Would you have tritium hands "stabilized"??

[mattedialdoc]

I've read that in some cases a watchmaker will "seal" or "stabilize" the tritium matrix in vintage watch hands by applying some sort of binder to the back of the hands. I've also read that it can change the color of the hands.

How do folks here feel about it? Would you do it or just take the risk without it?

Thanks


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[roh123]

If they have cracks; yes. If not; no.

[rolstaff]

Same here....

[springer]

"Would you do it...."

Yes.

[thomaspp]

yes

[jdmi32]

Yes, if the damage is not substantial. If it's to the point where it's an eyesore to me and takes away from the appeal of the watch, I would get it relumed.

[drefrank]

Count me as another 'yes'.

[DLRIDES]

I would stabilize before it completely falls off.

[Richard Carver]

Lume stabilization is an 'emerging science', in other words no one knows what the hell they are doing. Lacquer? Glue? Clear nail polish? What does your expert use?

It will be interesting to see how these various materials age.

[Tools]

If it's a rare watch and the hands are original, then, absolutely. Just like a million dollar Picasso is stabilized to inhibit further degradation, why not an original, high-dollar watch.

If it was not particularly rare, but the tritium hands were failing, I might have the hands re-filled and properly colored to match the dial plots.

[roh123]

Originally Posted by Richard Carver

Lume stabilization is an 'emerging science', in other words no one knows what the hell they are doing. Lacquer? Glue? Clear nail polish? What does your expert use?

It will be interesting to see how these various materials age.

My watchmaker just uses same mix as he would lume with. Guessing some kind of glue as holding liquid.

[greekbum]

There is many different techniques people have used with mixed results. The way I've been doing it is to use old non glowing tritium ( same color as your lume) and seal them from the back. If anybody needs this done I offer this service also.

[phillip ridley]

I have seen glue, lacquer and all in between. I have also noticed based on how thick or thin the Tritium, that it could have an effect on the color.

Obviously, the thicker the better, but lets focus on the thinner hands. The thinner the Tritium, the more light that flows through it or the reflection of the dial. This is where certain "applications" should be well thought out. If you use a glue on a thin based Tritium hand, in most situations, it will darken the hand by soaking into the Tritium and make no mistake, certain applications soak in more than others.

Per my research and the many hands I have worked on, I have found that an acrylic paint matched to the color of the hands is the best way of not only preserving, but maintaining the original color of the Tritium. Like Carver said, this is something that has not been around for many years. So we will see in another 10 years or so to determine what application works the best.

[greekbum]

I've been doing hands a long time. Acrylic paint comes through the cracks and is easy to spot. Imho there is no reason to stabilize a set of hands that's not cracking. Just a risk and waste of $. If your hands have cracks imho it's better to leave them alone or if they are already off of the watch then redone on the backside with tritium or R whatever they originally had on them in the same color. If there is a piece of lume missing this gets very tricky. You can attempt to fix it or just redo the hands in the same original mixture. When working on these it's easy for them to just fall apart if there's pieces missing when you go to reapply material. There's dozens of mixtures out there if you don't have access to the original stuff. It's a matter of getting the correct binder and lume mix in the correct grain. The easiest dr up hands to spot are paint and paint mixed with something for texture imho. Btw for gloss dials and hands there's lots of high end ceramic and other coatings that when applied correct seal preserve and are undetectable

[SubKing]

Originally Posted by greekbum

I've been doing hands a long time. Acrylic paint comes through the cracks and is easy to spot. Imho there is no reason to stabilize a set of hands that's not cracking. Just a risk and waste of $. If your hands have cracks imho it's better to leave them alone or if they are already off of the watch then redone on the backside with tritium or R whatever they originally had on them in the same color. If there is a piece of lume missing this gets very tricky. You can attempt to fix it or just redo the hands in the same original mixture. When working on these it's easy for them to just fall apart if there's pieces missing when you go to reapply material. There's dozens of mixtures out there if you don't have access to the original stuff. It's a matter of getting the correct binder and lume mix in the correct grain. The easiest dr up hands to spot are paint and paint mixed with something for texture imho. Btw for gloss dials and hands there's lots of high end ceramic and other coatings that when applied correct seal preserve and are undetectable

do you have any pictures to share of hands that you have completely redone with old tritium and or stabilized hand pictures?

I would like to see the results you have achieved using the techniques you mention.

[phillip ridley]

Originally Posted by greekbum

I've been doing hands a long time. Acrylic paint comes through the cracks and is easy to spot. Imho there is no reason to stabilize a set of hands that's not cracking. Just a risk and waste of $. If your hands have cracks imho it's better to leave them alone or if they are already off of the watch then redone on the backside with tritium or R whatever they originally had on them in the same color. If there is a piece of lume missing this gets very tricky. You can attempt to fix it or just redo the hands in the same original mixture. When working on these it's easy for them to just fall apart if there's pieces missing when you go to reapply material. There's dozens of mixtures out there if you don't have access to the original stuff. It's a matter of getting the correct binder and lume mix in the correct grain. The easiest dr up hands to spot are paint and paint mixed with something for texture imho. Btw for gloss dials and hands there's lots of high end ceramic and other coatings that when applied correct seal preserve and are undetectable

The original question was "will stabilizing the hands change the color". Now, imho if we get into cracked or missing T, then that completely changes what to do, how to achieve, or, simply leaving alone.

[jonatutu]

I was looking at 2 of my tritium watches and realize there are cracks on the hands. Multiple cracks on tudor 79090 (seen with naked eyes) and super hairline cracks on my 16610 (seen using loupe). Please advise I would like learn how to preserve my watches.

I was wondering how do you guys preserved your vintage watches cause both of my watches are definitely less than 30years old. How do old vintage almost 50 60 years old maintain their tritium integrity and have such beautiful eggshell/pumpkin patina.

[77T]

Originally Posted by jonatutu

I was looking at 2 of my tritium watches and realize there are cracks on the hands. Multiple cracks on tudor 79090 (seen with naked eyes) and super hairline cracks on my 16610 (seen using loupe). Please advise I would like learn how to preserve my watches.

I was wondering how do you guys preserved your vintage watches cause both of my watches are definitely less than 30years old. How do old vintage almost 50 60 years old maintain their tritium integrity and have such beautiful eggshell/pumpkin patina.

Read Nick’s advice in post #14 from a year ago - it’s about how to do it. But in Singapore there are many resources who could apply the sealers for you.

As for how 50-60 y.o. watches have beautifully aged lume, just remember some have been completely redone. Those that are truly original and perfect are the lucky few - maybe 2% of all the vintage watches out there.

Regular replacement of the gaskets during service are key to keeping air and microbe out. And using a careful watchmaker, too. The very act of overhauling is the enemy of perfect lume. One slight error, dropping a dial, scrubbing a lumed hand, etc. can initiate the first crack.

Over the span of 5-10 overhauls many had their original hands relumed or replaced - and dials were routinely “freshened” up. Or worse, RSC replaced the dial. That’s why only 2% are truly perfect and original.


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[btinl]

I had a set of cracking hands stabilized and there was no color change or distortion noted after.

[jonatutu]

I see, I have always thought they are natural patina, eggshell, pumpkin, lovely colors. They were my first 2 luxury watch purchases, purposely got them in tritium to aged with them. Now I fear the hands will be "skeletonize"

-77T, you mention there are several resouces who could apply sealers in my country, can you recommend me one. I have got my watches serviced by top hour and jw but i have yet to ask if they repair tritium

-btinl, can you tell me more about the no change in color? Do you mean the sealer did not cause the change in hands color or do you mean after applying sealer the hands will not age in line with the dial markers.

[roll9]

Bob Ridley stabilized some hands for me a while back and there was no color change that I could detect at all.

[swish77]

Originally Posted by roll9

Bob Ridley stabilized some hands for me a while back and there was no color change that I could detect at all.

How about if you shine a black light on the hands? Do the hands still have the same look as the tritium on the dial, assuming that the dial is original to the watch?

[Rolexator]

Originally Posted by swish77

How about if you shine a black light on the hands? Do the hands still have the same look as the tritium on the dial, assuming that the dial is original to the watch?

Would be interested to know as well!

[southtexas]

I just had one of mine done as well during service. Watchmaker assured me it won’t affect appearance, it’s simply a thin layer of clear adhesive gently brushed on to the backside of the hands.

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[Rolexator]

Originally Posted by southtexas

I just had one of mine done as well during service. Watchmaker assured me it won’t affect appearance, it’s simply a thin layer of clear adhesive gently brushed on to the backside of the hands.

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Thanks! And does it look different than before when you put UV-light on it?

[lhanddds]

Originally Posted by roh123

If they have cracks; yes. If not; no.

This

[77T]

Originally Posted by Rolexator

Thanks! And does it look different than before when you put UV-light on it?

The adhesive he mentions is applied to the backside. The hands should look no different on the frontside when done correctly.

This process is fine to preserve the aesthetic visual appeal of a vintage watch’s hands, but should be disclosed once you plan to sell it. Missing lume is certainly worse than lume which is intact - just be sure you are working with a skilled specialist if this is your path. The stabilization work should be invisible on the front of the hands to the naked eye. Any watchmaker will easily see the work on the backside.






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[cruvon]

An old thread but interesting to know how the stabilized hands look now? Any color change?

[Dan S]

Originally Posted by cruvon

An old thread but interesting to know how the stabilized hands look now? Any color change?

No.

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by Dan S

No.

Great!