lume on 116610ln problem

[SubMariner17]

I'm hoping someone can help me decide what to do. I bought a new 116610ln last week. I noticed that the blue chromalight only glows for 3 hours. I've been wearing my new Rolex for a week now for 4-6 hours during the day. I called the Rolex service center in Beverly Hills and spoke to Robert. His manager told him to tell me that they could replace the bezel, dial, hour hand and minute hand because it is definitely supposed to glow at least 7 hours. I also noticed that the lume is more aqua than blue: if you look at the section labeled: CERAMIC BEZEL AND LUMINESCENT DISPLAY, you'll see the color of my lume: https://www.rolex.com/watches/baselw...6600-0001.html

I appreciate any thoughts. I'd like it to glow at least 6 hours so in 20 years, it'll hopefully glow for at least 3 hours. Has anyone else noticed how long the lume on your watches stay glowing after sunset? If you were in my shoes, would you allow the Beverly Hills service center to replace all the lume parts?

[sleddog]

Sounds normal to me. Rolex has never had long lasting lume, and yours will not be any different from anyone else's here..

[brandrea]

Welcome

If you want better lume, buy a Tudor

[SubMariner17]

I would appreciate it if we can stay on topic: "If you were in my shoes, would you allow the Beverly Hills service center to replace all the lume parts"? How many hours does your chromalight Rolex glow? I'm specifically asking owners of 2008+ DeepSea Sea Dweller, 2008+ solid gold Submariner Date, 2009+ steel/gold Submariner Date, 2010+ steel Submariner Date and finally 2012+ Submariner owners.

[sleddog]

Very sorry the topic was sidetracked?!?

Have Rolex replace all the lume, I'd be willing to bet there will be no change in terms of lume lasting any longer.

Take a read through numerous threads on this topic, and you will understand, that Rolex lume isn't a long lasting/bright glowing lume.
I didn't want to sit here and type out a long winded reply, as there are variables, but in general, your lume is as per 'normal'!

Remember, light captured by the eye, depends on how accustom to the light you are at any given moment. Meaning, it takes your eyes longer to adjust if you go from bright light, to no light.

I've owned most of the references you speak of (except the bi metal sub, not that makes any difference at all) and all last well for a few hours (1 or 2 hours), then dissipate fast. However, if you wake up in the middle of the night, eyes adjusted to the dark, I can still read my watch via its lume 7 or 8 hours later, all be it, dull.

Makes no difference to me, have your watch opened up and lume replaced, but I bet you will see no change in length of brightness. As I said in my original post....

So, on topic, if I were in your shoes, No, I would NOT have RSC do anything to your (my) watch.

[SubMariner17]

Wow, THANK YOU for elaborating. I feel better about not wanting to take it to get serviced until it's 7-10yr service interval. I'm one week new to Rolex and this forum so THANK YOU. Btw - Would you remember commend it be sent to Dallas or is Beverly Hills just as good?

[sleddog]

Either will give the same service, but me personally would use the one I'm closer to and take it in myself to avoid shipping...

Your watch is good for 7 to 10 years before a service. Enjoy your watch, don't sweat the small stuff, and welcome to the forum!

[ulrichhh]

Originally Posted by SubMariner17

Wow, THANK YOU for elaborating. I feel better about not wanting to take it to get serviced until it's 7-10yr service interval. I'm one week new to Rolex and this forum so THANK YOU. Btw - Would you remember commend it be sent to Dallas or is Beverly Hills just as good?

Either will do

[SubMariner17]

I was just thinking "doesn't it bother you guys that for the past 9 years (since Chromalight was released) Rolex has been grossly overstating (3 hours isn't remotely close to 8 hours) the duration of the lume"? Is it wrong to assume that people paying $9,000 USD for a stainless steel watch would have made a bigger statement than "just buy a Tudor, everyone knows Rolex lumes only last 3 hours"? My next watch was going to be the 2017 Sea Dweller becuse of the 3235 movement. But, I'm not going to pay $12,000 for another stainless steel watch when it seems like Rolex has major quality control issues. Are there any other "known" quality control issues that Rolex owners simply accept/expect with their new time pieces?

[sleddog]

Me personally, don't really care about the lume to be honest. I'm buying my watch/s because I like the style, the history, the look. Lume is secondary in my opinion, and really has no bearing on the reason I purchased what I have....

Do you really want to see your watch in the dark, or will you be wearing the watch in bed and have the watch as your only source of time sans dark?

I can see why you are disappointed, but don't believe for a minute it has anything to do with money. You could spend far more on other brands, and get no better, or worse lume. You could spend much less, and get far better, or worse lume.
I think one needs to really think of what they want in a watch, and buy with that in mind. If you feel robbed in your purchase, that's unfortunate, but you did buy one of the best valued for resale, and that is Rolex.
Move to a different brand if it bothers you that much, or just enjoy the watch and it's quirks, after all, it's hard to admire one in the dark! Lume or not....

As for QC, lume isn't a fit. Poor alignment, dust under the crystal, or a scratched dial, that's QC issues..

[SubMariner17]

THANKS for replying sleddog. I'm very particular with everything I buy. For example, BMW has a complimentary 4-year/50,000 mile maintenance program which includes routine maintenance tasks such oil changes and replacement of air filters and spark plugs. It also includes selected wear items, including brakes, engine belts, manual-transmission clutches, and even wiper blades. I was literally at BMW every 3-4 months for the first four years of this warranty. I can't stand it when something is not up to specs. I didn't know Rolex watches were like owning a BMW. I actually expected Rolex to have the kind of reliability Lexus is known for. I've never heard of Lexus owners taking their car to the dealership 3-4 times/year during the first 4 years after driving their new Lexus off the lot. My friends who own Mercedes/BMW have told me they take their new cars to the dealership for warranty-related repairs just as often as I do. Do you happen to know if Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, Breguet or Lange & Sohne are known to have the reliability of a Lexus? Or, are these brands just as prone as Rolex to needing repairs during the initial warranty period? Thanks again for your time!!

[sleddog]

You've lost me.....

We were talking lume, now your saying Rolex is unreliable and needing repairs? Far from it!

I've never had a repair needed on any Rolex I've had in the 12 to 15 years or so I've owned one. Not to say others have not had an issue here or there, but Rolex is renowned for its reliability, they are well built, and in many ways way tougher than most on the market in the mid to high range of mechanical watches....

Your watch doesn't need repair imo, it has a lume that just isn't 'great', I'm ok with that on mine and know what to expect. I don't look at it in the dark anyway, or rarely at most.
Perhaps you need to just return it, as you'll never be stisfied with the Rolex lume it appears. To each their own.

[SubMariner17]

When I spoke to the Beverly Hills Service Center today, they told me it is rare for lume to only last 3 hours. They said it is definitely a quality control issue. That is why they offered to replace the dial, hour hand, minute hand and the "pearl". They usually only have to replace ONE of these components due to misapplied lume. He said usually it's the minute hand, or the hour hand or... But, rarely is it all of the luminous components. Would you really characterize a 1-week old Rolex with lume that only lasts maybe 3 hours as "just isn't great"? Are most Rolex owners this cavalier about Rolex being so far off on their stated specs? For example, since 2015, Rolex watches should have the precision of -2/+2 sec/day. If a Rolex owner with a 2015+ finds that his/her Rolex has a precision of -4/+4 sec/day, would they also just say: "my 1-week old Rolex just isn't great but it's ok because I like the style, the history, the look"? Btw - I'm not being facetious, I really am asking.

[Old Expat Beast]

The lume on all my Rolex watches doesn't usually last over night unless it's been fully charged for a minute under a lamp. Rolex really isn't known for great lume, and I'm surprised the service centre didn't ask you if you had charged yours up before timing the three hours.

[SubMariner17]

Thanks for replying Old Expat. They did ask me. I told them I've been wearing my Submariner Date out in the sun (so plenty of natural light/UV rays) for 4-6 hours per day these past 5 days. That's why the manager said he was surprised it only glowed for a good 2 hours and then barely noticeable for the last 3rd hour.

[SubMariner17]

Sleddog. I am enjoying my watch now. The most frustrating part is knowing what is "normal" for Rolex. Once I know what to expect, then I'm able to enjoy the process. That's why I asked about the stereo-typical Rolex owner, their thoughts, their attitude towards "unmet specs". I wouldn't have cared if the lume only lasted 2-3 hours. But, when Rolex says it lasts up to 8 hours, and they've had since 2008 to perfect the duration of the lume, and Rolex owners say "you'll be lucky to get 1 solid hour, then it'll fade and you won't get anything near 7-8 hours", then I'm not sure what to think of Rolex. My father bought me the watch as a way to remember my mother (who passed away last summer). The doctor also said he doesn't have much time to live. This watch is a token of their love for me. My mother's nickname for me was "King David". So, the crown reminds me of her term of endearment. For this reason, I will never return the watch. I just wanted to protect/fix one of the sweetest gifts I've received from my father (in my mother's memory).

[Old Expat Beast]

Moving this thread to General Rolex Discussion. You'll get more opinions here, but they'll be very much along the lines of what you've already received from Rob.

[Bigsykedaddy]

Originally Posted by SubMariner17

Sleddog. I am enjoying my watch now. The most frustrating part is knowing what is "normal" for Rolex. Once I know what to expect, then I'm able to enjoy the process. That's why I asked about the stereo-typical Rolex owner, their thoughts, their attitude towards "unmet specs". I wouldn't have cared if the lume only lasted 2-3 hours. But, when Rolex says it lasts up to 8 hours, and they've had since 2008 to perfect the duration of the lume, and Rolex owners say "you'll be lucky to get 1 solid hour, then it'll fade and you won't get anything near 7-8 hours", then I'm not sure what to think of Rolex. My father bought me the watch as a way to remember my mother (who passed away last summer). The doctor also said he doesn't have much time to live. This watch is a token of their love for me. My mother's nickname for me was "King David". So, the crown reminds me of her term of endearment. For this reason, I will never return the watch. I just wanted to protect/fix one of the sweetest gifts I've received from my father (in my mother's memory).

Sorry for your loss, I also lost my mother a few years ago. As per the lume, like others have said it really doesn't last that long or glow that bright. I wouldn't send it in because they could scratch up your brand new watch and possibly make things worse. There are plenty of threads here where someone sends in a brand new watch to RSC and it comes back in a worse condition than it was before. Enjoy it and wear it in great health

[SubMariner17]

Bigdaddy, thanks for the advice. I have read that some people avoid getting their new watches serviced but I didn't know why. What you said makes a lot of sense. THANK YOU. I think I'll wait 4 1/2 years so they fix it before the 5-yr warranty is over. What do you think?

[padi56]

Originally Posted by sleddog

Sounds normal to me. Rolex has never had long lasting lume, and yours will not be any different from anyone else's here..

Have to agree and if charged with enough light in a very dark room should be visible for 4 hours or more.As for colour that would depend on that persons eyes some say its blue green colour others say its more blue.But in watches lume glow is far down my list of important features in any watch.

[Luap1976]

Originally Posted by sleddog

Sounds normal to me. Rolex has never had long lasting lume, and yours will not be any different from anyone else's here..

Its Normal my sub c is the same. My black bay on the other hand glows like a beast for hours and hours non stop pretty much

[Luap1976]

Originally Posted by brandrea

Welcome

If you want better lume, buy a Tudor

Lol that's what I said

[SeaDweller50]

A quick 30 seconds from your cell phones flash light is enough for it to glow all night. Certainly works for me.

[Devildog]

Originally Posted by SubMariner17

THANKS for replying sleddog. I'm very particular with everything I buy. For example, BMW has a complimentary 4-year/50,000 mile maintenance program which includes routine maintenance tasks such oil changes and replacement of air filters and spark plugs. It also includes selected wear items, including brakes, engine belts, manual-transmission clutches, and even wiper blades. I was literally at BMW every 3-4 months for the first four years of this warranty. I can't stand it when something is not up to specs. I didn't know Rolex watches were like owning a BMW. I actually expected Rolex to have the kind of reliability Lexus is known for. I've never heard of Lexus owners taking their car to the dealership 3-4 times/year during the first 4 years after driving their new Lexus off the lot. My friends who own Mercedes/BMW have told me they take their new cars to the dealership for warranty-related repairs just as often as I do. Do you happen to know if Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, Breguet or Lange & Sohne are known to have the reliability of a Lexus? Or, are these brands just as prone as Rolex to needing repairs during the initial warranty period? Thanks again for your time!!

If it helps your watch is completely normal in term sof Rolex lume.

I would be willing to bet, however, that your lume will still be glowing 4 or more hours later, just not very brightly. Its probably still visible in a darkened room when your eyes are fully acustomed to that darkness.

If the RSC are saying its rare for Rolex lume only to be lasting 3 hours they are either suggesting every Rolex watch I've owned or seen is faulty or perhaps they mean "still glowing no matter how faintly"

Rolex lume is known as being far from the best. If the marketing material says 8 hours then its stretching the reality. This is most likely not a quality control issue, just a "not as good as I was expecting" issue.

Using your car analogy you have a watch which will most likely be a Lexus in terms of reliability. It does not have a defective part. It simply has a part that does not perform as well as similar parts on some other makes of car. Lexus may be great for reliability, but they are not known for having the best performing suspension, for example. Its unlikely to ever fail, but some competitors have a less "crashy" ride.

PS - my BMW was 100% reliable. Not one issue whatsoever.

PPS - Rolex blue chromalight is generally more aqua than blue. See my avatar which is about as blue as it gets in real life (as opposed to edited digital images)
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[Etschell]

this wont end well.

OP if you need lume to glow for all hours of the night strongly you should do more research on models such as panerai, the seiko monster or tudor.

[phez]

Originally Posted by SubMariner17

I would appreciate it if we can stay on topic: "If you were in my shoes, would you allow the Beverly Hills service center to replace all the lume parts"? How many hours does your chromalight Rolex glow? I'm specifically asking owners of 2008+ DeepSea Sea Dweller, 2008+ solid gold Submariner Date, 2009+ steel/gold Submariner Date, 2010+ steel Submariner Date and finally 2012+ Submariner owners.

If charged for a few seconds under a light, the lube on my 2016 TT Sub date glows for 8 hours at least

[sco]

I'm guessing that you are not letting your eyes adjust to a very dark room. My 116610 lume will last all night with a bright light source to charge it first. It may get a little dimmer, but it does glow.

[Devildog]

Originally Posted by phez

If charged for a few seconds under a light, the lube on my 2016 TT Sub date glows for 8 hours at least

like this?

https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Lovin-.../dp/B007XHFZ76

I'm curious as to what kind of relationship you have with your watch Paul. I know we love our Rolexes but dude....

[socalsub]

Don't fix what ain't broken. You are likely to cause more damage than good. I can't think of many people who would actually need the lume to last that many hours. My SubC lume never lasted very long from the start. Try to enjoy it for the other fine things it offers, and don't sweat the small stuff. I'm sorry for your loss, and hope you can enjoy the nice gift from your father.

[Quailhunter]

I have a relatively new GMT. If I strongly charge the lume with a very bright LED flashlight, I have some lume left after 7-8 hours. It is faint but it is readable. If I just wear the watch during the day and go to bed with it, 3-5 hours is about what I get. My lume is more blue than green.

At night, I wear a Luminox watch. It uses tritium for the dial and hands. It's well over 15 years and the lume is still bright enough for my old eyes. The Luminox watches are very inexpensive, especially compared to Rolex. I think the half life for the lume is about 10 years.

I also have a bedside battery alarm clock that gently glows all night.