Luminox
- Founded
- 1989
- Based in
- Switzerland (founded in California, USA)
- In our catalog
- 2 watches from $395 to $795
Luminox makes watches you can read in total darkness, all night, every night. Every model uses tiny glass tubes filled with tritium gas that glow steadily for years, no sunlight needed. That one feature, and a long relationship with the US Navy SEALs, has made Luminox a favorite with soldiers, police, divers and anyone who works at night.
History
Barry Cohen and Richard Timbo founded Luminox in California in 1989. The name comes from the Latin words for light (lumi) and night (nox). In the early 1990s the US Navy SEALs asked for a watch that would be readable at night without a backlight that could give away their position, and Luminox's tritium design fit. The Navy SEAL series became the brand's signature, and Luminox later moved its base and production to Switzerland.
Signature models
- Navy SEAL 3500: A tough, light quartz watch with a carbon-reinforced case and tritium tubes at every hour. The direct descendant of the original SEAL watch.
- Pacific Diver Chronograph: A steel dive chronograph with the same constant lighting.
What it's known for
Luminox's tritium tubes glow for many years before they start to fade, which painted lume can't match. The watches are light, simple and built to be knocked around.
Price and positioning
Luminox watches mostly cost $300 to $800. Ball makes more refined tritium watches for more money, and Marathon makes military-issue tritium watches at similar prices. G-Shock is tougher but doesn't glow the same way.
Luminox watches in our library
- Luminox Navy SEAL 3500 ($395 to $450)
- Luminox Pacific Diver Chronograph ($695 to $795)