Luminox Navy SEAL Colormark Chronograph Stainless-steel Black Dial Watch

LUMINOX US NAVY SEAL COLORMARK S 3180 SERIES (Model №: XS.3182.L)

This is a first-class, well-made and extremely robust chronograph watch. The fact that it has a quartz movement, and that a near-identical mechanical chronograph will invariably cost approximately 8 x more, does not diminish its overall quality. The Luminox ‘Colormark’ S3180 Series all have Swiss-made gold-plated 13-jewel Ronda 5030.D movements, rather than Ronda 5030.D movements that have been manufactured/assembled from Swiss parts, and which have nickel-plated movements with only 6 jewels. Ruby-jewelled bearings, invented in 1704, are still used today in a great many good quality watches, quartz or otherwise, and are an essential prerequisite for maintaining a consistently dependable level of timekeeping. Indeed, the absence of jewelled bearings invariably occurs if the underlying commercial imperative is to design and manufacture watches/clocks down to a cost rather than up to a specification. Luminox, especially with regard to the S 3180 Series models, manages to deliver an inspirational, desirable, and reliable product without allowing the production ‘triangle’ of Quality, Cost, and Time to become unbalanced at any point.

From my personal perspective, what clearly sets the XS.3182.L apart from some of the other variants in the model range is the immediately apparent ‘top-of-the-range’ quality of the well-engineered brushed stainless-steel case, together with a matching solid-link stainless-steel bracelet and the ‘integrated’ curved end links which fit flush between the case lugs. The risk with the Matt Black PVD-coated variants is that, in daily use, ’wear & tear’ can often leave the edges and undersides of watch cases and bracelet links & closures looking decidedly shabby after just a few months, often necessitating the increasing use of firearm gun ‘black’ or similar to touch-in the increasingly noticeable areas where the PVD coating has been rubbed away. With appropriately skilled professional care and attention, the brushed stainless-steel surfaces on the XS.3182.L model could, if necessary, always be re-brushed to a ‘nearly-new’ satin finish. However, this is not the case where PVD coatings are concerned. The cost of stripping and re-coating any PVD-coated watch case and bracelet would be prohibitively expensive, and the end result would probably last no longer than the initial coating provided by the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer).

At 7¼”, my wrist circumference is relatively small, but the 44mm diameter case does not appear to be disproportionately oversized nor does it feel in any way uncomfortable or cumbersome. Some manufacturers only supply bracelets with a few removable links, which could, in some cases, effectively ‘disbar’ anyone with a slender wrist from wearing a similarly largish modern watch. However, in the case of the Luminox XS.3182.L, all of the bracelet links are individually removable.

At present, replacement bracelets are readily available from any reputable Luminox stockist. However, caution needs to be exercised with regard to purchasing ‘generic’ aftermarket bracelets. The manufactured quality of aftermarket bracelets is not the issue here; some bracelets can often be of superior quality to the original. The issue is that ‘generic’ bracelets, especially ones with curved ‘integrated’ end links, may not always fit either correctly or perfectly due to the positioning of the spring bar pin holes in the case lugs. If in doubt, always check with the manufacturer or an authorised stockist. Moreover, almost all ‘generic’ aftermarket bracelets tend to have a ‘compromise’ degree of curvature on their end links to accommodate a range of watch case diameters varying between, say, 42mm and 46mm. As a result, some aftermarket bracelets with curved end links may not have the appropriate degree of curvature needed to precisely match the perimeter of the Luminox XS. 3182’s 44mm diameter case.

Finally, if or when considering a change of stainless-steel bracelet for the XS.3182, it is crucially important to remember that the correct lug width on the Luminox XS.3180 Series is 23mm - it is NOT either 22mm or 24mm. Genuine Luminox Bracelets and Leather, Textile or Silicone straps will always be manufactured to the correct width required to precisely match the appropriate Lug Width of each model number.

So, would I recommend the Luminox XS3182.L? Yes, without a shadow of doubt!

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