GMT markers on bezel lit up!

[wilsonpepper]

There was a thread recently where a member asked a simple question - how come Rolex does not illuminate the 24 hour bezel.

Many others fried the guy, one comment included "Why would you need that", another said the poor gent should "memorize where all the 24 hour bezel markers are located".

Attached is a picture from the Ball Watch website. What I see is a useable watch for night operations, and I also wish Rolex lit up the bezel on the GMT.

But what would I know, I have only been flying heavy jets across vast expanse of ocean(s) for 35 years !

Ready, Fire, Aim

[southtexas]

Rolex is not about utility. Why potentially sacrifice good looks for functionality?


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[Tridor]

I'd love to see a Rolex GMT light up that way.

[BigBoy17]

Originally Posted by wilsonpepper

There was a thread recently where a member asked a simple question - how come Rolex does not illuminate the 24 hour bezel.

Many others fried the guy, one comment included "Why would you need that", another said the poor gent should "memorize where all the 24 hour bezel markers are located".

Attached is a picture from the Ball Watch website. What I see is a useable watch for night operations, and I also wish Rolex lit up the bezel on the GMT.

But what would I know, I have only been flying heavy jets across vast expanse of ocean(s) for 35 years !

Ready, Fire, Aim

What equipment were you on?

[wilsonpepper]

Originally Posted by BigBoy17

What equipment were you on?

Currently 787

Previous = 777, DC-10-30, 747SP

[daOnlyBG]

I am for the return of a luminescent GMT bezel. I see no convincing argument against it.

[MSchu]

wouldn't they need to change to a sapphire bezel if they wanted a lume 24h scale?

[Onikage]

I'm all for it too. Anything called 'Pussy Galore' can't be a bad thing.

[THC]

Seems reasonable to me

[MTdweller]

When night flying, I use my G-shock. That is my tool watch. I just wear Rolex watches the rest of the time because I love ‘em.

[whatsthetime?]

Originally Posted by southtexas

Rolex is not about utility. Why potentially sacrifice good looks for functionality?


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I thought these Rolex models were 'tool' watches?

[mistercoach32]

I agree and I've been saying it for a while myself. I used to spend 185-195 nights/year in hotels around the world because of work so I used the GMT often. With family at home, I'd always charge the lume before going to bed so I'd be able to see the time at my current location as well as home if I woke up in the middle of the night. With rarely being in the same city for longer than 3 days and being a heavy sleeper, it would often take me a few minutes before remembering what city/country I was in so it's a complication I relied on. It was a pain in the ass waking up in the middle of the night and figuring out what the time was back home with only seeing the pip.....especially if I was using it for 3 timezones and the bezel was turned so the pip wasn't in the 12 o'clock position.

[Jona]

I have a Ball watch and I love it. Note that the glow of the dial is not as bright as shown on their website. If you REALLY want a bright dial, get an Isobrite. Yeah, quartz but a nice watch, sapphire crystal. Brighter than Ball.

[e dantes]

Originally Posted by MSchu

wouldn't they need to change to a sapphire bezel if they wanted a lume 24h scale?

I have a diver with a ceramic bezel and lumed bezel markers. The lume is bright and is clearly visible whenever I wake up. That watch has been well used with no issues.

I would love for Rolex to return to a lumed bezel on their GMTs.

[BigBoy17]

Originally Posted by wilsonpepper

Currently 787

Previous = 777, DC-10-30, 747SP

[enjoythemusic]

Nice Ball timepiece.

Originally Posted by wilsonpepper

Currently 787

Previous = 777, DC-10-30, 747SP

Impressive! Hope Boeing has the courage to re-engineer the 737 Max engine mounts and landing gear for better weight/balance.

[Noah860]

If you had that bezel lit up on your Rolex you could fly a kite right into a ball dealership! I don’t need a glowing bezel on my gmt.

[STEELINOX]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

Nice Ball timepiece.



Impressive! Hope Boeing has the courage to re-engineer the 737 Max engine mounts and landing gear for better weight/balance.

They are using an old platform - the 737 - and added better [today] power systems.

It should be the other way around - build the plane around the engine platform.

Again, they're squeezing the very last bit out of a tried and proven airframe that was not designed for the engine platform of today...

[kieselguhr]

I don’t see any reason why not. The Tudor Pelagos utilizes a ceramic bezel insert and has lumed minute markers.

If anything Rolex should incorporate this into their Explorer II line. While they are at it, include a fully lumed dial.

[Rado63]

Yes, you do lose the function in the dark when you can't see the 24 hour bezel. As an observation, The Ball watch with so much lume, is almost too difficult to read, because the GMT hand is hardly perceptible from the home time. I suggest a different color lume or shape for that GMT hand. Otherwise the Ball watch seems like a nice solution for use in low light. Thanks for sharing.

[Fatso]

Without a luminescent bezel the lume on the 24-hr hand seems kind of pointless.


This is how a GMT-Master should look like.

[Andad]

Rolex should offer tritium tubes as an option.

Ready, fire, aim....

[007timer]

Originally Posted by southtexas

Rolex is not about utility. Why potentially sacrifice good looks for functionality?


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A GMT watch is a utility watch. Plus, the luminous bezel would look great.


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[77T]

The Bakelite bezel with Radium was the last fully nighttime functional GMT that Rolex made. I see the OP’s point.

They should address that - but it hasn’t slowed any GMT sales that I can see.


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[77T]

Originally Posted by Fatso

Without a luminescent bezel the lume on the 24-hr hand seems kind of pointless.

This is how a GMT-Master should look like.

Except it needs a much bigger 24-hr arrow.


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[csaltphoto]

I'm sure that if Rolex wanted to spend the R&D they could figure out a way to enclose tritium in some solid, plasticized base that would not affect the aesthetics of the watch. And there is no substitute for radioactivity when it comes to lume other than electricity. You still have the issue of the half life of the tritium too. The problem with the tritium paint was that it dried and flaked, creating an inhalation hazard when the watch was serviced/opened. Modern tritium is enclosed in teeny glass tubes with phosphor; kind of like a miniature, self powered fluorescent light. Except that the radioactivity in the tritium is exciting the phospor, not electricity. But the tubes will still be dead in 10-20 years.

Radium would last a loooonnggg time but I don't see that happening.

[10klakes]

I would love a GID bezel option. Please Rolex, I know you are reading this.....

[Spartacus]

Too much glow is a little obnoxious. My Pelagos glows amazingly well. Rolexes are intentionally coated in platinum, because Rolex is Rolex.

You want a tool, buy a Tudor.

[VegasMilgauss]

I would rather the GMT hand was lumed.

[lightingball2]

Originally Posted by wilsonpepper

Currently 787

Previous = 777, DC-10-30, 747SP

I have to ask, how is the 787.......I hear the dream liner is amazing....I can only imagine if I was piloting that as well....big difference from the 777?