This year, Luminox has partnered with Bear Grylls, the world’s most recognized face of survival and outdoor adventure. 3 new Bear Grylls Survival Series watches are released, and feature design and function elements that Grylls himself exclusively specified. These unique elements, coupled with Luminox’s specialty of creating durable watches, ensures one can survive in even the most extreme conditions. We go hands-on with the Luminox Chronograph Bear Grylls Survival 3740.
The new Luminox Bear Grylls Survival collection comprise of three series – the diver known as the Survival 3720 Sea, a two counter chronograph known as the Survival 3780 Land and the most complicated one – the Survival 3740 Master. We take a deep dive on the Master.
Luminox Chronograph Bear Grylls Survival 3740 Master Series
Bear Grylls
Edward Michael Grylls OBE (born 7 June 1974), better known as Bear Grylls, is a British former SAS serviceman, survival instructor, and honorary lieutenant-colonel, and, outside his military career, an adventurer, writer, television presenter and businessman. He is widely known for his television series Man vs. Wild (2006–2011), originally titled Born Survivor: Bear Grylls[citation needed]for the United Kingdom release. Grylls is also involved in a number of wilderness survival television series in the UK and US. In July 2009, Grylls was appointed the youngest-ever Chief Scout of the United Kingdom and Overseas Territories at age 35,[1] a post he has held for a second term since 2015.
The case, dial and hands
The case looks the part – tough and robust with strong design features to suggest that it may survival anything thrown at it. Made in the Luminox trademark Carbonox™+. This material was introduced by Luminox in 2016, is a carbon long bar compound in which carbon fibres account for 40% of the compound. Due to this high composition of carbon fibres, the tensile strength is very high, with a very low water absorption.
The material is very light and rigid, with a hard matte dark grey surface. And does not feel cold to the touch, while feeling smooth and a rather pleasant.
The dial, is rather complex, and as a result is very busy. This interferes with legibility. However, as all the Bear Grylls Survival models feature Luminox Light Technology (LLT) with very bright lume which is visible in any lighting conditions, the watch legibility improves in the dark, where only the LLT marked indicators glow brightly, and only the essential is visible.
The bezel, 12H marker and the minute hand LLT glows Orange, while the dial’s 1-11H markers and the hour hand is green.
The tubes can be seen on the dial detail photograph below, and appear like the tubes of glow sticks.
The dial carries the hour markers with an outer ring marked in even arabic numerals for the 2-12 hours, and an inner ring marked in odd numerals from 13-23. Add to this, the chronograph counters and date display. And to that Bear’s logo of a stylized X displayed together with Luminox’s logo makes a very crowded dial. The dial also bear compass markings carried on the sloped rehaut, with yet another layer of text right in orange at the rehaut’s edge with verbiage. Add to that the bezel is also engraved full of numerals arranged in two rings. And the entire face side of the watch has a very busy appearance, though it must be said that there seemed to be a purpose to all these details.
The bezel is made of the same material, and designed like a dive watch with uni-directional turning and marked with count-up numerals. As mentioned, it too is marked in two rings. The outer ring carries the countdown minutes in 5 minute intervals in large arabic numerals, and the inner ring is marked with compass bearing degrees in smaller font..
A small compass, designed in the same language as the dial can be attached by sliding it onto the strap. This compass is removable by sliding it off the strap.
The dial of the compass is white with orange accents, picking up from the bright hue of the strap and rubber wrap around the crown. The compass bear no lume elements, and is thus not visible in the dark.
The movement: Ronda caliber 5030.D
On the caseback, Bear Grylls’ logo and motto, “Never Give Up” is inscribed in large texts infilled with bright orange
“Never Give Up” is a vital attitude for survival in any conditions. According to Bear Grylls, whether you make it out alive will largely come down to you – your attitude and your actions.
The movement is a standard quartz movement sourced from Ronda as the caliber 5030.D. According to Ronda, there are two versions of this movement: a gold plated Swiss Made version and nickel plated Swiss parts version. The Swiss Made version has 13 jewels and the Swiss Parts has 6 jewels. Luminox confirmed that the version they use is the gold plated Swiss Made one, with 13 jewels.
The Ronda 5030.D is specified to -10/ +20 sec/month, with a battery life of 54 months under normal conditions.
Concluding thoughts
The collaboration with one of the world’s most famous survival experts and television personality is a stroke of genius. Luminox have always been associated with the tough life, and linked intricately with the US Navy SEALs. Many of their ambassadors are SEALs, who though are as tough as they come, and lead lives more interesting than most, are largely out of the public eye. This association with Bear Grylls is a coup, and a feather on Luminox’s cap. Not only is Bear famous the world over, but his reputation for toughness compares with the best of the rest.
And the Luminox Chronograph Bear Grylls Survival 3740 Master seems like a personification of Bear himself. The watch has a complex dial, and comes with a booklet where Bear gives tips on how to use the watch in a survival situations. Granted that most who buy these watches will never have their lifes at stake, but it is good to know that the Luminox Bear Grylls Survival 3740 is tough and fit for the job. Plus, the looks of the watch is rather attractive, with the loud orange strap, the always on glow in the dark lume, and the rugged proportions.
Luminox Chronograph Bear Grylls Survival 3740 Master Series Specifications
Size of case (diameter): 45 mm
Water Resistance: 300 meters, 30 ATM, 1000 feet
Movement: RONDA 5030.D
Case material: CARBONOX™+
Bezel: CARBONOX™+, uni-directional turning, count-up and compass
Case Back: 316L Stainless steel, screw in
Crystal: Sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating
Crown: 316L Stainless Steel, screw on
Strap / bracelet: Orange rubber EPDM strap, stainless steel buckle
Width of Strap: 24 mm
Case Height: 14 mm
Weight: 98 g
