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View Full Version : Luminox Owners chime in.



combatvet
12-13-06, 16:44
I just ordered a Luminox 3901. What's the good, bad, & the ugly about the watch?

cmdr249
12-13-06, 16:50
I love my Luminox watches.

I have a 3001 and a 3101.

The only problems that I've had is the batteries have died and I haven't found anyone/place close to replace them. I honestly haven't looked that hard for awhile and haven't felt like sending them out.

I wore the 3001 on duty for a long time and never had any problems.

I think you'll be happy.

davemcdonald
12-13-06, 18:13
I have a 3003 and a 3604

The clasp on the 3604 has been worked on twice becuase it was bent.
I just repleced the pins last week becuae one broke but the watch is 7-8 + years old. I can't remember when I bought it but it was when they first came out.
The band on the 3003 can come undone if you are active. Other than minor problems with the bands the watches run great.

JAYTEAM
12-13-06, 18:59
I have worn my Luminox Dress Field watch (stainless strap version) every day for about a year and a half. I love this watch. I would recommend Luminox to everyone.

Jay

ISAIAH53
12-14-06, 06:31
I've had my 3400 (USAF Stealth), for 5 years or so. It is accurate - more accurate than a Rolex I had back in the '80's. The black stainless bracelet that it came with was my only real issue - it wouldn't stay clasped under moderately stressful flexing of my wrist. I used one of the Velcro bands for a few years until it gave out, and have recently been using a Kevlar band from the Luminox Shop. It, too, is starting to split at the flex point (from taking the watch on and off). The watch istself is a definite keeper.

rob_s
12-14-06, 06:40
Bands are wear items that will have issues.

I personally prefer the standard basic "original" Luminox design, and I think that for other styles there are better options. In the basic "dive" watch category though I don't think you can beat a Luminox. Use the velcro band and buy spares and expect them to wear out.

DIYTactical
12-15-06, 09:31
I picked up a 3000 series at the PX when I was in stationed in Alaska and it lasted about a year. The numbers on the bezel stated to wear off, then the battery started to go. Originally i picked the watch up because i liked the tritium, but the more i looked at the "Navy Seals" on the face the more it annoyed me. So once it died it went into a drawer to be forgotten about.

Now I own a Marathon T-SAR for everyday wear and it blows the Luminox out for the water (no pun intended). Built like a tank, all stainless (including the bezel) and has tritium. The price of the luminix has come way down since i bought it but it was in the $325 range if i remember right, about what i payed for the T-SAR mybe a little more, the Marathon is worth every extra penny IMHO.

combatvet
12-15-06, 16:32
Well I received my 3901 today but now I wish I wouldn't have purchased it on Ebay. I now have to worry that if it breaks I'll have to fight with the manufacturer to get it fixed. I really only saved a few bucks off of the purchase price so it would have been worth it to buy from somewhere else. Uhg

K.L. Davis
12-15-06, 19:45
I am not really a big fan of tritium watches myself, I kicked around doing an H3 watch, but they are just sooooo bright, and the hassle of getting vials for custom builds is not worth it.

AFAIK, the 3900s use a Ronda movement... I am told it is a 715, but others in the same "vein" use the 505 -- all in all, not a bad movement. In order for a watch to carry the coveted "swiss made" marking at the 6 o'clock position, it must (a) have a swiss movement, (b) be cased up in switzerland and (c) the final inspection must be made in Switzerland -- there's more...

To be considered a Swiss movement, the movement must be (a) assembled in Switzerland, (b) inspected in Switzerland and (c) have enough swiss manufactured components to account for at least half of the value of the components...

That's the rub really, there is one 5 jewel movement that I know of that is made in the Philippines (mostly) and sent to Switzerland for the addition of 1 (one) swiss jewel and its supporting movement bracket -- you have a 10 dollar movement, with $5.50 cents of it being the two swiss parts.

What sucks is, I build watches with 100% Swiss made movements... but I can not mark the watches "Swiss Made" :rolleyes:

Anyway... LumiNox quality seems on par with the other watches like them, Tracer, Swith & Wesson, Ball -- I think the best deal really for a plastic case H3 is Uzi, but watches are unique in that how it looks and what it says really are important... if you get what you want, then you got what you wanted :D

K.L. Davis
12-15-06, 19:49
TSAR is a great watch!


I picked up a 3000 series at the PX when I was in stationed in Alaska and it lasted about a year. The numbers on the bezel stated to wear off, then the battery started to go. Originally i picked the watch up because i liked the tritium, but the more i looked at the "Navy Seals" on the face the more it annoyed me. So once it died it went into a drawer to be forgotten about.

Now I own a Marathon T-SAR for everyday wear and it blows the Luminox out for the water (no pun intended). Built like a tank, all stainless (including the bezel) and has tritium. The price of the luminix has come way down since i bought it but it was in the $325 range if i remember right, about what i payed for the T-SAR mybe a little more, the Marathon is worth every extra penny IMHO.

Kisara
12-18-06, 02:42
I got this in the early 90's when the Tritium watches first started getting public attention. I think it was from an ad in Motor Trend or Road & Track magazine. As posted above, the band was a weak link; Only lasted a year. After the 2nd year, the second hand popped off and would jam the minute hand from moving. At about the same time, the face started fogging up with condensation. I never dived or swam with it- Just a shower in the bathroom every morning. But the tritium still glows!

http://i17.tinypic.com/4gg6m8z.jpg