Need advise on lume mixture

[Strodda]

How far does a 2gm bottle of lume last?

I have done a variety of watches, no PAM's though. I had 4gms, I've probably relumed 15-20 watches, and I still have some left. I actually ran out of the included binder before I did the pigment.

On one of my keepers, I experimented with a clear lacquer nail polish as a binder, and it turned out quite well. I couldnt tell a difference. Only thing was that I had to add a drop of thinner, because the nail polish started to set faster than the binder3 I get from noctilumina.

 

[ajs914]

What do people think of the watchbitz lume? Seems like a bargain compared to these others.

 

[Strodda]

What do people think of the watchbitz lume? Seems like a bargain compared to these others.

Ive never used it, but for the price, I wouldnt trust it. For very little money you can get bags of pigment from watchlume(not w@tchlume), and given that you usually get what you pay for, I wouldnt waste my time with it.

Im just assuming, but I dont think watchbitz is cheap just to be nice. Its probably inferior in quality, so therefore, less expensive.

 

[Rick914]

Im just assuming, but I dont think watchbitz is cheap just to be nice. Its probably inferior in quality, so therefore, less expensive.

Then why comment if you don't know?
It's really not bad. It's very fine powder and last just as long as the WL stuff. It's not as bright but I wouldn't call it inferior in quality. I dont think Col would spend the time and effort to put out poor quality stuff. It's also very good for people starting out. You get a lot for a low price with the discount. If you want the best, then get the Tritec nothing else compares. I've used W@L, WL, Tritec, G-102, and a few crap lumed off the Bay.
Thanks
Rick

 

[Strodda]

Then why comment if you don't know?
It's really not bad. It's very fine powder and last just as long as the WL stuff. It's not as bright but I wouldn't call it inferior in quality. I dont think Col would spend the time and effort to put out poor quality stuff. It's also very good for people starting out. You get a lot for a low price with the discount. If you want the best, then get the Tritec nothing else compares. I've used W@L, WL, Tritec, G-102, and a few crap lumed off the Bay.
Thanks
Rick

Well pardon me. I didnt mean to offend anyone. "you get what you pay for" is usually quite accurate, and a safe bet if you have to take a gamble. If that stuff is good, then awesome... maybe Ill give it a try, because what I buy isnt the most expensive, but it sure isnt the cheapest.


Maybe my use of the word "inferior" was a bit harsh, but by definition, the watchbitz stuff is. Even you said its not bad. But there's a lot of crap before you get to good. And if it is not as bright, that would make it less bright, meaning inferior.

 

[Raddave]

If that stuff is good, then awesome... maybe Ill give it a try.

Yeah , you should try it Strodda. Its pretty good stuff. I have both the NoctiLumina and the watchbitz (Offshore) lume.

As far as the green (G15FW vs G101 ) is concerned, i cant tell the difference. same color, brightness and lasts as long. The noctilumina feels just a little smoother when mixed, but i cant see the any difference in the way the mixture looks.

Now on the blue (B17FW vs Y201) the Noctilumina has a aqua glow vs the Offshore a real deep blue. The noctilumina glows alot brighter and seems to last alot longer. But i prefer the blue glow of the Offshore stuff.

 

[Strodda]

Yeah , you should try it Strodda. Its pretty good stuff. I have both the NoctiLumina and the watchbitz (Offshore) lume.

As far as the green (G15FW vs G101 ) is concerned, i cant tell the difference. same color, brightness and lasts as long. The noctilumina feels just a little smoother when mixed, but i cant see the any difference in the way the mixture looks.

Now on the blue (B17FW vs Y201) the Noctilumina has a aqua glow vs the Offshore a real deep blue. The noctilumina glows alot brighter and seems to last alot longer. But i prefer the blue glow of the Offshore stuff.

Well thanks for the info. I might give the G101 a shot if its noticeably cheaper, but for the blue lume, I like the brighter aqua of NL.

 

[ajs914]

Will even the inexpensive lume be a whole lot better than standard rep lume?

What quality of lume, for example, do you need to say match the gen lume on a 16610 sub?

 

[Bonesey]

Superluminova, because that's what Rolex uses.

The blue lume they use is also Superluminova. But it's a custom blend not sold to a single other supplier or watch company. They call it Chromalight.

 

[ShiroTenshi]

A lot of very useful information here. Thanks everyone!
Being a newbie, I guess my best bet is to buy the watchblitz lume (10g) and the binder that col or bonsey/rick recommended.

Im sure the answers here helps not only me but many who wants to try luming but do not have the courage/knowledge to start out!

 

[Rick914]

Well pardon me. I didnt mean to offend anyone. "you get what you pay for" is usually quite accurate, and a safe bet if you have to take a gamble. If that stuff is good, then awesome... maybe Ill give it a try, because what I buy isnt the most expensive, but it sure isnt the cheapest.


Maybe my use of the word "inferior" was a bit harsh, but by definition, the watchbitz stuff is. Even you said its not bad. But there's a lot of crap before you get to good. And if it is not as bright, that would make it less bright, meaning inferior.

Sorry if that came out a little harsh too bud, didnt mean to sound mean. Just didnt want folks getting the idea it was junk, because its really a good product. I use it a lot mixed with WL. The WL gives it a little more brightness.


FYI - The Superluminova Blue thats closest to the Rolex blend is BG W9

 

[CoolRob]

Very good information here. Thanks for sharing the good stuff. I got some already but will need time to try the lume out

 

[ajs914]

Will even the inexpensive lume be a whole lot better than standard rep lume?

What quality of lume, for example, do you need to say match the gen lume on a 16610 sub?

I know that Super luminova is the brand name for Tritec's lume.

I guess my question is more along the lines of, if one is not going to use Tritec ($$$) how close to gen are you going to get with Watchbitz lume, watchlume.net, watchlume.com, or Noctilumina?

Also, with regards to the 16610. Does your average 10 year old Sub "glow like a torch". What about a 16610 from 2010? Did Rolex change the out of the box lume over time?

I guess I don't have enough points of reference. I have an SSD that was "super lumed" by the previous owner and it is my most luminous watch but it's not glow like a torch obnoxious. My TC LV comes very close - maybe 95% of the SSD. My gen Seamaster Professional GMT (circa 2000) definitely doesn't glow very long. It glows nice after sun exposure but dies off relatively quickly. My other watches all have pretty weak lume.

 

[lourentgarnier]

Reading reviews of gens, very often it's said that the lume of some brands/models are not that luminous: B&R for example but also some Omega. So even superluming rep, in certain cases, might be an exaggeration and a tell. imho

 

[Raddave]

Yeah , you should try it Strodda. Its pretty good stuff. I have both the NoctiLumina and the watchbitz (Offshore) lume.

As far as the green (G15FW vs G101 ) is concerned, i cant tell the difference. same color, brightness and lasts as long. The noctilumina feels just a little smoother when mixed, but i cant see the any difference in the way the mixture looks.

Now on the blue (B17FW vs Y201) the Noctilumina has a aqua glow vs the Offshore a real deep blue. The noctilumina glows alot brighter and seems to last alot longer. But i prefer the blue glow of the Offshore stuff.

Well thanks for the info. I might give the G101 a shot if its noticeably cheaper, but for the blue lume, I like the brighter aqua of NL.

Well i just wanted to update this in case anyone is interested....

Ive been able to mimic the Noctilumina B17FW by mixing 2 parts Offshore Y201(blue) with 3 parts Offshore G101 (green). The color is aqua, i cant see a difference between the two, they have the same brightness, as far as i can tell, and the lume duration is about the same...

A 50/50 mixture will yeild a bluer aqua which isnt quite as bright, but the lume seems to last just as long...

 

[gurulikedrucker]

If you are conus Noctiluma works great and mixes really nicely. I have no experience with [email protected].

I will warn everyone not to bother with anything from Watchlume.com, the binder is complete shit and the lume is coarse and about as bright as standard rep lume.