Luminox Introduces a New Navy Blue Atacama Field Watch

Luminox is a brand that has long been associated with outdoor adventuring. They count Bear Grylls as an ambassador, afterall. I mean, his name is “Bear.” Over the years they’ve also been associated with the Navy SEALs, F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter pilots, and claim to be the choice of professional divers the world over. At this point, they have little to prove in terms of their rough-and-tumble bona fides, and exist in the same realm as G-Shock, Victorinox, and other “tough” watches, while offering something a little bit different, and a little bit old fashioned. While Luminox watches run the gamut in terms of their style and design, the feature that binds them all together is the use of tritium tubes for luminescence, which provide a constant glow that Luminox says will last up to 25 years. Their latest watch, an addition to the Atacama field watch line, is a contemporary take on the classic field watch with a bold blue dial, specs that will make you feel comfortable in any outdoor situation you find yourself in, and wrist presence to spare.

The new blue Atacama Field 1900 series watch is available on either a stainless steel bracelet (reference 1904) or a blue textile strap (reference 1903). The two references are otherwise identical, and feature a 44mm case and a blue dial with contrasting orange orange accents and a white interior chapter ring (this is a color combination that should make New York Knicks fans happy). Finishing appears to be primarily brushed across the Atacama’s surfaces, which is of course completely appropriate and expected for a watch made in the vein of a traditional field watch. 

Legibility is critical for any field watch, and the Atacama relies heavily on those previously mentioned tritium tubes at the hour markers and on the minute and hour hands to give the wearer a quick and easily read view of the time. Even in daylight, tritium tubes have an uncanny glow to them that makes them easy to pick up in an instant. Luminox has also ensured a level of durability with the Atacama through the use of a sapphire crystal, screw down crown, and 200 meters of water resistance. If your wrist can handle the 44mm size, this watch has all the qualities you’d want in a go anywhere, do anything type of timepiece. 

Unlike some other stalwarts of the outdoor focused, tough watch crowd, Luminox watches frequently use solid Swiss mechanical movements. In the Atacama Field you’ll find a Seillita SW220-1 keeping time, which is about as reliable as it gets in the world value oriented, Swiss made, automatic calibers. 

The new navy blue entries in the Atacama Field 1900 series are priced at $975 on a strap and $1,075 on a bracelet. Both are available now through the Luminox website.