# Traser vs Luminox



## Gareth

Are these watches on par with each other in term of reliablilty/cost etc.

I'm looking for a cheap military style watch (<$350) preferably in black with nato or rubber strap.

Any other suggestions to fit the bill? 
I've looked at used Ollech & Wajs watches, are they any good?

Thanks


----------



## Brian D.

*Hi Gareth,*

*I think both watches are very similar as far as I know. I have a Luminox Navy Seals series 1 that I bought back in '97 or '98. I've worn it quite a bit and it has taken some pretty good knocks over the years with no problems. Both have the tritium vials which I think are great. Not overly bright but bright enough to see clearly in darkness. I know there are some who have the Traser watch and think very highly of it. I'd say either one would be a very good choice and you won't be disappointed :-! .*


----------



## Gareth

Brian D. said:


> *Hi Gareth,*
> 
> *I think both watches are very similar as far as I know. I have a Luminox Navy Seals series 1 that I bought back in '97 or '98. I've worn it quite a bit and it has taken some pretty good knocks over the years with no problems. Both have the tritium vials which I think are great. Not overly bright but bright enough to see clearly in darkness. I know there are some who have the Traser watch and think very highly of it. I'd say either one would be a very good choice and you won't be disappointed :-! .*


Thanks for the reply


----------



## AndyFromHonolulu

*Essentially, the same watches...*

...especially if you're looking at the 'Navy Seals' models. The composite versions of both brands are based upon the Stocker & Yale P650 U.S. military contract watch of 1996 - 2000. They are both made by mb Microtec of Switzerland, which is the sole producer of those tritium tubes for all similar watches.

You mentioned O&W watches, and yes, they are very good, made with standard ETA movements, and represent a great value.

And here's one that is a combination of sorts of both watch types you were asking about. This is a M-16 diver watch by Howard Marx, a O&W dive watch with the dial and hands from a Marathon U.S. government contract military field watch installed. So it has tritium tube dial and hands, ETA automatic movement, 200M WR stainless steel case, and a custom domed sapphire crystal. I'm wearing it today on a 20mm black Zulu strap.

Mahalo,

andy


----------



## Crusader

*Re: Essentially, the same watches...*



AndyFromHonolulu said:


> They are both made by mb Microtec of Switzerland, which is the sole producer of those tritium tubes for all similar watches.


Whereas the Marathon tritium vials, as well as - I believe - the S&W and Uzi vials come from a different source in Canada.


----------



## KBB

You can get a good new O&W in that range.


----------



## Gareth

My Traser arrived today - don't like it<|


----------



## Incurable

Gareth said:


> My Traser arrived today - don't like it<|


Old newbie here... Which model? What don't you like about it? Could you be more specific?


----------



## Chris B.

Gareth said:


> My Traser arrived today - don't like it<|


I had a Traser for a very brief time and sold it almost immediately. Personally, I really like my Luminox 8401. Good size, superb tritum lume, nice PVD black finish, and really quite accurate +/- 10 seconds a month! And at $199. USD from Gem Day, a hard price to beat.


----------



## SeikoAutomatic_01

Can someone post a pic of a Traser or Luminox night shot? And is the same technology that Ball uses?


----------



## Incurable

I have 3 Luminox watches... :roll: I'll try and get a decent lume shot in the next day or so. AFAIK, the 'traser' or tritium vials are similar, if not identical, between Ball, Traser, S&W and Luminox, etc. The arrangement and size varies (and sometimes color) for the markers but...

I'd really like to know what everyone dislikes about the Traser's... I may not be proper decorum to broadcast such things. If so, please PM me and let me know. I'm considering a Classic Automatic Pro w/Blue trasers. Unlike many in the Luminox and Traser line, it's an automatic, based on the ETA2824-2. On the surface, it seems a fairly solid choice. More workhorse than thoroughbred but that suits me fine.










Come on guys, fess up. What are your beefs w/the Traser brand. I'll lead off... as a multiple Luminox owner, I have a problem paying multple hundreds of dollars for a watch powered by an inexpensive quartz movement.


----------



## Gareth

Incurable said:


> Old newbie here... Which model? What don't you like about it? Could you be more specific?


It's the P6500. It's not very chunky and the strap is thin.
Looks a little like a toy watch....


----------



## Brian D.

Gareth said:


> It's the P6500. It's not very chunky and the strap is thin.
> Looks a little like a toy watch....


*Sorry to hear that Gareth :-( .My Luminox isn't all that thick either but for me it's not a big deal. *


----------



## Guest

I just purchased a Luminox Quadra, which with a 46 mm case and a very simple black face is very readable, and quite adequate at night. Two things I don't like: 1. Turns out the second hand has no illumination which is unacceptable for me; and 2. The band is pretty cheap for a $395 watch. 

I just ordered a Traser Supersport in black with the silicon band, which does have the tritium on the second hand. 

So I, too, would love to hear pros and cons of Luminox vs. Traser

Not that anybody asked, but I bought a Ball Master Hydrocarbon Engineer Chronograph, which I would gladly sell. While the Tritium capsules seem cleaner and clearer than the Luminox (Ball, Luminox and Traser all get the micro-tec Swiss tritium capsules. S&W and a couple of others buy a Canadian version which has 80% of the strength-- or so I've read)

The problem with the ball for me is that it is 18 mm high, and has a very busy face at night thanks to capsules for the subdials. I'm so old now that I don't see those well anyway. PM me an offer if you'd like it. Pretty good condition, good glass, but I've taken a couple of scratches in the stainless. About 8 mos old now.

Back to the question.


----------



## Crusader

I am a Traser/H3 P6500 Date fan. ;-) Great little watch, lightweight, tough, replaceable, great design heritage with the sterile dial. 










Having said that, I have a stash of Marathon watches, too, and FWIW after three years I cannot detect any difference in glow intensity from the Trasers.


----------



## psymbiote

Here's a another traser p6500 fan :-D


----------



## Crusader

Welcome to the forum, Psymbiote! 

The traser vials must come in handy in Northern Europe at this time of the year.


----------



## psymbiote

Crusader said:


> Welcome to the forum, Psymbiote!
> 
> The traser vials must come in handy in Northern Europe at this time of the year.


Thank you.

Indeed, the vials are main reason i bought this watch. It's total darkness from 16:00 to 09:00 :/


----------



## cal..45

here is a pic of my KHS Navigator MK II with silicon strap. actually it is a "tuned" Traser watch. I like the red second hand in particular. the legibility under all light conditions is excellent and so is the timekeeping.










regards, holger


----------



## trijicon

Incurable said:


> I have 3 Luminox watches... :roll: I'll try and get a decent lume shot in the next day or so. AFAIK, the 'traser' or tritium vials are similar, if not identical, between Ball, Traser, S&W and Luminox, etc. The arrangement and size varies (and sometimes color) for the markers but...
> 
> I'd really like to know what everyone dislikes about the Traser's... I may not be proper decorum to broadcast such things. If so, please PM me and let me know. I'm considering a Classic Automatic Pro w/Blue trasers. Unlike many in the Luminox and Traser line, it's an automatic, based on the ETA2824-2. On the surface, it seems a fairly solid choice. More workhorse than thoroughbred but that suits me fine.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Come on guys, fess up. What are your beefs w/the Traser brand. I'll lead off... as a multiple Luminox owner, I have a problem paying multple hundreds of dollars for a watch powered by an inexpensive quartz movement.


I'd love to hear opinions on this watch as well. To me it seems to be an affordable alternative to the Kobold  I'm looking at this as my first PVD military watch. Pros? more importantly, cons????


----------



## cal..45

trijicon said:


> Pros?


it has H3 vials



> more importantly, cons????


it is a mechanical watch.

regards, holger


----------



## Guest

Gareth said:


> My Traser arrived today - don't like it<|


Add me to the ranks of people who don't like the Traser. Got my black faced 46 mm Supersport on silicon band today. Love the band. Don't mind the rotating bezel. Like the mineral glass face.

BUT, the amount of Tritium capsules is underwhelming at best. Plus they are placed on an inside ring within the watch which basically makes the night viewing diameter of the watch around 27mm or so (guessing, not measuring). Too small, and too dim.

By comparison, my 42 mm Ball (which has it's own issues) has a much larger, and much brighter display. They went the other way, and on the chono put so many whirling tritium capsules, that you have to search for the time. I'll probably save up for the Ball Master Diver, and use the Suunto X-lander as my day and night watch.


----------



## JML

The original SandY (Stocker and Yale) watch is a sought-after item amongst military watch collectors, and it was issued in very limited numbers. Built to a military spec, it was not a "required issue" item. The same watch, essentially, was rebadged for US retail sales by an importer in New Jersey, had a date window, and had "Navy Seals" emblazoned on the dial along with the Luminox symbol, and this was all overstated in their ads, so the mil watch fans disliked it. Unfortunately, the marketing that made it attractive to non-WIS folks turned off WIS folks. 

Plastic composite case, mineral crystal, various straps, several dial colors, and two or three plastic bezel choices. The maker of them all is MB Microtec. The movement is a Rhonda quartz, with extended battery life. Back is a plate held in by four screws. The crystal (on all but two or three models with metal cases) is a mineral crystal, but it's fairly well protected from scratches because it's slightly recessed below the bezel. 

In Europe, the watches were sold under the Traser name, usually with a "sterile" dial showing "H3" and the radioactive symbol for the Tritium. Private labels include KHS, but all are made by MB Microtec. The Traser name is now used in the US by MB Microtec, and that's on the dials. For a while they imported sterile dials, but those are gone now but for a few dealers with old stock (selling at inflated prices or closeout prices). There were models in this style with steel cases, steel PVD cases, and titanium; I think the only metal cases in the original style are now black PVD and titanium. Three bezel options as far as material goes: plastic, carbon-fiber composite, and titanium. At least two marking variants on the bezel, too.

The watch illumination has a half-life of 10 years, the span of the warranty on the vials. I have one bought over 15 years ago, needing battery replacement after about 6 years of use, and it's now dim enough that am wondering what to do. I do like the newer model with the Titanium case, sapphire crystal, carbon-fiber-reinforced bezel, screw-down crown, proper screw-in back, and rated for water resistance to 200 meters or 660 feet. And they now come with a serial number, which Traser is using to track models for their warranty protection (to get back at grey-market importers); for registration, the warranty is extended a year.

I own several mechanicals, including Sinn, Oris, Aerowatch, and Limes, but this watch is a fine "beater" and a reliable workhorse. Large case, but small footprint on the wrist because it's fairly thin. Durable, robust, and very legible at night long after any Luminova variant has given up. But not as bright as a Luminova watch when things first get really dark. The dial is a little small given the size of the case, but you can't get everything. I want something I don't have to worry about, can see at night (all night), and which is not likely to get ruined by exposure to magnetic fields (unlike a mechinical movement).

The problems with the old stock watches, or anything with "Luminox" on the dial, are related to the age of the watch. If the crown was pushed down, then the battery was in use. The battery in most of the movements was, finally, something like a 10-year extended life battery, but you don't know how old it really is when you buy it (which is true for any quartz watch, of course). The vials will dim over time, and a new one will glow more than a four-year-old watch, or a ten-year-old watch.

Battery replacement can be done by anyone on the 4-screws-in-the-back models, but proper work requires changing the gasket and checking water resistance, as it would for any true dive watch or any good water-resistant rated watch, so keep that in mind. 

Another thing to be aware of is the indexing of the hands. I hate misaligned hands, and most quartz watches are badly aligned; this is very noticeable when there are second marks along the dial, as they are on most pilot and dive watches. The Luminox were almost always poorly aligned, so look before you buy, or deal with a retailer who will check the hands' alignment before shipping and take it back if you aren't happy. The Trasers seem to be better.


----------



## timetokill

Chris B. said:


> I had a Traser for a very brief time and sold it almost immediately. Personally, I really like my Luminox 8401. Good size, superb tritum lume, nice PVD black finish, and really quite accurate +/- 10 seconds a month! And at $199. USD from Gem Day, a hard price to beat.


 Me too - great watch!


----------



## Incurable

Just received a Traser Auto Classic Pro in Blue and... I like it. Dial is clean, uncluttered and very easy to read at a glance. The large Arabic numbers really aid in the readability. No undue encroachment by large garish bezel, etc. I must admit some prejudice when it comes to many of the offerings from Luminox, etc. Way too much stuff going on to the point of confusing. End result is an overly busy watch w/small dial and, IMO, cheap looking. Regardless, the all metal case measures 39.5mm x 12.3mm, not too big for my 7-1/4" wrist and the thickness is reasonable. Sapphire crystal, anti-reflective both sides. Case is sturdy, leaning more towards utilitarian than elegant. Lines are fairly hard and crisp. Back is stainless, screw down and brushed finish... again utilitarian. Bracelet is solid link, spring and split pinned. I don't have the thickness but... IMO, it could be a little more authoritarian for this size watch. Fold-over clasp w/safety catch, no deployment links. Works fine, no pinching or depilatory action but can't really be described as 'slinky'. I prefer bracelets over straps (especially leather) only because of the water issues. I'm sure it would look great on a Nato as well. I don't have a weight but this watch is reasonably heavy. Feels solid. Definitely no 'plastic' watch. Lighter and more comfortable than my Luminox Ultimate Field Chrono by far. Probably on par w/my Submariner. Bezel is fixed and sparingly marked in 5 minute increments. Pretty useless actually. The marking adds to the 'sport' or 'military' look, probably a style choice more than a practical one. I prefer spartan over busy and distracting so I'm OK with it despite its dubious usefulness. The blue trasers are pretty cool. I like the fact the second hand is also lit. I also like the fact it is red. This is unique among the watches I own and I find it attractive. It adds some style points, IMO. Of all the traser style watches I own (4 now), this one rates right up there in the brightness category. I have a Luminox 1570 (Dress Field) that is the brightest of the bunch. This one is second behind that. I like the blue color and adds a little novelty to the normal green. In the dark and even semi-dark, the trasers do their job well fulfilling the reasoning for buying a traser-type watch in the first place. All things totaled, I really like this watch as it's a good combination of classic watch elements and modern technology. If I had to add a couple 'wants', it'd be for a screw-down crown and 200m WR rating. Other than that, this is looking like a pretty solid choice in the traser watch variants. Not really a review and more opinion than fact, I leave you with a couple pics... Anyone wanting more specifics, I'd be glad to respond.


----------



## cal..45

hi incurable,

you made two very nice pictures there and I quite enjoyed reading your comments on this watch. the blue trasers are looking great, although not as bright as green, but still bright enough to have a perfect read of the time under every light condition and the colour is just cool.

I wonder about the timekeeping on this one, personally I'm not exactly a fan of mechanicals (anymore), but nevertheless the accuracy interests me. the non-rotating bezel is unfortunately a 100% no-go for me, otherwise I would have at least considered to buy one of this myself. anyway, may I ask how much you paid for it?


regards, holger


----------



## trijicon

Just the review I was waiting for. Do you by chance have a wrist shot?
Great watch, this is my next purchase.


----------



## Incurable

I'll follow up with some more data, including a wrist shot or two when I get a second (NPI). As far as automatics vs quartz, I guess I'm on the other side of the fence. I find something compelling and nostalgic about a watch that actually ticks. Maybe it's my congenital fascination with mechanical devices. Hands that sweep? Dunno...

This watch seems regulated fairly well... at least for now. It gains about 2 seconds a day. I'm still tracking it so nothing official yet. That number will most likely change as it runs in a bit. Regardless, as it's based on the 2824, I have a good source just down the street where I can have it regulated if necessary. I'm fortunate to live in a town where there are still one or two holdout watchmakers around.

As far as the green vs blue, of the 4 tritium vial watches I own, all are entirely readable at night but... for unknown reasons the Luminox 1570 I mention above outshines all the others. The dimmest is the Ultimate Field Chrono. I used to think it was because of the size and orientation of the vials. Both my 1570 and 1573 (Luminox) have the radial markers polarized perpendicular to the center point of the dial and rate #1 and 3 respectively. The UFC and CAP (Ultimate Field Chrono and Classic Automatic Pro) have the markers parallel with the circumference of the dial and are physically smaller. Additionally, the CAP has the vials buried under a beveled minute/second marker ring w/small windows for the trasers. Regardless, the CAP is the second brightest of the bunch and the minuscule seconds hand vial keeps it's own with the rest. I can't really address the notion that blue is less bright than the green. My experience doesn't endorse that. I did enhance the lume shot above w/a bit of UV, BTW. I can do another w/o if needed.

Anyway, I'm enjoying this watch a lot more than any of my other tritium watches. Unlike our esteemed large caliber friend, it's because it's an automatic, an actual timepiece... not a $10-$15 electronic gizmo with a plastic spacer ring to take up all the vacant space available in a 40mm case. Sorry if that sounds harsh, I mean no disrespect. Quartz movements work quite well and have many advantages over mechanical watches. There's no denying that, with accuracy at the forefront. Somehow opening a quartz watch and seeing it's actual innards always leaves me feeling a bit cheated somehow. Just me...

As a last teaser for those considering this watch... upon opening the box, I was pleasantly surprised to find the watch looked BETTER than the pics I had seen. It has a smart, clean look about it and not 'cheap' in any way. I've never owned a PVD watch before, we'll see how it takes to everyday wear. Finally, I paid $390, shipped. Source was www.tritiumh3watches.com . Interestingly, it was drop shipped direct from Germany from traserh3watches.


----------



## SlipKid

I have two Luminox watches, never a problem with either.

http://slipkid.smugmug.com/photos/54661681-M.jpg
http://slipkid.smugmug.com/photos/54661678-M.jpg


----------



## Incurable

A few final notes about the Traser Classic Auto Pro...

Weight is 153 grams, band thickness is 3.63mm, 22mm wide at the lugs. A little clarification... The clasp is a std. fold-over deployment type but, no extra divers extensions. My desc above might have been a little misleading. Here's a wrist shot...










So far this watch isn't demonstrating any of the weaknesses that have relegated my other traser equipped watches to the drawer (for the most part). The others are either too light, too heavy, too inexpensive looking or just not attractive. I am kind of spoiled as a multiple Rolex owner but... this one holds its own on its own merits. It's a very different animal than the others and the blue trasers are a delightful addition.


----------



## tallguy

love my traser....last i checked, lapolicegear.com still had a few of these WITHOUT the date at a great price.


----------



## Malyel

I love my titanium Traser. It works great as a tough lightweight thin beater. :-!


----------



## USER876

As promised....


----------



## Crusader

I have removed the weapons pictures and the ensuing knife discussion. :-| 

Please be so kind as to observe the WatchUSeek forum rules which explicitly prohibit gratuitous weapons pictures. You will find a link to the WatchUSeek rules at the top of the forum. If you are in doubt, please contact a moderator.

Also, please note that this is a watch forum. I am sure that discussion of individual knives can be carried on much more profitably by private communication, or in a dedicated knife-related forum. 

Thank you.


----------



## teamcuba

Hi, just got my Traser 6508 Code Blue, but Im a little unsure on the accuracy/ indexing of the hands. The second hand does not always land on the second markers, a definitive flaw i would have thought for a "military" function watch (synchronise watches and all that!) Has anyone else noticed this? when my second hand hits 12 , it lands just before and at other points round the face, lands BETWEEN the second markers! Surely this isnt acceptable for a £130.00 watch? I've seen more accuracy in £50.00 catalogue watches... please someone advise further?
teamcuba


----------



## nobbynobbs

teamcuba said:


> Hi, just got my Traser 6508 Code Blue, but Im a little unsure on the accuracy/ indexing of the hands. The second hand does not always land on the second markers, a definitive flaw i would have thought for a "military" function watch (synchronise watches and all that!) Has anyone else noticed this? when my second hand hits 12 , it lands just before and at other points round the face, lands BETWEEN the second markers! Surely this isnt acceptable for a £130.00 watch? I've seen more accuracy in £50.00 catalogue watches... please someone advise further?
> teamcuba


I have checked 8 Code Blue watches in a friend's shop - 3 of them had second hands no where near the markers. Apparantly the second hand is on a "free floating pin" and as such it can't be forced to land on the markers.

Another MAJOR problem is the fact that the minute and hour hands on ALL the watches I checked are slightly loose and depending on how you hold the watch they can fall on, above or below the minute marker. MB Microtecs response to this is that all movements have a little 'give' apparantly called 'movement lash' and it is normal. The strange thing I have noticed is that this only occurs on Rhonda 715 movements (in virtually all of the top-end non-mechanical watches). I have checked several Traser P6500s and there is no movement at all - and that has a cheaper 1 jewel Ronda 505 movement.

Hope that helps

Nobby


----------



## lsu

I started a new thread today "traser warranty" anyone having problems with the PVD coating on their traser?

lsu


----------



## sniper9652

timetokill said:


> Me too - great watch!


I like the 8401 a lot too but it seems to me that the marker dot at the top of the bezel is not tritium like on the dial but 'normal' illuminous material! Is this a fact or is there something wrong with mine?

Regards, Steve


----------



## Crusader

sniper9652 said:


> I like the 8401 a lot too but it seems to me that the marker dot at the top of the bezel is not tritium like on the dial but 'normal' illuminous material! Is this a fact or is there something wrong with mine?


That would be a pity. :-(


----------



## balakosa2387

hi, just started to see military wacth and got love with Traser P 6500.
I wanna ask you about traser - 6500, what is good news about this one ?
and compare to Luminox 3001 - navy seal what is different ?
are they have a differ in light illumination ?

From your above review i still can't see what is different from the brand, who is the First, and who is the best ? 

Thanks 

Rgds,
Balakosa


----------



## STEVIE

I have owned this for a few years and it still goes very well. Tritium is down about 30% from new, but still very readable hey the watch only cost me AU$299:-!


----------



## ecalzo

traser for sure...


----------



## marco escobar

I like the mechanical Traser shown, I have a Luminox 3400 which was good for about 2 months, the click spring broke and off my 3400 went to Luminox Service (shady operation imo) $122 for a new case kit, cause they just dont have a "spare click spring" so they gotta make money replacing the whole transmission thing. I'll let you guys know if I still like my Luminox when I get it back


----------



## Precise

This link shows comparative lume of four tritium watches.

https://www.watchuseek.com/f7/four-tritium-watches-brightness-compared-567442.html

I sent this Traser back to the dealer and requested another Traser model. Despite this one's poor lume, Traser seems to have a good reputation.

I've since bought a Tawatec E.O. diver which is my current favorite.

Some general comments on tritium watches:

I prefer those which have larger crystals. Some watches have very wide bezels and resulting small crystals.

Four hour markers (12, 3, 6, 9 o'clock) are sufficient. Though my favored Tawatec has twelve.

I prefer radial alignment of the hour markers. Many are aligned circumferentially.

I think 25 microcuries (T25) is optimum, or perhaps even brighter than optimum. I don't own a T100, but my T25's are so bright I can't imagine wanting anything brighter.


----------



## sidecross

sniper9652 said:


> I like the 8401 a lot too but it seems to me that the marker dot at the top of the bezel is not tritium like on the dial but 'normal' illuminous material! Is this a fact or is there something wrong with mine?
> 
> Regards, Steve


I have the 8401 and the bezel is NOT tritium; Luminox made a big error in this watch design.


----------

