Initial Impression:
The Lum-Tec G8 has a striking bold black and yellow design with a very unique skeletal square case. The key features of Lum-Tec, of course, is the Maximum Darkness Visibility (MDV) technology - this is the process in which the Luminescence is applied to the timepiece. The black leather strap is enhanced with yellow stitching and includes a black PVD buckle. Initial impression is that this is a great "weekender" timepiece.
Key Specification
Manufacturer: Lum-Tec Engine: Ronda 515 Lens: Sapphire w/ AR Coating
Series: G8 Jewels: 1 Case Material: 316L SS
Model: G8 Power Reserve (Hrs.): 4N/A Case Diameter (mm): 45
Warranty: 1 Years Strap: Leather | Rubber Case Thickness (mm): 13
Bezel: Fixed WR: 20ATM | 200M | 660ft Cost (USD) $299.00
The Review
The initial impression that this was a great "Weekender" timepiece, although with the addition of a few different style straps - this quickly entered into the "Beater" top ten. This is a great addition to any collection, and Lum-Tec left nothing to chance when it came to quality design and engineering.
The Case
The case is machined from 316L Stainless Steel and has a Titanium Carbide PVD hard coating in black. The machine work on the G8's skeletal square case is top notch; this looks to be a three-piece case with screws at each corner of the square. The matte black satin finish keeps a stealthy and classic look to the case. The screw down crown is equipped with the diamond sealing system, includes the Titanium Carbide PVD black coating and has the Lum-Tec log on the end.
The G8 has a matte black anti-reflective dial with the MVD technology coating on all of the indexes and the hands. The attention to detail on the index markers is great, the index markers and the 12 and 6, are split between the dial and the inner bezel - this gives an interesting aesthetic to tie face of the G8, grabbing attention. The date complication is located at the 3 o'clock position - surrounded by a yellow MDV ring - the date wheel is the black background with white numerals, making it very visible.
The Engine
The Ronda 515 is a common three hand Swiss quartz movement. The 515 is one of Ronda's "Powertech 500" line of movements, and according to the Ronda website, there are two versions of this movement: "Swiss Made" and "Swiss Parts"(both contain 1 jewel). The good of the Ronda 515 is that it is ultra-affordable for a Swiss movement and the replacements are easy to find. The bad - the coil is next to the battery clamp - thus opening the potential for damaging the movement when the battery is being replaced. Rhonda claims that the 515-battery life is approximately 45 months
The Strap
The black leather (with yellow stitching) is aesthetically pleasing, and enhances the overall appeal of the G8, and for those with a normal sized wrist, I would recommend this strap fully. I, unfortunately, do not have a normal sized wrist - measuring in at almost 9" - so I swapped it with the Original Lum-Tec OEM Rubber Strap with PVD Buckle, and this is a very nice addition to both the aesthetics as well as the wearability of the timepiece. Either one of these Lum-Tec straps are a good choice, and if you want to use the watch for more than a "once in a while" piece, I suggest obtaining both. I also tried my Barton Black Leather NATO strap on the timepiece, this actually changed the aesthetics of the watch from a Sport watch and pushed it into the business casual or weekender watch.
The Wrap Up
The Lum-Tec G8 is definitely in my top ten "Beater" collection, it is comfortable, aesthetically pleasing, tough as nails, and just a great all-around timepiece. I keep a selection of straps readily available for this universal timepiece - (NOTE: make sure that the buckle on the strap is black, otherwise it looks like the strap was an afterthought). Lum-Tec has made the Swiss engine with Sapphire affordable, and there was absolutely no lack of engineering anywhere - the machine work on the skeletal case is nearly flawless, even the lugs did not fall from the Lum-Tec attention to detail. Being that this is currently the only Lum-Tec timepiece that I have - my review of the quality is solely based on the G8 - I do hope to add more Lum-Tec timepieces to my collection, and I will review those also. The G* could be that "Beater" that you have for years, and if it is - you will wear it more than you let it sit in the watch box.
