# I was wrong on the Lume!! Bad rap for Damasko.



## robzilla (Jun 17, 2006)

Okay I am a certifiable lume nut. I love lots of luminova and really hate poor lume. It will drive me to sell any watch. Really I am that bad. 

I normally either wear pilots watches or divers because I like the case designs and dials and Lume!! 

I had a Damasko DA-36 several years ago and I was used to watches with a lot more lume and was very disappointed at the time. That and the lack of a bracelet and I sold it.

Fast forward several years later and I have a new DA-38 and it certainly doesn't glow like a Seiko Diver or a Helson Sharkdiver but it actually is a lot better than I remember. There are variations between specific models and the one I have now is really very good. The hands are uniformly covered and the lume dots on the hour markers although do not glow bright stay readable throughout the night. 

Another thing I have noticed is the hands being painted on top of rather than fillled seem to add to visibility or legibility of the hands since there is no border to the lume. The painted on effect is not as uniform as filled lume but is to some degree slightly more legible specially at extreme angles. 

Even recently I had complained when I initially got the watch but after having it a while it has a few features that stand out. 1) Whether I charge it before I go to bed or not I can still tell the time in the middle of the night. 2)The glow lasts a long time. 3) Enhanced legibility. 4) The dial and hands are easy to read. I don't have to squint to see the time at 4am. Some watches I have have a brighter Lume and much more if it but I still have a hard time reading the time in the late, late evening early am. So while the Lume is not super bright it really does what it is supposed to do.

I just wanted to officially apologize to Damasko because I was really not happy before. I would still like the numbers to be lumed but I can live with it as it is. LOL


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## AKM (May 30, 2016)

I think it's also worth mentioning how white the lume appears in daylight, it makes for excellent legibility and seamlessly matches the white printing on the dial. This gives an instrument panel aesthetic. 

I find the lume bright enough on my DC56 Si and can read the time all night. I'm only aware of the lume when the light level drops to a point where I need it. 

Sent from my XT1562 using Tapatalk


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## smittya (Feb 4, 2015)

Thanks for your clarifications. I tend to require functioning lume as a requirement. It seems frequently that even when bright at first many don't have staying power. Personally I prefer staying power and your clarification means a lot (given your proclamation as a lume-nut)


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## 3migo (Oct 15, 2014)

I think that the Damasko lume on my DA44 is more than adequate. I have other watches that are much brighter (Seiko, Tudor, etc), but the legibility of the DA44 is great in all light. One thing I did notice, however, was that the red markers at 12 on the DA44 do glow significantly dimmer than the white markers at the other hours.


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## robzilla (Jun 17, 2006)

3migo said:


> I think that the Damasko lume on my DA44 is more than adequate. I have other watches that are much brighter (Seiko, Tudor, etc), but the legibility of the DA44 is great in all light. One thing I did notice, however, was that the red markers at 12 on the DA44 do glow significantly dimmer than the white markers at the other hours.


Red SL and Orange perform the worst so that makes sense!


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## GreatScott (Nov 19, 2016)

The lume is like the perfect girl, not too bright, not too dull, and will last all night.


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## Doogal (Jun 15, 2018)

Hi,
I have been critical of the lume on my DK-10.
If I hold it under a overhead light on a plane for a full minute, I might get a minute of good glow after which it's just a shadow on the hands and the 12 marker the rest of the hour pip are gone.
I've noted in this thread post saying they "charge" their lume and it lasts all night. 
What is considered a reasonable charging time ?
I'm willing to give it a go.
Thanks


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## RSDA (Sep 19, 2010)

If one doesn't compare to other watches, Damasko lume is fine. I had a DA 36 and a Seiko SBBN035 300m Tuna in my collection at the same time. You could basically use the Tuna as a flashlight. Didn't really even make sense to compare. 

What I've never really understood is why, if there is "OK lume" and "[email protected] lume," manufacturers of decent watches don't all use the [email protected] lume. I assume Seiko's lume is proprietary.


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## wickets (Mar 16, 2016)

I think by 'charging' he is talking about using one of those fancy UV flashlights. I'm a bit of a lume nut myself and will just say this to you: if the lume of your watch isn't 'bright' and doesn't stay 'bright' for a long time after the lights go out simply from being on your wrist during the day, your watch has junk lume and no amount of flashlighting is going to cure that


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## sky4 (Oct 28, 2016)

my DA44 is a bit on the dim side, but I can pretty much always read it. The super whiteness of it in daylight is great too.


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## Vig2000 (Jul 5, 2012)

RSDA said:


> If one doesn't compare to other watches, Damasko lume is fine. I had a DA 36 and a Seiko SBBN035 300m Tuna in my collection at the same time. You could basically use the Tuna as a flashlight. Didn't really even make sense to compare.
> 
> What I've never really understood is why, if there is "OK lume" and "[email protected] lume," manufacturers of decent watches don't all use the [email protected] lume. I assume Seiko's lume is proprietary.


I'm sure that cost cutting has something to do with it.


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## hungdangnguyen23 (Mar 21, 2018)

Here's my DA47 after a flashlight charge a little before midnight last night, it was still glowing/legible at 7 am this morning. I've had Seikos with superior lume but not by much...


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## Brucy (May 30, 2013)

I agree with with Wickets, you shouldn’t have to “charge” your lume, although I have and continue to do it on some watches. One of which being a Seiko!

Other Seiko‘s I have are fine, as is my SMP, Avenger, Fortis and probably one of my best is my CWC.

My Glycine was a disappointment so it gets the odd charge on a sensor light as I lock up or feed the dog as I love the style


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## mplsabdullah (Jan 21, 2015)

I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed by the lume on my recently acquired ds30.


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## noregrets (Nov 21, 2014)

In my experience the full-lume dials are much better. My DC67 is readable throughout the night if I charge it briefly before going to bed.

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## nepatriot (Oct 1, 2010)

hungdangnguyen23 said:


> Here's my DA47 after a flashlight charge a little before midnight last night, it was still glowing/legible at 7 am this morning. I've had Seikos with superior lume but not by much...
> 
> View attachment 13234187


That pic makes me miss mine. I opted to keep the 46, but it was a tough decision. I usually like my watch to be discrete, and the glow of a 47 can attract attention. Of all the watches I have owned, the 47 gather the most complements. Maybe a half dozen or so. Usually when glowing. Of those who noticed it, most were flight crews: pilots and flight attendants.


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## Hose A (Jun 4, 2018)

No problems with the lume on my DB4, it's easily readable all through the night.


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## Doogal (Jun 15, 2018)

Thanks to those who provided feedback to my lume query.

My DK-10 in now enroute to Germany to have a series of matters looked at
* The day/date function- it now takes 2hrs to change over
* The regulation- it currently runs 7+ spd which put it on par with a cheap watch I have running a Myota 9015, hardly in house flagship standard
* Alignment of minute hand to the dial minute markers- When setting the time I must set the minute hand marginally after the minute marker such that it will align with the following minute marker when the second hand hits 12. If not the minute hand does not align with the marker until 10-15 seconds after 12.
* The lume- I exposed the dial to a direct light source for 20 mins. The lume deteriorated after 20 mins such that in semi darkness as would be considered normal it was impossible to see the hour markers, and only the hands and 12 O'clock triangle remained but dim. The red ball on the bezel never illuminated at all. Unless I cupped my hands around the dial to provide black out darkness did the lume appear visible.

How successful I will be in my warranty claim with Damasko is yet to be determined, but I wasn't given great hope by a response I received from their repair team to my initial communication (they had yet to receive the watch).

_"I am afraid to tell you that the luminescence of the coating with special paint / Super-LumiNova is the consequence of a physical effect. There are irregularities in the luminous power and the occupancy possible. Thus this is not under warranty. You will also find this in our general terms."_

_"The accuracy of your watch is absolutely perfect and in tolerance."_

My standpoint is simple. IMO the people who buy a Damasko are not interested in swish lifestyle branding, name recognition or beauty.
Damasko owners are detailed oriented and consider accuracy, visibility and function above the superficial attributes so many brands promote, and therefore buy a Damasko for their novel technical achievements and expect "A finer built Watch" Damasko own marketing.

Getting the detail right is not too much to ask.
Interested in the opinion of others and I will keep you updated on the journey.


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## ndrs63 (Dec 30, 2017)

hungdangnguyen23 said:


> Here's my DA47 after a flashlight charge a little before midnight last night, it was still glowing/legible at 7 am this morning. I've had Seikos with superior lume but not by much...
> 
> View attachment 13234187


This is why I bought the da47 after being disappointed of the da36 lume. When used to light up the background it's acceptable, even if not strong. There is no comparison to my Tudor, which has a very strong, well defined luminosity

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## RKP (Oct 8, 2016)

The lume on my DA 38 is ok, but I usually don't need it at night so I have no problems with it being weak.


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