Luminous markers on 98 Explorer II??

[cjj14u]

I just bought a second hand black face Explorer II (98 model) with the "swiss T < 25" dial.

The markers will only illuminate in the dark for a minute or so and only after you place the watch under a very bright light.

Is this normal for this dial after 9 years?

Thanks

[frostie]

Hi and welcome to TRF. It is normal for tritium dial notto glow so much in the dark after 9 years.

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Welcome to TRF

Quite normal! Being radioactive, Tritium has a "half-life" in terms of deterioration of the glow. The half-life is about 6 years, so after 9 years, it will only glow slightly or not at all.

[frostie]

The best solution is to change the tritium to superluminova

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Originally Posted by frostie

The best solution is to change the tritium to superluminova

Well, it can be discussed if this is the "best" solution.

SuperLuminova would bring back the glow, but the the dial/hands change would lower the re-sale value of the watch.

So IMHO the "best" solution would be to have the dial/hands exchanged to SuperLuminova, but also to KEEP THE ORIGINAL HANDS + DIAL!

That way you can have it changed back if you want to sell the watch later on

[frostie]

Bo i agree with you

[mike]

Welcome!

What you're experiencing is the tritium becomming weak. Tritium is a mildly radioactive substance with a half life of about 12.5 years.
Tritium in and of itself does not glow, but rather acts as a catalyst to excite the posphors in the markers to glow. Even at nine years, when the paint matrix was applied is unknown.
What you're experiencing with the slight glow after exposure to light is the reaction of the posphors to an outside source.

Should you change the dial it will be one containing superluminova (non-radioactive) and need an outside source to activate.

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Mike. 12,5 years it is (I wrote 6).

[frostie]

i thought that tritium dial could last for more. How mane years can a superluminova last?

[Tools]

Originally Posted by frostie

i thought that tritium dial could last for more. How mane years can a superluminova last?

Superluminova will last indefinitely, however, it needs to be "charged" under light before it will glow.

After a few hours the glow will become almost negligable. So I would tell anyone with a Tritium dial to keep it original and look for a lampost if telling the time at night.

[mike]

Originally Posted by frostie

i thought that tritium dial could last for more.

Actually frostie some do. Early gilt/gloss trit. dials seem to exibit some weak lume after all these years. Indeed my own gilt/gloss 1675 will exibit some VERY weak lume in darkness. This on a watch thats over fourty years old with the orginal untouched dial.
There's been a lot of speculation among collectors that Rolex ofthis era used a different mixture of tritium. Interestingly this seems to have all but vanished when the switch to matt dials occured.

Those dials possessing Radium as an exciting agent, of course, are a different story. Those will still give a bit of glow.

[frostie]

Thanks for the info mike . So as a result the best thing is superluminova which glows forever but it needs a source of light in order to get activated

[mike]

Originally Posted by frostie

Thanks for the info mike . So as a result the best thing is superluminova which glows forever but it needs a source of light in order to get activated

They say luminova is not supposed to lose it's punch or patina like trit. has a tendency to do, but Rolex has only used it since about 1998 so it might be a bit early yet.

Time will tell.......

[frostie]

thanks for the info mike