How to Find the Best Luminox Watch

best-luminox-watch

For nearly a full generation, Luminox watches have partnered with the US Navy to provide rugged timepieces for the military’s Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) teams. Each watch in every collection is therefore produced to the highest possible quality. They are also created to withstand several situations that the average timepiece would never dare to attempt.

To find the best Luminox watch that meets your needs, you’ll need to know more about the available features and options that this manufacturer provides.

What Is the Story Behind Luminox Watches?

The best Luminox watch is often considered to be the Navy SEAL watch that was first created in the early 1990s. Founded in 1989 by Richard Timbo and Barry Cohen, the brand was started when Cohen stumbled onto a self-powered illumination system that had been created in Switzerland, which are tritium inserts. For the first couple of years, Luminox struggled to find its way.

Then an officer for the Navy, Nick North, was tasked with finding a more dependable watch that could be used during night missions. He encountered Luminox at a trade show and started working with the company to create a timepiece the Navy could specifically use for their SEAL teams.

Luminox also provides inspired signature watches from space tourism and aviation giants, while being one of the few timepiece manufacturers that creates military-grade products.

How Good Are Luminox Watches?

Setting the various affiliate reviews and bloggers trying to sell watches aside, the response to Luminox watches is generally positive. Many of the complaints about this brand have to deal with quality control issues. We found this consensus, which seemed to summarize all of the comments and reviews that seem to be independent;

  • Looks good, love it
  • Receive a lot of compliments
  • The weight of it feels cheap, but it’s strong and the light weight feels great on your wrist
  • Defintely my go-to watch

The manufacturer states that the lifetime of the watch battery is going to be 2-10 years, depending on the style of watch purchased, its dimensions, and the capacity of the battery itself. Chronographs will have higher energy consumption.

Some Luminox watches to have an end-of-life indicator as a feature. The second-hand will start moving at 4-second intervals, which lets the user know that it is time to have the watch serviced by an approved watchmaker. Luminox also recommends that all of their watches receive a full-service checkup every 3-4 years.

The other issue of notable complaint about Luminox tends to involve the strap. Some of the lower-end Luminox watches do come with a plastic band, which can be uncomfortable for some users. This is how the brand has addressed the strap issue, at least from a leather point of view.

“Depending on use and wear and tear, (strap) lifetime is typically 6-18 months. Please take hygienic issues into consideration, as your leather strap is exposed daily to your natural sweat, as well as bacteria and dirt. Also, from this point of view, a change of strap is recommended every 18 months.”

How Are Luminox Watches Made?

Many of the Luminox watches that are on the market today feature Swiss-made quartz movements. More than half of the components in a Luminox watch come from Switzerland and they are assembled in Swiss factories as well.

The process involves using a length of borosilicate glass tubing, which is then coated with a phosphor compound. Then the tube is then filled with the tritium so that the watch contains always visible technologies. Four of the watch collections are water-resistant.

What Are the Prices of Luminox Watches?

A genuine Luminox watch can be picked up for about $120 if you’re looking for an entry level model. You’ll still receive the same quality standards as the upper-end watch collections from this brand, but fewer overall features. Mid-range collections are priced between $200-$350, with some of these watches included in the military-grade collections.

Top Navy SEAL watches and other premium collections retail for $575 or above. Some models are priced above $1,000.

There are knockoff Luminox watches that are on the market today for a slightly lower price. They tend to be “shinier” than the genuine timepieces and have an incorrect font on the watch face.

What Is the Warranty on the Best Luminox Watch?

Luminox offers customers a 2-year limited warranty from the date of purchase if the watch was purchased from an authorized retailer. The warranty guarantees against any and all defects from the manufacturer. Certain items are not covered by the warranty, including the stem, crystal, and crown.

The illumination tubes contained within a Luminox watch are calculated to glow for up to 25 years, although there is a 10-year guarantee that it will glow as of the date of the purchase. The only exception to this guarantee is if the timepiece should experience damage for some reason.

Luminox watches, when marked as water-resistant, can withstand depths of 100-500 meters and will be indicated on the case back. The water-resistance ratings offered by Luminox do not account for aging factors.

Is the Best Luminox Watch Right for You?

The quartz movement watches of Luminox have variations of less than 1 second per day. The mechanical watches have precision tolerances of –10/+40 seconds per day, depending on the habits of the user. This is in-line with industry standards, so the best Luminox watch must be looked at from a comfort and durability standpoint.

Considering this brand is one of the few which meets or exceeds US military standards, it is difficult to find a more durable watch in our industry. That leads us to comfort, which tends to be more about personal preference. If you can find a strap you like on a design you can afford, then there is a good chance that the best Luminox watch will provide you years of enjoyment.

Last update on 2020-09-25 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API