Pack your ruck and don’t forget to throw the Luminox RECON Point Man on your wrist. You’ve got a tool for everything, and with this light-weight quartz watch, you can have one to measure your walking speed day or night.
Luminox’s “reconnaissance” watch in its “Land” series continues to identify with military-centric work. The other series include the sea, air and space lines and all follow a similar formula using Swiss quartz movements, light weight polycarbonate cases and impressive illumination mostly under $500.
A point man on a reconnaissance, or recon, is the one person who absorbs the first sights, sounds and contact of the enemy on a patrol. This Recon Point Man follows this tough pathfinder linage. It sneaked up on me at my local retailer. I really didn’t notice it until I went watch to watch studying the differences. It was not as boldly colored as some of the other watches in this series and others.
The case is 45 mm in diameter and all of 12 mm high. Add the strap to the bottom of this and it rides high enough to see it on the wrist. The black carbon reinforced polycarbonate is as tough as it is light weight. It has a unidirectional ratcheting bezel with the outer most ring outlining 24-hour-time in 5-minute increments. Each 5 minute numeral is framed in a raised black border to help you find the time increment in the dark.
The 360 degree markers are on the next inner ring of the bezel and support your directional check when the sun is available. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, just point the hour hand of your watch dial at the sun. Bisect the angle between the hour hand and the 12 o‘clock mark to get the north-south line. North will be the direction farthest from the sun. (You can also carry a compass.)
The next chapter ring inside the dial is the walking-speed scale in miles (They have a kilometer version too). Do you want to know what time you’ll make it back to the trail head? You can use this to gauge your approximate speed in an hour. One step is approximately 2.5 feet and the time is takes you to walk 164 feet (Or 50 meters for the meter’s version.) is translated to mph on the bezel. 
Start walking when the second hand is at the 12 o’clock position. When you reach the 164 feet (about 65 steps), look at the location of the second hand on the dial and it will be pointing at your approximate walking speed for one hour. For example, do that 164 feet in 30 seconds and your speed is 3.7 mph. Keep in mind; if you are on a hike with your significant other, you are supposed to use the time of the slowest one in the group. (Go ahead and use your pace, she will not mind waiting for you to catch up.)
I really like the use of color on the dial. It’s more subtle than some of the other models but it is very functional too. The Point Man also has a countdown quarter hour from 9 o’clock to 12 o’clock colored teal with yellow, vertical indices. When you see it at night, it is also lighted yellow. The remaining luminescence markers glow blue and are horizontally placed and not vertical like the countdown quarter hour. Directly above the 12 o’clock is also a glowing yellow marker indicating North.
The gray and teal Arabic numerals are simple and easy to read, and the teal second hand is the right level of color for its functional work of measuring your pace. The date window on this dial does get lost in the horizontal and vertical markers, but I see that date function as secondary to the luminescence and walking speed purpose.
All this is powered by a Swiss quartz movement with a battery that may last you two to three years. Luminox is making some mechanical watches too, so keep your eyes open to this when you’re shopping.
Luminox’s name comes from the two Latin roots: lumi for light and nox for night. Put one of these in the dark and you’ll see why. The Luminox Light Technology or LLT is supposed to last 25 years. It uses tiny self-powered micro gas light tubes. Got that? Micro tubes of gas light. Since it’s “self-powered” that means you don’t have to hold it up to lights to charge it and it does not use your battery power.
Although branded as a terrestrial time keeper, this watch does have 660 feet of water resistance. You’ll be able to get this wet when you cross the Kennebec River if you dump your canoe on your way to Mount Katahdin.
The nylon strap was extremely comfortable and came with a signed brushed steel buckle. The strap was thick and substantial and fit snuggly between the lugs and spring bar. This was a comfortable watch. The case weight makes this an easy wear all day long and the great luminescence is ideal for no-light situations.
This can be an everyday tool watch even though it’s been branded for the badassery, special operators and crime fighters. Don’t worry if you haven’t earned your Ranger tab or thru-hiked the AT. This can also be an everyman watch with the basics you need like the exceptional illumination, its low weight, money-back 30 day return. $450 shop.luminox.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Luminox RECON Point Man – 8824.MI
- Price: $40
- Who we think it might be for: This is for the weekend warrior who wants an extra function to impress his girlfriend at the national park.
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen?: Yes. It’s light weight, tough and easy to read.
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: I wonder if there’s a way to make the watch tough but thinner.
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: Associate any watch with a military reference and give it a real function too, and I’m in.
Specifications:
- Brand Model: Luminox RECON Point Man – 8824.MI
- Movement (technology): Swiss quartz
- Size of case diameter (mm): 45 mm
- Height of case:12 mm
- Weight: 70 grams
- Case material: Black carbon reinforced polycarbonate with a unidirectional ratcheting bezel
- Case Back: Polycarbonate, screw-in.
- Crown: Polycarbonate push/pull
- Crystal/Glass material: Antireflective sapphire
- Water resistance (m/ft/atm): 20 ATM/200 meters/660 feet
- Strap/Bracelet material: Gray webbing strap with 3 stainless steel loops and stainless steel signature buckle
- Illumination: Luminox self-powered illumination
