Tritium for Lume ?

[kenmasters]

Has anyone heard or tried tritium to lume their watches ? Its radioactive, so I assume most people wouldn't have access to this stuff... I would try luming a watch with it just to see how well it works out.

http://www.watchindemand.com/articles/mili...ry-watches.html

[jdkno]

If I am not mistaken tritum is almost impossible to come by in a form that would allow you to lume a watch in the same way you do with Super LumiNova. It is also radioactive so while it would not dose you enough to kill you long term exposure for someone who handled it all the time luming watches could suffer some side effects.

Now days the encapsulate the tritium into glass vials which makes for easier packaging and application as well as cut down on exposure.

If you want a watch that has tritium illumination look into Luminox, KHS, Nite, Traser, and Uzi watches. The tritium does not glow as bright as Super Luminova, however the tritium will glow all night long without the need to be charged by an external light source.

Not that it means anything one way or the other for civilian use, but while the tritium is great for seeing the time at night it is also a great way to see other people if they are wearing them. You will notice alot of military have a habbit of wearing their watch with the dial on the palm side of the wrist. This is done for multiple reasons such as daytime use the crystal could beam a signal much like a mirror and give your position up from a distance, to protect the watch as the outside of your arm is much more likely to contact something than the inside would be, when holding a rifle in the shouldered position it puts your watch in your line of sight, and agin with tritium having it facing the inside would be less likely to be seen by others.

[flamemax]

I own a key dongle that had a glass tritium vial within it.

They sell on the bay for about $7 a pop.

I have no idea what the consistency if the tritium is within the vial or even if it is usable.

The thought has crossed my mind, though about wanting to crack open the vial

and make an attempt at luming a cheap Timex, just to see what the result would be.

Food for thought I guess...

Robb

[rmcsherry]

'Cracking' open a vile of Tritium isn't all that fun. There's a reason that radioactive substances have controls put on them!

[flamemax]

@rmc

.. I guess that depends on your perspective and if you want a 2nd pecker or not

Do not let my n00b status fool you, if I do this I will take precautionary measures, such as wearing an anti radiation suit, and making sure I have a radiation meter running at all times.

Tritium is such a weak radioactive substance that it cannot even penetrate through the first layer of human skin. As I understand it, a watch caseback and sapphire is enough to be 100% sure that the tritium will never have an adverse effect.

With that said... the only thing that is stopping me is that I am afraid that the tritium substance within the vial will not be "workable" enough to apply to a dial.

[jdkno]

With that said... the only thing that is stopping me is that I am afraid that the tritium substance within the vial will not be "workable" enough to apply to a dial.

Don't even waste your time trying. The ONLY reason tritium is able to illuminate watches is the way it is encapsulated. The glass or saphire tube it is put in has its insides coated with phospher. The tritium itself does not glow. More or less the reaction between the tritium AND phosphor is what makes the glow. In essence the tritium is the "invisible flashlight" that keeps the tubes glowing.

Unless you can put the tritium on the dial, then coat it with phosphor, you are not going to get anything. Thats how they make different color tritium vials by using different color phosphor.

[Pugwash]

Tritium is a WMD.

No, really. It's used as an accelerator in cheap nuclear weapons.

If you import it, you get to wear orange and be denied access to your lawyer.

[Pugwash]

Don't even waste your time trying. The ONLY reason tritium is able to illuminate watches is the way it is encapsulated. The glass or saphire tube it is put in has its insides coated with phospher.

There are two ways of using Tritium. One is in gas tubes and the other is blended as paint. No-one does the latter any more as it's stupid and can melt your brain.

Tritium paint was phased out around 2000-2001 for most manufacturers.

[Usil]

Here you go.

Usil

[kye_lin]

My watchmaker can get hold of tritium for luming as he is an ex-rolex man... the guy who used to be in charge of all the T-lume in the old rolex watches here where I stay... he is presently in the process of luming 3 vintage PAM hommages for me... I will keep you guys updated with pics.. probably in a month's time.. Happy Holidays..

K

[Guest Bluey]

My watchmaker can get hold of tritium for luming as he is an ex-rolex man... the guy who used to be in charge of all the T-lume in the old rolex watches here where I stay... he is presently in the process of luming 3 vintage PAM hommages for me... I will keep you guys updated with pics.. probably in a month's time.. Happy Holidays..K

Wow... he's not in the UK is he?

Ah, judging by your 'local time' I'd say not...Oh well

[Pugwash]

You could always read this: Tritium - What is it?

[flamemax]

Hey Pug,

You see that pink vial in the picture up above, that is what I have. The way i understand it; it would take tens of millions of those vials if not billions to have enough tritium to even begin thinking about having enough for a WMD.

So, I don't think I'll be going to the pen for simply having imported one vial.

BTW is was shipped and delivered without problems

[Pugwash]

So, I don't think I'll be going to the pen for simply having imported one vial.

Yes, but that's not how the law works. Three grains of coke in a pile of sucrose won't get you high, but a positive test will still get you probed, no matter where you bought it.