Most field watches were originally made for military use, so they all tend to share a common design style that’s both durable and highly legible. Most are time-only watches, and they often have Arabic numerals for the hour markers. So, to keep things simple, I’ve stuck to watches that fit into this general definition of what a field watch is.

Now, rather than just talk about a load of watches I’ve never seen before, I’ve based this list around watches I’ve actually worn. This means that the five watches I’ve chosen for this list are ones I genuinely think are good field watches to own, rather than generic clickbait choices, and not one of the brands I talk about have paid to be featured in this article.

The other thing I want to say is that this list is obviously far from exhaustive. There are plenty of other great field watches out there that I haven’t added to this list, and these are just my picks from the watches I’ve handled myself. So feel free to disagree with me or suggest your own choices, and I might include them in a follow-up article.

Anyway, that’s enough preamble, so in no particular order here are my 5 picks…

1. Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer Mechanical

My first choice is the Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer Mechanical. Now, the first thing you’re probably wondering is why I didn’t choose the more popular Khaki Field Mechanical. Well, having reviewed both watches, I actually prefer the Pilot Pioneer to the KFM. There are two reasons for this. The first is that the Pilot Pioneer has 100m of water resistance, which is twice that of the KFM, and which makes the Pilot Pioneer more suitable for use in the field.

The second reason is that I think the design has more charm than the KFM, whilst still being practical. The Pilot Pioneer is a virtually identical reissue of the Hamilton W10, which has supplied to the British Military in the 1970s. With its textured dial, boxed crystal and 36mm cushion case, the Pilot Pioneer looks every inch the vintage field watch. The only downside is the fact that the watch has a mineral crystal, which is noticeably less scratch resistant than a sapphire one. But, other than that, it’s a well-specced watch.

Ticking away inside the Pilot Pioneer Mechanical is Hamilton’s H-50 manually wound movement. It’s based on the ETA 2801-2, and it has 17 jewels, a 3Hz beat rate and an impressive 80-hour power reserve. The watch retails for £740, which is pretty steep for the specifications. But a watch is more than the specs, and the design and finishing make this a very compelling offering indeed.

You can read my full review of the Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer Mechanical here.

2. CWC G10

The next watch is from CWC, or the Cabot Watch Company, to use its full name, which was founded in 1972 by the former managing director of Hamilton UK, Ray Mellor. Since then the company has specialised in producing watches for all three branches of the Britsh Military, something it still does in a limited capacity to this day. As a result, the brand has many options to choose from when it comes to a reliable field watch.

The classic choice is the G10, which was last issued to British forces in 2008. It’s got a purely utilitarian design, with a 36.5mm case that’s got an anti-reflective satin finish. Like many issued watches, the G10 has fixed spring bars, which means it can only be fitted with one-piece straps. However, it also stops the watch from being lost due to a spring bar failure.

Powering the G10 is an ETA quartz movement that’s the perfect choice for the humble field watch. Other notable features include lumed hands and markers, a 50m depth rating, and an acrylic crystal. Though acrylic isn’t terribly scratch-resistant, it is hard to shatter, which is why it’s still used on the G10. All in all the CWC G10 isn’t the most flashy field watch, but it’s an excellent blend of functionality and heritage that makes it a great choice of tool watch. It also costs just £279, which makes it the cheapest watch on this list.

You can purchase the G10 from CWC’s website here.

3. Christopher Ward C65 Sandhurst

The third watch I’ve chosen is an old favourite of mine and that’s the Christopher Ward C65 Sandhurst. It’s based on the iconic Smiths W10 but updates the design with some of Christopher Ward’s signature elements.

The watch is the most expensive on this list, with a retail price of £1,050 on the steel bracelet, but it makes up for that with its exceptional build quality. The Sandhurst is also the dressiest of the watches on this list, and it’s perfectly suited to being a “go anywhere, do anything” watch.

Whilst it may look refined, the Sandhurst is equally suited to the rugged outdoors, with a sapphire crystal, 150m depth rating, and bright Super-LumiNova. It also has a chronometer-grade Sellita SW200 movement, so it’s guaranteed to be the most accurate of the mechanical watches on this list. To cap it all off, the Sandhurst is officially approved by the Ministry of Defence and bears the heraldic badge of the British Army on its case back. Though it might not have the heritage of some of my other picks, the Sandhurst makes up for that with its finishing and value for money.

You can read my full review of the Christopher Ward C65 Sandhurst here.

4. Timefactors Smiths PRS-29A

Following on from the Sandhurst, the next watch on the list is another that’s based on the Smiths W10. It’s the Smiths PRS-29A from Timefactors, and it’s a near-exact reissue of the original W10. It’s slightly bigger than the original, with a 36mm steel case that’s only 11.1mm thick and has drilled lugs rather than fixed spring bars.

However, the PRS-29A makes the cut not because of its looks, but because of its specifications. The watch is water resistant to 100m, can resist magnetic fields of up to 20,000 A/m (amperes per metre), and has a boxed sapphire crystal that has a healthy application of anti-reflective coating on its underside. The lume is also ridiculously bright and is among the best I’ve seen at this price point. The last thing to talk about is the movement, which is a Sellita SW210. This hand-wound calibre has 19 jewels, a 42-hour power reserve, and a 4Hz beat rate.

The Smiths PRS-29A costs just £405, which makes the watch outstanding value for money. The only fly in the ointment is the ordering system, as the store only opens on Sunday afternoons every couple of weeks, and demand is usually so high that the store closes within a few minutes. But, if you can get your hands on a PRS-29A, it’s well worth the effort.

You can purchase the Smiths PRS-29A from Timefactor’s website here.

5. Nite MX10

I’ve saved the best till last with my final pick. It’s the MX10 from Nite, and it offers everything you need in a modern field watch for a very reasonable price of £300.

The watch has a sapphire crystal with several layers of anti-reflective coating, along with 100m of water resistance. The movement is the Ronda 715, a 5-jewel Swiss quartz movement that has a 5-year battery life. The cherry on the cake though is that instead of the Super-LumiNova you usually see on field watches at this price point, the MX-10 uses tritium tubes. Tritium is a radioluminescent material that emits a steady constant glow, which makes it perfect for nighttime legibility.

As if the MX10 wasn’t impressive enough though, back in 2005 Nite supplied 400 of them to none other than the SAS. That’s right, of all the possible choices this elite regiment could have chosen, they chose the MX10 as their issued wristwatch. Which means that these understated field watches have probably seen use in some of the harshest combat environments of the past 20 years. And, if the MX10 is good enough for the SAS, then it’s probably good enough for you too.

You can purchase the MX10 from Nite’s website here.

The post The Best 5 Field Watches To Take Outdoors – Including The Watch Worn By The SAS! appeared first on 12&60.

What is tritium illumination? Tritium is a gas; also known as super heavy hydrogen. It emits electrons through beta decay and when these electrons interact with a phosphorous material, fluorescent light is created that can last up to 20 years. This cold illumination is completely self-powered, which makes it an extremely reliable light source.

It doesn’t glow as bright as charged lume, but of course, it doesn’t require charging at all. If a Seiko and a Nite watch were kept in a dark drawer for a month, the Seiko’s lume would be completely dead, but the tritium would keep on glowing.

When Nite first announced their tritium keyrings, I immediately fell in love. As a full-on watch nerd, having a jumbo tritium tube attached to my keys sounded epic. Sadly, they sold two batches out immediately before I could get my grubby mitts on them. Now though, I’m the proud owner of a green and ice blue tritium keyring.

Let’s check them out.

The specs

• Dimensions: 40mm height x 10mm diameter
• Weight: 7g
• Price: £18
• Buy here:
  • Green: https://www.nitewatches.com/gb/merchandise/tritium-keyring-green
  • Blue: https://www.nitewatches.com/gb/merchandise/tritium-keyring-iceblue

The video review

The build quality

What’s not to like here in terms of construction? Simplicity is always best, and they’ve done a good job of designing a simple yet eye-catching product. In reality, it’s all about those big fat tritium tubes, so to make them the focal point is the right thing to do.

The size is suitable for a keychain, it’s not going to get in the way but it will serve its purpose of a feature. The weight is light too, so it’s not going to make your keys an unliftable piece of dark matter.

The overall construction is a cylinder, with a polished top and bottom. There are knurled steel blocks above and below the central piece, the top featuring a hole for the provided split ring.

The central area looks and feels like clear perspex / plastic, but not so in a cheap way.

The illumination

In broad daylight, you may just feel like these are coloured tubes in the middle. Even in semi-dark, they don’t yet glow too brightly.

However, as soon as it is dark, they come into their own. In pitch black, you’d have to be blind to miss them. The first day I received them, I left them on the dressing table in my bedroom. That was a mistake, as they were so bright they glowed that end of the room up.

I had to put them in the dressing table drawer. And even then, I could see the glow peeking through the drawer crack like some sort of infinity stone.

With one of these strapped to your keys, there is no chance misplacing them in the dark.

Whilst these tritium tubes don’t have a T-rating in the same way the watches do, they have a Maximum Activity of 13.6 GBq (Gigabecquerel, the becquerel being a measurement of radioactivity). If you’re a radioactive scientist, please let me know what that means.

Final comments

If like me, you love all sorts of watch based merchandise, then the Nite tritium keyring is worth considering. £18 may seem steep for a keyring, but when you consider the practical value of them and the fact that they’re tubes of radiation providing self-powered illumination, it’s not that bad is it. And at that price, it really would make the perfect gift for a watch enthusiast.

The post Nite Tritium Keyring – the perfect watch enthusiast gift? appeared first on 12&60.

If you’ve not heard of Nite before, they’re a British brand specialising in watches that utilise Tritium tubes for luminosity. These bad boys are very cool, as they’re mini radioactive gas chambers on your wrist that glow constantly without the need to charge them.

At a glance I really like the look of the Alpha – visually it’s striking, and even though it’s quartz all the specs are impressive. Let’s check it out to see how it stacks up.

Video review

The specs

• Dimensions: 42mm diameter x 14.8mm height x 49.5mm lug to lug
• Weight: 175g (sized to 7.25” wrist)
• Water resistance rating: 30ATM / 300m
• Movement: Ronda 715Li
• Battery life: 10 years
• Lug width: 22mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: £480 / ~$615
• Buy here: https://www.nitewatches.com/store/gb/alpha/alpha-208s-t100/

The case

The Alpha sits rather large, with an impressive size of 42mm. I also think the lug to lug length seems a bit on the long side visually – when you really look at it I feel the end links of the bracelet jut out a little too much.

The case is characterised by angular edges and lugs which exemplifies the tool-like approach of the Alpha; a watch that will endure anything you throw at it. The fact that it’s fully brushed makes it more resilient to scratches too.

Sitting on top of the case is a flat sapphire crystal with triple anti-reflective coating on the underside. Whilst I’ve seen better anti-reflective coating, it’s still pretty good at keeping the reflections at bay.

The bezel features a very smart and neat ceramic insert. There’s a cool mini Tritium tube (more on that later) within the pip at 12 which is pretty awesome, allowing for constant glow in the dark and a point of reference. All markings are engraved, which are clean and crisply done. I love the blue colour of the insert and the orange accents, bringing in a splash of colour. The grip is very well machined and the action is silky smooth, making it a joy to use.

The screw-in crown has great grip just like the bezel, plus a smart orange ring in the middle to match the accent on the bezel and dial. There’s a slightly bulbous tip to it with the Nite logo engraved on the end.

The screw-in caseback features the Nite logo engraved in the centre, with other specifics surrounding it. As is the norm here, it’s very neat and accurate.

The dial

Without a doubt, one of the key selling points of the Nite Alpha is the T100 (referring to the tritium and how many millicuries is in each tube) Swiss Made GTLS illumination tubes used as hour markers. The previous two Nites I reviewed (the Icon and MX10) had T25 – and let me tell you, it’s incredibly obvious that the Alpha has tubes that are four times brighter. At night, as I’m lovingly gazing at my watch box in the dark (I assume I’m not the only one?!) the Alpha is the one that glows the brightest – without fail, and without the need for any charge.

The base of the dial has a sunburst effect emanating from the central pinion. The blue is beautifully deep and dark, keeping legibility to a maximum but providing colour.

The date window is cut out of the dial at 4:30. The white date wheel may put some off, but no doubt the primary goal is that it’s legible – which it certainly is.

The printwork is kept to a minimum: the logo is within the top half, with some text in the centre of the bottom and also a minute track. There’s also some small text right at the foot of the dial informing of the T100 Tritium used and Swiss Movement.

The hands have Tritium tubes applied on top; the main hour and minute hands have an interesting syringe style shape with a white background. The orange second hand brings in another splash of the accent colour, and also has a mini Tritium tube situated near the top. The white base of the hands provides very good legibility against the dark blue dial.

The bracelet

I really love the angled top of the links – another element that exemplifies the tool-like approach of the Alpha. It also provides a wide range of reflections due to the various angles, even though none of it is polished.

Each link is beautifully manufactured and engineered, it’s a joy to behold and supremely comfortable to wear. I usually struggle to wear a watch with a bracelet all day, but this is easy to do so.

From a visual perspective, the only thing that I’ve noticed is that the central column of the end links stick out a bit too much, so I don’t think it’ll be too good for those with smaller wrists.

The buckle is double-locking, so it’ll prove to be secure. The buckle is operated via the two side buttons, and then the top flap locks down. Again, it’s fully brushed and features the Nite logo engraved on the top of the main buckle body. It’s very easy to use.

The movement

If Nite decides to do a mechanical Alpha, then let me tell you – it would be pretty awesome. All of their watches are quartz bar one series (the Icon), which I know is a markdown for many. However, when you think about the movements they use, which are some of the best quartz movements available – and the fact that these watches are designed to last, it’s as good as they come for the price.

The movement used is the Ronda 715Li. It’s Swiss Made, has 5 jewels, and rather impressively – a 10-year battery life.

Final comments

Everything about this watch oozes quality – the entire fit and finish is sensational. There’s only really one negative I can think, which is the long perceived lug to lug length, but that’s not an issue if you have a large enough wrist (over 7”). I love the bezel, the case, the bracelet, and of course – the Tritium.

Truthfully, it stands out in my watch box – not only because it’s always glowing the brightest out of all of them, but also due to the design – this model, in particular, uses the blue and orange really well, creating a bold, modern diver that looks epic.

The post Nite Alpha 208 Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

The MX10 is a key model in Nite’s lineup. It confirmed the brand’s ability of creating tough, practical watches when in 2005 it was issued a NATO codification reference and Nite were contracted to supply the British Special Forces. If the MX10’s good enough for them, surely it’s good enough for the rest of us?

The bracelet model will cost you £300, and if you go for the rubber strap equivalent it’ll cost you £250. This isn’t really a lot of money for a watch of this standard. Let’s see why.

The case

The MX10 is a very comfortable and wrist-friendly size, measuring in at 39mm in diameter, and 10.75mm tall.  It’s not too big, yet packs some impressive girth to provide a quality feel.

The entire watch is completely brushed, bar the polished caseback. This supports the purpose of the watch, bring a utility tool watch, which has been commissioned by the British Army. The brushed finish will last longest against any scratches or marks from wear.

Weighing in at 158g, the MX10 doesn’t mess about. Considering it houses a light quartz movement, it feels tough and heavy duty thanks to its weight.

On top of the case is a flat Sapphire crystal, with a triple anti-reflective coating on the underside. Whilst this AR coating does seem to remove a lot of the detailing on any reflections, it doesn’t remove them completely, so you do still get some reflections. This is most probably just due to the fact that the crystal is flat though. It’s good that Nite have fitted a sapphire crystal to the MX10, supporting it’s tough military/tool watch status.

The bezel is raised from the case and has a large chamfered edge, and is very thin – which allows the dial to be the most prominent element of the watch. The edging is accurately carved and the finishing is spot on.

The MX10 has a push-pull crown, which surprised me a little. I would have thought a screw-in crown would have been better, but then again this watch isn’t a dedicated divers watch. It is well-sized, The ratio to the case looks right. It’s quite thin, so it doesn’t jab you in the back of the hand thankfully. It features the Nite icon deeply etched on the end, and good quality, deep grip, all very well machined and finished.

The crown guards are rather rounded and protect most of the crown, so they’ll do their job of protecting it well.

The lugs are a unique shape, you won’t be able to retro fit another standard strap to the MX10. You probably won’t need to though, as bracelet is a beaut, and you also have the option of a rubber strap  too. The lugs have a large sweeping top following the shape of the wrist, with a large semi circle cut out. These do stick out quite far, so if you have wrists any smaller than mine (7.5″), it may not follow the shape of your wrist so well and may have a bit of a gap between the lugs and wrist. The lug to lug length is 52mm, which is pretty long for a watch this size.

The lugs are drilled through, so the pins have easy access from the outside, resulting in quicker and simpler strap removal. It also means you are less likely to scratch the case when trying to remove the pins.

The screw-in caseback is the only part of the MX10 that is polished, and the finishing is excellent and mirror-like. All the details are in a circle, and in the centre is a large Nite logo, with the NATO stock number and details about the Tritium tubes above and below it. Surrounding this is a border, creating a channel for more watch specifics. This is split into quarters, with every quarter divided by means of a small Nite icon. In each quarter there is Swiss Movement, sapphire crystal, water resistant 100m, and stainless steel. It is a well designed caseback, offering lots of information in a compact and visually appealing way.

The MX10 has a water resistance of 100m or 10ATM, which means you can wear it swimming or snorkelling.

Despite it’s relatively small size of 39mm, the MX10’s case is hefty and rugged. It won’t let you down.

The dial

The main feature of all Nite watches is the Tritium tubes. GTLS (gaseous Tritium light source) is an external light source using tritium gas, which reacts with phosphors on the inside of the tube to create light. No charging is required, it’s a completely self-powered light source. They glow for about 25 years, slowly diminishing in brightness. Tritium light sources are regularly used in the military, one instance can be found on the sights of various rifles.

The MX10 features 15 tubes – one for each hand and hour marker. All of them are green, bar the 12 marker which is orange, so you can tell which way up you’re looking at the watch. Green tubes are the brightest and most visible you can get.

From a design standpoint, the MX10 is definitely focused on practicality and cause over beautiful design. But if you were to buy this watch, you probably wouldn’t care much about elegance and beauty anyway. It is quite simple, ensuring the watch offers great visibility and completes it’s purpose.

It is a matte black, which when coupled with the white hands provides superb legibility.

I really love the rehaut, it gives a great amount of depth to the dial. This is thanks to how deep it is and how it rises right up to the crystal.

It features a precisely printed minute track, with each white line extending as long as the tritium tubes marking the hours do, which are all perfectly glued and positioned in place.

The logo in the top half is printed in 3 colours. In the lower half of the dial we have MX10 and 100m, then right at the bottom is T25 and Swiss Movement. T25 refers to the Tritium and the amount of millicuries is in each tube.

The hour numbers of 1-12 are larger and near the outer edge of the dial, with the smaller hour numbers of 13-24 positioned just inside. Having both sets of numbers can sometimes clog up the dial, but the sizing and positioning is just right on the MX10.

The hands all have tritium tubes applied subtly. The hour and minute hands are white batons with pointed ends. This offers great visibility against the black dial. The tritium tubes are quite long, almost taking up the whole length of the hands.

The second hand is teal/turquoise blue, which matches the logo and is a very appealing colour. It has a thin point with a larger section near the end to house the tritium tube, and a rectangle the other end acting as a counterweight. All the hands are flawless, and as is the way of the MX10 – serve their purpose with minimal fuss.

The date window is simply cut out of the dial. I think it would have looked a bit nicer if it had some sort of border or frame. Still, the cut out is clean and accurate with no bad edging.

The date wheel is white with black text, which of course means good visibility. Some may complain about this though, as some prefer to have the date wheel colour matching the dial colour. But, this would result in it being quite camouflaged, especially in amongst all of the hour numbers on the dial – which would not make it easy to check the date at a glance. So I strongly believe a white date wheel is the correct choice.

The MX10 doesn’t portray itself to be a watch all about the looks. In every aspect it’s focus is purpose, and in this regard it holds up superbly well. The dial is functional, well executed and still looks pretty good.

The bracelet

As was the case with the Nite Icon, the bracelet on the MX10 is excellent quality – it’s thick, comfortable and well built.

It’s quite a unique style, with all the links connected below the main section. This creates an almost seamless appearance, with just thin gaps separating the links. This is not only visually pleasing, but also means the bracelet has a very smooth top and underside which adds to the comfort of wearing it.

Because of the way they’re joined the shape is quite rigid. If you close the clasp and place the watch on it facing up, instead of collapsing flat, the bracelet keeps itself upright and maintains a wrist shape. This means it’s a very comfortable wear, as the bracelet supports itself and actually makes the watch feel lighter on the wrist.

The finishing of the bracelet is all brushed as per the case, matching well. The only detailing is two thin channels running the whole length towards the outside of every link, which keeps things a bit interesting.

The end links are obviously very unique, as they have to fit the unusual shaped lugs with a semi circle ingress. They fit together perfectly, displaying the accurate machining of the MX10.

The double locking deployant buckle is sturdy and solid. All parts click together securely and accurately. It gives you the sense that it is very well built, and that it won’t break open at all. The Nite logo is deeply etched on the top edge.

The bracelet definitely supports the ethos of Nite and the MX10, being a rugged, active/military type watch you can depend on.

The movement

The movement powering the MX10 is a Ronda 505. It’s quartz, Swiss Made, and has a date complication. Nothing particularly exciting to report on it, apart from the fact that it has 45 months battery life, and accuracy of -10/+20 seconds a month. It also has a battery saving mode when you pull the stem out which saves 70% battery life.

Ronda are well renowned for their excellent Swiss Made quartz movements, so you can be confident that the MX10 will hold up well in tough circumstances.

Final comments

As I mentioned in the introduction, if the MX10 is good enough to be issued to the British Special Forces, it’ll most definitely do the job for the rest of us. Because of this, the watch is extremely well put together, and is likely to last you a very long time. The bracelet is fantastic, all the machining and finishing is spot on, and it just feels solid and dependable. Considering this is from a British brand, plus the added bonus of tritium tubes, £300 is a great price in my eyes.

The post Nite MX10 Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

The case

With the case, it’s obvious that the Icon is based on an aviator design. This is mainly due to the thin bezel, large case size, dial design, and style and positioning of the crown. The Icon measures in at a 44mm diameter and 12.1mm depth, so it’s on the larger side of watches. Thanks to the quartz movement, it’s relatively thin, though, so it doesn’t sit too high whilst you’re wearing it thankfully. It has a lug to lug length of 51.5mm, which isn’t too bad considering the size. This is mainly down to the design of the lugs – it fits my 7.5″ wrist very well. The lug width is 22mm wide.

The entire watch is completely brushed stainless steel and beautifully formed. The case is spotless and made exceptionally well. This is supported by the sheer weight of the thing – it starts at 180g, reducing depending on how many links you remove, which is incredibly heavy considering there’s a lightweight quartz movement in there!

As I mentioned before, the case has a very thin bezel, allowing the large dial to be the key feature. The bezel is a mere 2mm wide, allowing the dial to have a diameter of 38mm.

The lug shape is not long, but is angled down to hug the wrist well, allowing a good close fit to the wrist. The lugs also fit with the end links of the bracelet perfectly, demonstrating the accuracy of the machining on the Icon.

The Nite Icon sports a K1 mineral crystal. I know what you’re all thinking. Sure it’s not sapphire, but K1 is the highest grade of mineral crystal you can get and is highly scratch resistant. Nite recorded the following video to show this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uVXzx7dxP8

So personally, I’m fairly confident that the K1 mineral crystal will last. You get the better shatter resistant properties that come with a mineral crystal, plus the better clarity. And the K1 grading means you get almost as good scratch resistance as sapphire too. There must be a reason why a number of tough watch manufacturers choose it, such as Luminox, Traser, and of course, Nite.

The screw-in crown is located at 4, a nod to the aviation theme. It features great grip, which is deep, well machined and offers excellent purchase on the crown to unscrew it.  The thread is as sturdy as you’d expect. The crown has the Nite logo etched very deep on the end, which is accurate and fits well from an aesthetic viewpoint.

The screw-in caseback is all brushed, just like rest of the watch. It has the Nite logo etched in the centre, plus radioactive details due to the tritium (pretty cool to see that on the back of a watch) just below it.

The watch specifics are deeply etched surrounding the logo, and are divided into quarters by a small Nite logo between them. I like the thought and attention Nite have given the caseback. It’s not a boring aspect of the case, just serving it’s purpose. But rather it’s interesting and well designed.

The Nite Icon is rated at 100m water resistance, which means you can wear it swimming or snorkelling. This is made possible due to the screw-in crown and caseback.

On the whole, the case is excellently made, and exudes a real tool-like, “throw anything my way” aura to it. Although simple, it looks and feels like a high quality piece thanks to the spotless brushed finishing.

The dial

Nite specialise in GTLS (gaseous Tritium light source), which is an external light source using tritium gas and a layer of phosphor on the inside of the tube to produce light. No charging is required, the tritium tubes are completely self powered. They glow for about 25 years, slowly diminishing in brightness.

The Nite Icon has 15 tritium tubes – one on each hand and also one for each of the 12 hour markers. The hands and the marker at 12 are orange, and all the other hour markers are blue.

There is one thing to mention – tritium tubes don’t glow so bright you can see them from anywhere in any light, like an LED for example or some luminova. The glow is not visible in daylight. It only really comes into it’s own in twilight and darker (half to full darkness), where it really starts glows well – but only after your eyes have adjusted. At night, in a watch box of 15, the Nites glow brighter than all the other watches – especially in the morning once the lume on the other watches has completely discharged. So I just thought it was worth mentioning that they do glow well, but only when the time is right.

The dial itself is a galvanised sunburst effect thanks to the brushed steel finishing, which is in an outwards direction starting from the centre. This creates a very nice effect which follows the dial around based on the angle of the light reflection.

The only printing on the dial is the minute track around the outer ede, plus T25 (referring to the tritium and how many millicuries is in each tube) and Swiss Movement at the bottom. A small amount it may be, but it’s all very accurate and precise.

Everything else on the dial is applied, which is an impressive amount of detail. There are two sets of hour markers, one set being larger numerals for 1-12 situated on the outer edge of the dial, and a smaller numeral for 13-24 positioned just inside the larger numbers. The dial is well designed, as the two sets of numbers could easily clog up the dial, but the smaller numbers are just the right size not to take over and spoil the design.

We also have the applied word Nite located in the top half, and then Icon and 100m in the lower half of the dial. All of these applied hour markers are polished to a high level, and very well manufactured and fitted, even under close examination. No rough edges anywhere, wonky application or poor finishing. The only (small) gripe I have is that I would have liked the applied elements to be a little bit thicker, as they look slightly on the thin side. I just think it would have made the watch look even higher quality if they had a tad more depth.

In addition to the applied elements, the hands are also highly polished steel. You’d think that this would be a nightmare for legibility, as polished hands on a brushed dial is too similar and it would be hard to locate the hands at a glance. But surprisingly, it is very easy to read. The hands are so reflective, you can always see them against the matte appearance of the dial, which reflects the light in a different way creating a high contrast between the two.

The hour and minute hands are sword shape, with the tritium tube positioned along the centre. The second hand is a thin point with a wider section to house the tritium tube near the top and a rectangle at the base to act as a counterweight.

It’s always nice to see a dial with the light sunburst steel effect. It’s quite a bold move in this instance, and I’m sure some people would just much prefer the black dialled equivalent. But it makes the watch stand out on the wrist even more due to its light appearance.

The bracelet

For me, the bracelet is one of the best parts of the Nite Icon. It is all brushed to match the case, and is machined and finished to perfection. It is so comfortable to wear thanks to the soft curving of the underside.

The links are H shaped – it’s nice to see something different, and I think they look great. The links are all very thick, and gives the impression of very high quality.

The solid end links fit the case well with no wiggle or play, demonstrating the accuracy in its machining. The lug width of the bracelet is 22mm, reducing to 20mm wide at the buckle.

The links are fastened together using standard pins, so you’ll need a tool to resize the bracelet.

The steel deployant buckle is fully brushed and features the Nite logo at the top which is engraved with impressive depth. It is double locking, which feels very secure once it’s locked up on the wrist. The top flap flips in place with a satisfying click, and is secured well with no wiggle. The main body of the buckle is locked in place by the two buttons on either side, which when pressed releases the nipple on the deployant arm. Speaking of the elbow, it’s all very well put together and everything is very “chunky”, giving the feeling that it is very well built and won’t fall apart.

The buckle also has 3 micro-adjustment points, so you’ll be able to resize the bracelet to the perfect fit.

Being a self-confessed lover of thick, chunky, well made bracelets, the Nite Icon’s has really impressed me. The quality of the bracelet is excellent, and looks superb on too.

The movement

The movement powering the Icon is the Ronda 513. It’s Swiss Made, and Nite take advantage if this fact by printing it on the dial and the caseback. Obviously many would prefer an automatic watch, but I’m not too sure it would work in a watch like this. The Nite Icon gives the impression that it’s an action watch, a grab-and-go which is ready whenever you need it. It also feels like the kind of watch that doesn’t mind being bashed around a bit. I don’t believe an automatic movement would be suitable for these situations. Saying that, I’m sure many would welcome an automatic version, even if it had a more affordable non-Swiss movement such as a Miyota 9015.

The Ronda 513 is a straight-up 3-hand movement with no complications (no date). It runs for 45 months on a battery, although you can save 70% of battery power if you leave the stem pulled out when you’re not using it. It runs at an accuracy of -10/+20 seconds a month.

The Ronda quartz movements have proved themselves to be bulletproof and reliable, so rest assured you’re unlikely to get any trouble out of the Nite Icon.

Final comments

There’s no denying the Nite Icon is a reasonable amount of money, this bracelet model costing you £380. But the watch is excellently made, and certainly feels worth it. There’s not too many watch manufacturers out there who specialise in featuring tritium tubes. This is mainly due to expense and also the fact that the tubes have to be applied to the dial in special certified locations, monitored by the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission). So you are paying for the privilege of this key feature. And I can’t help but feel that the tritium tubes are indeed a key selling point on this already very fine timepiece. If you’re up for going a bit tactical and want to go tritium, then Nite have got you covered.

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