Luminox Navy Seal Blackout Review: Is This Watch Worth Your Money?

If you’re looking for a high-quality tactical watch, the Luminox Navy Seal Blackout edition is well worth considering. Tactical watches are designed to withstand damage and often come with shockproof, resin-coated cases for added durability. Tactical watches prioritize accuracy and practical features valued by those that serve in the armed forces. You can expect this watch to stand up to decades of everyday use, even in rough environments.

Luminox is a brand well known for its connections to the armed forces. They have made watches for the US Navy SEALS, Air Force, Coast Guards, and other special operation units across the globe. In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at one of the more interesting offerings from Luminox, the Navy Seal Blackout edition. We’ll look at how this watch is designed, what makes it special, and end with some pros and cons of this watch.

Luminox Navy Seal Blackout Review

• How Is The Blackout Edition Designed?
• How Durable Is The Luminox Navy Seal Blackout Edition? 
• Is The Blackout Edition Comfortable?
• How Reliable Is This Watch?
• Luminox Navy Seal Blackout Special Features
• Pros and Cons

How Is The Blackout Edition Designed?

The Luminox Blackout edition is designed to be extremely subtle and low-key. Despite its many tactical features, the all-black design blends well with civilian clothing. The Blackout edition is ideal for people who enjoy slightly larger watches. This watch is 45mm in diameter, and the case is 12mm thick. If you have a smaller wrist, this watch might feel cumbersome. However, the all-black design prevents the watch from standing out too much.

The black-on-black matte design is one of the most unique features of the Blackout edition. The all-black dial prevents light from shining and reflecting off your watch. This is an excellent feature for situations where stealth determines your safety. This watch does an excellent job of absorbing light and helping you maintain a low profile.

At a glance, the all-black design may seem hard to read, but Luminox solves this problem with their patented illumination tubes. These tubes are full of tritium gas, which slowly undergoes beta decay, causing a chemical reaction that makes the tubes light up. At night, the illumination tubes are highly visible on the minute and hour hands and all around the watch. You can expect this unique lighting system from Luminox to last up to 25 years. The illumination tubes allow military personal to use their watch without giving away their position. Because there is no LED backlight, there’s also less strain on your battery.

How Durable Is The Luminox Navy Seal Blackout Edition?

When buying a tactical watch, durability is an essential quality that you need to take into consideration. Military watches are designed to withstand all types of impact that come along with high-paced active lifestyles. If you’re not careful, something as simple as bumping your arm into a wall can damage a conventional watch. Luminox has kept this in mind, which is why the Blackout edition is one of the most durable watches on the market.

The strap on the Blackout edition is made from a silicon rubber material that remains intact, whether wet or dry. The band is exceptionally light, which feels comfortable on your arm throughout the day. Luminox uses a double locking buckle on the band to remain secure on your wrist. The band size is 23mm, which can make it difficult to find a replacement, but the original band is a high-quality option that most people are happy to use.

The bezel and dial window are made from a carbon-reinforced polymer, which enhances the ability of this watch to take damage. The dial specifically uses hardened mineral crystal, which creates a shatter-resistant surface. The bezel and watch face are designed to absorb shocks and resist scratches thanks to the mineral glass construction. Most watches use sapphire glass, which provides better scratch resistance, but Luminox opted for mineral glass, which increases the shatter resistance ability of the Blackout edition watch.

Is The Blackout Edition Comfortable?

Luminox took the time to make this watch with high-quality materials. In addition to its durability, the carbon injected polymer material is comfortable against your skin on long days, even in warm climates. The watch weighs just 0.8 pounds despite the slightly larger 45mm watch face.

The case is smooth to the touch while reaming extremely resilient to scratches and damage. If you buy the Master Carbon version of the Blackout edition, you get an additional two 24mm straps. Both straps come with a Luminox signed buckle, which is unique to the limited Master Carbon SEAL edition. All versions of the Luminox Blackout watch come with a comfortable strap designed for use during long days. Even when wet, the strap retains a comfortable feel.

How Reliable Is This Watch?

The Luminox Blackout edition is powered by Swiss quartz movement. By sending an electrical pulse from the battery to the quartz crystal, your watch is able to keep accurate time using the vibrations from the crystal as a guide. Watches that use quartz movement are known for their ability to keep precise time over several years. Quartz watches have fewer moving pieces, which contributes to the durability and reliability of this tactical device.

Luminox Navy Seal Blackout Special Features

One of the more interesting features of the Navy Seal Blackout edition is the low magnetic signature. This low signal will prevent your watch from triggering airport security checkpoints, and the reduced magnetic signature decreases interference with devices like compasses. If you work with magnets, explosives, or other volatile materials, you’ll appreciate the additional safety you get from reducing magnetic interference. Having a low magnetic signature is a rare feature on tactical watches and is something unique to the Luminox Blackout edition.

The Navy Seal Blackout edition is also designed to be water-resistant up to 200 meters. This is a solid rating for professional marine activity and people who are serious about water sports. The Blackout edition uses a double gasket on the crew stem to protect the watch during exposure to water. Keep in mind; the 200-meter rating is for atmospheric pressure that occurs when you go underwater. You might reach 200 meters of pressure before going 200 meters deep.

The Luminox Navy Seal Blackout edition is a highly versatile timepiece that gives you access to a wide variety of features. Images aren’t able to do the sleek black-on-black design justice. You can wear this watch at the office or formal events without feeling like you’re standing out. Luminox also offers a two-year warranty in case of any malfunctions.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Extremely durable design
• Low key black on black design absorbs light, versatile for all situations
• Uses Swiss-made quartz movement to ensure accuracy
• Tritium gas tubes provide 25 years of watch illumination without stressing your battery
• Materials are comfortable to the touch for all-day use
• Luminox uses high-quality materials to ensure longevity
• Water-resistant up to 200 meters of pressure
• Features a low magnetic signature with reduces interference with other devices and volatile materials
• Uses scratch-resistant mineral glass to enhance shatter resistance
• Reasonable price point for people looking to get value for their money
• Easy to read at a glance, thanks to the tritium tubes
• The Master Carbon SEAL version comes with two straps, each providing a different look
• Two year limited factory warranty available via Amazon

Cons

• Slightly larger watch face than other watches in the same category
• Lacks a screw-down crown, which would enhance the water resistance
• Sapphire glass would provide better scratch resistance but would mean sacrificing shatter resistance
• People with smaller wrists may feel that this watch is too bulky
• 23mm watch band is an awkward size that may be difficult to replace

Related Article: Military watch buying guide

Last update on 2023-05-01. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.