My name is Robert Farago and I’m a lumatic. I was entranced by glowing watches from an early age. It was friggin’ cool then, it’s friggin’ cool now. So I guess it’s no surprise that I’ve taken a shine to LÜM-TEC’s new models – now available for pre-order. Here’s the 411 on the horological illuminati . . .
LÜM-TEC’s new range includes four anti-magnetic 43mm dive watches (e.g., the $675 350M-1 above). Thanks to their double sealed screw-down crown, the 350M series are water resistant to 300 meters. Powered by an iron-shielded, performance-enhanced Selita SW200 movement, they’re accurate to +/- 3 seconds per day and impervious to magnetic fields up to 251 Gauss. Money shot!
The M-Series’ dials and ceramic bezels are lit-up by LT’s in-house MDV (Maximum Darkness Visibility) tech: a 30-layer application of highly reactive spec X1 grade C3 Super-Luminova over a titanium dioxide base coat. So now you know.
LÜM-TEC’s new 350M-4 really goes for it, albeit in a flower power sort of way. The $675 performance BMW – I mean watch, lights up your life with lashings of spec X1 grade C3 BL and C5 GL Super-Luminov.
LÜM-TEC’s new 43mm B-Series are motivated by a Swiss Ronda 515.24H movement. The $399.50 titanium carbide-coated Combat B46’s bound to appeal to the military-minded minimalists. There it is above, glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife.
LÜM-TEC’s new $420.75 Combat B47 Max Lume is the ne plus ultra of their electric light orchestra. There’s no rotating bezel to take advantage of the outer indices, but the B47’s MDV MAXLUME is the bomb, and the Swiss Ronda 7004.B movement (sans big date) within is pretty much bombproof. And then there are the big guns:
The Ohio-based watchmaker’s “PanaLÜMs” – the 44mm M87 and M88 – are motivated by the Swiss Ronda 515 movement. The $488.75 watches shine via LT’s custom grade X1 Swiss 208LE – which sounds like a 70’s mistress’s Merc (but isn’t). Bonus! The M87’s and M88’s dials and hands go all aglow in a vintage radium color (minus the radiation poisoning).
If lume’s you jam, LÜM-TECs new models are a real whammer jammer. All prices listed reflect LÜM-TEC’s pre-order discount. LT’s promising a July delivery date. And please note: TTAW doesn’t earn commission on any link, ever. Independent review to follow.
Tempted to put a deposit down on the combat B46 GMT for use as a travel beater watch…but not sure if even the sale price of $420 isn’t too much for a Ronda quartz movement….
‘vagen
I think what you’re asking: is $420 a lot to pay for a quartz watch? As the movement accounts for less than a tenth of the cost, and it works just fine, the real question: is the design, construction, company rep and lume with $420? That depends on you, but I’m thinking yes. These guys are the real deal, been around a while and back to their products. (This is not a paid political announcement.)