Luminox Watch Question

R

Ryan0619

Joined
Mar 31, 2002
Messages
195
I don't know much about watches but I am starting to get interested in them and am looking into getting a fairly decent one. I was looking at the Luminox brand, more specificly the USAF Stealth series one and was wondering what your opinons of this watch and also this company is? The main thing I like about these watches is the fact that it stays lit all the time! Is this the only brand that has this feature? I have done a little bit of searching and have found that some of you thought that it was junk. Any particular reason why? Thanks in advance!

Ryan
 
I have a titanium model & have had no problems w/ it as far as time keeping or durability. However, if you are just looking for a watch w/ the tritium capsules, you can look at Marathon or Stocker & Yale military watches - they supply watches to the armed forces, and they come in a few different varieties.

Sam
 
I had thought about a Luminox, but was put off by the Navy SEAL thing on their dials, also saw a few reviews on luminox that were not very flattering(poor construction, etc).
I'll second Flotsam's suggestion and look @ Marathon, S & Y, or even Seiko or Citizen. For more $$, look into Fortis, Sinn or Swiss Army.
I've been bitten myself by the watch bug, the wife is freaking over it, but look around www.timezone.com, or go to www.WatchUseek.com Also, forgot about www.Broadarrow.com
Stinky
 
I have three Luminox watches and have had stellar performance from them. The "self lighting" system is truly amazing.

Until someone proves me wrong, I still think Luminox and Marathon are in some way the same watch company. Several of their watches are 99% identical (except for the brand name).

I'm only aware of several very vocal dissenters here in the forums. Most I’m aware of are quite happy with the Luminox watch. Yes, there are other watches in the $200-450 range that rival the Luminox brand in features and quality, but for me and my money, Luminox has been a great purchase.

I have the following models: Series I Original Navy SEAL Dive Watch (Yellow face) #3005 (with the new nylon band seen on the Series II), Stainless Steel SEAL Dive Watch (Black face) #3202, and the Captain's Field Watch (Black face) #1562.
 
Ron@SOG surmises:
Until someone proves me wrong, I still think Luminox and Marathon are in some way the same watch company. Several of their watches are 99% identical (except for the brand name).
Click to expand...

You're not that far off the mark--they're not the same company, but they both use the same components.

If I'm not mistaken, Luminox and Marathon are quite distinct and separate commercial concerns. Marathon being based in Canada, and having been in business since the 1940's. Luminox on the other hand sprang to life as the brainchild of a one Richard Berry Marketing Group in-or-about the early 1990's (maybe earlier).

Now, were I to play Detective, my best guess would be the RBMG sourced its watch components from the same component makers as Marathon--at the very least the watch cases and dials. This is not uncommon in the watch business, and all the more so in the "popular-priced" watch segment of the industry. Aesthetic treaments aside, most of the watches in this industry segment will have the same Swiss or Japanese quartz movement from the same handful of manufacturers.

If you ever have the opportunity to browse through a Mercedes-Benz Accessories catalog, you'll see M-B has "Luminox/Maraton-clone" with a "Mercedes-Benz" dial--everything else the same right down to the tritium hands and markers. Priced the same at about $149 too.

Hope that helps...
 
You certainly said it better than me, adding info I didn't know. I was certain that Marathon and Luminox were using the same parts. Years ago, I bought an Eddie Bauer watch that was a Luminox with the EB name on it.
 
I have two Luminox watches and both have been solid performers (one for about five years now).

Originally posted by Ryan0619
Is this the only brand that has this feature?
Click to expand...

Ryan,
Meprolight also makes a tritium vial illuminated watch that now appears to be carrying the Kimber name. Arizona Gun Runners appears to still be carrying them. I bought one for my brother and it's held up well for a couple of years now.
 
Ooops. Forgot to post the picture of the Meprolight:
 

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If I was also wondering what the difference is between quartz and automatic? I believe Luminox uses quartz correct? Also the only thing I wish luminox had is the day of the week, is there any wathes around the same price and quality with the tritium vial dials with this? Thanks.

Ryan
 
Ryan-

In short, quartz requires the use of a electricity (provided usually by a lithium battery) and a quartz-crystal to regulate the timing.

An automatic, OTOH, utilizes the natural movement of your arm while wearing it to capture energy and re-lease it in a controlled, regulated manner.

An automatic is generally speaking much more expensive to produce, and almost never will equal the accuracy of a quartz. However, automatic owners are a loyal group because they appreciate the mechanical genius in the design of the mechanism, are traditionalists, appreciate the dispensation with the need for a battery, and just don't require +/- 3 sec. mo. accuracy.

Luminox's are all quartz movements if I'm not mistaken. And they produce a variety of models, many with a date display.

Hope that helps...
 
Thanks for the explination Guncollector! Also the only other watch I found that I like was the Ball watches (the Train man series) but I couldn't find any information what so ever about these watches. Do any of you have one? And if so do you think it is worth the extra $250? Thanks.

Ryan
 
Well, i was one of the vocal dissenters in the Luminox debate. Because my experience was based not on one watch, nor even 2 or 3, but about 10 different watches, and ALL of them had the same, fairly serious flaws, i have no choice but to conclude that Luminox has some QC issues. It is of course POSSIBLE that it was a coincidence, but i find that hard to believe.

I know that the tritium has the "cool factor" locked up tight, but, some of the better watches, which use the current generation of SuperLuminova, are extremely bright, and though they do need to absorb light to work, they are nonetheless extremely bright, even after many hours of being in the dark, and my Seiko divers watch has such a bright dial, i have never once not been able to clearly read it under any lighting conditions.

Believe me, i too want a tritium watch, i know the allure of it, but im not going to buy a poorly made watch just to get the tritium, if i really NEED tritium, ill take out my Sig 226 with its Trijicon night sights and get my tritium fix, until i find a well made watch with tritium. I may end up buying an older Sinn EZM1 H3, if i can find one at a good price. Thats a GOOD watch, WITH tritium. Expensive though, probably about $1500. Im actually considering trying one of the Marathons based in part on what i have heard in these types of threads, and my subsequent checking them out on the web. If i get one, ill let you all know what i think, if you care... :)
 
Over the past 5 years or so I have owned a total of 9 Luminox
watches. I still own 5 and friends/relatives have the other 4.
They are all still working properly with none of the QC issues
that I have heard of. None of the Tritium tubes have fallen off, no hands have fallen off, bezel is fine, keeps accurate time, pins have not failed, etc......
I guess I was lucky with mine because I have seen that more than a few forum members have had some of the above problems. My own experience has been great and they make a few models that don't have Navy Seal on the dial and I say "get one" but you need to be aware that apparently some watches have QC issues.
Good luck!
 
Wow that tracer watch is nice but how much is that in USD? And does that come with the tritium tubes? I was also wondering what were the Quality control issues you had with your Luminox watches Megalobyte? The main reason I want tritium is obviously because it's going to be bright at night but if other watches (for about the same price) without tritium viles will be just as bright then I might comprimise but as I said I don't know a whole lot about watches. Thanks.

Ryan
 
Try a Google search and/or check out the Swiss LUMINOX CATALOG for the non-SEAL models. I have had a NATO field watch (not in the catalog on the US site) for several years and am very satisfied with it. No problems whatsoever. That said, I'm thinking about replacing it with a Marathon (if I can find the money while they are still available) Sinn EZ2M, Sinn 656 or Seiko automatic for the reasons discussed above. I appreciate the lack of a battery and mechanics and don't need quartz accuracy.

P.S. Traser and Betalight are both brand names of companies that sell tritium illuminated products.
 
Ryan inquires of Megalobyte:
I was also wondering what were the Quality control issues you had with your Luminox watches Megalobyte?
Click to expand...

Megalobyte's critique of Luminox products can be found here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=1737476#post1737476

I do not doubt Mega's negative experiences with Luminox, but my own experience was greatly divergent from his.

My "NAVY SEALS" version (admittedly marketing a la fromage) was a great performer for many years, and served me well as a SCUBA diving watch. I traded it off to fellow forumite Yiterp a while back when I replaced it with a Sinn EZM-2. I wish I had it now, however, to see if I could reproduce the Mega's posted shortcomings.

If anyone has a Luminox, do read Mega's posting and see if you can reproduce the problems he encountered and report back to us. Inquiring minds want to know!
 
Well I think I have now narrowed it down to either a Luminox or a Ball watch. But unfourtanetly I cannot find hardly any information about the ball watches at all! So I would kind of like to have some information about them before I make my decision. The only thing I wish the Quartz version of the Ball Trainman had is the day of the week like the automatic version does! So if somebody does have any information about these watches PLEASE let me know. Thanks.

Ryan
 
Interesting . . . it looks like someone bought the right to use the old Ball Watch Company (1800s to 1960s) brand on new watches. I read the old company did not make watches or clocks--it just certified and resold clocks and watches that met its stringent standards.
 
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