Luminous materials have been a part of watchmaking for generations.
The use of radioactive materials in the last century laid the foundation for tool watches that allowed the wearer to tell the time in low-light conditions. Fortunately, we no longer have to resort to radioactive materials, but lume continues to fascinate watch enthusiasts worldwide. For many, owning a watch with a fully luminous dial evokes childlike delight. But today, IWC takes it a step further by introducing Ceralume.
The Schaffhausen brand has unveiled the first fully luminous ceramic watch. Unfortunately, this is a concept, so we will have to wait and see if it becomes a product we can buy. Nevertheless, the watch looks incredibly cool and marks the debut of a new material for the brand. According to IWC, the Ceralume material is created by mixing Super-LumiNova with ceramic powder.
Introducing IWC Ceralume
The creation of this material did not come without its technical challenges. "One of the main tasks in developing Ceralume was achieving a perfectly homogeneous mixture of raw materials, despite the different particle sizes, and avoiding particle clumping. To achieve this, IWC engineers reverted to a special ball milling process that had to be adapted to the raw materials used. Additionally, the sintering and grinding parameters of the sintered ceramic body also had to be specially adapted to the luminous ceramic," stated IWC.
The Watch Itself
For this specialized Ceralume project, IWC chose the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41. In photos circulating on social media, Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton is seen wearing this watch off-track at the Monaco GP.
In addition to the Ceralume case, the watch dial also features a luminous coating (similar to the Pilot’s Watch Black Aces edition, which I wrote about last year). A Super-LumiNova spray is applied to the brass base of the dial, followed by a top print. Interestingly, the white rubber strap also glows thanks to Super-LumiNova pigment. IWC claims the watch emits a bright bluish light for more than 24 hours after full charging. I cannot confirm this, but other IWC luminescent projects, such as the aforementioned Black Aces, have achieved this in the past.
Concluding Thoughts
I love that these watches appeal to the child in all of us who would clasp a watch to see it glow in the dark. Whether it was a Casio with a backlight, a Seiko or Citizen dive watch, or your dad's Swiss watch, the cool factor of luminescence never fades (see what I did there?).
From this perspective, the new IWC project is very cool. Practically speaking, it's interesting to think what it would be like to go to a dark movie theater with such a piece on your wrist. But perhaps those who might acquire these conceptual watches have home theaters anyway.
What do you think of Ceralume, friends? Do you hope that IWC will take this material beyond the concept stage? Let me know in the Telegram channel.