Arms-On: Luminox Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence Watch

I’ve on a regular basis been a fan of Luminoxalthough I will overtly admit that not your complete mannequin’s designs are exactly my cup of tea. Given that Luminox initially constructed its fame by producing tritium-illuminated watches worn by Navy SEALs, the mannequin largely adheres to a fairly utilitarian basic design language. Nonetheless, a number of of its fashions are so visually tactical that I’d battle to organically placed on them till I’ve been residing inside the wilderness or actively serving as a member of the armed forces. With that in ideas, totally different Luminox fashions provide a way more approachable and civilian-oriented aesthetic, and among the many many mannequin’s 2024 releases which have been launched earlier this yr is the Luminox Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequencewhich represents a premium mannequin of the mannequin’s best-selling dive watch.

In our distinctive info article regarding the assortment, I mentioned that the Luminox Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence fashions aren’t merely mechanical variations of the same old quartz Pacific Diver Ripple watches. Along with being powered by self-winding actions, the Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence fashions are a singular measurement than their quartz siblings, they normally provide a variety of particulars concerning every their design and provides that make the lineup a additional elevated expression of the mannequin’s quartz Pacific Diver. Instead of that features bezels comprised of CARBONOX (Luminox’s carbon-composite supplies), the stainless steel rotating bezels on the Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence get hold of polished ceramic inserts, and barely than having dials with commonplace printed indexes, the dials fitted to the Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence have utilized hour markers with a horizontal wave pattern adorning their surfaces. No matter sharing the equivalent elementary design, the automated fashions provide a additional refined look due to their fully totally different dials and bezels, they usually’re very rather a lot the premium variations of Luminox’s fan-favorite Pacific Diver.

On the time of writing, the Luminox Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence is on the market in three fully totally different colorways, which have been all part of the inaugural launch when the model was first launched this summer season. Alongside a black mannequin with a rubber strap (ref. XS.3101) and a blue model with a stainless-steel bracelet (ref. XS.3104), is the white-dial execution featured proper right here (ref. XS.3101.H.SET), which includes a completely luminous dial and a black rubber strap. Whereas the distinctly modern case profile of the Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence feels significantly identical to what you might get from a mannequin like TAG Heuer or Formex, the exact model featured proper right here actually most strikes a chord in my memory of the white-dial Omega Seamaster Diver 300M due to its black ceramic bezel and white wave-pattern dial. That talked about, whereas the Seamaster is a distinctly dressy dive watch, the Luminox Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence takes the equivalent aesthetic in a noticeably additional sporty path with its chunky rubber strap, completely luminous dial, and radioactive tritium tubes.

Crafted from 316L stainless steel with brushed surfaces and in depth high-polished bevels working down each side of its case, the Luminox Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence measures 42mm in diameter (at this narrowest degree) by 13mm thick, and whereas its lugs are set a big 24mm apart, they’re fairly compact of their basic design and solely lengthen to create an basic lug-to-lug profile of 48.5mm. Not along with its strap or bracelet, the Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence weighs roughly 85 grams, and whereas I initially thought {{that a}} 24mm lug width could possibly be far too huge for a 42mm watch, the crown guards and equally sized protrusion on the 9 o’clock side of the case help to proper what might in some other case be a barely disproportionate ratio. Although I nonetheless would favor a barely narrower lug width, I lastly found the Pacific Diver’s 24mm lugs to be far a lot much less formidable as quickly as I actually strapped the watch all the way in which right down to my wrist.

Defending the dial of the Luminox Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence is a flat sapphire crystal (with anti-reflective treatment), and surrounding the crystal is a 120-click unidirectional timing bezel. On the white-dial model featured proper right here, the bezel is fitted with a elegant black ceramic insert with a luminous 60-minute scale and a glowing tritium tube embedded inside a capsule on the zero-marker. As is commonly the case with Luminox’s modern watches, the bezel movement on the Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence is type of good with nearly zero perceptible back-play, and the stainless steel bezel ring extends to kind a defending ring for the capsule that properties its tritium tube. In distinction to the quartz Pacific Diver fashions which have commonplace sturdy casebacks, the automated variations are fitted with screw-down exhibition casebacks which have sapphire present dwelling home windows, although every variations perform signed screw-down crowns between their guards at 3 o’clock, which help make certain the 200 meters of water resistance that is supplied by the Pacific Diver assortment.

All three variations of the Luminox Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence have dials that appear within the equivalent basic style with a wave-pattern flooring, utilized hour markers, a date window at 3 o’clock, and a full set of radioactive tritium tubes horizontally set inside an angled chapter ring that surrounds the periphery of the present. Pretty than exhibiting in a sickly inexperienced/yellow hue like some completely luminous dials, the white-dial Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence incorporates a crisp white flooring, and its syringe-shaped handset is given a brushed gunmetal finish with a vibrant purple accent on the tip of its seconds hand to supply increased distinction in the direction of the light-colored flooring of the dial. Furthermore, whereas selecting an equivalent white calendar disc would have been an obvious different, the white-dial mannequin of the Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence is equipped with a black date present in order so as to add seen steadiness in the direction of its black-filled utilized hour makers.

On the completely luminous white-dial mannequin of the Luminox Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence, the dial flooring and bezel scale are accomplished with photoreactive Super-LumiNova, which signifies that they glow in response to delicate publicity, with every components emitting an aqua blue-colored glow at nighttime. Conversely, given that tritium tubes set all through the arms and chapter ring are filled with a radioactive gas, they could glow repeatedly for as a lot as 25 years until the radioactive supplies lastly burns itself out. Whereas the dial and bezel scale on the Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence ref. XS.3101.H.SET every glow blue, its tritium tubes each glow orange or inexperienced to create a barely inserting multi-colored present at nighttime. To help current clear orientation and help with monitoring elapsed time, the minute hand, 12 o’clock index, and zero-marker on the bezel all get hold of orange-glowing tubes, whereas the rest of the tubes glow inexperienced, and the utilized hour markers are absolutely accomplished black to supply most distinction in the direction of the white luminous flooring of the dial.

Just like almost all of Luminox’s totally different mechanical watches, the Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence is powered by the acquainted Swiss Sellita SW200-1 automated movement, which runs at a frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) with an affect reserve of roughly 38 hours. Whereas the 26-jewel Sellita SW200-1 and its ETA 2824 equal signify the one largely used Swiss self-winding actions all through the commerce, their elementary design is the definition of confirmed, and I doubt that anyone expects a additional elaborate movement (to not point out an in-house offering) from thought-about one among Luminox’s automated watches. Although its construction is confirmed and its design is reliable, the ending on the same old Sellita SW200-1 is barely spartan and industrial, although the actions fitted to the Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence perform black-finished rotors, which visually separates them from the off-the-shelf variations of this ubiquitous caliber.

Besides you go for the bracelet-equipped mannequin, the Luminox Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence watches come equipped with a chunky black rubber strap that has the ”Luminox” title boldly embossed all through each side between the lugs. Tapering from 24mm on the case all the way in which right down to 22mm on the underside of the wrist, the strap incorporates a cut-to-fit design with built-in quick-release springbars, and it is achieved by a fairly commonplace stainless steel folding clasp that has a double push-button launch and an extra safety latch. The strap appears to be comprised of pretty first price provides, although I am categorically towards cut-to-fit straps, as I’ve on a regular basis felt that the fundamental design is barely shortsighted and makes for a really unforgiving sizing course of. Merely put, a watch strap should not should be fully altered merely to change its measurement, and this very true when the clasp that comes with the strap lacks any type of micro-adjustment system previous three sizing holes to place the springbar.

In my opinion, cut-to-fit straps shouldn’t nonetheless exist in 2024 (significantly on any watch that worth larger than the value of a sandwich); nonetheless, my totally different nitpicks with the Luminox Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence are fairly minimal. Merely as I state in a lot of my opinions, I would like that the minute hand was barely longer so that its tip would lengthen all the easiest way to achieve the corresponding markers of the minute monitor. Furthermore, whereas I nonetheless actually really feel {{that a}} barely narrower lug width would have resulted in a additional worthwhile design, that’s lastly an area of personal selection, and there are going to be different individuals in the marketplace who will possible be fully happy to have the additional width, as a result of it presents the watch with additional presence on the wrist. Nitpicks aside, the Luminox Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence is unquestionably one of many elevated and versatile decisions all through the mannequin’s current lineup, and it would merely be amongst my excessive picks almost about Luminox watches that I’d actually placed on each day.

Whereas I can really respect Luminox’s ultra-tactical timepieces, it would lastly actually really feel a bit like cosplay if I’ve been to placed on one as my regularly watch, and the Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence represents a totally fully totally different side of the Swiss mannequin’s catalog. With an official retail worth of $1,395 USD for the completely luminous white-dial reference XS.3101.H.SET featured proper right here, the Luminox Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence is roughly twice the value of the mannequin’s entry-level Pacific Diver fashions; nonetheless, it moreover represents a totally additional elevated offering, and it is merely one of many refined and versatile fashions in Luminox’s current lineup. Between its modern styling, sturdy growth, and luminous tritium-tube present, the Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence nonetheless affords your complete hallmark traits of a Luminox watch, and it is ideally suited to play the perform of a person’s do-it-all timekeeping companion. For additional data on the Luminox Pacific Diver Automated 3100 Sequence, please go to the mannequin’s web page.