For the better of the past three and a half decades, Luminox has been a steadfast companion to those who dare challenge the elements head-on. Built on the manifesto of being always visible, tough, and accurate, the Swiss-made brand has been synonymous with the rough and tough of specialised elite forces such as the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue (ICE-SAR) and F-117 Nighthawk Stealth jet fighter pilots as well as other adventurers — including outdoor adventure icon Bear Grylls. While these associations have served the brand well, Luminox’s Luminox Light Technology was critical in propelling the brand to fame. Beyond the core values and hallmarks of the brand, Luminox has innovated and worked with proprietary materials that push the brand’s ethos. As Luminox celebrates its 35th anniversary, it unveiled a trio of watches that amalgamate the best of Luminox.
At the heart of the Luminox 35th Anniversary Heritage Collection is the tried and tested formula that honours the brand’s connection with various military units. With three broad categories of sea, air and land, Luminox has unveiled one watch per pillar that captures the spirit of each terrain. Given the brand’s affinity for the sea, it is natural that the dive-ready piece is the closest to the hearts of Luminox. The Original 3001.H (heritage) bears the design blueprints of the 1994 Luminox Original 3000 watch with its quintessential convex case shape. Luminox’s CARBONOXTM case (43mm diameter) is the material of choice to withstand the harsh elements of the sea. A touch of red on the stainless steel dive bezel “30” — signifying the watch’s 30th anniversary — pops against a predominantly black and white colour scheme characteristic of military watches.
After conquering the ocean, Luminox takes to the air with the F-117 Nighthawk x Skunk Works 6442.H. The story between the Nighthawk and Luminox comes full circle almost 25 years after the stealth fighter pilots approached Luminox for a squadron watch. This year’s release sees the iconic Skunk Works (official pseudonym for the Nighthawk’s parent company Advanced Development Programs) logo grace the dial in the most natural way possible — in stealth mode. The illustration is barely visible by day but lights up gracefully by night, thanks to a Super-LumiNova outline. Given the watch’s synergy with the skies, the design team gives it the classic touches of a pilot’s watch with double-hour indices on the inner dial and bezel.
Luminox rounds up its illustrious release with the RECON Point Man 8825.H to pound the dirt of the land. With traversing the great outdoors a core value of the watch, Luminox afforded simple yet effective navigational touch points to aid adventurers. Cardinal points on the inner bezel and a tachymeter showcasing distance in metric and imperial systems allow one to calculate distance and speed easily. An attractive ochre colour reminiscent of sand peppers the hour display and bezel markings in an unorthodox asymmetrical arrangement.
As with all Luminox watches, the Luminox 35th Anniversary Heritage Collection features the brand’s proprietary Luminox Light Technology tritium tubes. Unlike regular Super-LumiNova paint, the tubes emit an indefinite (lasting for 25 years) natural glow when darkness falls. These little tritium tubes are positioned strategically against the hour indices and watch hands to provide the best nighttime illumination possible without fear of it failing in the most crucial moments. As with the Original 3000.H, the other two pieces are housed in CARBONOXTM and protected with a sapphire crystal. Consider this collection as Luminox’s three decades of greatest hits.
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