The year is 1914. You recently reached Europe to fight for freedom, and you’re trying to calm your nerves. You stop to rest and take a few deep breaths. Your platoon is set to rendezvous at 2300 hours, but there is a problem... As you hide in the foliage, you check your pocket watch to see how long it will be until you meet your squad, but you can’t see anything in the deep, dark European night. You wish you could see the time without using your flashlight, potentially giving away your position and making the night a whole lot worse...
While you may not be in the military and/or haven’t encountered the above scenario before, it seems like one of the most frequent times you wonder about the time happens to be when you’re in the dark. This problem has been happening for over a century, and watchmakers began to work on the solution shortly after the turn of the 20th century. The biggest problem watchmakers faced was how to power the luminescence since light needs an energy source of some sort to shine to the human eye. While it took a few dangerous solutions before watchmakers found safe ways to solve the problem, luminescence is one of the “bright spots” (pun intended) of twentieth-century timekeeping technology. Let’s dive into the history of luminescent timekeeping technology, see how it interacted with military watches, and circle back to talk about how luminescence makes an appearance on our 2024 Military Edition (trust us, your jaw is going to drop).
The Science and Evolution of Lume
There are a variety of ways that watch components or dials can be illuminated, which we will discuss in order of their use on timepieces. All of the methods are typically referred to as “lume” or “luminescence,” which actually is a colloquial way of saying its full title: “luminous phosphorescent glowing solution.” It is called this because it is made possible by a “phosphor” – a material that absorbs energy from some type of energy source and then emits visible light as a response. The first method of illuminating a watch is radioluminescence. In radioluminescence, the phosphor gets its energy from a radioactive particle. When luminescence was invented on timepieces, the initial radioactive material watchmakers used was radium – which was discovered in 1898. If you know your history, you know that the material is not dangerous to watch-wearers, but it can be deadly to those at the watchmakers who interact with it.
Note – this all came to light (also, pun intended) in conjunction with the “Radium Girls” – female factory workers who contracted radiation poisoning from the application of radium to watch components. This tragedy led to over 30 women passing away as a result, and countless others who suffered long-term effects of the poisoning. After the lawsuits involved in the Radium Girls’ cases, many watchmakers began to look for a safer alternative to radium. The substance was eventually banned in 1968.
During nuclear research in 1934, scientists discovered tritium – a similar substance to radium with a much lower level of radioactivity. Scientists discovered another safe radioactive substance called Promethium in 1945. While both substances were safer than radium, they worked much less effectively; Promethium has a half-life (the level at which the illumination is halfway depleted and begins to fade) of just 2.6 years, while tritium is 12.3 years. Compare those to radium’s massive half-life of 1,600 years.
Despite the lack of a perfect alternative to radium, watchmakers began to phase the dangerous substance out in the 1960’s. After it was officially banned in 1968, radium gave way to tritium – the best alternative to its hazardous radioactive predecessor. Tritium was the leading source of luminosity in timepieces from 1968 to the early 1990s. Unlike radium, tritium did not fade from use amidst the wake of heavy consequences; a better alternative merely replaced it. Watchmakers still occasionally use tritium, but most will typically encapsulate the substance in tiny glass capsules to increase its lifespan.
In 1993, radioluminescence gave way to photoluminescence – technology that uses light as an energy source instead of radioactive particles. Japanese company Nemoto & Co., led by Kenzo Nemoto, spent years creating the first photoluminescent material with the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in recent memory. The resulting material – LumiNova – has revolutionized luminosity worldwide. LumiNova is a phosphor that absorbs its energy from light safely without a significant decay factor. To the relief of watchmakers, LumiNova is resistant to temperature and the watch’s environment.
Nemoto & Co. sells LumiNova, and its sibling produced in Switzerland – Super LumiNova, to watchmakers around the globe in a variety of colors. While colors vary in intensity, the brightest “color” is the default cream before adding hues. Typically, adding more lume “paint” coats increases its brightness. Recently, watchmakers have patented their own variants or application techniques of LumiNova, such as Rolex’s Chromalight.
Although it has not gained quite as much widespread popularity, electroluminescence is another type of luminosity. In it, the phosphor is charged by and generates light as a result of an electrical circuit. Millions of digital watches, such as the Casio G Shock and the Timex Ironman, utilize this technology to provide backlight against which the digits can be read. If it is used so frequently, why would we say it has not gained widespread popularity? When it comes to traditional analog watches, most do not utilize electricity to light them (with a couple of exceptions, that is – steampunk-type watches and the Timex Indiglo). Patented in 1992, the Indiglo feature provides exceptional illumination of the entire dial of the watch. It is effective, yet it requires the push of a button and is not subtle. It also requires the use of a battery, preventing mechanical and automatic watches from using the technology. As such, photoluminescence is used more often in analog watches.
Military Applications
Luminescence is desirable on a civilian watch, but it’s a necessity in military applications – where timing can be a matter of life and death. Ever since World War I, lume has been a hot commodity on military watches. To equip soldiers to read the time while flying raids at night, among other things, military watches often featured dials accented by radium paint. Once the dangers of radium became apparent, military watchmakers began using tritium and, later, LumiNova to illuminate their timepieces.
Luminescence via radioluminescence or photoluminescence is significantly more beneficial for military applications than electroluminescence. Using a watch’s light can be akin to using a small flashlight to check the time – a maneuver that can give away a soldier’s covert position. Instead, a low glow that is visible but not overbearing is the perfect lume variant for military operations. What if there was a way for us to have a vintage/antique timepiece but with perfect lume via today’s technology? Wonder no further, introducing Vortic’s 2024 Military Edition.
The 2024 Military Edition
This year, the Vortic Military Edition is going into dark mode. To celebrate our 10th anniversary, the first 20 Military Edition watches will feature hand-applied lume on the 24-hour markers, the 5-minute indices, and the hands. Those 20 timepieces will also feature a “U.S. Govt” marking on the movement as an added bonus. The remaining 30 Military Edition watches will be almost identical to the first 20 but without those two upgrades.
Whether you are one of the first to snag a 2024 Military Edition and you get a lumed version or you get one without lume, you are going to love the watch. The watches feature a Hamilton 4992B movement manufactured during World War II. Each 2024 Military Edition watch includes its original hands and ticks via a sweeping seconds hand with a hacking function. The 22-jewel Hamilton movements hold a 36-hour power reserve. Our team has polished the movements to near perfection, and you can take it all in through the Sapphire exhibition caseback.
The movement is cased in a 49mm tumbled titanium case with a matching titanium crown at 12 o’clock. As the crown is on the top of the watch, the watch excels in comfort versus a traditional 49mm watch. To ensure the 2024 Military Edition can follow you from the boardwalk to the boardroom, it includes two 24mm bands: a military canvas with olive green leather backing and a black leather with antique white stitching.
Mark your calendars today to make sure you get one before they sell out!
