Given the vintage fever over the past 5 years, which the companies are getting behind more and more, why haven't any of them offered tritium lume? I understand the current offering's homage nature and wanting to attract the broader non-WIS audience, but the main detractor for many is that the Luminova won't patinate and the watch will be forever as it is (barring catastrophe). Their current solution is faux-patina, which many scoff at. I wonder, if things continue, if companies will start to offer some pieces with an option for tritium. I'm not sure if the switch away from it had anything to do with radiation (like with the radium-> tritium switch) and compliance with a regulation or if it was purely for the better luminescence. I think it would be great to see this as an option. [Not sure if this has been talked about before within another thread or elsewhere (vintage forum or open forum) so please direct me to that thread if it has.]
As I see it; the upper echelon brands manufacture watches in 2 main categories: 1. Modern design incorporating elements from the past but maintaining a very contemporary look 2. Vintage inspired; where the look is very much in keeping with a vintage piece but all the materials and engineering are contemporary. Either way; tritium is an antiquated material. Super-lumiNova can produce the same visual effect as a T-lume that has patina but still enable luminescence to be retained in perpetuity - hence it is an objectively better choice.
It simply is outlawed, at least in some parts of the world, like the EU. By radiation protection laws, in order to use radioactive luminous compouds you would have to prove that this is neccessary for functional reason and cannot be substituted w/ non radioacative luminous paint. This is obviously not possible for luxury items. And given the performance and edurance of modern SL lume also difficult for professional instruments - Panerai sailed under this flag for a while but ceased to do so in ~2006.
Great idea. I have no idea why they don't use it today..... https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/r...red-pays-tribute-the-last-of-the-radium-girls
Tritium is also one of the elements that requires a significant amount of administrative paperwork and regulatory oversight to use.
Here's a modern russian diver with tritium tubes https://www.ebay.com/itm/391739974286Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network