I was with Special Operations. And i've never met a Navy Seal who wears a Luminox. LOL Timex's, Suunto's, Garmin's, Gshocks, but have never seen a Luminox. Actually the 2 watches of choice with Special Operations Are G-shocks and TImex's. For opposite reasons. G-shock because they're tough and they last. And Timex because they're good watches but cheap and easy to replace.

I have a G-Shock... one of the very first Solar/Atomic watches made. I bought it almost 20 years ago for $250 give or take. Outrageous for a Casio at the time but it has been the toughest, most accurate and reliable watches that I have EVER owned! I've had to replace the batteries 5 years ago and the strap last year and it's still going strong!

I served in the Navy Specwar Community and I've never seen anyone wearing a luminox....ever. Lots of G-shocks, lots of Timex, a few Marathon Gsars and Jdds. Except for me, I had a bonehead moment and thought, why not? One month later, not on ops, simply cleaning some gear I banged it, not very hard against the side of a wooden work table. Shattered the crystal, lost the tritium tube on the bezel and one of the hands came off. Went back to the Marathon Gsar I had been wearing for two years........still have it. That was in 2007.

G-Shock FTW. I personally bought my G-Shock 5600 in 2008 just prior to a deployment to Iraq. It then went to another deployment in 2013 to Afghanistan. After leaving the military, I joined a contracting company and again went to Afghanistan for almost 3 years. My watch went with me on all these trips, and never missed a beat, until I needed to change the battery, which I did in Dubai, and it is still ticking away today. You want set it and forget it? Go G-Shock, they are indestructible!

Presently i'm wearing a G-Shock 7900-1, Solar, GPS adjusted, day, date, alarms, timer, moon/tide phase. It's pretty much everything i could ask a watch to be. The Luminox appeared to be a fine watch, and i'm certain the wearer would have many years of good service. I was in the Army, and i saw boatloads of G-Shocks and look-a-likes, and they do hold up to a hard life. The group i was in, none of us had Rolex, Omega or any of the high priced timepieces. I can see the teams wanting to hack watches for precise missions, but for us ground pounders, a watch that stood up to daily life of a soldier and could be set to read military time was essential. I've gone through a few G-Shocks, nothing lasts' forever, but dollar for dollar, pound for pound, i don't think you can beat a G-Shock.

I’ve been a G Shock guy since 87. 3 years ago I decided to try something different and went with a Luminox 3182 BO. Great looking and functioning watch that got lots of compliments. 2 years later the Luminox crest on the face detached and is now freely rattling around under the crystal. That was it for me, for the money Luminox asks this shouldn’t be happening. Went back to a G Shock Mud Master GGB100-1A and couldn’t be happier. Legendary G Shock dependability with compass, barometer, and thermometer. Sorry Luminox, I wanted to like you...

I am retired Federal Law Enforcement and have been on three (3) special operations teams as well as CT and also never saw any of my team members use Luminox as their watch. I myself have used g-shocks but turn off the automatic lighting and hourly beep as well as the alarms so as not to give myself when being covert is critical. Luminox does make a good product and the tritium is great but the only tritium I want to see is on my sights and not on my wrist. Thanks for your video.

My coworker was a US Navy UDT Frogman and he told me Navy Seals don't wear or use Luminox watches! Casio G Shocks were very popular as well as Timex, Garmins and Suunto's. The Luminox uses a $15 movement LOL!

My Luminox is 12 years old. Never missed a beat. Luminescence is still good. I love it.

The original Luminox 3000 series is my favorite post-military watch; Unfortunately its just battery. Military, We bought and wore whatever the PX/BX sold which was gshock and Timex.

I have a G-Shock that I paid $100 from Walmart about 11 years ago. The only thing I had to change was the watch band. It is Solar power with Atomic Time keeping which I believe is the best accuracy watch you can buy! I love my new Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical watch.

You can absolutely read these in any light condition. I have several and you can see them in dim environments. The lume is great

That circular date amplifying window is amazing.

I’ve owned two Luminox and I have about 20 G-Shocks. While I was in the Navy, I was assigned to the SEAL teams as an armorer. The guys did not wear Luminox, nor were they issued. G-Shock and Suunto X-Lander Military were the issued time pieces. For analog, guys wore Subs, SMPs, or Resco. Luminox’s whole Navy SEAL thing is a marketing gimmick. It got the approval of one NSW unit that was testing gear and Luminox has been cashing it on that for their entire history. There is no official Navy SEAL watch, but if you want the one watch that has gone through every single phase of SEAL training and on to deployment, it’s the Resco Patriot.

Some people in these comments are being quite unfair with Luminox. I have had 3 luminox 2 scott casell deep dives and 1 master carbon 3800. all of them MSRP at 700-800 dollars but i got them at 300 dollars or so. they have all been exeptional, no fogging,. these two models are 300 meter resistant. I don't know if they go down that deep but i have taken laps around the pool even diving to the bottom of the pool with both and they hold on fine. the scott casell nox was left in the loundry machine with a double cycle and it came out ok and it only lost 3 hours on the time due to the centrifugal forces of the dry cycle.Another time I hit it with my racquet so hard while playing tennis it flew off my hand as the pin came dislodged (I had put a cheaper pin on the band ) picked it up, put the pin back in and the watch kept working fine. I like the design of the luminoxes and the quality on the higher end ones is satisfactory. It does piss me off that a watch that retails at 800 dollars misses some of it's second markers but these watches are put together by hand by techs in Switzerland not by a machine .. I am extremely happy with all of my luminoxes and they have proven to be reliable time pieces. Is the G-shock better than the luminox? yes.. dollar by dolllar they are.. but G-shocks are .. sterile.. uninspired , clinical watches. they seem almost too refined. the Luminoxes have bold agressive designs that make you feel like a bad ass when you wear them . and the tritium is nice.. granted a button with a light is better .. but there is a charm to having radioactive tubes in your watch. some of the luminox that have the 715 movement have 10 year batteries through a big lithium battery . even if the battery runs low after 10 years it will let you know by skipping 4 seconds at a time, it will still provide you with the accurate time for another 4-6 months after it starts doing that before dying . so for example the master carbon 3800 and the scott casell deep dive both have 10 year batteries My only advice is to stay away from the cheaper luminxoes and stick to the higher end ones when they are on clearance.

They are great watches for what I do as well, commercial tow boat pilot/Captain. It’s nice to be able to clearly read the watch when it is dark without compromising your night vision. I love these and the Similar Traser watches.

Great stuff, thanks for the review

I am brutal on watches (outdoor, heavy rural work, field work etc) and this looks pretty nice but I agree the battery power would turn me off in this category. I suspect even this might not hold up on y wrist. Been wearing G-Shocks for years. For serious pros like elite military etc, I can heartily recommend even the cheap G’s will be your best option but the high end Japanese made ones are the bomb…really high end materials and features which would be accurate and tactical. My beater is a $60 G and still looks almost like new.

I was in the Marine Corps I owned a luminox new a couple of Navy SEALs they thought it was ridiculous that people wore the luminox they actually called them posers or wannabes anyway my luminox broke after 30 days nightmare trying to get it serviced so I actually switch to a G-Shock which is what those seals wore never had a problem with it still have it to this day and I beat the hell out of it as a matter of fact in 100 years you dig my body up and I'll still be wearing my G-Shock

I own the Luminox 3603 and some other Luminox models. I wear them hunting, shooting, diving, and swimming. I like them but they are no where near as tough a g shocks

I had my eye on Luminox for some time now so I actually ordered a blue version with white dial just this week Peter!😱 Good review on what I believe is a good beater watch!👍🏻😎

Owning both Luminox and G-Shocks I can say the G-Shocks are more useful function wise. Also, hard shocks will dislodge the tritium tubes whereas the G-Shocks don't have an issue. I like the style of Luminox, but prefer the features and functions of my G-Shocks. The sapphire Luminox models are nice and I really like my Luminox Recon. Honestly, you can't go wrong with either brand. Just pick your needs and style.

I have examples of Luminox and G-Shock. The Luminox has proven to be fragile and unreliable, sometimes stopping for several minutes at a time and then restarting with new batteries, an unforgivable attribute in a timepiece. It is anything but water resistant, fogging up with any dry exercise outdoors on a hot day. The strap tore after less than a year. The G-Shocks on the other hand have proven to be quite robust. They are my go-to for rugged outdoor use.

I had two Luminox and I had to change the batteries, so I opened them. They have really cheap mechanisms and the rubber bracelet of one of them, broke. I have Seiko, Citizen, Orient and several G-shocks and they're the real thing for toughness.

I own a couple of these wrist watches, and I really like them. I'm with you, though - on wishing that they had an automatic movement like my Hamilton Khaki King. Yes, they are very visible - and very lightweight. A great time piece. Excellent presentation, thanks...

I think Luminox is a bit on the upper level compared to G shock as far as materials is concerned that explains the higher price, but I think it doesn't offer much. I have way passed G shocks and for the price of any Luminox just a little bit more my next purchase would be some Casio Pro treks or Garmin.

Good voice for the review, really easy to watch and listen to

Have both and like both. Just wear what you like, most times I pick up the luminox for it's simplicity, accuracy, it's rock solid and luminescent. Also it's not so bright for stealth reasons and not to give your position away.

When Luminox passes the truck test, the same as the G shock, then I'll by one!

Greatly enjoy the looks & performance of my Luminox Commando (3377?) - it's never leaves my wrist and I'm relatively tough & tumble with kids, dogs, cars, guns, power tools, etc. - super like the visibility & light weight... wish they had more (current) models in titanium... Time will tell; thanks for vid!

I own Luminox and GShock and they are both highly durable and rugged watches. The beauty of the Luminox is the night illumination and recently GShock improved the lighting on their watches to brighter LED. 👍🏻

I got one of the limited edition Japan tsunami edition (A.3007.JTAF) in 2012 for a steal online and have been using it for camping or night hiking.. basically anything I do in the dark... I hear the movement's easily damaged when changing the battery, so I tend to do it myself... and inspect/change & oil the gasket... I've smashed it, slammed it, gone swimming, fishing... Things held up well so far... it's Gone through 2 rubber straps and the cloth Velcro one.. The lum is starting to dim, but still quite visible... I just found a discontinued 3803 model online for cheap (-$300) so I figured I'd jump on it. We'll see if that one is just as good. (Edit: my go to daytime watch for sports or outdoors is my digital Casio 3 sensor expedition.)

Честный обзор и итог! Владею бюжетным экземпляром три года, батарея первая,всё нравится! Ходят очень точно! Подвожу раз в год, дату не смотрю. 😉 Подумываю об этой, более стильной. Luminox и механику делает, но меньше, она не настолько надежна. Но то что они видны в любых условиях и без дополнительной кнопки - правда выручает! Есть на механике Восток-Европа, с тритием! В очереди покупок, Но они тяжелее.

Absolutely love this channel, easy going, great presentation clean cut everytime... RE:THIS watch I really like the watch but I question its robustness, am these luminicent tubes leave too much to drop off upon impact over the years.... The date mech didn't look stable..... I notice luminox do not show any videos talking of the tech to withstand impact etc closest they've shown is a vice opening and closing... I bought a luminox once and sent it straight back for its inconsistency I do like the cyclops over the date... I also think that people should've had explained to them what "complication" means regarding watches.... Great channel keep it up.

I'm into extreme mountain biking, and my watches take a beating. Ive had two Luminox watches fail while riding. On one, I hit my arm on a tree and the glass cracked. The other, the extreme vibrations caused the second hand to fall off. If these watches cant stand up to the abuse mountain biking dishes out, doubtful it could stand up to the abuse it would take on a special missions soldier. Weirdly enough, my Seiko automatic dive watch has functioned flawlessly.

US Army combat vet here - I did 6 deployments overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq and North Africa. Plenty of those were alongside NSW, and never once did I see a Luminox on any of their wrists... nor ours in the Ranger Regiment either, for that matter. Tons of G Shocks, Suuntos, Ironmans and an occasional Marathon, however. Especially the Ironmans as we could by em really cheap at the PX and just wear em till they broke or died. Now I'm not saying that noone from NSW ever wore a Luminox, I'm only saying that it's far from common in any of the SF/SO communities from the GWoT era. Don't get me wrong, I the look of the look of the Luminox, sure. It's got a neat appearance and all, but it's too expensive and too brittle for use in combat. They may say "Navy SEAL" on them, but that's simply a marketing ploy and not the reality. *NSW = Naval Special Warfare *GWoT = Global War on Terror

Reading the comments I’ve come to a conclusion. Luminox should look at the durability and functionality of analog G-Shocks, and Casio should look at the luminosity of Luminox!

It's a Cool WATCH ! I didn't know the Luminox 3601 Navy Seal. I would like to add it to my collection !

Thanks Peter 👍. It’s a brand I’ve always considered, this might just swing it, purchase wise 🤷‍♂️.

G Shock are the watch of choice for most military & law enforcement.

I've had two Rolex watches and other high end watches. Four years ago my wife purchased a luminox as a birthday present for me. I love it! Unlike the Rolex watches it keeps perfect time! I've since got rid of my Rolex watches and only wear my luminox as an everyday watch! I still have some dress watches, but rarely wear them as I'm retired and don't dress up anymore! Looking forward to purchasing another luminox as soon as I get back to the states as I'm been in Vietnam for 10 months and don't really know when I'll be leaving because of the covid19.

Hi Peter - Despite my negative quartz comments, Luminox (have 2) is piece that I find very pleasing on the wrist and both are still working after 10 years, of course battery replacements. They have a variety of dial color combo's (hands, markers) on the other models. Yes, the strap is super comfy. Awhile back the supply somewhat dried up, but I now see them more on the market. I was surprised in my travels how well that Luminox is recognized on an international basis in some sectors. I like the Luminox Logo Design, which you perhaps may also appreciate Best, JP

Nice video. The time for analog battery powered hard use watches has come and gone long ago. Buy a solar multiband 6 Gshock like a frogman. Casio is solid state, no moving parts, no battery replacement needed, and it adjusts the time itself. Casio cant be beat.

27 yrs in the US Coast Guard and never saw or heard of anyone owning a luminox. I own the Pacific diver. Bought it two months ago and really like it but its not a standard issue military watch. I also own G- Shocks which i like. I would say the G-Shock is a tougher watch but I like the style of the luminox better. If I were to get a true military type diver then I would buy a Marathon.

We use a piece of black electrical tape over the watch face leaving a little tab to make for easy pull back reveal.

For a real test on durability ask someone in construction or a commercial fisherman! That said my Timex went through my tour of duty in the infantry and kept on ticking! I have a Luminox and like how easy it is to read and set. My G shock was very hard to read and set as far as durability it was great. And I still have my Timex for those times when I may lose it. All seem to hold up well so far.

the second hand lines up, i like it !!

The normal rule is if it says 'navy seals' it likely isn't.

I like it being quartz, it's a good movement that can be beat around unlike an automatic. Can't drop an automatic on a hard floor

as a former us marine vet and diver Q' i own 1' a rolex submariner , 2' my seiko diver , 3' a doxo diver and I'm good with that

What's a really reliable 24 hr illuminated watch?

'A genuine rubber strap'. What a bonus!

@Peter Kotsa, with your informative review on the Luminox watch..,I decided to buy one!:)

I'm wearing this exact watch on my wrist and I like it very much. Great illumination and it's aesthetically pleasing. But I had a Timex and Gshock when I was in the military.

Great Video 👌

Honestly I prefer G-Shock over Luminox :S My attached is due when I was a children my first watch was a Casio so much love for those bad boys! Nice reference you choose. Great vid mate! Stay safe!

My stainless steel Luminox Navy Seals Professional Diver model #3257 is a beautiful watch by appearance. The second hand actually lands on the tick marks (a great improvement over earlier models). I have one small complaint which breaks the deal for me. The rotating bezel has play in it. One fellow described it as wiggling. In any case, it drives me insane and I'm sending this watch back to the retailer for a full refund. It's a shame. This watch does appear to be the real thing to my eyes, but that bezel makes me really wonder about the rest of the watch's quality ...

Once, when I got tired of battery issues with the G-Shock, I made the mistake of buying a Luminox, the navy seal kind. And I bought it directly from Luminox’s website, so there was no issue with it being a “gray market” watch. Biggest waste of money ever. It didn’t even last a year. The watch just needed to fall one time on the floor and the glass on the case cracked. I’m now at a place where, if I’m looking for a tough watch, I’ll take the G-Shock any day of the week. Save yourself the money, and go ahead and buy just about anything but a Luminox.

I have the Luminox Series 8400. Had it for just about 20 years. Had the battery replaced and the watch subsequently pressure tested - once. Is it my daily driver? Hell no. Some say the lume is "garbage" (I've seen that posted here), but that is just not the case. The seconds hand doesn't necessarily hit all the marks, but that's what you get at this price point. Military history is dubious to be sure, but I did get mine as an issue for contracting on a particular job as a civvy, so there's that. They make pretty solid watches, I can't seem to kill mine. Again: is it a daily driver? Na. Is it the nicest of timepieces? Na. Is it worth that much more over a g shock? Definitely not. But they're fun, and I actually like the tritium. My biggest problem is once the tritium is dead, good luck. There's only one company I can find that will replace them and it requires you to ship the watch to China. Luminox will -not- do it for you. That said, mine is still glowing after about 23 years, albeit with a distinctly noticeable difference in brightness.

Strangely enough I actually like the older Luminox watches. They had metal bodies and lower over- all heights. Though I was never in anything High Speed in the military, most servicemen simply bought what was available at the PX for cheap. Enlisted don't tend to make all that much. If they have on base housing its because they are married...try telling a servicemans wife with two kids your gonna throw down 4-5 bills on a watch....

Owned a Luminox captain’s watch stainless steel for over 15 years. Well made and sturdy but lume faded pretty quickly after owning it. Owned a Casio GA 2100 the last 4 months and love it, comfort, weight & price it’s a no brainer. Am also guessing Luminox will depreciate much harder than any G Shock.

I like them both. I have a bunch of G-Shocks and also Luminox. I think they are both awsome and i will be honest and say that the Carbonox Luminox watchs i have are probably the most comfortable to wear out of all the watches i own. G-Shock and Luminox are totally different in actual watch design in implemantation. I constantly see people saying one is "Better" they are both good and also very different watches.

The only positive thing is, if it breaks, that Rhonda movement cost only 50$ for a new one.

i wish someone did a luminox crush and drop test

People saying negative stuff about Luminox, don’t agree with them- I have 2 and am buying a third, I also have g-shock and Suunto. G- Shock are ok but not as good as the other two.

G-SHOCK all the way!!

I like this watch, I'd wear it, and finally Luminox has sapphire. yeah

Our team used Casio pathfinder solar watches

I LOVE G Shocks but there is one thing G shocks miss for me and that is a pleasing analog watch. Most are quite bulky and busy watch dials. I like the idea of a rugged-ish casual wear watch that is simple and just tells the time…lightweight and fun. I think I might end up getting one of these myself. I don’t care for the gimmick with Navy Seal but having a story with your watch adds to the charm.

There was a one guy in my platoon who worn Luminox. It lasted 8 months for him and after that he changed to Suunto. I don't know how long it will last yet, but judging by the build quality of the watch, I don't think it will make it through an year. I personally uses G shocks GD-350, and I have new G-lide on the side. Although G-lide is more expansive and sophisticated watch in terms of technology, I still prefer wearing GD-350. It is tough and very easy to read the time and it's not going to fail on me during operation.

I wore the bezel numerals off this watch in just a few years so I’d like to see a better bezel. However the illumination feature does not disappoint. In total darkness the tritium illumination could serve as a flashlight at close distance, very powerful. I now wear a G Shock Mudmaster 2000 and its illumination is seriously inferior to the Luminox concept. On the other hand the G Shock has 4 features which serve long range shooting which are most important to me in addition to knowing the correct time.

Never owned a luminox, but that looks like it wears a lot smaller than stated dimensions. I was actually surprised when you measured it out.

Nice review. I have a G-shock Mudmaster and I think there's not comparison to This.....but I n not a special forces operator

I think it's quite a rugged good looking watch actually, although I think Luminox have a way to go to capture their intended market. where I live in the UK there is a big military garrison & a few weeks back there were about 6 Gurkas in the local supermarket & all of them were wearing Casio G Shocks, most of them G Shock Squares! Those guys are as tough as it gets, so there's no better endorsement for a watch really!!

As the son of a Met Police Officer, I can assure you that as nice a watch as this is, the British Police do not wear them, actually many wear normal dress watches in the station, and maybe G Shocks while on the beat. I can also assure that at least, the British Army aren't supplied with watches at all, you buy your own and most popular are GShocks & Suunto Core. When I worked Security, I wore a GShock and then it matters not if you smack it against something 500 times.

I will only buy Gshock for tough use. Had two luminoxs shed their second hands. Gshock are the only watch I can find to stand up to rugged use. They fog up in certain conditions, but other than that theres not much to complain about.

if you really want a tuff watch for field, it should be a digital one.. analog is not a safe bet for this kind of purpose

Never own or handled Luminox, my impression is their famous gas tube lume, simple quartz analog, some with beter casing while some with very plastic look. G-Shock wins over functions/complication & price though.

I think every guy should have one big tuff black watch, but I just don’t like g shocks, I really like tritium tubes so I got a armourlite AL88 it’s all dlc coated stainless and I love that watch. I think this luminox looks better than any g shock

Nice watch, but I’d rather go with a G-Shock Frogman or a Seiko Tuna, with its awesome 7c46 quartz movement.

Always had a timex in the Marine Corps because they were cheap and can take a beating. Luminox is a good watch I have one, but too expensive for enlisted grunts.

Go Suunto or G-Shock... Luminox looks cool but it will fail under harsh conditions every time... I had to learn the hard way:( $$$

Would you believe I had recently been looking at this watch and I have the same reservation re batteries. For a solar dive watch I am now looking at a Citizen Promaster CC5006-06L Eco Drive GPS.

Marathon GSAR anyone? I quite fancy one (tritium, automatic and built like a tank)

I'm a 13 year LE officer and i've never seen any officer wearing such a watch. Most of us uses a G shock watch, Timex or other cheaper variants, as the department would not reimburse if the watch is damaged.

I’ve on the lumanox seal diver for about 35 years now it’s lost most of its luminescence now and the battery life is about two years secondhand moves four seconds at a time when the battery starts to get a low to let you know that it is getting low I’ve replaced it with the armor lite with the T 100 tritium & it’s four times brighter and last 50 years

Best G-Shock I own is the DW6600

I don't like the Brand, because its fake, but I like how you handled your review. I like how you said it's not for you in a nice way. I will add this: lume is garbage, carbon case military SPEC..is basically plastic, movement is cheap as you have to be extremely lucky for that seconds hand to land on markers and military marketing is fake cause no military uses it...or any military uses any brand for that matter. Military history for this brand is non existent. They have on this one screw down crown and that's the only plus. Great content as always. Cheers!

Wow nice 👍

Tactical watch. Nice!

Luminox is not so much for a Seal, more for a Bear Grills (pun intended).

That don't beat my GSAR, Rangeman... and the 3601 is still just a quartz!!

I say g shock, simply because of features. It's a good looking analog watch, but most analog diver watches don't have features like compass, barometer, or altitude functions. In the end, it's just like any other analog watch with a rotating bezel. I have a g shock gravity master that is both analog and digital, has compass features and barometric pressure readings, chronograph and countdown timer, dozens of time zone settings, and the neon luminous feature is fantastic. Only cost $179 on Amazon.

I have three Luminox watches after a couple years the watches have stopped working. I've replaced the battery on two and that still did not fix the problem. The most expensive watch I took to a jeweler and found out the movement is bad. Caveat emptor with these gimmicky watches. I have the 8800 GO, Modern Mariner (6250), and 3150.

I was in the S A S , , sausage association society and people wore all sorts , and berty had a plastic pocket watch , unless he was in active duties, then he wrapped the chain round his fist and swung it round as a weapon , of class disruption cheers Shane uk 🇬🇧

that 's a huge watch, just like most g-shocks. Looks like a decent alternative for a low-spec g-shock. Altough the jumping seconds hand *NOT* touching the mark every beat would annoy me. Nice video!

I’ve only seen a few luminox watches in the military, and none of them seemed to last. G shock dominates the military because they are tough tough. If you want tritium lume, look at a Marathon.

Does it have the large (2032) 10 year battery 715 module? Wouldn’t touch the small battery version!

Tactical! It is officially licensed by the Department of The Navy. Just ordered one, I always wanted to own a Luminox! Would prefer it be an mechanical automatic (which Luminox does make) but the automatic movement Luminox is expensive. This will do for now.

Is it alright in the deep water? probably around 20~40m. just like a real diver watch. thanks