Lum-Tec Combat B68 Day-Date | USA Assembled Military Field Watch with MDV Lume

The Combat B68 is part of Lum-Tec's Combat B series, the field watch line Lum-Tec has kept refining since the first Combat B1 arrived in 2007. Lum-Tec says Combat B watches have been battle tested in real military applications and in environments from deserts to freezing mountaintops, and that they are trusted by pilots, ground soldiers, snipers and mountain climbers. Lum-Tec says the Combat B is comfortable on the wrist, legible and accurate, and that its anti-shock capability is well proven in the field.

The B68 takes the day-date layout and gives it a darker look. Its forged, heat-treated 43 mm case is bead blasted and then finished in a gunmetal titanium carbide PVD hard coat, and inside is a Japanese Miyota 2105 quartz movement with day and date display and a battery rated for about three years. The anti-reflective matte gray dial and diamond-cut hands use green-glowing X1-grade C3 Super-Luminova as part of Lum-Tec's MDV® luminous technology. It is rated to 200 meters and comes with black and gray nylon straps fitted with gunmetal hardware.

As an authorized Lum-Tec dealer, The CGA Company sells the B68 new, never pre-owned, with free USA shipping. Two nylon straps come with it, and it is a limited, numbered series of 500 worldwide.

Specifications

• Case width: 43 mm, forged 316L surgical-grade stainless steel, heat treated for hardness
• Coating: Military-grade titanium carbide gunmetal PVD hard coating
• Finish: Bead blasted, with anti-fingerprint coating
• Thickness: 13.6 mm including the domed sapphire
• Lug to lug: 51.5 mm
• Lug width: 22 mm
• Water resistance: 200 meters
• Movement: Japanese Miyota 2105 quartz
• Functions: Day and date indicator
• Battery life: About 3 years
• Shock protection: Anti-shock movement mounting system
• Crystal: Curved sapphire with military-grade DLC anti-reflective coating on the inside
• Caseback: Solid, threaded, double-diamond sealed
• Crown: Threaded, double-diamond seals
• Gaskets: Viton®
• Dial: Anti-reflective matte gray
• Lume: MDV® luminous technology, X1-grade Swiss C3 GL (green glow) in 30 layers
• Hands: Diamond-cut, filled with X1-grade C3 Super-Luminova
• Straps included: 2 heavy-grade nylon military straps (one black, one gray) with gunmetal PVD hardware
• Warranty: 2-year limited warranty
• Edition: Limited and numbered, 500 pieces worldwide
• Assembly: Designed, assembled by hand and fully tested in Mentor, Ohio

Construction

Under the coating is a forged, heat-treated 316L steel case. Lum-Tec says forging gives about 37% more fatigue strength than a typical cast case, and that the bead-blast finish creates a micro work-hardened surface that improves scratch and ding resistance by 8-10%. A gunmetal titanium carbide PVD hard coat and an anti-fingerprint layer go on top.

The domed sapphire sits in a Hytrel mount for clearer reading at an angle. Double silicone-lubricated seals protect the threaded crown and the solid caseback. Lum-Tec says its sealing has improved by more than 200% since the first Combat B1, and that it is tested to 30% beyond the 200 m rating.

Heat treatment does two jobs on this case: it keeps the steel stable while it is being forged and hardens the surface once finishing is done. The glare-cutting layer on the inside of the sapphire is a military-grade DLC anti-reflective coating. The case seals are there to stand up to salt water, chemicals and very hot or very cold conditions, not just water pressure, and if the watch is dropped on a hard floor or knocked against a wall, the anti-shock mount lets the movement absorb the hit.

Fit and Straps

Steeply curved lugs let the 51.5 mm lug-to-lug wear like roughly 46-47 mm, according to Lum-Tec. Two heavy nylon straps come in the box, one black and one gray, with gunmetal PVD hardware to match the case. Each strap runs under both spring bars for security.

Lum-Tec says its nylon straps are more durable than typical straps of this type and are designed for easy adjustment, a secure fit and minimal weight on the wrist.

MDV® Lume

The matte gray dial is printed with 30 layers of X1-grade Swiss C3 GL Super-Luminova, which glows green, over a reflective base that pushes the light forward. The diamond-cut hands are filled with X1-grade C3. Lum-Tec says RcTritec in Switzerland verified its dials as top Super-Luminova performers.

Lifetime Service

Lum-Tec provides free battery replacement, seal cleaning and pressure testing on the B68 for life, carried out in Ohio. Lum-Tec says it regularly sees its watches come back for service after 15 or more years of use, and it puts what it learns from them into new designs. Lifetime services are provided by Lum-Tec under Lum-Tec's terms, not by The CGA Company; for service, contact service@lum-tec.com.

Hand Assembled and Tested in Mentor, Ohio

Lum-Tec says its watches are designed and engineered in Ohio from the ground up, and every Combat B68 is hand assembled and individually tested in Mentor, Ohio, using international and domestic components; the movement in this model is the Japanese Miyota 2105 quartz day-date. Lum-Tec says that since 2007 it has produced watches for more than 100 brands around the world, the U.S. government and SWAT teams.

Frequently Asked Questions

What movement does the B68 use?
A Japanese Miyota 2105 quartz with day and date display. The battery lasts about 3 years.

What color is the lume?
Green. The dial uses X1-grade Swiss C3 GL Super-Luminova in 30 layers, part of Lum-Tec's MDV® luminous technology.

How is it different from the B67?
The B68 has a gunmetal titanium carbide PVD coating, green X1-grade C3 lume and gunmetal strap hardware. The B67 is uncoated bead-blasted steel with grade A BGW9 lume.

How water resistant is it?
200 meters, with a threaded crown and a solid, double-diamond-sealed caseback.

Where is the Combat B68 assembled?
Lum-Tec hand assembles and tests every Combat B68 in Mentor, Ohio, using international and domestic components. The movement is the Japanese Miyota 2105 quartz day-date.