Luminox Navy Seal, any good?

S

Spydiefan04

Joined
Jan 8, 2005
Messages
819
Ok here's the thing, I generally consider plastic watches as cheap/disposable and always keep an Ironman around for when I don't want to damage a good watch. I never could get into G-shocks bc of their higher price and the fact that the cases on them are just too thick. When it comes to watches what I really prefer are mechanical Seiko dive watches and Citizen Eco-Drive watches. Finally to my question I actually checked out a Luminox Navy Seal (the standard plastic model with rubber strap) the other day and I got to admit I really liked it. What I wanted to ask was the real life experiences of anyone who has owned one of these, are they tough and dependable/something that will last a long time or not? Thanks for the input.
 
Personally I say stick to the Seiko and Citizen watches. Also if you do a quick search on "Luminox" you should get a ton of hits in this forum.
 
I' ve had no problems with any of my Luminox quartz models over the years. I' ve used the plastic "SEAL" model in one form or another. At the shop, clubhouse, the athletic field and even in the shower they have held up quite well. The tritium tubes have spoiled me and I cannot go back to non lume watches any longer. For the past year + I have been wearing the 800 series model Ultimate Field model. At 40MM it is a bit smaller (but a bit chunkier) than the plastic SEAL models. But the tritium tubes are the same high quality. Its oversized knurled screw down stem, the AR coated sapphire and the 10 year battery life is what really shines about this model!

N.

www.dozierknives.com/forum
 
ive had a plastic navy seal for about 4 years. no problems, keeps good time, and the tritium glows bright. i use it for work and i am pretty hard on my work gear. it has held up very well.
 
Tritium vials are just about the coolest things on the planet. Great conversation piece having glowing radioactive stuff on your wrist. Oh, and it's useful too.
 
I have the Seal model. Can't recall for how long, but so long, that the vials have dimmed considerably; and I have needed to replace the wrist bands a few times.

Has always been a very accurate time keeper. Never had a problem and the last battery change was years ago.

Like they say, takes a licking and keeps on ticking.

YMMV :)
 
luminox is "ok" but a seiko is a lot better watch imho, i would rather have a orange monster than any luminox.
 
Thanks for the Input, but in looking on-line I just found that Seiko makes a watch the looks almost like a Rolex Sub (the hands looks different though) for about $150. That'll def. be my next watch, the 007s are one heck of a watch too:D
 
I really liked mine as a working watch. I finally retired it after the band broke (after 5 years) for one of the new solar G-shocks. The luminox was nice since I didn't have to worry about illumation buttons and it was quite a bit slimmer than the G-shock is, which is nice since it gets hung up less when removing jackets or sticking your arm through tight spaces. The one problem I did have with the luminox was the band pins. the original ones were very weak on my watch, and actually fell off not long after getting it just walking around the Bladeshow. Thankfully there was a little watch repair place there and they replaced both of them with better ones.
 
Ive had two so far. The first had to be sent back to the factory because it was in the store so long that the battery died two months after I bought it. The second was dropped on a tile floor and the crystal broke. Now I have a Citizen Titanium Auto Diver that I got of ebay for $70. It has been the best watch I've had so far.

Greg
 
I've had one for several years now and it's still going strong. I love it. The only part that has needed replacement was the rubber/ plastic(?) band afterabout a year ago.
 
I have had my Luminox for over 8 yrs. and it is still going strong. I can tell you this it takes a licking and keeps on ticking. I was chasing a subject one night he jumped a fence i was right behind him, i got over the fence and he was just out of arms reach so i had to do the lunge thing to get a good tackle on him well he fell on the grass i hit the concrete walk. My Luminox took a full hit and it still bears the scars today very deep gashes. COPS 1 car burglar 0!!!!
 
The short answer is it is a copy of the SandY. The long answer after Hamilton no longer produced mil-spec watches, the new mil-w's are considered disposable. So if a mil -w is disposable, guess what the civvy is. My Hamilton is so tough the army thought it was an old 1 of there's & said when I ETS I have to turn it in (I showed them my receipt so now I can keep it).
 
I thought Hamilton still made military watches like the Khaki? Or are you referring to "official" military watches? Also can you get a Hamilton or other type watch now with Tritium (even without the vials) I just think the whole glow in the dark without light exposure is cool, but what I really like are Diver/Pilot watches but all the ones I see now are either Superluminova or a knockoff of it.
 
as far as military style watches i like the marathon best, they arent cheap though, i usually wear my rolex GMT all the time except when at the gym, biking, yard work, etc then i wear a TAG, am fixing to give my son my TAG and am trying to decide between a seiko orange monster or a marathon to replace it, i really like both of them,
 
I Googled marathon (had never heard of it before) and found the SAR and T-SAR, now THAT looks like a watch that could get me out of Seikos and Citizens, and although it costs more than I am looking to spend at the moment, I might be convinced to save up for it, I LOVE the look of the watch (esp the dial), it's got the tritiums tubes I'd like to have, and that it is near the SIZE of a Rolex Sub but nowhere near the PRICE of it. Anybody here got a SAR or T-SAR and if so what do you think of it. As you can tell my curiosity is firing back up.
 
Spydiefan04 said:
I thought Hamilton still made military watches like the Khaki? Or are you referring to "official" military watches? Also can you get a Hamilton or other type watch now with Tritium (even without the vials) I just think the whole glow in the dark without light exposure is cool, but what I really like are Diver/Pilot watches but all the ones I see now are either Superluminova or a knockoff of it.
Click to expand...

No the hamilton stopped making the contract model c.1990. Mine is the Khaki, but CIF never bothered to look at the name other than Hamilton.
 
a bud has the auto version of the marathon with a SS bracelet and its a great watch, he's had it for ~2 yrs or so now and not a prob at all, he wears it hard too he's a framing contractor.

marathon is a good watch, i also like the way the dial looks, they look better in real life than a pic too imho. i love the radioactive emblem on the dial lol.

for a watch in the $1K and down range the marathon is hard to beat. i cant think of anything i prefer to it offhand for less than say $3K or so.

i do like the orange monsters too though, i saw some last week for $150 with the SS bracelet, and they are good ones too, imho either one blows away anything luminox ever thought about making.
 
That's cool I thought the Marathon looked awesome. If you've never owned a Seiko before this might help. I've never owned a "Monster" but from previous experience with quite a few Seikos, Including auto divers (which are VERY TOUGH), I'm sure it's tough as nails. You might also want to check out a Citizen Ecodrive PRO Model, I really like eco-drives and have had very good experience with them. In fact my Eco-drive Skyhawk (which I'd recommend if you like Pilot watches) only gains about 4secs/year, the most accurate watch I've ever seen in person. The only thing with the Pro Diver Citizen is that the case is so THICK (I think it's 18mm or more) that to me it is very uncomfortable to wear in Stainless but they also make it in Titanium and to me the Ti model is so much lighter that the thickness doesn't bother me in fact I think it is very comfortable. An also if you are really into visibility in the dark I've found Seiko's Lumnibrite to be FAR SUPERIOR to whatever Citizen paints their hands and dials with but the Diver model Citizens do OK in that respect due to the size of the hands and markers.

I have quite a few Citizens, Seikos, and Timexes for now no Swiss ownership but I hope to change that in the not too distant future, I like Rolex and Omega and aside from the Submariner I think the Marathon SAR with bracelet is the best looking divewatch I've seen at least in photos. I like the looks of Luminox but I always hear mixed reviews, regardless of model one person says they are indestructible and the next says it'll fall apart etc. so I've kinda held off on buying one even though I really like the looks. IF only Seiko made their 007 with tritum vials and a Hamilton style dial, now that would be PERFECT.

UMM I just discovered something else, Traser watches, they make a yellow diver with black case but it is PVD coated Stainless Steel instead of plastic, I really like the less cluttered dial than the luminox and the steel case, otherwise it looks like a yellow faced "navy seal" watch which is what I was considering, anybody got any info/opinions on Traser watches?
 
i just have never been a big luminox fan, a bud having some probs with his didnt help, also the looks, they just dont look to me like something thats worth $150 or so, the more expensive ones look no better to me, i just think they are overpiced.

i bought a seiko diver auto back in '79, wore it daily for 15 yrs or so, still wear it occasionally when biking/etc, still works great, loses a little time (5 min a month) but the thing has never had the back off, not once, its had 3 or 4 rubber straps, but never any service, i bet if i had the thing serviced it would run 100%.

try that with a luminox.
 
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