Luminox Introduces New 50bar/500meter Deep Dive Series Watch

Luminox has been the watch of choice for professionals like Navy SEALs, SCUBA legend Stan Waterman, the US Coast Guard, law enforcement divers and more. After 20 years of making 200 meter water resistant watches, Luminox is proud to introduce its 50 bar (500 meter / 1500 feet) Deep Dive series, a serious, certified watch for use by professionals, complying with the strict and extremely high standards of ISO 6425 for Diving watches.

Most "water resistant” watches are designed and constructed for the occasional and relatively short periods of time immersed in water. The Luminox Deep Diver is serious gear, a dive watch specifical y designed and constructed for the use by professional divers, taking their watches to the deepest depths when doing their jobs, with al the attributes a true diving watch needs, including:

• Water resistant to 500 meters /50 bar (exceeding the minimum of 200 meters requested by ISO 6425)
• A unique, patent pending Bezel Locking System (BLS), that also serves to protect the crown
• An automatic ETA movement with Big date window
• An automatic Helium Release Valve
• Unmatched constant visibility underwater with blue Luminox Light Technology (cal ed LLT), constant glow for up to 25 years
• Special y designed case with custom gaskets, screw-on crown and case back
• Special y designed, thicker sapphire crystal and thicker case back
• Highly visible, broader Minute Hand in contrast color, with double LLT tubes
• Integrated PU strap with a wet suit PU extension strap For a professional diving watch, it is critical and even can be the difference between life and death that the time is visible in any and all conditions, be it night diving, deep diving, diving in poor visibility or wreck diving.

Luminox A.1503

The Luminox Light Technology (LLT) ensures easy and immediate readability, and is always visible, constantly glowing for up to 25 years. The tiny micro gas light glass tubes that guarantee constant visibility glow blue on the Deep Dive series, as blue is the last color that the eyes register as one goes deeper and deeper under water. In addition, the Deep Dive features different color of LLTs at the 12 O’clock position of the dial as well as on the rotating bezel, and since the minute hand is particularly important to divers, it is equipped with a double-LLT for easier reading, even in complete darkness. And because this model features an automatic mechanical movement with no battery required, the diver can always rely on the correct dive time when looking at his Luminox watch.

Why 500 Meters Water Resistance? Many companies make watches with 200 meters water resistance, but 500 meters / 50bar is much more chal enging and as a result separates the Deep Dive Luminox from the pack. The sapphire crystal must be more than twice as thick as on a 200 meter watch (3.00 mm), as well as the caseback (3.00 mm). Steel deforms at 50 bar pressure, so the overal case construction has to be much more robust and rugged.

How was the Deep Dive tested under Norm ISO 6425? Special tests are done under Norm ISO 6425 that regular, non-dive certified watches do not have to undergo. Each watch must be submerged in water, at 62.5bar (equivalent to a pressure at 625 meters depth, which is 25% more then the stated 50 bar on the watch, for security reasons) for two hours and then for one hour at 0.3 bar, before and after which the watch is tested for condensation. The entire water resistant testing procedure takes 3.5 hours for just 24 watches, demonstrating the intensity of these tests.

In addition, as per the strict requirements of ISO 6425, a random selection of Deep Dive watches had to undergo further tests which can be tested in specialized laboratory only, such as:

• Salt water tests, where the watch is submerged in salt water for 24 hours
• Thermal shock tests
• Buckle and strap attachments are tested to make sure that the watch will not accidental y release
• Visibility tests in darkness (which of course are easy to pass for Luminox watches, as they all are using the LLT Luminox Light Technology)
• Antimagnetic tests under norm ISO 764
• Shock tests under norm ISO 1413
• Resistance of crown and other external devices against shocks

Why the automatic Helium Release Valve? During prolonged dives in pressurized environments (like diving bel s, deep sea exploration vessels and more) which use a helium-rich air mixture, tiny helium molecules can get inside the watch. If decompression stops during ascent are not long enough, the gas in the watch doesn’t have time to release and the pressure which builds up can damage the watch. With Luminox’s automatic helium release valve, excess pressure is released automatical y through a one-way valve, protecting the watch.

Why the Special Locking Rotating Bezel: The patent pending Luminox Bezel Locking System prevents the bezel from changing position. A conventional unidirectional bezel is great, but if knocked, it could be moved and indicating less time under water. But divers want to stay down as long as they safely can, and need as much time as they can get for deep diving. This newly invented Bezel Locking System ensures that the time the divers set with their turning bezel will stay set, and is easily accomplished by simply locking the crown protector into position.

This special 45mm watch is produced in limited quantities, as more tests are done and more time is required during the production process. Special touches abound, from the diving helmet stamped on the caseback to the prong of the buckle, inspired by the trident of Neptune, and of course each watch individually numbered. All these great features signify that this is indeed a serious diving watch. In addition, the watch comes in a specially-designed, water resistant gift box which can be used to store e.g. the diver’s mobile phone, camera or other personal gear safely on a rough sea.

Luminox timepieces are manufactured like few others. The proprietary Luminox Light Technology and the additional quality control steps Luminox mandates require extraordinary attention to detail and care in manufacturing. Al Luminox watches are Swiss Made in the brand’s state-of-the Art factory in Biberist, Switzerland, but this series undergoes additional rigorous testing at an off site facility also.

The Luminox Deep Diver is ESSENTIAL GEAR for serious divers, suitable for use in the toughest corners of the world.