Lum-Tec is well known in the industry for the outstanding lume and the unique details designed in their watches. Staying true to their reputation, Lum-Tec hit the ball out of the park with the B18 from their Combat line. With an already successful line of Combat watches, Lum-Tec stepped it up and developed the B18 and B19; introducing a bronze series to their line. For this review, we were lucky enough to get our hands on the B18, which is limited to a series of 250 watches. Lets break it down and take a closer look at the B18.
Lum-Tec does a good job with the presentation of their watches. Keeping it simple and clean, the Lum-Tec B-18 arrives in the standard packing provided by Lum-Tec. Protected by an exterior cardboard box; the B-18 will arrive protected by a lacquer wooden box. Fixed with dual hinges, a steel plate displaying the Lum-Tec logo atop the box, and a felted bottom side, the box is sure to please even the most critical of watch enthusiasts.
On the interior, the B18 rests in the center of box and is accompanied by two side compartments which house the included three Nano straps, and a set of strap pins. Safely secured in the box lid is a pouch where you will find the warranty card, user manual, and business card with Lum-Tec’s contact information. I like how Lum-Tec uses the lid of their box for their necessary paperwork, opposed to storing under the watch where the paperwork either gets wrinkled or damaged.
At first look at the B-18, I was immediately drawn to the coined edge of the casing. As the signature style across their combat series, this was no surprise to me, but I felt the coined edge was more prominent with in the bronze casings, giving the watch a very classy, yet rugged look. The case itself is composed of solid CuSn8 bronze. Let this be a fair warning to all who invest into a bronze cased watch: If you are looking for a low maintenance watch that you won’t have to clean after each use, this is not the watch for you. If you are looking for a watch that will develop a personality of its own, show characteristics of time, and become a truly unique timepiece, this is your watch. As most of us know, bronze patinas over time. The natural oils from your skin, and environmental exposure will eventually start to patina your case over time, even with wiping the case on a daily basis. Lum-Tec provides great information in the owner’s manual on how to care for bronze. Don’t let this discourage you, as this case will be a sure conversational point with any watch lover.
The case of the B18 is a total of 43mm in width, has a LGT length of 52mm, and a case to crown measurement of 45mm. The lugs measure 22mm in width and are nicely curved to ensure a good fit. With a 7-inch wrist, I find this to be a very comfortable case size for my wrist.
