Chromalight

[seosub]

Been trying to figure this out - when putting watch in a case for travel and/or storage, is chromalight always on? Or does it need a 'source' (light / power reserve) to charge it?

So - if watch stops in a watch case, will chromalight be on?

Regardless, my understanding is that the material doesn't degrade, so it shouldn't matter. Does anyone have more knowledge on this?

[SparklesMcgraw]

Not quite sure what you are asking here. All lume needs a light source to charge and glow. If left in darkness it will fade until recharged by a light source

[Yess]

Ah, the premise of your question is does the lume degrade... I would suspect, like all chemical reactions, the more times it 'reacts' the quicker it degrades? Not positive, though!

Wait... No... You're asking as if it has an on/off function or something!?

[Andad]

https://www.rolexforums.com/showpost...09&postcount=4

[padi56]

Originally Posted by seosub

Been trying to figure this out - when putting watch in a case for travel and/or storage, is chromalight always on? Or does it need a 'source' (light / power reserve) to charge it?

So - if watch stops in a watch case, will chromalight be on?

Regardless, my understanding is that the material doesn't degrade, so it shouldn't matter. Does anyone have more knowledge on this?

Like all lume on watches there is no switch to turn it off or on, they all need light, whether natural daylight or artificial light to charge the lume to glow in very dark places.And there has been no reports of Luminover/chromalight getting any sort of patina or degradation, and Luminover it's been out since 1998 so it's 22 years old now.And Cromolight is just a colour variation of luminover so IMHO its doubtful it will change like the old Tritium dials which had a half life of around 12 years before loosing the glow completely.Now the green colour Luminover was made by Nemoto a Japanese luminous paint maker they moved a part of its factory from Japan to Switzerland in 1998 in Joint-ventured with RC-Tritec AG.This was to establish Luminova AG Switzerland for supplying Luminova to all the Swiss watch industry including Rolex and most all of the other major brands.The new more on the blue spectrum Chromolight is a Rolex trademark and a made up name, but again this could be a special colour blend of luminous paint by Nemoto for Rolex, I would doubt if Rolex themselves would make the lume paint.Much like the other parts they outsource like the movement synthetic ruby bearings and cap jewel bearings,crystals,spring-bars, the mainsprings are made by Schwab-Feller AG , all screws movement and bracelet screws outsourced, and a firm called Aiguilles makes all the watch hands for all models.

[HogwldFLTR]

Originally Posted by seosub

Been trying to figure this out - when putting watch in a case for travel and/or storage, is chromalight always on? Or does it need a 'source' (light / power reserve) to charge it?

So - if watch stops in a watch case, will chromalight be on?

Regardless, my understanding is that the material doesn't degrade, so it shouldn't matter. Does anyone have more knowledge on this?

Where your watch over night and see what happens; the lume fades to dark. There is only enough reserve charge for maybe 8 hours if you're lucky. Not quite certain how the exact photo luminescence in Chromalight works but basically there are molecules (non radioactive strontium aluminate) that hold the light energy and slowly release it causing the glow. It has a maximum charge which slowly releases over 8 to 10 hours causing the glow to get dimmer with time.

This is different than tritium or radium lumes which have energy stored in radio isotopes which is continuously released and is always on causing activation of the luminescent material to continually glowing. The glow also slowly decreases with tritium having a half life of greater than 10 years (12.3).

[77T]

Originally Posted by seosub

Been trying to figure this out - when putting watch in a case for travel and/or storage, is chromalight always on? Or does it need a 'source' (light / power reserve) to charge it?

By now you’ve read that Rolex (as most other brands) has LumiNova and that requires exposure to a light source to “charge” the lume.

But not ALL brands need an external source. Those who use H3 tubes generate their own lume continuously via atomic level radiation.

Ball is one of the more familiar brands with that lume. https://shop.ballwatch.ch/en/luminosity



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[WS9D]

Originally Posted by seosub

Been trying to figure this out - when putting watch in a case for travel and/or storage, is chromalight always on? Or does it need a 'source' (light / power reserve) to charge it?

So - if watch stops in a watch case, will chromalight be on?

Regardless, my understanding is that the material doesn't degrade, so it shouldn't matter. Does anyone have more knowledge on this?

Even if your watch is not running because it has not been wound or worn, if you expose the watch to sunlight or another light source, the chroma light (or any other lume) will glow for an amount of time. How long the after glow will last depends on the light source and time it was exposed to, the wearers eyes (visibility, or eye sight imperfections and how your eyes have dilated or constricted to environment) and the environment it is being viewed in (lighting conditions).

The chromalight (lume) does not require watch power, just exposure to light.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by seosub

. . .
So - if watch stops in a watch case, will chromalight be on?

. . .

It's like a refrigerator light.. Is it on when the door closes? How do you actually know?

[Roddypeepa]

The photon emission rate decays exponentially. After about 8 hours with a full “charge” it is becoming very hard for the human eye to detect even in near pitch black. Of course, tritium watches would be barely readable after just over a decade so it’s probably a better solution if less charming.


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[eonflux]

Originally Posted by Tools

It's like a refrigerator light.. Is it on when the door closes? How do you actually know?

Haha!

The OP thinks the functioning of the watch (timekeeping) and glow of the lume may be linked.
They are not. They are completely separate.

The mechanical watch will run until the mainspring completely unwinds.
The lume will glow until the energy it has captured has all been released.
Lume will eventually break down and not capture/release light as well, but I don't think that's an issue here with the time scale under discussion.

Those 2 things may or may not coincide in time, but are completely unrelated.
Both will occur if the watch is left inside a case in which the watch is not further wound or exposed to light.

[TTalk]

Originally Posted by Tools

It's like a refrigerator light.. Is it on when the door closes? How do you actually know?

I've tried opening the door real fast but the light is still on.

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by HogwldFLTR

Where your watch over night and see what happens; the lume fades to dark. There is only enough reserve charge for maybe 8 hours if you're lucky. Not quite certain how the exact photo luminescence in Chromalight works but basically there are molecules (non radioactive strontium aluminate) that hold the light energy and slowly release it causing the glow. It has a maximum charge which slowly releases over 8 to 10 hours causing the glow to get dimmer with time.

This is different than tritium or radium lumes which have energy stored in radio isotopes which is continuously released and is always on causing activation of the luminescent material to continually glowing. The glow also slowly decreases with tritium having a half life of greater than 10 years (12.3).

And yet, Tritium lume also benefits greatly from excitation by a strong light source

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by Tools

It's like a refrigerator light.. Is it on when the door closes? How do you actually know?

Put your mobile phone on video record and open and shut the fridge door while it's in there

[draganb]

Originally Posted by Dirt

Put your mobile phone on video record and open and shut the fridge door while it's in there

I was going to suggest drilling a hole through the door, but this works too.