Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4782 in Watches
• Color: Black/Black
• Brand: Luminox
• Model: 8401
• Dimensions: .85 pounds
• Band material: Polyurethane
• Bezel material: stainless-steel
• Case material: stainless-steel
• Clasp type: buckle-clasp-with-safety
• Dial color: black
• Dial window material: Mineral
• Movement type: swiss-quartz
• Water-resistant to 660 feet

Features

• Precise Swiss-Quartz movement
• Mineral crystal
• Case diameter: 42.7 mm
• Stainless-steel case; Black dial; Date function
• Water-resistant to 660 feet (200 M)

Amazon.com Product Description
The easy-to-read Luminox Men's Black Ops watch glows 100 times brighter than other luminous watches, making it the perfect timepiece for low-light or non-light situations. Constructed with a stainless steel, 42.7-millimeter case and durable black polyurethane band, this handsome watch also features a buckle clasp and safety mechanism for a snug and secure fit. Large white Arabic numerals adorn the black dial face, while smaller white numbers inside the dial also mark the standard 24-hour clock. White minute and second indexes are etched into the bezel for precise timekeeping and a handy date calendar rests at the three o'clock position. Powered by analog-quartz movement and protected by a durable window dial window, this watch is preferred by US Navy SEALs and US Air Force Pilots, and is water resistant to a depth of 660 feet.

The Luminox Brand


AN AMERICAN SUCCESS STORY

Like many other American success stories, LUMI·NOX came from a forward-thinking individual realizing a need in the market and meeting it. Barry Cohen had been in the fashion watch business for quite some time when he came across a Swiss self-powered illumination system and knew that it would make watches more visible and easier to read in low or no light situations. As a result, Cohen and a partner developed watches using this unique illumination system (called Luminox Light Technology) and LUMI·NOX was born back in 1989 (Lumi is Latin for light while Nox is Latin for night), driven by a commitment to offer cutting-edge luminescence and readability in its line of high-performance sports watches.

The Navy SEALs and More
The Luminox Navy SEAL watch is the timepiece that made Luminox famous. The officer in charge of procurement for the Navy SEALs, Nick North, was asked to seek a more dependable watch for night missions and found the solution at a trade show where he discovered Luminox. He worked with Barry Cohen to develop a watch specifically for them and the Navy SEAL watch was born.

"Luminox had exactly the watch we were looking for – we only added a few small things," Nick North, Senior Public Safety Engineer and Operations Specialist, remembered. "We arranged to test some and they worked great. We made a few changes, then the East Coast team started issuing them and the West Coast teams came on board."

After Luminox provided the watches to the SEALs, more elite units contacted them directly, while at the same time Luminox began marketing the watch across the country and the world. Luminox was then approached by US Air Force pilots flying the F-117 Nighthawk Stealth fighter jet. They were wearing the Navy SEAL timepieces, but chafed at the word "Navy" on the dial. Luminox then developed a watch for these pilots and approached Lockheed Martin, the makers of the F-117 Nighthawk for a picture of the plane to use in the catalogs that marketed the watches.

This initial contact turned into an exclusive arrangement to produce Lockheed Martin timepieces, including watches dedicated to the F-117 Nighthawk, F-16 Fighting Falcon, SR-101 Blackbird and the new F-22 Raptor.

The Rest of the Story
Throughout the following 20 years, Luminox has never strayed from its mission which has been confirmed and validated by the many elite military and law enforcement units that have adopted Luminox as standard equipment.

Luminox has expanded its collection to include a variety of styles, created for the active consumer, the sportsman, law enforcement and military groups, divers and more. Currently, Luminox is distributed in 40 countries around the world and supplies elite units all over the world. In addition, the man on the street has shown particular interest in Luminox, anxious to use the watches put to the test every single day – on the world’s most difficult jobs, figuring rightly that if they have been requested by, designed for and used by the Navy SEALs, they have to be able to stand up to every day use.

The Technology
The Luminox Light Technology makes Luminox watches Always Visible – in fact, the technology Luminox uses provides 24/7 luminosity, no matter the conditions, for more than 25 years.

Most other watches use luminescent paint that has to be charged by a light source and fades very quickly, or a "push to light" system, where you push a button for battery-driven illumination.

Luminox, however, uses proprietary technology, in the past reserved for the military, that makes Luminox watches stand out, literally. Each Luminox watch features tiny gas lights (borosilicate glass capsules), which are always lit, on the hands, hour markers and when necessary, bezels. As a result of this unique technology, Luminox watches are always readable at a glance, no matter the conditions.

The U.S. military has long recognized the advantages of micro gas light sources and their use is mandated in procurement specification MIL-W-46374F. Being able to read the watches in any conditions, even in total darkness, is an important requirement of many military and law enforcement agencies.

The U.S. Navy SEALs use the watches, as do U.S. Air Force pilots, FBI and ATF agents, Secret Service officers, Border Patrol units, Coast Guard officers, SWAT teams, as well as general law enforcement officers, helicopter search and rescue pilots, professional divers and other groups.

The Luminox Light Technology system is hand applied in each and every watch. Though more complicated, expensive and time consuming than normal luminescence, it is one of the things that makes Luminox watches special. This unique technology and the additional quality control steps Luminox mandates require extraordinary attention to detail and care in manufacturing.

The Benefits

Customer Reviews

Pretty nice but could be better
I bought the watch from amazon and got a really smokin' price on it. I was pretty excited when I got it. Heavy, sharp looking, and well made. The very first day I wore it though, I noticed one of the tritium markers on #2 and part of the one on #1 were sitting crooked in the hole they are mounted in. I tapped on the bezel and the marker on #1 settled back in place, but the one on #2 was still sitting drastically crooked in the mount. I was worried about it falling out, because of previous reviews on these watches so I called and sent it back to Luminox. The guy was very nice the first time I called, but was all but impossible to get on the phone after that. It took almost a month just to pull another one off the shelf, give it a quick look over and return the replacement to me. The replacement watch seems to be fine. I'm am extremely pleased with the look and feel of the watch, but I am having some question about the quality control and durability over the long haul for the money. I think for a supposed swiss made watch they need better quality control and they damn sure need better, or at least more accessible, customer service reps. If the watch will hold up and be durable it is worth 5 stars, but it was a little rocky getting started with it.

JV

Great watch
This is a great solid watch. It is fairly big, but comfortable. Visibility is great during the day and especially at night. The Tritium is extremely bright. Once your eyes are adjusted to the dark, the illumination is extremely bright to the point that the watch has a sort of radioactive glow.

The only downfall is the illumination on the bezel is traditional illumination paint, not tritium. So it fades quickly. Not sure why Luminox left this feature out.

Accuracy - I synced it with an atomic clock and a week later only lagged 1 second behind. So it will keep accurate time for many months before needing adjustment.

Otherwise a great watch. I haven't put it to the test in regards to durability.

Great Watch!!
This watch is rugged. Bought a Zulu 2-Ring strap to replace original strap. Tritium vials help keep time in the dark!!