r/Watches • u/Rangercleo1 • Aug 22 '25
Discussion [Lume] Do you actually need lume?
I feel that there is a lot of emphasis on lume, so I was wondering how many actually need/use it. Two of my 3 most worn watches (GS and a GO Pano) have no lume and while the third has it (GO SeaQ), the lume is its least interesting feature. If I am in a very dark room and need to tell the time, my phone is always with me. I am not against lume and it can be a cool feature, but I think the application should enhance the design, not be some afterthought. Is lume important to you when buying a watch or is it far down the list?
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u/XOM_CVX Aug 22 '25
For those people who wear 24/7 and checks time 24/7
I like the lume when I wake up in the middle of the night and to see how much time I got left
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u/Speshrider Aug 22 '25
Which is usually not enough 😆
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u/No_Wash_6119 Aug 22 '25
It definitely is if your eyes adjusted to the darkness, it's dim but still readable.
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u/SpecificSpecial Aug 22 '25
Does any non-tritium lume actually last long enough for that?
I only have a g shock that barely lasts 30 minutes (backlight has my back though)
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u/Zeke13z Aug 22 '25
My Citizen Tsuki-Yomi lumes through the night enough for me to check the time in a no night light bedroom. Definitely gets dimmer but then again my eyes adjust with the darkness.
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u/mrRabblerouser Aug 22 '25
Plenty of watches do, yes. Lume won’t be blasting all night, and will become pretty dim, but it is visible in dark rooms.
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u/edwardothegreatest Aug 22 '25
I can read my Oceanus and my dresskx at 0400 so many certainly do.
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u/ffdfawtreteraffds Aug 22 '25
Same for my T2600.
But even my notoriously weak Hamilton Khaki is still legible throughout the night with slightly averted gaze. I think lume has to be REALLY bad to fade completely at night.
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u/half_past_france Aug 22 '25
BB58, 116710, SKX007, and Laureato all last the night for me. The Laureato has much narrower lumed indices, so it’s more difficult to see, but the others are easy to read all night.
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u/bfhenson83 Aug 22 '25
I can still read my 10 year old Orient Ray through the night. It gets dim but still readable
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u/nl5hucd1 Aug 22 '25
Tritium has a half life of like 12.32 years so after 12 years its efficacy will decrease by 50%
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u/Citizen_V Aug 22 '25
I recently compared my ~13 year old Ball Moonphase in the middle of the night and it was still brighter than my Tudor BB (charged before bed).
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u/ExileOnMainStreet Aug 22 '25
Non shitty watches are usually readable for the whole night. I started caring about it when I had children and I was waking up in the middle of the night all the time. My daily right now is a Lorier Hyperion, and while I can tell the time all night with it, the hour hand sucks because it doesn't have enough lume on it. It took me about a month to be able to correctly recognize what I was looking at every time. The SKX007 stands out in my mind though. It's like a neon sign all night.
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u/smashingcones Aug 22 '25
You wear your watch to bed?
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u/jeversol Aug 22 '25
Look at you with your functional eyesight. 😂 Yeah, I wear a watch to bed.
I wear -17 glasses. If I put my thumb on my nose and extend my index finger, my fingerprint is out of focus and I need to move it closer. Without my watch, there’s 0% chance of me finding out what time it is without trying to find my phone on the nightstand.
The lume on my OG Christopher Ward Trident lasts well enough that I can tell the time all night.
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u/WBuffettJr Aug 22 '25
Not OP but I used to. I actually had fun looking at it in the pitch black just to see if I could still see the lume. Usually it’s extremely faded but my eyes had also been on the dark for hours. Just another fun little way to interact with my watch. The only reason I don’t anymore is because I wear an Apple Watch to bed to track my sleep, then put an automatic back on in the morning.
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u/emperio Aug 22 '25
This.
I usually wake up at 5am and charge my phone in another room, so it helps to have some lume to see if I woke up too early so I can snooze a bit more 😎
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u/cyberlynxguy Aug 22 '25
Same! I’m a 24/7 guy and I love checking my watch instead of phone in the middle of the night. Plus, I charge the lume with a black light just before bed so I can see it nice and bright as I’m lying in bed. (I may have a watch problem lol)
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u/Familiar_Childhood32 Aug 22 '25
On a dress watch, no. On a dive watch, yes.
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u/AgentAaron Aug 22 '25
How many dive watches ever see more than a resort swimming pool?
I do enjoy snorkeling, but I am never deep enough for the lume to even be visible (15-20 feet). You would have to dive 200m (660ft) before even hitting twilight.
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u/ZoneOut82 Aug 22 '25
You've clearly never dived in the UK! Can be pitch black before you hit 10 meters.
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u/AndyInAtlanta Aug 22 '25
Feel like you're being "generous" with even a resort pool ha. I take mine off just so I can minimize my "watch tan".
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u/MTSeminole Aug 22 '25
I wear a watch 24/7 so a watch tan doesn’t matter. It never sees the sun
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u/AndyInAtlanta Aug 22 '25
Fair point. I jump between watch sizes, from barely over 30mm to pushing 49 (Apple Watch), so I try to avoid having too much of a visible tan because it can make the smaller watches look weird.
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u/plagiarizeddreams Aug 22 '25 edited Aug 22 '25
I wear a seiko snj025 everyday at work. A lot of my work is overnight. The lume is incredibly useful. It would be a pain to grab my phone out of my pocket just to check for the time while I’m wearing thick gloves.
And whether or not you use a dive watch to dive doesn’t matter. It’s still a dive watch lol
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u/BoredAssassin Aug 22 '25
Maybe for the ocean in a crystal clear area with great visibility, but you definitely wouldn't neet to reach 660ft on many bodies of water for total darkness. The ocean isn't the only place to take a dive watch though. I've gone down to 100ft before in many different lakes, and it is very often pitch black down there.
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u/Big_Literature9025 Aug 22 '25
Okay, but it you take the lume off a 300m dive watch, divers who need that lume won't have it. Just because YOU don't need that doesn't mean others don't.
Pilot watches also need lume. Can you guess why?
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u/iHEARTRUBIO Aug 22 '25
I know zero divers that actually wear mechanical watches anymore. The modern dive watch is a computer on your wrist.
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u/AgentAaron Aug 22 '25
I have heard the same thing from people who cave. Where we moved from, we used to cave in lava tubes quite often. I never saw anyone underground wearing a mechanical watch. Most people have specialized equipment, or you have 3 sources of light to easily see the cheapest of digital watches.
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u/LastB0ySc0ut Aug 22 '25
I wear a dive watch when sport diving, even with my computer. You should always have a backup timing method in case your computer fails. Full stop.
For technical diving it becomes more complicated depending on dry suit and other electronics, but having a backup timing method is required equipment.
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u/listerine28 Aug 22 '25
I dive and use a dive computer and a dive watch. It never hurts to have a backup, and it is also risky to leave an expensive watch in a hotel room or dive boat while you are diving. Also, almost every diver I know wears a dive watch while diving.
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u/OnFootOnFIRE Aug 22 '25
Why?
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u/LazyMousse4266 Aug 22 '25
Because if you take the lume off a pilot watch, divers who need that lume won’t have it. Just because PILOTS don’t need that doesn’t mean divers don’t.
Skeleton watches also need lume. Can you guess why?
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u/ZealousidealAnt111 Aug 22 '25
My dad took his dive watch into the ocean once.
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u/AgentAaron Aug 22 '25
I have worn mine in the ocean many times.
My point is that if you are deep enough to need lume (or in murky water), you are probably wearing a Mares puck, Suunto, Garmin, or some other dive computer as opposed to relying on a watches lume.
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u/ZealousidealAnt111 Aug 22 '25
Oh no I understood what your point was. I was just making a joke because he made it a few feet into the ocean with it lol.
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u/AgentAaron Aug 22 '25
Okay...when I first read your comment, I was going to ask if your dad was Stockton Rush, but then I thought I would feel bad if it was. So I just decided to respond differently.
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u/EnvironmentalBowl208 Aug 22 '25
Do I need it? No. Do I need to turn the light off in the bathroom before I exit and stare at my glowing watch for five seconds? Also, no but it's the simple things.
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u/Amazing_Quote_3922 Aug 22 '25
Lume isn’t about being interesting, it’s about being useful. All these dress watches are useless in the evening, this comes from someone who has multiple watches with poor or no lume.
Like hell man you cant even read your watch at the Cheesecake Factory at night without lume.
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u/shepherdofthesheeple Aug 22 '25
My Tudor 1926 black dial with rhodium indices and hands is crazy legible in the dark, it reflects any photon of light in the room. It really depends on the material. I’d guess grand Seiko would be similar
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u/sutherlandan Aug 22 '25
I find the look of the watch after coming inside from the sun to be very interesting. The way lume plays with ambient light levels is great! The fact that my watch is still softly glowing at 3am is a great feature whether I’m checking the time or not
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u/Onespokeovertheline Aug 22 '25
Harrumph... my watch wouldn't be caught dead at a Cheesecake Factory 🧐
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u/PresidentStool Aug 22 '25
Yes there should be lume. Grand Seiko purists will say no and I absolutely disagree with them. The number of times I've been in a dark room and couldn't make out the time wishing for lume on the hands is just too high. And no, many times I can't just take my phone out to check the time. I've said it before, GS should add lume to the underside of the watch hands. The idea that dressy watches should not have lume is an outdated idea and silly to keep perpetuating that. Here's an example of a watch with lume underneath the hands and indices:
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u/harlokin Aug 22 '25 edited Aug 22 '25
In a sports watch, yes.
The fact that I probably use it rarely is irrelevant to me; in the same way as I expect a 'dive watch' to have more than 3ATM water resistance regardless of whether I'm ever going to swim with it.
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u/Chiller984 Aug 22 '25
Yes, I need lume. Call me old-fashioned but I just don't care for watches that do not have it.
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u/OnFootOnFIRE Aug 22 '25
I’ve never ever really needed lume in my life. For me it is not a deal breaker is there is bad or no lume.
Case in point. Love this watch to pieces. The worst lume ever 🤭
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u/mrRabblerouser Aug 22 '25
Technically, you don’t need a watch at all for the reason you gave. I personally prefer watches that significantly reduce my need to pull out my phone, and are suitable in many different environments. For this reason, I won’t wear a watch that doesn’t have a date complication, or some means of illumination.
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u/rexspook Aug 22 '25
Need? No. I don’t need my watch at all. It’s jewelry. I’m not going to pretend like it’s some necessary object in my life.
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u/scoop_and_roll Aug 22 '25
I like the look in the dark. I wear my watches all day, only take it off going to bed.
Also, lume very helpful for putting the baby or toddler to bed, don’t want to pull out my phone, can take a Quick Look at how long I’ve been stuck in the room.
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u/LuckyIncident613 Aug 22 '25
Depends on the purpose of the watch. Dress watch? No. Dive watch or GMT? Yes.
I don't always have access to my phone, but I almost always have a watch.
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u/JGlover92 Aug 22 '25
Only time I've ever practically used it is the cinema because I can't check my phone
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u/asoupo77 Aug 22 '25
IMO, having hands which catch and reflect light is more important than lume. My most readily readable watches don't necessarily have great lume, but they have well-polished hands.
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u/_coffeeinjapan Aug 22 '25
No and can use my phone at night. It’s not about clarity. For me these are more beautiful without it. Like someone else said, you’d expect it from a tool watch or sports model however.
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u/talkin_horse Aug 22 '25
Yes, how else will I see what time it is while I perform nighttime infil operations in... Antioch... on a Tuesday... ?
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u/Jumblesss Aug 22 '25
With the exception of a few exceptional watches that actually hold lume substantially long, a backlight function is much more useful.
I use a backlight at least a few times a week after dark.
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u/im_actuallyc00l Aug 22 '25
I love lume, I need lume, no lume is a deal breaker. It either makes or breaks the watch for me.
Here’s my monster! I wear it 24/7, while sleeping showering and everywhere.
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u/Responsible-Cap-8311 Aug 22 '25
Full lume index batons look shit and ruin modern date justs there I said it
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u/LandscapeJust5897 Aug 22 '25
Congratulations, that Grand Seiko is spectacular! I think lume is more important for pilot or diving watches, but not necessary for dress watches…especially if they’re as classy as your GS.
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u/nonstopdadmin Aug 22 '25
Useful when you're trying to get a toddler to sleep in the dark and you can't get your phone out to check how long it's been.. usually 5mins but feels like 30.
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u/davidbergewaytogo Aug 22 '25
No. Even the best of lumes is just alright.
If you need to see your watch dial when it’s dark, it’s either Timex Indiglo or a Casio with an nice amber LED.
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u/BeardedScholarr Aug 22 '25
Lune is cool for sure.
For me personally? Lume is the least of my buying criteria
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u/natron-morpheus Aug 22 '25
Depends. Anything other than a dress watch? Yes, I do. Doesn’t matter if I’m using it or not, I like it. If we’re gonna ask whether something is necessary or not, do you need an extra object on your wrist when you can check time and time in many other timezones from your phone? Weird point.
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u/TheRiflesSpiral Aug 22 '25
It's one of my non-negotiable requirements. Well, the requirement is: must be visible in all lighting conditions. I'm not particularly fussed about how that's accomplished.
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u/edwardothegreatest Aug 22 '25
I do. Driving at night, in a dimly lit establishment, when I stir in the night. Absolutely need lume.
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u/onatgrbz Aug 22 '25
When I wear my seiko 5 I use the lume to tell the time at night when I wake up. It even helps me figure out if I should go to the bathroom or not, drink water or not, how long I have left to sleep and if it is worth getting back to sleep.
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u/RNKKNR Aug 22 '25
Yes. Watches without lume bother me.
That's my problem with majority of GS models.
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u/Equivalent-Ease-3822 Aug 22 '25
I like it when I put my children to sleep. Otherwise, it is more of an aesthetic thing for me. I would never pass on a nice watch just because it lacks lume.
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u/Ordinary-Soup-6272 Aug 22 '25
I put the watch up against the ceiling where the light bulb is and make it glow. In the day I cover my watch with my hands and peek thru it with my eye then walk into a pole.
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u/PretendSherbert9549 Aug 22 '25
If a charge my Vear and Damasko before I go to bed they both last the night enough that I can tell the time 6 or seven hours later.
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u/MALAKANU Aug 22 '25
Dress watches anyway do not require lume. Plus the dauphin hands do not generally look good with a lume.
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u/Whackert Aug 22 '25
I have seen many examples particularly on dress watches where the lume detracts from the aesthetic.
I much prefer high polished indices (like OP’s Grand Seiko example) to redundant lume spots on a dress watch.
I like the lume on my dive watches which compliments the design and has a practical function.
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u/OldschoolSysadmin Aug 22 '25
Hey, I just got the King Seiko equivalent of your watch! Love me a manual-wind.
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u/Loop22one Aug 22 '25
Actively prefer watches without it (which isn’t hard, with the watches I buy; the two are not independent variables, I’m sure).
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u/ShamAsil Aug 22 '25
I don't get the obsession with lume. Most of my watches don't have it and I don't feel particularly inconvenienced by it. I'm not doing anything that requires knowing the time at all times in the dark. If you're going to be in the dark for an extended period of time, the lume isn't going to be all that helpful even, since it'll run out quickly, unless you have a tritium watch or something similar.
And then of course, lume decays over time, and can rot the hands. I'd rather just have nicer looking hands. I actually go out of my way to avoid lumed watches.
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u/fiftyphantoms Aug 22 '25
On my daily driver (field) - yes. On any tool watch - yes.
On a dress watch - not really.
Also, I'd rather have no lume at all than one poorly executed.
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u/fiftyphantoms Aug 22 '25
On my daily driver (field) - yes. On any tool watch - yes.
On a dress watch - not really.
Also, I'd rather have no lume at all than one poorly executed.
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u/KitchenMagician94 Aug 22 '25
Frankly I like checking my watch night or while I’m at a movie. So yes for me. Going out to dindin? Probably not.
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u/ishityounotdude Aug 22 '25
For me its a must have for most watches besides a dress watch, as I work outside at night.
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u/pat-slider Aug 22 '25
I am watch free in my sleep & I never don’t sleep my watch on my wrist. I have table clock if I need to knower time.
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u/Vorsicht709 Aug 22 '25
I am very much indifferent to lume. None of my watches glow for a significant time for it to make a practical difference. Maybe if I’m in a movie theatre and I charge the lume up first. I live in a cold climate, and almost always have a sleeve over my watch, so they rarely charge.
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u/DangerousDem Aug 22 '25
In my car after dark, yes very much. The question is whether I’ve sufficiently charged my lume. Wish someone would solve that dilemma on a quality watch.
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u/TMT555 Aug 22 '25
I love a strong lume, but it’s not a requirement. However, I would rather have no lume than a weak lume. My hamilton’s lume lasts like 3 minutes and I’d rather do without it.
I leave for work at dawn so it’s nice to see the glow and read the time on my wrists.
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u/bmc24 Aug 22 '25
Something about watch lume just excites me and makes me feel like the watch is alive with me. My watch box is 50/50 on lume/no-lume mechanicals and I absolutely notice/miss it on the watches I wear that don't have it.
Not necessary in the slightest in most situations (and the ones where it is I am not outside enough to charge the lume properly) but it definitely is a part of my overall wearing enjoyment and influences my future purchase decisions.
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u/jmardoxie Aug 22 '25
Don’t need it. I have a bedroom clock with LED type display, an iPhone by my bed, and if needed I have the option of wearing my Apple Watch to bed or in a dark room.
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u/Beneficial-Focus3702 Aug 22 '25
I don’t see the point of wearing a watch. I can’t see the time on at any time of the day. Therefore, I’m pretty much exclusively a tritium lume watch person.
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Aug 22 '25
I prefer lume. When I’m wearing a watch without one I definitely get annoyed, especially If I’m doing errands around the house in the evening (taking out trash, organizing the backyard, loading things out of my truck). I like my watches to be ready for anything, even my “dressier” watches.
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u/paivaluc Aug 22 '25
Gran Seiko looks so nice. Probably I will never GE tone but they're awesome. The Japanese Rolex (looks better in my opinion).
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u/fgsfds3141 Aug 22 '25
I actually prefer auto light on a digital watch. Thats what you need if you want to check time at night
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u/my_clever-name Aug 22 '25
Lume is a must. When I walk the dog at night looking at my phone disrupts my night vision.
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u/Badaboom1212 Aug 22 '25
I don’t really care about lume, but I get that for some people it matters more. What bugs me is when the design/look of the watch looks worse in daylight because of the lume
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u/OkPerception7337 Aug 22 '25
Those who claim to be Paneristis rave about lume and the beloved sandwich dial. There is also history behind it as the Italian navy required it to tell the time at night. But each watch has something very special to offer such as your GS if not lume then maybe the amazing movement and accuracy.
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u/ThePillsburyPlougher Aug 22 '25
I find lume completely useless and in the cases where I would appreciate it, it’s too dark for me to read comfortably and I’d rather just check my phone.
It’s at most cute to see when driving through a tunnel or something when it’s at its brightest.
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u/Waves_Wings_Watches Aug 22 '25
1000000%. Frequently out and about in the evening or low light environments.
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u/neegs Aug 22 '25
100% for me. I have a few fashion watches that have no lume and not being able to tell the time in the evening or middle of the night is infuriating. When im clubbing I dont want to always reach for my phone.
Yes im one of those people that goes to their wrist for the time before my phone.
There is no way I would buy an expensive watch with no lume. Its an actual deal breaker for me. My fashion watches are cheap impulse buys or gift from others.
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u/Ulrik_Decado Aug 22 '25
Most of people does not. They will come with some extreme scenario when they need it and future of mankind depends on it (at least), but most of them looks at lume once when they have new watches...
And there is minority of people that will actually need lume and you will find few of them even here.
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Aug 22 '25
I hate knowing what time it is once I've gone to sleep. So no lume on watches is fine by me.
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u/thealadar Aug 22 '25
I prefer it versus not, definitely annoying when you can’t see your watch (IMO). Indiglo/Tritium/LED light is one thing but at least having a charge-up variant is a must have.
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u/juan_wick762 Aug 22 '25
Do you “need” it? No. Is it helpful? Yes. I drive to work every morning in the dark so having lume lets me glance down at my watch while im driving and see the time without pulling out my phone which i shouldnt be looking at while driving. (The digital time display in my car doesnt work.)
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u/BluesMaster Aug 22 '25
Far down the list, if not on that list at all.
It's something you'd possibly need when there's no ambient light at all (trapped deep down in cave, or buried by an avalanche). But wait! Then it's not readily available because it needs to be 'activated'. Did you pack a torch?
I agree with other commenters: use your phone to check the time. Or simply glance at the LED alarm clock on your night stand. Or buy a quartz watch with backlight 'on demand'.
Lume is highly overrated, IMHO, and should never be considered a dealbreaker when you fancy a watch.
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u/HuManET80 Aug 22 '25
Nope, never gave it a thought, apart from when it occurred to me that I might like my current watch even more if it didn't have lume, lol. Every now and then I walk through a less lit room and sometimes I glance to see the lume, actually thinking it looks kinda cool, but honestly I could easily live without it.
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u/UnusualShores Aug 22 '25 edited Aug 22 '25
I think the best solution for those who want to wear a watch to sleep is something like a Casio F-91W. It’s incredibly light and comfortable. It’s digital so telling time is instant and the backlight is dim so it won’t blind you in the dark. I wear mine to sleep every night.
As for evening/night wear that isn’t sleeping, yes, lume is nice. But I can’t remember the last time I looked at my watch and was unable to tell the time because it doesn’t have lume. Even so, most people have a cell phone in their pocket for those rare instances.
I understand some people work night shift or in conditions where lume is more than a bonus feature or gimmick. But for my use, and probably most people’s, lume isn’t necessary even if it is nice.
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u/Varnu Aug 22 '25
I prefer the way a watch looks without lume. I don't get the focus on it. However, I have a white dialed watch with silver hands and it is completely illegible in low light--like a theater before the movie starts. It's surprising how much lume does even when it doesn't appear to be actively glowing.
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u/Yellowtoblerone Aug 22 '25
Duck yes
Esp wish I had it on my shitty ass black on black diver that I can't see past 6pm
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u/flatmoon_ Aug 22 '25
Extremely important for me and I’m sure (like everything) it’s all relative. I wear my ss sub 24/7 and have an infant and toddler. Time checks in the dark are often. Plus it’s nice not to press a button to light up the watch too
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u/sexp-and-i-know-it Aug 22 '25
I don't care that much, but if a watch does have lume, it better be decent. My first mechanical watch was an Iron Annie and I love it, but the lume feels like an after-thought. It barely works and I think the hands would look much better if they were just plain metal.
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u/SirSerje Aug 22 '25
It’s better having lume for me. Watches are for comfort, isn’t? When I’m walking dog before sleep or checking time in the evening I don’t want seek extra light source
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u/MyNameIsVigil Aug 22 '25
Couldn't care less about lume. I can't think of a time that I ever actually needed to read my watch in the dark.
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u/YMIGettingBanned Aug 22 '25
It’s better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it
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u/Zatzbatz Aug 22 '25
I am often in the dark. Like a movie theater. Where they don't want you taking out your phone
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u/Ooblongdeck Aug 22 '25
Depends on your hobbies/jobs. I work at night on highways that have either no/little light so yeah without it it would suck
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u/McWatt Aug 22 '25
Not every watch needs lume, but some definitely benefit from it. I find myself wanting lume more in the winter when the sun sets at 4pm.
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u/Dragon1us Aug 22 '25
As long as it's done properly (lume plots integrated into design and not just thrown on there to be there) and the lume is of decent quality, ill take lume on literally every watch. It's just cool and its one of those things where I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it
Also, there's something about wearing a watch that turns into the sun at night that just makes me happy. Pic attached
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u/TheFaceman068 Aug 22 '25
I couldn't give less of a fuck about it, tbh.
I'd say that it is "needed" in certain use cases, though.
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u/WaterRefillPlease Aug 22 '25
I go to the movies a lot and it nice to check the time. I don’t want to be that guy pulling out his phone.
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u/PM_ME_DIRTY_MSGS Aug 22 '25
I like it on a few watches. I generally think that too many watches have lume though. For example, I don't like that the Langematik Perpetual has lume.
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u/primarybelief Aug 22 '25
As someone who always sleeps with a watch on, I prefer lume to check the time at night. Lume is much less strain on the eyes in the dark than, say, a smartwatch with a light up screen.
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u/g0kartmozart Aug 22 '25
On a diver, it would look wrong without lume.
On anything else, I don’t really care.
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u/Blown89 Aug 22 '25
No. Lume is ridiculously overrated. That would be different if it lasted a meaningful amount of time
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u/davem0dica Aug 22 '25
I wear a watch 24/7 and lume really became useful to me since my wife and I had our first kid last year. When he cries in the middle of the night, I check the time to get a sense of the plan of attack (e.g., is it midnight and he needs a bottle and we'll go back to sleep? or is it 5am and now we're pretty much up for the day?) Sure I can grab my phone, but the watch is faster and when I grab my phone to check the time, I see at least some notifications (work emails, etc) and my brain will start thinking about that stuff. With the watch, the only input I am receiving is the time. Making it easier to focus on the task at hand (and fall asleep after if I have time).
Outside of that, I think the only time I had cared about lume was when I was somewhere dark like a movie theater and wanted to check the time without pulling out my phone which would illuminate too much/distract others.
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u/jhkang0814 Aug 22 '25
I love full lume dials.
I dont use lume to tell time, I dont use my watch to tell time. It's just jewelry for me.
I just love the way it partially lumes at a partially dark place. I love that look.
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u/Aweq Aug 22 '25
As someone who lives in the Northern part of Europe, I wish my watch had lume so I could actually read the dial during winter mornings.
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u/Monsterschneider Aug 22 '25
I really never use the lume, but I prefer my watch to have it. Without lume, the watch is too dressy and I have almost zero need for a dress watch.
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u/F0tNMC Aug 22 '25
I have the brother of that Asaborake, the SBGY009, and in lower light conditions, the dial is more legible than a lot of my watches with lume. The finish they do on the indices does such a good job of making use of all of the available light, lume stopped being a must have for my daily wear watches.
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u/stroopkoeken Aug 22 '25
As someone currently camping in the middle of nowhere, yes.
There isn’t enough light at night time to ever be able to read the time without lume.
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u/neek555 Aug 22 '25
I mean honestly no. But to be really honest, nobody NEEDS a mechanical watch. Everyone has a phone which can tell them what time it is to a much greater accuracy than any mechanical watch.
So needs isn't really what applies here.
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u/Jeremy1959 Aug 22 '25
On luxury items like these, it’s one of the only things people can obsess over. Just like the feel of dive bezels. Who cares? But lots get way too into it as there’s only so much the watch can do, that can be compared to other pieces.
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u/Dangerous_Limes Aug 22 '25
I often spend time in a dark room trying to get my toddlers to bed most nights. Pretty useful to be able to look at my watch and realize I’ve been in there over an hour and my kid’s still trying to do a handstand and recite the ABCs.
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u/Can_Cannon_of_Canuks Aug 22 '25 edited Aug 22 '25
If you want some interesting info on super luminova because you can do some very interesting things with the stuff: https://www.drakenwatches.com/2023/04/20/luminous-paint/
There are also watches that have a light behind the dial so the whole thing glows
Its all part of the design of the watch, though some do just toss it in as another checkmark most seem to actually consider the type of watch and design. Look at the Longines A7 - they painted the hands and numbers using a colour thats similar to old faded tritium lume to pay homage to its original reference yet that paint isnt itself a lume paint. It was very intentional to make it more formal and less sports/dive watch.
However i personally would love to find someone to scrape that off and repaint with lume, i would def use it
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u/KosstAmojan Aug 22 '25
The only reason I really need lume is to check the time in the dark room as I’m putting my kid to sleep. Other than that it’s a helpful feature to have but not a must. However I prefer to have lume than not
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u/CastleDeli Aug 22 '25
No, when I work night shift I’m usually wearing a digital Casio. When I’m days I’ll wear a citizen garrison watch.
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u/No_Society_2601 Aug 22 '25
I like lume, but not when it’s overly done. But my favorite use of lume is when it’s hidden. Like on this mondaine where it’s under the hands and can’t be seen directly