Marking 35 years of adventures

Each watch in the special Heritage collection comes with a commemorative medallion.

THE rugged Combat Shooting Club grounds at the old Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur, seems a fitting venue for a Luminox celebration.

Known for its sturdy watches that are found on the wrists of many adventurers, the brand certainly has quite a bit to be proud of as it marks 35 years since its founding.

A guest testing the illumination on a Luminox Original Heritage. — Photos: IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star

The spacious hall for the occasion is lined with themed “booths” showcasing the collections under the brand.

Up front, the evening’s host Pamela Tan − senior brand manager at Crystal Time (M) Sdn Bhd, the local distributor for Luminox − holds court demonstrating to guests the special features of the latest in their stable.

Taking pride of place is the brand’s Heritage series, launched in conjunction with the anniversary.

There are three watches – representing land, sea and air – that have evolved from earlier models.

Each one comes in a set with a commemorative medallion to mark the milestone.

Luminox Original Heritage.

Luminox Original Heritage (Sea)

The watch is based off of the 1994 Luminox Original watch made for elite units and adventurers.

In the updated version, the 43mm case is made of Carbonox, a proprietary carbon compound material.

Other changes include the colour red on the second hand’s tip and the number 30 on the bezel, which is to signify three decades since the release of the original watch.

The watch has a unidirectional stainless steel bezel, water-resistance of up to 200m and comes complete with rubber straps.

This 3001.H.Set is priced at RM3,270.

F-117 Nighthawk x SkunkWorks Heritage.

F-117 Nighthawk x SkunkWorks Heritage (Air)

The watch was first launched in 2007, inspired by pilots who flew Nighthawk stealth jets.

Luminox has collaborated with Skunk Works – the research arm of Lockheed Martin, the American manufacturer of Nighthawk jets – for the redesign 17 years later.

It now sports a 44mm Carbonox case, red-tipped second hand, a Carbonox unidirectional bezel, Kevlar straps and an illuminated skunk logo at 6 o’clock on the dial.

This quartz watch is also water-resistant up to 200m.

The 6442.H.Set is priced at RM2,960.

Recon Point Man Heritage.

Recon Point Man Heritage (Land)

This watch, inspired by reconnaissance units surveying terrains, had first appeared on the market in 2011.

Just like the previous two redesigned watches, this new Recon’s case and unidirectional bezel are made of Carbonox.

On its 45mm case is a walking tachymeter, with scales in kilometre as well as miles marked out on the bezel.

The hour markers for 9 to 12 are in yellow for better visibility.

The contemporary 200m water-resistant watch is complemented by rubber and nylon straps.

The anniversary 8825.H.Set is priced at RM3,080.

All three watches are equipped with Luminox Light Technology, which ensures 24/7 luminosity provided by tritium gas-filled glass tubes.

The technology allows for the watches to be able to emit light for up to 25 years.

Aside from the Heritage series, the anniversary party guests are also given an up-close look at other novelties in the Luminox lineup – such as watches from the Atacama Field 1960 series, the Bear Grylls collaboration collection and the Back to the Blue range.