GLOWUP
World of Watches|Autumn 2024
A brightly lumed dial in pitch-black darkness is equal parts joy and fascination, have you ever wondered where your Super-LumiNova comes from?
DANIEL GOH
GLOWUP

For all the precision, accuracy and reliability of a watch, it is rendered utterly useless in the absence of light. Unless, of course, the watch has the ability to glow in the dark. Before most displays were replaced with digital screens it was the analogue hands and indices that allowed most instruments to be read. Today we are obsessed with luminosity on our watches for many different reasons. Still, as with all of today's watchmaking innovations, there was once a time when it was fuelled by necessity. In this article, we look at the art of illumination on watches, from where it began to the industry standard Super-LumiNova of today and even perhaps a glimpse of what the future holds.

RADIUM GIRLS

The story of lume on watches starts with a tragedy. More specifically the tragedy of the Radium Girls. In the early days, glow-in-the-dark was achieved by using radioluminescent material. The luminescent paint was created using a natural isotope of radium mixed in with a phosphor. Invented by Sabin Arnold von Sochocky back in 1908, the idea here was to use the gamma rays emitted by the radium as it decays to react with the phosphor material to produce light.

As you would imagine, the ability to effectively ‘paint light’ on things that needed illumination found use in a variety of industries, including the military kind. Radium was subsequently used not just on watches but also on tools like compasses and aircraft instruments. The story of the Radium Girls is also linked with military connotations as it was at the onset of the First World War that in America, many women were hired to paint radium dials in factories across the country.

Bu hikaye World of Watches dergisinin Autumn 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye World of Watches dergisinin Autumn 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

WORLD OF WATCHES DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
DARING VENTURE
World of Watches

DARING VENTURE

Tudor partners Swiss Watch For New Boutique at The Exchange TRX.

time-read
1 min  |
Legacy 2024
GEEKING OUT
World of Watches

GEEKING OUT

The biggest artisanal watch enthusiasts gather in Singapore for a weekend unlike any other in our region of the world.

time-read
1 min  |
Legacy 2024
INDEPENDENCE DAY
World of Watches

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Once seen as niche players, independent watchmakers are increasingly visible within the industry as reflected in this year's edition of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève.

time-read
10 dak  |
Legacy 2024
DYING OF THE LIGHT
World of Watches

DYING OF THE LIGHT

Hamilton updates the Khaki Field Murph once again, this time with a sparkling new white dial and a robust stainless steel bracelet.

time-read
2 dak  |
Legacy 2024
OPEN SECRET
World of Watches

OPEN SECRET

Ernest Borel left no stone unturned when creating the Grandeur Skeleton duo.

time-read
1 min  |
Legacy 2024
GOTHIC INSPIRED
World of Watches

GOTHIC INSPIRED

Ernest Borel's Grandeur Big Date leans into the famed European architectural movement.

time-read
1 min  |
Legacy 2024
LIGHT TOUCH
World of Watches

LIGHT TOUCH

Maurice Lacroix adds ultra-light titanium options to their ever-expanding Aikon collection.

time-read
2 dak  |
Legacy 2024
LAST WORD
World of Watches

LAST WORD

Longines introduces a smaller version of the Spirit Zulu, this time in titanium.

time-read
1 min  |
Legacy 2024
RACING PEDIGREE
World of Watches

RACING PEDIGREE

Bell & Ross brings the worlds of motoring and aerospace together in the BR-X5 Racing.

time-read
2 dak  |
Legacy 2024
AUTUMN HUE
World of Watches

AUTUMN HUE

Grand Seiko continues its celebration of the 20th anniversary of Calibre 9R with the limited edition SBGA499.

time-read
2 dak  |
Legacy 2024