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1950s Lume colour

Redwood
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Redwood WRT Addict

Redwood

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I have a 1954 Accurist watch that had lumed hands and hour markers and would like to relume them to the original colour. I can’t find a photo of the same one as a reference but Smiths did aa almost identical dial which had a very light colour Lume of an orange or dark yellow colour. Does anyone know what that colour looked like new and any idea where I can get that colour

 

 

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RyMoeller Super WRT Addict

RyMoeller

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Old radium based luminescent paint will age to rust red color but I think it all started green.  If moisture gets to it, it will turn an ash black.  Generally, collectors look for a mocha color.  Haven't seen much of that in radium watches though.

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AndyHull Distinguished Member

AndyHull

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The colour of radium and tritium based luminous material is not from the radium itself (which is only present in very small amounts), but from the "phosphors" that are included with it. Confusingly these materials generally contain little or no phosphor

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphor#Radioactive_light_sources

If you are planning on removing the old lume, you might like to take a look at this thread too.

It goes in to some detail regarding these materials.

Generally they are relatively safe so long as you treat them with respect and avoid getting them airborne or ingesting them. They do however remain radioactive, long after the "phosphor" looses its ability to produce light.

On the subject of colour, if you look on line you will see quite a number of different shades for old lume, but generally they tended to be somewhere on the bluish green spectrum, with some variation in to yellow.

Modern lume comes in a much broader group of colours and intensities, and there is a bit of an art in producing something that looks authentically old, without being too bright or clean looking

Edited by AndyHull
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Endeavor Distinguished Member

Endeavor

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I have reasonable success with instant coffee and yellow ink ..... nothing scientific, but when gaining experience it can get pretty close and the watch gets useful during dark again B)

On the WUS-forum I go under the name EndeavourDK.

Read on page 28, as from 9th of March, through to page 30 were I started experimenting with this idea; https://forums.watchuseek.com/f10/before-after-4552677-28.html

The only problem I still have is to find a less "neon"-yellow ink, but apart from that; it works for me as a treat.

Take a few old / scrap hands and start experimenting ..... not much to loose ;)

Edited by Endeavor
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Redwood WRT Addict

Redwood

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I know it’s against the grain restoring a vintage watch but I have OCD and the slightest mark or blemish has to go and putting it back to original condition is the only way for me sorry. It’s going to be for me and not for a customer so original Lume colour is a must. So what colour green is my next dilemma, looking on Cousins shop the green Lume looks about right, what do you think?

The watch has a good service history which is probably why there is no lume left on the hands but the markers have gone black so PPE will be worn when I remove it, thanks for the advice.

The watch has an expanding strap but not sure if that’s an original, any ideas what it might be?

 

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