Lume
Also called luminous material
Lume is the luminous material applied to a watch's hands, dial markers, and sometimes bezel so it can be read in the dark.
The type and condition of the lume help date a watch and judge its originality. Older watches used radioactive materials that age and change colour; modern watches use non-radioactive luminescent compounds. Hands and markers relumed at different times often glow or have aged differently from each other.
When checking a pre-owned watch, compare the colour and glow of the hands and dial markers. A mismatch can point to replaced hands, a relume, or a redial.
Related terms
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