As one of the perennial favorite brands among law enforcement and military personnel, Luminox has a pedigree within the world of tool watches that is truly undisputed. However, the average case size of Luminox watches is generally quite large, and many of the brand’s models offer a thoroughly tactical aesthetic that can sometimes limit their versatility in everyday life. That said, Luminox’s catalog is far more diverse than most people actually acknowledge, and as the brand’s latest release for 2023, Luminox has expanded its popular Pacific Diver series with six new models that are all based upon a more compact 39mm case. Offering much of the same core design as the full-size 44mm versions of the model, the new Luminox Pacific Diver Ripple collection brings this versatile platform to a much wider range of wrist sizes, while also promising to be a timepiece that can more easily fit into a normal non-tactical lifestyle.
The new Luminox Pacific Diver Ripple watches all feature 39mm cases made from 316L stainless steel that offer the same shape and profile as the full-size Pacific Diver range. While five of the six new models offer cases with a brushed and polished finish, the final version offers a black PVD-coated case for a more understated overall appearance. Similarly, all six of the models feature anti-reflective sapphire crystals above their dials, along with screw-down crowns and casebacks to help support their 200 meters of water resistance. Regardless of their differences, the cases of all six Luminox Pacific Diver Ripple watches are fitted with black unidirectional bezels that are made from CARBONOX (Luminox’s proprietary carbon-composite material), which have white markings and an orange-glowing tritium tube embedded at the zero marker.
Beyond the black-finished case on one model, where the six new 39mm Luminox Pacific Diver Ripple watches differ most is in regards to the dials and straps that are fitted to them. The ref. 3127M is the version with the blacked-out case, and it comes fitted with a white dial and a black rubber strap. Meanwhile, the ref. 3124M, ref. ref. 3126M, and ref. 3128M all feature mother-of-pearl dials, with the only difference between the trio being that the ref. 3126M is fitted with a stainless steel Jubilee-style bracelet, while the ref. 3124M receives a light blue rubber strap, and the ref. 3128M is sold as a set with two different rubber straps in both white and bright pink, along with an included strap-changing tool.
The final two models that make up the new 39mm Luminox Pacific Diver Ripple collection are the ref. 3122M, which is fitted with a black dial and a stainless steel bracelet, while the ref. 3123M is fitted with a blue sunburst dial and sold as a set with both a stainless steel Jubilee-style bracelet and a dark blue rubber strap (along with a strap-changing tool). Based on the press photos, the rubber straps appear to be the style that is cut down to fit the individual owner’s wrist, and just like what can be found on the stainless steel bracelet, they are fitted with a signed deployant style folding clasp that features a push button release and an additional safety latch that folds over the top.
While the white and mother-of-pearl dial models all feature black-finished hands and hour markers, both the blue and black dial variants receive these details in white for better contrast. All of the dials feature date windows at 3 o’clock, along with an angled rehaut that contains both the minute track and the horizontally-placed tritium gas-filled tubes that provide a continuous glow for up to 25 years without receiving any light exposure. Just like other Luminox watches, the new Pacific Diver Ripple collection embraces a two-color luminous display, and while the majority of the tritium tubes emit a green glow, the tubes placed on the minute hand and at the 12 o’clock marker (along with the tube at the zero marker within the bezel) glow orange to help offer added contrast while tracking elapsed time in low-light settings.
Powering the new 39mm Luminox Pacific Diver Ripple watches is the Ronda 515 quartz movement, which is the same battery-powered quartz caliber that can be found inside a number of other Luminox models, along with a wide variety of other watches from countless different manufacturers. Powered by a single 395 cell and offering a battery life of approximately 50 months, the Ronda 515 is anything but an auspicious movement, although it offers a proven design with known-quantity performance, and ultimately is a very practical option for a battery-powered quartz watch. While there are some people who believe that all quartz watches should be solar-powered these days, having a movement that requires light exposure slightly goes against the core benefit of tritium tubes and their ability to work continuously for years at a time in total darkness. That said, I highly doubt that most people who buy one of the new Luminox Pacific Diver Ripple watches plan on spending extended periods in the dark, and a light-powered movement would likely have been an added convenience to these particular models.
As the new 39mm Luminox Pacific Diver Ripple collection is essentially a more compact rendition of the existing 44mm time-and-date series, prices for the new models are largely the same as their full-size counterparts. Given the different straps and case finishing present throughout the range, prices can slightly vary depending on the specific model and its configuration, although all of the new Luminox Pacific Diver Ripple watches are still accompanied by an official retail price of $645 USD to $745 USD. While mother-of-pearl dials don’t cost a premium, the least expensive options are those fitted with a single rubber strap, while the most expensive will be the version sold as a set with both a rubber strap and a stainless steel bracelet. Many people outside of law enforcement and military circles appreciate Luminox watches for their superior low-light legibility, and I imagine that these new compact 39mm divers will be especially popular among individuals who want the core experience of a Luminox in a highly-wearable everyday package. For more information on the Luminox Pacific Diver Ripple collection, please visit the brand’s website.
