eyes adjust to the darkness: tritium. If they glow brightly: luminova. Both will glow brightly under UV light.

 

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watch_my_six

·Jul 18, 2024

These are two photos from the start and end of a 1 minute video. You can see that they fade a bit over the course of the 1 minute. Does that look more like tritium or luminova?

 

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ErichPryde

·Jul 18, 2024·Seamasters Forever

jspdl

These are two photos from the start and end of a 1 minute video. You can see that they fade a bit over the course of the 1 minute. Does that look more like tritium or luminova?

Take a picture after 15 minutes. If there is any residual glow, it's luminova

 

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gbesq

·Jul 19, 2024

ErichPryde

Take a picture after 15 minutes. If there is any residual glow, it's luminova

Agreed. 1 minute is not enough time to evaluate.

 

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pitbos

·Jul 19, 2024

This is a good thread - I’m interested to see the photos at 0, 1 and 15min. I’ve always been curious to see what others deem an appropriate rate of fading for tritium to be. Of course it will vary depending on age, properties of the mixture etc…but still interesting to see visuals.

 

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watch_my_six

·Jul 19, 2024

Here are a few more photos.
1) while being illuminated

2) with the illumination just turned off

3) after ~1-2 minutes

4) after ~10 minutes

5) after ~25 minutes

6) after ~35 minutes

7) after ~2.5 hours

Thoughts?

 

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Donn Chambers

·Jul 19, 2024

jspdl

Here are a few more photos.
1) while being illuminated

2) with the illumination just turned off

3) after ~1-2 minutes

4) after ~10 minutes

5) after ~25 minutes

6) after ~35 minutes

7) after ~2.5 hours

Thoughts?

they are luminova - no way old tritium would have that level of glow after 2.5 hours

 

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gbesq

·Jul 19, 2024

Yep, luminova for sure.

 

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watch_my_six

·Jul 19, 2024

Good to know, thanks!

 

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Davidt

·Jul 19, 2024

Certainly luminova