Everything you need to know about reluming vintage watches

Reluming is a technique that involves restoring the luminescent material on a watch, often a vintage watch. It is an important step in its aesthetic restoration.

If the luminescent material on the watch has fallen off, is discolored, or has been poorly restored, action must be taken.

The following can be relumed:

- The hands
- The hour markers on the dial
- The bezel

Reluming a recent watch

Recent watches are often equipped with LumiNova®, Super-LumiNova®, or Lumibrite® for Seiko watches. These materials are known for their powerful luminescence and durability, as they can continue to glow for several hours after being exposed to a light source.

To relume a recent watch, the old material is removed and replaced with a new one, which is applied to a clean, decontaminated surface, usually with a fresh mixture of LumiNova® or Super-LumiNova®.

 

Reluming a vintage watch

If you are a collector of antique watches, you have probably heard of radium and tritium. These two materials were widely used in antique military, diving, and aviation watches for their ability to glow in the dark without a light source.

What is radium?

Radium is a radioactive element that was discovered in 1898 by Marie and Pierre Curie. It was widely used in the watch industry from the 1910s to the 1960s to give watch dials a luminescent quality. Watchmakers used a paint containing radium to paint the hour markers and hands on the dials. This paint was often applied by hand, which meant that workers were exposed to high levels of radiation.

What is tritium?

Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that occurs naturally in the atmosphere. It has been widely used in the watch industry since the 1960s for its ability to produce continuous light without needing to be exposed to an external light source. Watchmakers use a thin layer of tritium to coat the numbers and hands on watch dials. Tritium is considered less dangerous than radium because it is less radioactive.

 

Over time, these materials can become brittle, turn black, or develop an unwanted patina.

This article is part of an ongoing exploration of vintage watches.
I offer independent analysis and private inspections for collectors.

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Joshua Grillet