Luminox tactical watches. The difference between quartz and mechanics
Luminox Swiss watches
Friends, hello everyone. You are on the Feeltime watch channel, with you as always Stanislav, and today we will look at and compare several models from the Swiss brand Luminox.
Namely, models from the Pacific Diver collection in a very similar design, but one with a quartz movement and the other with a mechanical movement.
And this is quite an interesting comparison, because the mechanics are more than twice as expensive. Despite the fact that the watches are visually very similar. So let's see if it's just the mechanism.
In general, I would like to briefly remind you that the Luminox brand was founded in the USA in the early 1990s. The brand became very popular thanks to its lightweight, durable and comfortable to wear Carbox carbon cases, which are made using patented technology.
And the second main feature was the tritium tubes on the hands and markers of the watch, which do not require energy storage and always glow in the dark for 25 years.
It was thanks to such features that in the mid-90s the brand started its official cooperation with the US Army. This cooperation continues to this day, but in the 2000s the brand was bought out by the Swiss.
Personally, I love it. One of my Luminox watches. Very charismatic, very convenient, comfortable, durable, and time-tested by me.
At first glance, the designs and quality are very similar, so it's a bit surprising that there's such a difference in price, because the quartz one costs 33,490 UAH, and the mechanical one costs 70,160 UAH.
Let's start with quartz.
316L stainless steel case. Mostly satin finish. There are strips of mirror polish, which gives the watch a sense of volume.
The head is comfortable, with protective inflows. It screws into the case. We have good water resistance of 200 meters. You can go diving.
The back cover is quite simple, here are some characteristics. The year the brand was founded, and the inscription: “Every second counts.” If I’m not mistaken, this is a saying of the US Navy SEALs. And this model was designed specifically for them.
The bezel, by the way, in this model is made of Carbonax. It rotates 60 clicks counterclockwise. There is a little play, but it doesn't bother me at all. The bezel itself is very comfortable. Let's get down to business.
The bracelet is also made of 316l stainless steel. Good quality satin finish. But I think it would be nice to make a quick replacement system, because here it is immediately suggested as an additional strap - rubber.
And I don't like that Luminox has rather outdated clasps on the bracelet versions. Yes, it's cast from ceresyd, but from the outside it's really a bygone era. Although it's reliable and trouble-free.
According to our characteristics:
Absolutely expected Swiss quartz Ronda 515. By the way, it is really cheap, but very reliable, and has proven itself perfectly over time. It is just that the range of installation of this mechanism is very different. It can sometimes be seen on watches for $ 150 dollars like Invicta.
But the main thing here is simplicity and reliability.
We have sapphire glass with anti-reflective coating, and tritium tubes on the hands and markers around the dial.
Nice, military green color.
Readability is at its best. No questions or complaints. The needle is a little off the mark, for those who are perfectionists. But it can be different on different models. It’s just that watches in such a low price segment are not additionally calibrated. That is, here it’s from the category: “Lucky, unlucky.”
Overall, a fairly simple, but informative and nice watch face.
Well, the sizes.
Diameter - 44 mm, Thickness - 12 mm, Weight - 175 grams.
Quite a large watch. When 44 mm in a carbon case, it feels great even on a small hand like mine. 18 cm. In circumference. With stainless steel it's a little different.
Here, the bracelet fits the wrist well. No questions asked. But I want a bigger hand for this watch.
33490 UAH price for today. You can buy it from the official distributor in my online store Feeltime. We'll talk about the conclusions at the end.
What do I want to tell you about mechanics?
If you expect the case and bracelet to be much better in finish and quality, you would be mistaken.
Because the bracelet and its clasp are generally identical, and only certain nuances are different in the case.
This is a slightly larger crown and protective protrusions. This is basically a thoughtful feature, because you will be manipulating the crown more.
Plus, we have a bezel made of 316L stainless steel. 60 turns counterclockwise. And we have a ceramic insert, which makes the watch visually more elegant.
The main difference in terms of characteristics is the mechanism. It is equipped with the popular and reliable Swiss automatic Sellita SW200. The power reserve is 38 hours, and it operates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour.
The rotor is custom. Absolutely trouble-free mechanism.
The dial itself also looks more elegant.
Here it has a wave texture ala Omega Seamaster. Here all the marks are superimposed, which gives more volume.
There is also proprietary tritium tube technology.
And whatever, but the dial really plays a huge role in the perception of the watch. I always say that the dial is half the battle. In this model, it really feels more expensive than in quartz.
The watch is smaller in size.
Diameter - 42 mm, Thickness - 13 mm, Weight - 105 grams
Well, I want to tell you that it definitely looks better on my hand. And if you put on a rubber band that fits the size, the watch will look even more compact.
The price today is 70,160 UAH, which is 2.5 times more expensive than the quartz version.
Why is that? Despite the fact that the cases and bracelets are almost identical.
Look, here are the details. Mechanics are immediately plus 10-15 thousand UAH. There is just such a price discrepancy. It applies not only to Luminox.
Plus a ceramic bezel, plus a noticeably more elaborate dial. And in total it turned out that they are the same watch, but the quartz one is more suitable for activities, while the mechanical one has characteristics for activities, but looks more polished, and is more likely to be worn under a suit or shirt. But definitely not for climbing mountains. For this, in principle, it is better to buy carbon Luminox.
In general, I realized that the same model on quartz and mechanics can really have a huge difference in price. Because I'm just waiting for another brand in this style to come to my store and there is a very big difference between mechanics and quartz for the same model. It's just that brands build such a policy. And it can't always be assessed by simply weighing the difference in characteristics and accessories.
Well, you can buy these and other Luminox models from the official distributor in Ukraine in my online store Feeltime. 2 years warranty. Link in the description to this video. Plus, I will leave my personal telegram. Write if you have any questions.
What do you think? I hope you found it interesting, and that's all for me, Stanislav was with you as always, until we meet again. Bye
