2015 Trasers (part 4) - Special Forces 100

The best tritium watch on the market is getting a face lift and it's better than ever!  This week we are taking a look at the all new Special Forces 100 and how the best watch in the business is getting even better.

The Special Forces 100 is the new replacement series for the old Commander Force 100 and while it shares many of the same features with the out going model, it improves the watch in almost every way.  Starting from the ground up the Special Forces 100 takes everything we love about the reigning champ and makes it just a little better. 

Let's start with the styling.  The new model certainly shares the same basic shapes and style of the original but tweaks it just enough to make a statement.  The differences are subtle but once you start to look closely they are unmistakable. First off it's bigger.  Measuring in at 44mm in diameter (up from 42mm) bringing it in-line with the new standard of modern men's watches while retaining the standard 12mm thickness of most Tritium watches on the market.  The new size is comfortable on the wrist while providing slightly bolder look and yet not too big to wear every day for every occasion.

The Special Forces 100 also gets a new font which really updates the overall look of the watch.  I know a new font seems like a little thing but you really do notice.  It makes for sharper numbers and once again brings the watch into a more modern style.  The old watch actually got a new font on the dial not too long ago but bezel is really showing it's age.  It's basically the same bezel it's had since the watch was launched and it's really showing it's age.  It has a very old-school feel to it and the new dial/bezel looks like something from the digital age.  It ties everything together nicely freshens up the whole watch.

And speaking of the new dial, the new internal bezel (that holds the Tritium for markers for 1-12) is now recessed giving the hands more room and providing more surface area under the crystal.  You'll notice the second hand now floats over the hour markers rather than stop short.  The change makes for a much larger look that is more readable than before and allows for a greater use of space.  This coupled with the larger case make for a dramatic increase of overall dial space, where as the old dial looked somewhat squished.  

Hands are different now too.  Gone are the old school hands that accompanied almost all Tritium watches for a generation and in it's place is a much more contemporary look.  We also find new stamping on the setting crown, which is now adorned with the signature H3 logo (trademark logo for Traser's Tritium Trigilight technology) and the crown is also slightly larger and easier to grip.  This allows for easier opening and closing of the screw-down functionality as well as setting procedures.

As with all the new 2015 Traser's we are looking at, this model features the Ronda 715.6 Li Quartz movement that provides up to 10-years battery life in between changes.  Definitely one of my favorite things about the new models.  Getting to go 10 years in between changes is a really nice feature and something missing from the original. 

Most of the standard features like 200 meters water resistant, sapphire crystal, screwdown crown, screwdown caseback, solid titanium case and bracelet (and of course full Tritium illumination) remain untouched but the little things mentioned above all add up to a nicely updated watch that still retains everything that made it great in the first place.  And in a market where an affordable solid titanium watch remains the minority, the Traser Special Forces 100 retains it's crown as the watch to beat in an ever growing and competitive marketplace.

For a full list of feature, specs and prices visit one of our great sites: Topflight Watches or Time 4 Tritium or call us Toll Free at 1-888-243-6329.  One of our friendly staff would be happy to provide you with any information you need.  We love to talk about watches!


Stay tuned next week for our look at the Survivor Pro.

2015 Trasers (part 3) - Blue Infinity

Welcome to Week 3 of our Traser 2015 special.  This week we are going to take a closer look at the Blue Infinity.

The Blue Infinity is the brother to the Green Spirit of last week and largely shares most of it's features.  The biggest distinction of the two watches is of course the color and to a smaller extent, the overall way in which the color is applied.  The Blue Infinity is much more symmetrical for starters.  Aside from the asymmetrical stripes on the band, the rest of the watch is colored in a fairly standard fashion. 

Like the Green Spirit, the Blue Infinity is Traser's way of adding some color and pop to their impressive line of watches but the Blue Infinity is much more reserved in my opinion than last weeks offering.  While the Green Spirit is a little on the loud side, almost screaming with it's near neon-green, the Blue Infinity is a  darker affair.  In fact, paired with a standard black nato-style band the watch would easily be understated enough to go as an every day watch for any occasion.

On the flip side though, I actually quite like the blue and white striped band.  The white makes a nice accent and helps set off the design.  Black, blue and white is carried throughout the watch design, from the band to the hands to the dial and tie everything together quite nicely. 

One of the other ways the Blue Infinity sets itself apart is by utilizing Blue Tritium illumination.  Kind of a no-brainer here sure but it's a nice touch all the same.  At night you'll find blue tritium on every hand and marker save the 12 o'clock, which is white Tritium (again a nice touch from a color standpoint). 

 

(Night photo courtesy of Traser) 

Technical specs for this model are identical to the Green Spirit save the few already mentioned.  Here is a complete run down:

• P6600 Double Case Design, Steel Inner Case with a Carbon Fiber Outer Case  
• Movement: Ronda Calibre 517.6 DD
• Blue Tritium Illumination on the Hour, Minute and Second Hands and Eleven Hour Markers
• White Tritium on the 12 o'clock Hour Marker
• Blue Tritium on the Elapse Time Bezel
• Virtually Scratchproof Sapphire Crystal
• 660 Feet (200 Meters) Water Resistant
• Day and Date Window
• Bidirectional Timer Style Outer Bezel
• Screw Down Crown
• Screw Down Case back
• Nylon Fabric NATO Military Strap with Stainless Steel Buckle

DIMENSIONS:

• Diameter: 45mm (48mm with crown)
• Depth: (thickness) 11 mm
• Lug Width: 22 millimeters

But at the end of the day, the biggest differences are cosmetic between these two new models. My best advise would be to choose the one you like best.  Essentially they are the same watch so take the one that speaks to you.  Because regardless of which you choose, you'll end up with a solid well made watch you can count on.  Traser makes some of the best watches in the business and these are no exception.

As always, you can visit us at any one of our store fronts to see more information, prices, details and availability: Gem of the Day, TopFlight Watches and Time 4 Tritium

Stay tuned for next weeks adventures.  Coming up is the all new Tornado Pro, Survivor Pro and Special Forces 100.  See you soon!

2015 Trasers (part 2) - Green Spirit

Welcome back to our multi-part coverage of the all NEW 2015 Traser watches.  This week we are going to take a closer look at the Green Spirit.  The Green Spirit is one of two new additions to the P6600 line of watches in the Traser line.  The P6600 all started with the Mil-G, the next gen military watch from Traser.  This watch effectively replaced the old Type-6 as the newest go-to military spec watch.  These watches were designed and intended for actual military use and as such they were very utilitarian and basic from a style standpoint.  As the popularity of the Mil-G grew Traser knew they needed to expand the series to cater to a wider audience.

As the series expanded, we started to get more and more styles.  At first, they were still very close to the Mil-G in terms of style.  Watches like the Elite Red and P6600 Automatic made little changes like Tritium color or swapping for an Automatic mechanical movement but before long the P6600 platform took over as the driving platform for a large portion of the traser line.  Everything from the Red Combat to the Extreme Sport to the Classic Elegance Chrono can draw it's heritage right back to the original Mil-G. 

Now enters the Green Spirit.  The most colorful and boldest variation of the P6600 series yet.  It's Trasers first attempt at a truly bold look in years and one of the few competitors to the colorful Colormark series from Luminox.  It's vibrant design is masterfully carried out from top to bottom.  Starting out with the basic P6600 case the Green Spirit makes some bold changes.

It's not just the addition of the color green but how it was introduced.  There are some cool design ques going on here that really make the watch pop.  Notice how the bezel is accented with the color green from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock and how the inner bezel is colored to match giving the watch and feint asymmetrical design.  Even more than that the inner bezel numbering and the dial numbering offset each other.  "6-12" is found on the inner bezel and "18-24" on the dial.

This asymmetrical design is also carried over into the band with the green stripes lining up opposite the outer bezel accents.  Each layer from the outside in only ever accents half of the watch.  It's subtle and most people might not even notice but it give this watch and really unique look within the Traser line and it's little touches like that that I look for when I buy a watch.

Like most of the P6600 series watches, the Green Spirit has a double case construction.  Black polymer outer-case with a steel inner-case.  This allows the watch to be lighter than a steel watch but still retain the screw-down caseback and crown.  This assures 200 meter water resistance as well as long term durability.  The Green Spirit also shares some upgrades with some of the later P6600 models.  Most notably it has a genuine Sapphire crystal

A full rundown of the specs look like this:

• Double Case: Stainless Steel, Fiberglass Reinforced  
• Movement: Ronda Calibre 517.6 DD
• Sapphire Crystal
• Trigalight Tritium Gas Illumination
• Green Tritium on the Hour and Minute Hands
• Green Tritium on the Unidirectional Timer Bezel
• Green Tritium on the Number 1 thriu 11
• Orange Tritium on the 12 o'clock Marker
• Blackout Dial with Green paint on the Hands and Markers
• Water Resistant to 20 Atmospheres (660 feet)
• Screw Down Crown
• Screw Down Caseback
• Nylon NATO Style Strap / Green Stripes
• DIMENSIONS:
• Diameter: 45 millimeters (48 millimeters with setting crown)
• Thickness: 11 millimeters

As you can see from above, despite the fancy color, the Green Spirit is the real deal.  It can easily take whatever you dish out and come back for more.  And of course because it's a Traser it features full Trigalight Tritium Illumination.  Meaning you can see this watch easily and accurately in any light condition, day or night.

All in all I really like the direction Traser has taken with the Green Spirit.  Adding more color to the line is a much needed step in the right direction.  It really pops and shines a light on an already impressive growing line of watches.  And as always you can find out more information, prices, picture and more on all three of our retail sites: Gem of the Day, TopFlight Watches and Time 4 Tritium.

Stay tuned next week as we take a look at the Green Spirit's brother, the Blue Infinity in part 3 of our on going coverage of the new Traser 2015 models.

New 2015 Traser's are Here!

That right!   The ALL NEW 2015 Traser's are here and over the new few weeks we are going to take a closer look at each one.  This is the beginning of a 6-part series and each week we are going to take an in-depth look at each of the new models. We'll discuss each in turn and let you know what each of them have to offer.  

 

Two of the new models, the Green Spirit and Blue Infinity are based off the ever popular P6600 series and bring a fresh new look to the series and some much needed color. 

The other three and all new series and represent the next generation of Traser watches.  These effectively will be replacing the out going Long Life, Navigator, Commander and Black Storm Pro series.  They have all the same great fautures as the older models with some new tricks too!  

Keen eyes will also notice that the cases have been redesigned from the ground up with all new cases, bezels, dials and hands but more on that later.  For now, let's just say "Hello" to the new faces of Traser.

You can see the whole Traser collection at TopFlight Watches.  All models, pricing, specs and more!

Stay tuned for more info each week! 

May the 4th be with you...

Every year we do have a special May 4th COUPON CODE, but we have never publicized it until today.  It's good on all three websites and it's as simple as you might imagine: Maythe4th

Gem of the Day

Top Flight Watches

Time 4 Tritium

Excitement in Basel, Switzerland

The world's largest exhibition of watches in underway in Basel, Switzerland this week. Virtually every watch company in the world uses the Basel Fair to introduce new designs, new technology and time keeping ideas. 

Luminox Watch Company is no exception. The Swiss Leader in military, law enforcement and extreme sports is celebrating their 25th Anniversary and is using the excitement of Basel to showcase new 25th Anniversary Watches. Luminox announced in Basel that they are launching several series of high performance watches. The introductions are comprised of updated classics and new models. Naturally every introduction shares Luminox's legendary self-powered illumination H3 Tritium system. 

First we have the RECON Leader 8840 series, designed in collaboration with former Swiss Army Military Security NCO Andrea Micheli. Pictured above, the new chronograph alarm model is part of the RECON series. The watch features an alarm function, a chrono function with split second timing, multiple time zones, a walking speed tachometer, a contrast-color countdown quadrant on the dial, and a bezel compass. 

As always, attention to detail is a hallmark of Luminox design. For example each watchstrap contains three common map scales and an inch/centimeter measurement chart. The watches come in a military-style MOLLE (MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment) package that also doubles as a sunglasses case. The RECON series will be available for purchase later this spring or early summer. 

Other 25th Anniversary designs will include a Navy SEAL series with a new 25th Anniversary dial set into the lightweight carbon-reinforced polycarbonate case. There will also be a new ANU (Authorized for Navy Use) Chronograph 4240 series is designed for Maritime Commandos and Elite Military Operatives. 

Finally, there will be a new Scott Cassell UVP Special Edition watch was made in homage to Scott Cassell, a combat diver and underwater explorer and in support of his Undersea Voyager Project (UVP). The watch features a stainless steel crown set in a carbon-reinforced case. Proceeds from sales of this watch will go towards the UVP. 

Look for these new watches and others in our Gem of the Day on-line Luminox Catalog