# Lume

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Lume
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Lume.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lume
> Source revision: 1328542112
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Luminous paint applied to watches

For other uses, see [Lume (disambiguation)](/source/Lume_(disambiguation)).

Lume applied on a diver's watch to make it readable in low light conditions.

**Lume** is a short term for the luminous [phosphorescent](/source/Phosphorescence) glowing solution applied on [watch dials](/source/Watch_dial). There are some people who "relume" watches, or replace faded lume. Formerly, lume consisted mostly of [radium](/source/Radium); however, radium is [radioactive](/source/Radioactive) and has been mostly replaced on new watches by less bright, but less toxic compounds. After radium was effectively outlawed in 1968, [tritium](/source/Tritium) became the luminescent material of choice, because, while still radioactive, it is much less potent than radium, tritium being about as radioactive as an [x-ray](/source/X-ray), the decrease in radioactivity resulting from a diminishment of strength and quantity of the beta waves that are given off by tritium as an element.[1]

Common pigments used in lume include the [phosphorescent](/source/Phosphorescence) pigments [zinc sulfide](/source/Zinc_sulfide) and [strontium aluminate](/source/Strontium_aluminate). Use of zinc sulfide for safety related products dates back to the 1930s. However, the development of strontium oxide aluminate, with a luminance approximately 10 times greater than zinc sulfide, has relegated most zinc sulfide based products to the novelty category. [Strontium oxide](/source/Strontium_oxide) aluminate based pigments are now used in exit signs, pathway marking, and other safety related signage.

Strontium aluminate based afterglow pigments are marketed under brandnames like [Super-LumiNova](/source/Super-LumiNova),[2][3] Watchlume Co,[4] NoctiLumina,[5] and Glow in the Dark (Phosphorescent) Technologies.[6]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["What is Tritium Lume?"](https://theoandharris.com/watch-101-what-is-tritium-lume/). *Theo & Harris*. Retrieved 30 October 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [RC TRITEC Super-LumiNova](http://www.rctritec.com/index.php?id=13)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Nemoto & Co., Ltd LumiNova](http://www.nemoto.co.jp/en/products/luminova/index.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20080517010332/http://www.nemoto.co.jp/en/products/luminova/index.html) 2008-05-17 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [watchlume's website](http://www.watchlume.net)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [NoctiLumina company website](https://www.noctilumina.com/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Glow in the Dark (Phosphorescent) Technologies](http://glowinc.com/glow-in-the-dark/glow-in-the-dark-technologies.aspx) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20080915142453/http://glowinc.com/glow-in-the-dark/glow-in-the-dark-technologies.aspx) 2008-09-15 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

## External links

- [Watchlume Site](https://www.watchlume.com)

- [Everest Watchworks, a relumer](http://www.everestwatchworks.com)

- [Forum discussion on Superluminova Vs. Tritium](https://forums.watchuseek.com/archive/index.php/t-144.html)

- [LUMINOSITY IN WATCHES](https://www.kronometric.org/article/lume/#4.0)

- [Luminor 2020 – Debunking Panerai's fictional history of tritium-based lume (Perezcope.com)](https://perezcope.com/2019/11/30/luminor-2020-debunking-panerais-fictional-history-of-tritium-based-lume/)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lume](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lume) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lume?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.