What is luminous paint for watch hands?
Luminous paint for watch hands is a ready-mixed glow paste with a particularly fine grain, made for hand tips, numerals and hour markers. Grain refers to the particle size of the pigment. Fine particles can be placed precisely on tiny areas, but glow slightly more weakly than coarser pigments. The paste is acrylic-based and comes as approx. 2 g in a glass bottle with a screw cap. It is also suitable for model making, jewellery, electronics and small markings on switches or keys.
What do the colour names mean?
The first part of the name gives the colour in daylight, the second the colour of the glow; “Natural” stands for an untinted pigment that is light by day.
| Shade | In daylight | In the dark | Afterglow duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Green | whitish | green to yellow-green | up to 12 hours |
| Natural Blue-Green | whitish | blue-green | up to 12 hours |
| Natural Blue | light, cream-coloured to whitish | blue | up to 12 hours |
| Natural White | natural white | white | up to 2 hours |
| Green-Green | green | green | up to 4 hours |
| Yellow-Green | yellow | green | up to 4 hours |
| Orange-Green | orange | green | up to 4 hours |
| Blue-Blue | blue | blue | up to 2 hours |
The values apply after a full charge, in complete darkness; because of the fine grain, the paste glows slightly more weakly than coarser pigments. Tinted shades keep the marking coloured during the day, but glow for a shorter time than the natural shades.
How to apply the glow paste
The paste is applied directly from the bottle without mixing, ideally in two coats.
- Prime dark hands in a light colour first – the lighter the surface, the stronger the glow.
- Take the paste with a fine needle, a toothpick or a fine brush and apply it.
- Let it dry and apply a second coat. Two coats give a much stronger glow.
- If the paste has become too thick, thin it with a little water. Thinning it more reduces the glow.
- Close the bottle tightly so that the paste does not dry out.
How do you charge the paste?
The paste charges with daylight, lamplight or UV light, as often as you like. With UV light from 365 nm a full charge takes 2–4 minutes, with sunlight 6–9 minutes and under a fluorescent lamp about 20–24 minutes. A UV torch is enough for a quick top-up. The paste glows most intensely in the first few minutes afterwards; afterglow explained shows how it works.
Good to know
Without a sealant the paste is intended for indoor use. For outdoor use, cover the dried coat with a solvent-based sealant. For larger areas and designs, the glow in the dark paint is a better fit. You will find the safety data sheet on the product page and under safety data sheets, and more paints under glow paints & varnishes.