Advice about lume on my Rolex

[Hayst92]

Hello everyone, I was recently called by my AD and I was able to purchase my Submariner 124060.

Everything has been impressive so far, but there's one thing that's been bothering me in the past few days: the lume of the watch.

It looks like the lume on the minute and hour hands is weaker compared to everything else. I made a picture after staying outside in the sun with the watch for some hours, I've attached it to this post.

The weaker lume also tends to fade quicker, and after some time I can only see the hour markers and on the watch if I'm in the complete dark.


I wanted to ask if this kind of difference in the lume brightness is normal and to be expected on a new watch, thanks a lot.

[waterman1]

No I would say not typical if light was evenly distributed on the dial, and if you were in the sun then UV light should have been evenly distributed across the watch.

[EEpro]

Definitely not normal. Glad it came from AD

[geoach]

just checked my DS the hands match the hour plots perfectly......get it checked out

[jimcameron]

In over 30years of Rolex Sub ownership. I have always been disappointed in the lume. Give it a try in having RSC replace the hands. If you absolutely need bright lume consider a Ball watch.

[padi56]

Advice about lume on my Rolex, stop worring about it just wear and enjoy your watch in good health for the next 30 odd years now thats far more important can assure you.

[Harry-57]

All my Professional Rolex watches have good lume which will easily last the night and are bright enough once my eyes are dark adapted. The lume on your hands looks way off assuming they were fully charged. How did you charge the lume up?

[G-dog]

Picked up my 124060 this week too. Your post made me think I better check mine. Sorry to tell you mine looks as I'd expect, so there's no harm in you questioning it with the AD.

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[jerseyb]

That is definitely not worth the aggravation of sending it back. I doubt you read the time in darkness often. Enjoy your new watch.

[Porschen]

If the lume on the hands fades to nothing after a few hours, I would take the watch back and have the hands replaced.

All my Rolex watches, including 2 Oyster Perpetuals (one with the older green lume) are all even, and bright.

I can understand the “just enjoy the watch” mindset (and have taken that approach with a clasp imperfection on my 116900), but I also understand the expectation that it works as designed based on what we pay for these things.

Plus, your AD may be able to do this for you quickly if they are an authorized service center.

[WatchSmith]

The application of lume can be thinner on hands than on the dial indices which can have deeper "pots".

Charge it up really well before bed and then check it @ 3am. If you cannot read the time then you can discuss with your AD.

[Old Expat Beast]

Charge it up with an LED flashlight or the one on your phone for one minute, then look again. Just wearing it outside won't get it fully charged.

[rootbeer7]

Perhaps post an image of it in the light.

[lencap]

I've seen similar brightness differences on several Rolex models. How did you illuminate the dial? Was it in bright sunlight, or with a flashlight? I've noticed that using an LED bulb to "charge" the lume results in uneven glow and fading. Try it again in daylight, and various bulbs. Also try to keep bulb light constant for at least two minutes to eliminate inconsistency in your testing.

[Hayst92]

Thanks for your suggestions, this time I've charged up the lume by keeping the watch under almost direct sunlight (in front of a window) for about 30 minutes, I'm attaching the images of how it looks after that.

The first picture is right after I took it away from the sun (you can see it's brighter), the other pictures are after a while when the lume started to discharge.
I also tried charging the lume using my phone's LED flashlight and the results are basically the same.

The issue of the hour and minute hands discharging faster is still present, although it takes a while until it gets to the point where I can only see the hour plots.

The only problem with going back to the AD would be the 6 hours drive to get there, and then come back.

Please tell me what you think, thanks a lot.

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Charge it up with an LED flashlight or the one on your phone for one minute, then look again. Just wearing it outside won't get it fully charged.

Outside in the sun works great, cell phones not so much imho. If you want a 'torch' to light 'er up... only $18 from Amazon and it works EXCEPTIONALLY well

https://amzn.to/3Q7mheq

PS: it also helps find dog pee on the carpet... and other bodily fluids.

[Krash]

I was never pleased with the lume on my 114060. But, reality is, I never really spent much time outside in the sun. A couple years back, we were on vacation. One day I spent all day at Zion National Park in Utah. My lume was on fire that night. Couldn’t believe it. If you spend all day in the office or inside, you’re not going to be impressed.

With all that said, the hands should be just as bright as the indices.




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[Harry-57]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

Outside in the sun works great, cell phones not so much imho. If you want a 'torch' to light 'er up... only $18 from Amazon and it works EXCEPTIONALLY well

https://amzn.to/3Q7mheq

PS: it also helps find dog pee on the carpet... and other bodily fluids.

I use something similar. I use the UV (dark light) function to charge my lume. It takes 2 seconds.

Windows tend to filter out UV light, so standing it inside a window in sunlight may well not charge the hands sufficiently. The dial lumes are bigger and will hold more charge when half charged, thus the difference - possibly.

The only time my watch lumes get properly charged without a UV torch is if I've been walking about for some time in direct sunlight. Works best when I'm in the Mediterranean, not so well in the gloomy UK.

[miamiclay]

In Ye Olde Times, before Rolex swallowed up almost all of their suppliers, the dials and hands often came from two different suppliers who might use different lume formulas, so mismatched lume was very common. These days though, I wouldn’t expect this from a new watch.

Only you can decide whether having slightly brighter hands in the predawn hours is worth a twelve-hour (!) round trip drive - If the lumes’ colors don’t look mismatched in daylight, it would not be worth it to me (especially with no guarantee that new hands will be any better of a match).

[padi56]

Originally Posted by miamiclay

In Ye Olde Times, before Rolex swallowed up almost all of their suppliers, the dials and hands often came from two different suppliers who might use different lume formulas, so mismatched lume was very common. These days though, I wouldn’t expect this from a new watch.

Only you can decide whether having slightly brighter hands in the predawn hours is worth a twelve-hour (!) round trip drive - If the lumes’ colors don’t look mismatched in daylight, it would not be worth it to me (especially with no guarantee that new hands will be any better of a match).

Correct dials are still made in 3 different factories but now all owned by Rolex,and firm called Aiguilles makes all the watch hands for all Rolex models.

[9000feet]

My (August 2023) 124060 lume on the hands match the brightness of the dial markers. I occasionally use the Amazon UV light posted above as well, depending on where I'm located at night.

[georgew]

Originally Posted by 9000feet

My (August 2023) 124060 lume on the hands match the brightness of the dial markers. I occasionally use the Amazon UV light posted above as well, depending on where I'm located at night.

this is the case with my march 2022 124060 as well. Charged up it is pretty bright and lasts through the night - here it is just charged with LED light for 30 secs. The hands match the markers brightness

[img]

[puma1552]

Doesn't look great, but it's not something I'd like a new watch opened up for specifically when it's eventually going to be opened up for a service later anyway; in other words, I'd just wait until its first service and deal with it then when the watch is already being torn apart.

[JMGoodnight369]

From left to right-124060,116170,126234
Rolex might switch out the dial but I asked RSC because my 126610LV appeared to have weaker lume than the 124060 and they told me that the lume is not covered under warranty.


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[georgew]

Originally Posted by puma1552

Doesn't look great, but it's not something I'd like a new watch opened up for specifically when it's eventually going to be opened up for a service later anyway; in other words, I'd just wait until its first service and deal with it then when the watch is already being torn apart.

sound advice here worth considering

[Normunds]

I've had 2 explorers and on both lume on hands was weaker than on dial after an hour or so.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by padi56

Correct dials are still made in 3 different factories but now all owned by Rolex,and firm called Aiguilles makes all the watch hands for all Rolex models.

Good information Peter

[worldofoyster]

definitely not normal, have it check out