Is it just me?
This Islander ISL-84 is one of my favorite beaters. It is inexpensive, rugged, and easy to read. Thanks to the second hand, it also looks great on an orange rubber strap, so it goes with my Houston Astros gear for baseball days!
The only thing I don’t like is the black lume. Is anyone able to see black lume in the dark? Maybe it is just my eyes, but the lume on this watch is almost indistinguishable. If I really concentrate, I can make out a faint glow, but as readable as this dial is in daylight, it is just as terrible in the dark.
I think I may try my first mod and replace the hands with some black outlined hands with blue lume. What do you think?
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Ellis
Just an old guy with a lot of financially ruinous hobbies, including watches.
Indiana, USA
Member since
Last active: 6 hrs ago
7.48” / 19.00 cm
With all of that contrast, you should be able to read the watch in very, very low light, even without lume. How often do you need to see the time in the pitch black, with no other time source available? I guess my point is, is it worth the trouble?
I love that Islander because of the contrast and I love a colored seconds hand. Great choice on the strap! 👍
Own a few Islanders, great little brand. Delivers so much value. I really like the orange.
With all of that contrast, you should be able to read the watch in very, very low light, even without lume. How often do you need to see the time in the pitch black, with no other time source available? I guess my point is, is it worth the trouble?
I love that Islander because of the contrast and I love a colored seconds hand. Great choice on the strap! 👍
Good points. I’m one of those weirdos that has to wear a watch to bed. Checking my phone in the middle of the night bothers my wife and as someone who has been married almost 44 years, that is a bad thing. I am also a time checker in theaters and other situations where pulling out a phone is inconvenient or rude to my seat neighbors. You would think the contrast would be enough in low light but I find that the black hands disappear pretty quickly as the illumination decreases.
As far as changing out the hands, part of that is for low light visibility, but most of it is because I am a tinkerer and can’t leave well enough alone!
As I understand “Black Lume” will always be subpar (regardless of brand). I love Islander watches tho, and you should totally go for a mod (worst possible scenario, you buy another Islander).
would be perfect with a lume dial
would be perfect with a lume dial
Yes!
I do like this watch, but the lume would be an issue no matter who made it. As others have mentioned, black lume = no lume basically!! LoL!! Either way I do like islander watches. It's on my list of brands to pick up.
I do like this watch, but the lume would be an issue no matter who made it. As others have mentioned, black lume = no lume basically!! LoL!! Either way I do like islander watches. It's on my list of brands to pick up.
I own an Islander Northport and it has spectacular lume. I have my eyes on as many as 3-4 more from this nifty little company.
Love me some Islander watches, Love me some Houston Astros too!
I currently have the Islander Northport in the Seafoam colorway and it is fantastic. Sorry you are experiencing the difficulty of seeing much of yours in low light or dark conditions.
I've got the black dial version and its one of my favorites as well. Very simple
Love me some Islander watches, Love me some Houston Astros too!
I currently have the Islander Northport in the Seafoam colorway and it is fantastic. Sorry you are experiencing the difficulty of seeing much of yours in low light or dark conditions.
It's really not that big a deal. Most of the time it is light enough to see a watch and this one is very readable in the light!
Oh…leave it how it is for god’s sake! Those hands help make the watch in my opinion.
I did it! I changed out the hour and minute hands to a set that actually illuminates at night. I like the trade off of a little daytime readability for effective low light illumination.
I’m sorry to those commenters that feel that a mod to my watch might upend the cosmic balance, but this works for me! 😀