For all of you out there who don’t know what a lume is or how it works. We are here to help you!

At the end of this article, you will be able to answer all your queries regarding, what a lume is, how does it function, and what the difference is between the C3 and the BGW9 lume!

What is Lume?
Luminous phosphorescent also referred to as lume, is a pigment that generates phosphorescent glow. The lume is widely used in watching making, it is applied to the dialers of the watch, to make them glow in the dark.

Many high-end Japanese and Swiss brands have continuously used lume in their watches. It provides an executive and cool look to the watch, however, the Swiss made lume watches are quite expensive because of the strict quality measures.

How Does Lume Work?
Basically, this pigment absorbs the photon particles from a light source, such as Sun, and then remits that light to create a glow. The best part about lume is that is doesn’t need any battery or charging, it uses natural light sources to illuminate your watch dial.

Types of Lumes
There are quite different types of lume that have been used in different types of watches, for instance, C1, C5, and Old radium. Today we are going to differentiate between the C3 and the BGW9 lume. 

 

History behind Lume Watches
Lume watches started to surface in the watch market near World War 1. Their history is quite a tale in itself. The early lume watches used the zinc sulfide but as time progressed the strontium oxide aluminate was developed, which had a 10 times stronger lume radiant technology.

Today the watches come with many smart features and the latest lume technology, which provides extra light to make the dial readable in low light conditions. They are more durable and less radioactive as compared to the previous lume watches.

C3 Lume

The C3 is a lume that is used in most vintage-styled watches. This lume gives an extraordinary look to your watch when you are in the dark. Hailed as one of the brightest lume compared to its other counterparts. The relative brightness of this lume stands at an astonishing 100%.

Emits a greenish glow when in the dark, this lume will provide you with enough visibility to see the clock’s hands. The C3 uses the natural light to recharge itself, just like the other lumes.

The color of this lume in daylight is reflected has light green and that adds some taste to your dialer as well.

The C3 is mostly used or applied to swiss variants of the watches, which falls in a quite expensive category of watches.

Specifications	Pros	Cons
Mint green glow	5% Brighter than BGW9 lume	Fades in dim light
Light green in daylight	Glows extremely well in the dark
Uses natural light or artificial	Long-lasting lume

 

BGW9 Lume

The BGW9 has its own specifications and differs from the C3 on many various grounds. First of all the BGW9 emits a blue and green glowing light, this lumination gives more of a modern look to your watch, hence, this is the reason why you won’t find BGW9 on most vintage-styled watches.

The lume gives a white look in daylight, which means, it isn’t really visible in the day, thus, keeping your original dialer look intact. Just like the C3 it also uses the natural sunlight or the artificial light to work.

One limitation of the BGW9 lume is that it is slightly dimmer than the C3. The compensation of this limitation is done by its feature of effectively glowing in dim light. 

Specifications	Pros	Cons
Neon blue glow	Glows in dim light as well	Dimmer than C3
White in daylight	Long lasting lume
Uses natural light or artificial

 

Which is better? C3 or BGW9 lume?
There is no better or worse lume, you need to select the right one for yourself, each of these lumes uses the latest technology and substances, hence, they provide you with an enhanced functioning!

C3 is widely used when it comes to expensive watches. BGW3 is also used in many top tiers watches. Therefore, you will need to select the right lume for yourself.

 

FAQs

How many years does a lume of the watch last?
Every watch’s life depends on how well you can take care of it. Things need to be kept safe in order to last, hence, the answer to this question depends on you. 

However, generally, if you take good care of a watch and keep it safe from harm, the lume of the watch might last a good 25 years!

Are they really expensive?
It depends on the brand that you are going after, there are both high end and lower end lume watches available in the market. You can choose the one which is in accordance with your budget.

Is lume replaceable?
Yes, you can get your lume replaced in case of any damage or wear and tear. Always refer to the customer service center of your brand to get the work done on your watch.

Is lume dangerous?
The lume is a radioactive substance and it holds some harmful specifications, nonetheless, unless until you eat the watch away, it won’t harm you!

Secondly, due to the advancements in technology, the dangers of lume have been fairly dropped.

Do I need to charge it daily?
You don’t need to charge it, it charges on its own by using the natural or artificial light! 

 

Conclusion

Lume watches are a pretty cool product to own, they are quite stylish and fashionable in their own way. They might have been introduced as a niche when they were launched but recently they have gained much popularity around the world.

Many famous watchmakers have separate design lines for lume watches, due to which their usage has increased.