Luminox sucks

P

pedropcola

Joined
Feb 24, 2006
Messages
880
I bought a Luminox from a dealer here. Great transaction. I would do business with him again no problemo. This rant has nothing to do with him or his business.

This watch is very nice looking. The illumination is fantastic. It keeps great time. What it doesn't do is stay dry inside. It claims 200 meter water resistance. I had it for two weeks before it went back. It never went in the shower or even been submerged. What killed it you ask? Jogging apparently. I wore it on a little 4 mile run came back inside the hotel and it was opaque. Took four hours to clear up.

I decided to try again and found that every time I went from hot to cold it would fog over to some degree.

My dealer was fantastic and sent a shipping label. The authorized repair facility that you are required to use is weeks behind. Their words. They are just now opening boxes that they received on the 18th. They said it would take three weeks after that before I could expect it back. Maybe it won't take that long.

Bottom line, I did the research and there are tons and tons of bad reviews and reports of horrible QC and CS. I chose to ignore them because I really like the watches style and functionality. Don't be me. Next time I will try Traser or something like that. Buyer beware and all that.

Once again, the dealer on this forum has been awesome and is not the object of my ire.
 
Definitely try the Traser. I've heard to many 2nd hand stories about Luminox to ever take a chance on them.

The Teaser has been with me for three years and not one issue.
 
pedropcola said:
Luminox Sucks
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Agreed. Sub Timex quality for $300+. The second hand fell off mine when it fell from my bedside table to a carpeted floor. The tritium is terrific, though.

I have read that Traser is the same company, but who knows if that is an internet rumor.
 
Sad thing is the watch is great if it didn't suck already. The tritium works exactly as advertised. I loved being able to tell time at work without using indiglo or squinting at the luminescence. Very under impressed at this point. I got it for sub 300 dollars but that is still a lot of money for a watch that can't survive the transition between air conditioning and the great outdoors. SEALS my ass.
 
Same reason I've never bothered buying one, seemed too much of a lottery on whether you'd get a good one or not. I went with a cheaper KHS H3 UZI with the trit, tried several bands with it but never "felt it" and eventually gave it to my brother along with 3 other watches. I'm selling my Victorinox Summit XLT tomorrow and for now will be sticking with my Seiko Black Monster, 2 Baby Monsters and solar G-Shock with Atomic timekeeping and a few others. The GID markers on the G-Shock aren't great but they're awesome on the Monsters.
 
I've purchased 2 of them over the past 10 years and both have been terrific. Sorry you got a bad one.
 
Maybe it can be fixed. I hope so. I like pretty much everything about this watch other than the reading the dial through a heavy fog feature.
 
That's what happens when you have a plastic watch case. Any flex or give in the case will allow moisture into the case. No thanks.
 
I've had this Luminox since 2003 with zero issues. Wear almost daily with lots of pool time, sweat and ocean.
IMAG0055.jpg
 
Marathon will be my next choice apparently. Thanks for the information. Traser is out if its the same company, no thanks. I think the older Luminox get pretty good reviews the later stuff, not so much. Oh well losing money is nearly a sure fire way to learn a lesson.
 
Thank you for this post. I've been on the verge of buying a Luminox for some time but it is now off the board; the orange monster
will continue to serve as it has for the last 12 years...
 
That is the exact reason I posted. I had been on the fence for awhile. The bad reviews are out there but I chose to chalk them up to internet negativity. I hate that I got taken by marketing and then beat up by poor CS. I now have owned the watch for a month and got to wear it for a week before it crapped out on me. I am going to call Monday and see if it is even in the queue yet.

When I get it back, I am torn. I want to be able to wear it all day, every day but if it fogs over again then it clearly is a gentle care watch. I have little to no use for a gentle care watch. If you do then pay attention to the forum 'cause I will be selling it cheap!

BTW CARRERA50, I saw CV. I grew up at the end of Redwood Road. How's that for a small world?
 
I have many expensive watches.. Tag, Movado, Lum-tec...

My luminox has been perfect for over 10 years. The others all have had problems and expensive tuneups. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another luminox.. 8 trips to Alaska in some pretty harsh conditions and never missed a beat.
 
My Luminox problem was caused by purchasing the wrong one. I failed to notice that even at that price point it did not have a screw down crown. First thought that it was messing up before I realized that the crown was getting pulled out and pushed back in during the course of the day. Eventually whole crown and stem pulled out of the watch. I tossed it and chalked it up as a learning experience.
 
I've been looking for a watch that sports the tritium illumination technology, and it seems that Luminox is the most prevelant. I see Traser mentioned above. What are some other brands/models that are worth considering? The only other requirement i have in addition to tritium is a sapphire crystal.
 
CARRERA50 said:
Thank you for this post. I've been on the verge of buying a Luminox for some time but it is now off the board; the orange monster
will continue to serve as it has for the last 12 years...
Click to expand...
Yup, at this price point Seiko really is the best option.
 
I bought one of early Traser watches in 2003 (S5000 titanium).
It has given intermittent troubles, mostly with the mechanism (it would just stop working???), which I eventually had replaced.
When it works, its great, but not very reliable, so relegated to backup status for the past 7 years.
 
Well don't buy the 3051. I guarantee it can't take the hardships of Alaska since it couldn't take an afternoon jog without crapping itself. I am sure some of their product works but if it doesn't, like mine, the repair facility is SSSLLLLLOOOOOWWWWW. BUYER BEWARE.
 
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