In this article we are going to be looking into luminous military watches. More specifically, the analog options. I will briefly explain what I mean here.
About Luminous Analog Watches
Traditionally, analog displays are watches that feature actual hour, minute, and seconds hands that point to the numbers. This is in contrast to digital watches that just show a digital display of the time.
This is where luminosity comes into play. While a digital watch will always make use of a backlight to light the display, analog watches will instead have luminous hands, and markers in order to see the time in the dark. Basically what this means is that the hands and markers will glow in the dark.
The usual downside to luminous markers is the fact that the brightness of the glow will fade over the course of several hours. The material that creates the glow has to absorb light in order to produce the effect. The glow will last a while, but will fade over time. It must then be exposed to light again to absorb more light in order to glow again.
There are, however, watches that have a perpetual glow. These are the ones that utilize tritium gas tubes. This type of watch uses radiation to produce the luminous effect. Despite the use of radioactive material, the amount is very small, sealed off, and generally considered safe to use in a watch.
With that brief explanation out of the way, we can now get into luminous military analog watches. A watch that is intended to be used in military applications must be tough, and rugged, in order to withstand harsh environments. This is our list of some great options in luminous military watches.
5 Great Luminous Military Watches
#1: Luminox Men’s 3051 EVO
If you are looking for a good military grade watch, you can’t go wrong with Luminox. Luminox happens to be the official brand of the Navy Seals. With credentials like that, it’s no wonder this watch made the list!
This watch is all black with white numerals and markings on the dial as well as the bezel. It uses Swiss quartz movement. The case and band are both made of polyurethane, and the dial window is mineral crystal. It is water resistant 200 meters.
The hands and markers are luminous. It displays both 12 and 24 hour time. Additional features include a date window at the 3 o’clock mark, as well as a unidirectional rotating bezel.
Quick Look
- official brand of the Navy Seals
- Swiss quartz movement
- date window
- unidirectional rotating bezel
- water resistant 200 meters
#2: Marathon Tsar WW194007
If you are looking for a genuine as real as it gets military watch, it doesn’t get more official than this! Marathon actually manufactures watches for use by both the United Sates and Canadian military. This watch in particular is fairly high end.
It has a silver case with a black dial, black bezel, and black band. The numbers and markings are white. It is powered by Swiss quartz movement. The case is made from 316L surgical grade stainless steel, and the dial window is sapphire crystal. The water resistance is a whopping 300 meters!
For luminescence, it use both tritium gas tubes, and luminescent paint. The hands and markers are tritium, while the numbers utilize the luminescent paint. Displays both 12 and 24 hour time formats. A date window can also be found in between the 4 and 5 o’clock positions. Lastly, it has a 60 minute rotating bezel.
All in all an incredible military watch. The only downside is the high price tag.
Quick Look
- officially authorized for military use
- Swiss quartz movement
- Surgical grade 316L stainless steel case
- sapphire dial window
- 60 minute rotating bezel
- tritium luminous hands and markers
- water resistant 300 meters
- expensive
#3: Casio Men’s MRW200H-3BV
You can always bet on Casio. This company is known for producing durable quality watches at comparably low prices. You may know them as the manufacturers of G-Shocks. While this isn’t a G-Shock, it is built upon the same basic principles of one.
This model is all black with green numerals. It uses Japanese quartz movement. The case is resin with a mineral dial window, and the band is plastic. It is water resistant 100 meters.
Has luminous hands only. Features include a 12 and 24 hour time format, a day/date window, and a bi-directional rotating bezel.
Quick Look
- inexpensive
- bi-directional rotating bezel
- day/date window
- water resistant 100 meters
- only the hands are luminous
#4: Timex Expedition
As the name implies, the Timex Expedition is designed to withstand the rigors of off road terrain. This watch has a simple design with large, easy to read numbers. This is a staple of Timex analog watches. While it comes in several different color variations, this one has a black dial with a brown leather band.
Utilizes quartz movement. The case is stainless steel paired with a mineral crystal dial window. The dial displays both 12 and 24 hour time formats. It is water resistant 50 meters.
It has luminous hands, but additionally uses Timex’s Indiglo back lighting feature to light up the dial. This adds additional visibility at the cost of using battery power. And lastly, there is a date window at the 3 o’clock position.
Quick Look
- inexpensive
- date window
- has both luminous hands and additional back light for the dial
- water resistant 50 meters
#5: Infantry MDC Watch
With a brand name like “Infantry”, you can pretty much expect to get a rugged durable watch. Much like the Timex Expedition, the Infantry MDC watch has a simple look with large numerals that stand out. It comes in various color combinations, but this one features a white dial with black numbers, paired with a green nylon band.
The movement used is Japanese quartz. The case is stainless steel and it has a mineral dial window. It is water resistant 50 meters.
On this particular watch, the whole dial is treated with luminous material, lighting up the entire watch face in the dark. Other than that, no other features really beyond displaying both 12 and 24 hour time formats.
Quick Look
- inexpensive
- entire watch face is luminous
- water resistant 50 meters
That completes our list of some of the best options in luminous military watches. If you liked this roundup, you can see more of our lists of top picks in various categories here
