Most Ball watches have the T rating on the dial so if you see something you like you can probably zoom in and see the rating.

You might want to consider the Aviator 46mm which is T100

Balldy

 

Baldy,
Many thanks & I will consider it!

 

Deep Blue have a range of T100 auto divers that you may want to consider

 

T25 = <25
T= <100

 

Never say last watch; even if you're old! God bless!

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The Ball Marvelight is a classic sporty watch, reminiscent of a Datejust, with T100.

 

The Ball Engineer III Endurance I just received is designated as T on the dial, which should be the same as T100.

I don't have a lume shot yet of my new watch, but just for comparison, here is a lume shot of my Aragon Parma with T100 and my Ball Fireman Victory with T25. The Ball Endurance has the same level of brightness as the Aragon.

 

Here is a new lume shot of my Aragon Parma T100 and my Ball Engineer III Endurance, which is labeled only as T.

And here is a wrist shot of the Endurance that shows the T label.

 

As noted Ball was the first to have T level totals of tritium. Later other companies could use the T100 license for the same levels. It is misstated above since it is greater (>) 25mci and less than(<) 100 mci of total tritium. The tubes glow intensity no difference between a T25 and a T watch. T watches have a higher number of tubes or just larger tubes in some places. Note the range I provided above for T or T-100 which is the same thing. Most t/T100 watches never come close to the 100mci limit. As you look at the various models you will find just one small tube can be the difference between a T and T25. Just any measure above 25mci makes the watch T/T100. In Baldy's example, the watch was mislabeled T100 (there were also some early 43 mm Night Trains similarly mislabeled), when the actual license is T. Many other brands dabbling in GTLS tube watches might have you believe there is a such a thing as a T100 tube. There is not. To prove this look at the MB Microtech site. They make all of these tubes and there are no T100 tubes. That is not 100% correct. In full disclosure, you could ask for a custom tube from them that has the full 100 mci of tritium in it. I'm not certain what good a single tube would be for a watch since that is all the lume you can legally have?

 

I'm not certain what good a single tube would be for a watch since that is all the lume you can legally have?

One most awesome use would be as an always-on backlight for an LCD digital. I had a Timex digital when I was in high school in the late 70's that had this feature. You never had to activate the backlight, just look down at your wrist and there it was glowing away.

I do so miss that watch. I can't imagine anyone will ever make such a thing ever again.

 

We should also put to bed the life issue that is not one. First conventional lume per the manufactures specs has a life of 16-18 years. GTLS tubes will be at 1/4 of their original brightness in 25 years. So your painted lume will fail before the tube does. So you should be more worried about your conventional lume. There are members here that have Ball GTLS watches over 14 years old now with tubes. They have noted just a slight reduction in brightness.

 

Have been thinking about this too. May be wrong, but I think it is possible there is no *linear* correlation between tube reaching half life and tube brightness reduction by half. Hence the the tube can still be very bright for very old tubes.

Tubes is the way to go. Guess that's why we are all into Ball

So let it be written. So let it be done.

 

I happen to have a 3.5mm x 25mm tritium tube, one of the largest around.

From the first pic, it can light up words on a book in total darkness. Pardon the blur due to phone camera focus issue

The second pic shows the tube on top of my G Shock Mudmaster. It makes the painted lume on it brighter.

There is a reverse digital display just above the digit 6, not noticeable. But I can faintly see it when peering at it closely with naked eye. Do factor in that the tube is a distance away from the digital display as it is sitting on top of the crystal.

Concede that a watch will not have such a large tube, so it's just for comparison and discussion sake. Think two good sized tubes on the dial directly above and below the digital display *may* work.

So let it be written. So let it be done.

 

My newly-arrived AeroGMT II is labeled at T25. However, it's by far the brightest watch I've ever owned. The hour/minute hands appear to have the same size tubes as the above watches. The hour markers are smaller(and probably less bright) than the Endurance, but does not affect functionality at all. Soooo, My point is that you shouldn't let the T25 rating scare you away from some of these watches. My Seiko Sportura GMT w/ Superluminova is unreadable in a dimly lit cockpit. The AeroGMT, I kid-you-not, I've been using as a 'flash light' to fumble my way around a dark hotel room in some new city ;-) Thank you Ball, I'm finally wearing the perfect tool/watch! The next step was an Apple watch, and I REALLY didn't want to go there....

 

This a dead thread, but I figure I'd ask anyway. How does Ball tritium compare to marathon? I have a gsar that was made in the past 3-4 years and it works decent for now. I suspect its going to be quite dim though in 10 years which would be really lame. I've heard others are much brighter.

 

Tubes for the win!

My now 11 year old original UTC Night Train still beats SL lume hands down.

 

I would not worry or make your decision on which Ball to buy just on the basis of T100 (T) or T25. I have owned both, and both gave a really nice level of lume for night time viewing. In my experience, you mostly see your watch in well lit conditions, so just buy what looks good in the day time, because it will look very nice in the dark whether it is T25 or 100.