Tell me about Luminox watches please.

Cheap watches with expensive tritium illumination. You can do better without trying very hard... ...if you have to have tritium (a gimmick if you ask me) then there are better choices. If you just want a good quality watch then you can do much better for the money.
 
As stated before, they're not the best watch out there, but they're damn tuff! After 8 or 9 years, and thousands of fights on terrazzo floor, I finally retired mine. I have the cheapest version they make. the old navy seal's model that came with the rubber band. I wore it day in & day out on the floor in a state psychiatric hospital & beat the wheels off it. After 3 bands & 2 battery changes, I gave it a rest, but it took the beating like a champ!
 
ElConquistador said:
Cheap watches with expensive tritium illumination. You can do better without trying very hard... ...if you have to have tritium (a gimmick if you ask me) then there are better choices. If you just want a good quality watch then you can do much better for the money.
Click to expand...

Please enlighten me what makes tritium a gimmick? Personally, being in situations where I don't want to be detected by an alarm IE a digital g-shock etc style watch malfunctioning and making a noise the tritium illumination and lack of digital equipment is a huge plus.

I don't disagree that they're not the most bang for the buck but what do you recommend in that range? Considering you can purchase the lower end with tritium for Sub $200.00 please present a better watch for that price Hell, one even remotely close.



I digress,
The problem with them is if there is a problem with the illumination of the tritium or it becomes dislodged, there is to my knowledge only 1 person qualified currently by them and recognized as a service repair facility under warranty..... Basically, through contact with others they have stated he has a rather "I'll get to it when I can" attitude. Reason being, special certifications and training is needed to work with the tritium as it's a radioactive isotope if memory serves me.
 
Reignman said:
Please enlighten me what makes tritium a gimmick? Personally, being in situations where I don't want to be detected by an alarm IE a digital g-shock etc style watch malfunctioning and making a noise the tritium illumination and lack of digital equipment is a huge plus.

I don't disagree that they're not the most bang for the buck but what do you recommend in that range? Considering you can purchase the lower end with tritium for Sub $200.00 please present a better watch for that price Hell, one even remotely close.
Click to expand...

If, in you mind, the possibility of accidentally setting the alarm on your g-shock out weighs the disadvantages of having a glowing green target strapped to your wrist then maybe tritium is for you. Personally I like a light that is on when I need it, off when I don't. I also think that the regular seiko, citizen, swiss army, luminescent dials make more sense than tritium, they glow brightly for a while then dim as your night vision improves, they're easily recharged with a flashlight in a few seconds if you need to.

As far as the quality of the watch, the lower end Luminox watches are plastic and look terrible after a year or two of use when they get scratched up and the paint starts chipping out of the bezel. The movements are nothing special and there are problems with hands falling off etc. Like I said, there are tons of options for a <200 watch... ...Swiss Army Divemaster 500 quartz would be just one, anything from Citizen, Seiko, etc., or a good old G-Shock.
 
Good to know, I thank you for your opinions, elconquistador.
I need someone to tell me the cons, other than cheer me on.
John
 
I do not find tritium a gimmick at all. I quite prefer it to GITD. In my life I have no concern about it being a glowing green target. I am neither military or LEO.
 
I've had mine for 3 years. No issues except the bezel won't rotate anymore due to crud build up. I've tried prying it off to clean & lube but it won't budge. I also prefer NATO bands over the rubber originals.

IMG_4104.jpg
 
72jroberts said:
I was looking at the 8800 series Black Ops models.
Thoughts?
Thank you so much!
John
Click to expand...
Luminox quality seems to be much lower than when they first came on the scene about 20 years ago. Try looking at Traser. Traser seems to be related or an affiliate of Luminox but the quality and styles are of the original Luminox line.
 
I agree with the last post--I've had a Traser Code Blue for over a year (with nato band) and it works great. If I destroyed it, I'd get another Traser to replace it.
 
I have had my Luminox for...8-10 years now. Three watch bands and two batteries later, I swear the battery lasts forever, a definite plus. It's super bright at night and has never failed me. I recently went to the NATO watch band which I like so much better than the band that came with the watch (pictured). I cant think of a bad thing to say about my Luminox. I highly recommend them.


100_4606-1.jpg
 
Coincidentally, I just bought a S&W black coated SS tritium watch for $149 on Amazon. I wanted a cheap, but high quality tritium watch and am very pleasantly surprised by how nice it looks.

I had to take it to a jeweler to have some links removed and even he commented on the quality. He was surprised Smith and Wesson made watches. I don't know the model # off hand but it is the all black one with SS band. Check it out. I'll take photos over the weekend.
 
I am a small time watch collector and I have been on watch forums for a long time. I have never heard of any quality issues with Luminox products and I think their quality is pretty good. I have 2 Luminox watches now, both that I bought used. The batteries do last a long time and I think that is a good point in their favor.

I like the tritium tubes. The don't glow as bright as well charged luminova but they glow the same all night. I use my 2 Luminox models for occasional wear for travel, as beaters, and as weekend watches. The rest of the time I wear mechanical watches. I think Marathon makes quartz and mechanical watches with tritium tubes and I have thought about buying the mechanical model to go into my weekly rotation.

The only complaint I would have about Luminox is that they are relatively expensive, some models more than others. I'm cheap and like to find deals on online auctions, and this is hard to do with Luminox.

DSC_9166b.jpg
 
I tried one on while vacationing in in Hawaii and I kid you not, one of the hands fell off as I was looking at it. The store clerk tried to accuse me of breaking it but the manager said he'd seen that happen a couple of times before.

I bought my gshock that same day.
 
Bellasdaddy said:
Luminox quality seems to be much lower than when they first came on the scene about 20 years ago. Try looking at Traser. Traser seems to be related or an affiliate of Luminox but the quality and styles are of the original Luminox line.
Click to expand...

Only 2 of the Tracer's on their website are as cheap/cheaper price wise of the Luminox he's looking at, and i can't find any sign of them being related to Luminox
 
InfantryMyers said:
Only 2 of the Tracer's on their website are as cheap/cheaper price wise of the Luminox he's looking at, and i can't find any sign of them being related to Luminox
Click to expand...
I don't think I ever mentioned one being less expensive than the other; I was referring to Traser being better quality and closer to what Luminox used to be like (for me). I have a superb quality Luminox 3600 Titanium that is no longer produced and it is almost exactly the Traser P6506 Commander. Also I have recently had a Luminox Blackout Sentry and blackout Evo that did not seem to be as sturdy or well manufactured as a Timex.

As far as being related to Luminox, they are both possibly made by parent company MB Microtech of Switzerland, but I am not in the factory with eyes on the assembly line.

I have a few nice watches and know, for example, that the venerable Omega, Longines and Hamilton are all made by Swatch Group.
 
Last edited:
You may want to check out Lum tec watches. They are still on the lower end price wise (around $400 to $800), offer a fair amount of options and are known for the luminant on their dials.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top