I have always believed in the saying: 'Life is tough, but it's grittier to live on and conquer life's obstacles'. This quote seems to echo 'The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday', a slogan that holds a significant meaning to US NAVY SEALs. If you're able to get by the present unscathed, congrats. But things will get harder from now on and such sequence of events will make us stronger with time.
American Swiss-made timepiece brand Luminox demonstrates this motivational mantra with a namesake jungle survival course. In attendance were representatives from different media outfits (including myself) who left their cushy workstations and travelled to The Canopi, Bintan Indonesia to face various physical and mental obstacles based on actual US Navy SEAL training.
Prolific eagle-eyed retired Navy SEAL, Rob Roy, is the commanding officer for this exclusive Luminox Jungle Survival Course which proved to be authentic with his strict directives, surprising us at every hurdle. Dang, I sure wasn't prepared for this, even though I spent 2 years serving the mandatory National Service for the Singapore Armed Forces.
Participants were assigned to 5 different groups of 4 members named after familiar labels associated with Luminox: SEAL Team 6, ICE-SAR, Sea Wolves, Undersea Voyager Project and Spartan. Wonder why teams were favoured instead of assigning solo expeditions? In both military and business, the success or failure depends on the rapport of the group. After all, there's no 'I' in 'teamwork'.
Starting with a militaristic self-introduction activity (the entire team have to knock-down for push-ups if we can't recall specific biodata of our mates), the newly-formed teams raced against time to overcome trials and tribulations using our wits and physical strength. Venturing into the wild may be daunting for urbanites but with the aid of a Luminox timepiece, rigorous tasks eased up due to its hardy nature that allows us to time hack and synchronizes time across the team.
In true military fashion, we have to complete the tasks within a stipulated timing, simulating warlike conditions where every minute counts. Roy dropped time-saving hints based on his experiences with the functionality of Luminox watches—its rotating bezel can be used for countdown purposes and its simplicity indicates uncomplicated handling that'll reduce errors which may jeopardize the mission. From navigating through the lush forests and meandering river rapids to a labyrinth of muddy plains, all teams successfully completed the demanding objectives without any major blunders, thanks to Luminox.
What's the deal about Luminox, you say? TL:DR—an American, Barry Cohen, a watch industry veteran, came across a Swiss self-powered illumination system and knew that it would make watches more visible and easier to read in low or no light situations. Luminox was born with ‘Lumi’ in Latin for 'light' while Nox is Latin for 'night'. Since then, the illumination technology in the Luminox watches as the Luminox Light Technology (LLT).
Us invited participants didn't delve into this survival course in vain; at the finish line, troopers were rewarded with a sumptuous dinner in a glamping site and offered an exclusive look at Luminox's three new watch collections: Navy SEAL 3580 Chronograph The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday, ICE-SAR 1000 series and Deep Dive Carbonox 1550.
Navy SEAL 3580 Chronograph The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday
First in this 2018 drop is the five-model Navy SEAL 3580 series. Besides incorporating several new intuitive features including a chronograph function, the series' main focus is Carbonox—an innovative carbon compound material with its case and unidirectional rotating bezel not only boasts a sleek aesthetic, and also enhanced durability too.
Remember 'The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday'? This motto made its appearance as an inscription on the dial of the most dashing model in this series for a burst of encouragement. Coupled with Luminox Light Technology (LLT), which provides unmatched night visibility through a self-powered illumination system that lasts up to 25 years without the need of an exterior light source or the push of a button, this versatile timepiece is the one to watch (pun intended).
ICE-SAR 1000 series
Next up is the ICE-SAR Arctic 1000 series. As its name suggests, this collection has a connection with sub-zero temperatures and an interesting relationship of being the Official Partner of The Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue. Founded in 1928, the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue (ICE-SAR) was formed due to the harsh weather conditions of Iceland and the lack of a professional army. For this partnership, Luminox adopted the heroes' title in commemoration of the noble volunteers.
Using a 46mm Carbonox case, these timepieces includes scratch-resistant sapphire crystal that protects the vital Luminox Lighting Technology (LLT), which provides continuous night vision round the clock. Aesthetically, the bezel is inspired by the ICE-SAR logo, while the hands mirror the carabiners utilized by rescuers.
Collectors, take note—a limited variation of ICE-SAR Arctic 1000 is produced. Only 900 pieces available worldwide, this batch of exclusive timepieces can be identified by the blue and red colour scheme of ICE-SAR with each watch individually numbered on the case back alongside an ICE-SAR logo. At nine o’clock, the index is replaced with ’90 years’ and the ICE-SAR logo is placed at six o’clock while ‘112’, the emergency number in many countries of Europe and USA, replaces the number twelve.
Deep Dive Carbonox 1550
Divers will be ecstatic to know that the high-performance but lightweight Carbonox+ makes its debut as an upgrade to the Scott Cassell-inspired series. All four models in this latest generation have 46mm Carbonox+ cases, a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, screw down crown, a stainless steel screw down case back and a genuine rubber strap.
The case backs sports an embossed submarine that was specially designed to reflect ‘The Great White’, a submersible that Scott Cassell personally refurbished in his garage and is currently in active use for his missions with Undersea Voyager Project.
All mentioned Luminox watches are available at leading department stores (TANGS at Tang Plaza and VivoCity, Robinsons The Hereen, OG Orchard Point and authorised watch retailers.
