In an incandescent lamp there is a direct physical link between the amount of light it emits and the amount of time it will last. If more power is “pumped” into the filament, the filament will emit more light but the life of the lamp will be drastically reduced because the higher temperatures will cause the filament material to evaporate more rapidly. The filament will therefore burn through sooner. Conversely, reducing the load on the filament in a conventional incandescent lamp will lead to longer life.
OSRAM incandescent lamps are designed so that they achieve an average life of 1000 hours (as defined in the relevant standards). Statistically speaking, 50 percent of lamps will still be operational after 1000 hours. This applies of course only at rated voltage (e.g. 230V). If the voltage is higher or lower than its rated value the life of the lamp will be shorter or longer accordingly.