There are certain types of watches which we believe aren’t for us. I thought, for example, that mechanical chronographs weren’t for me but realized that they could be once I had found the right ones. In this case, the Maen Skymaster 38 and Lorier Olympia Serie IIwhich ticked the right boxes in terms of specifications, design, and dimensions. I also thought that dress watches couldn’t be for yours truly until I reviewed the Anders & Co Volcán Ice Blue and Fears Arnos Pewter Blue which too ticked the right boxes in terms of design, dimensions, and on-wrist comfort. Even though all of these marvelous discoveries took place and enriched my own personal horological experience, I remain a dedicated tool and military watch enthusiast and as such, I keep a sharp eye on certain brands which are known to make the best versions of these kinds of timekeeping devices. I wait and I wait for an opportunity to get in touch with such a brand and for it to make a watch which would push my enthusiasm and excitement to the very edges of the cliff. 

One such brand is Ohio-based Lüm-Tec which has built a reputation for making tough-as-nails and visually bold tool watches, all of which are complemented by a long list of above-market specifications at reasonable prices. Its catalog bursts to the seams with singular and robust machines which all seem to be on average better than what the competition offers at the same price points. I’ve drooled over its B66 Day Date and Combat Field X6 Titanium GMT, both of which certainly fit my own horological inclinations, and many other models the brand has released in the past five years. Then, not too long ago, it came up with the Eclipse which belongs to a genre of watches which I hadn’t yet found my version of—integrated bracelet sports watches. Knowing that Lüm-Tec builds tough timekeeping devices I wasn’t surprised to see how much it packed into the Eclipse, making this collection one of the most adventure-leaning elegant sports watches I’ve ever seen. It also comes in six versions and retails for $795 USD for which you get more specs than you would know what to do with. 

Specifications 

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the mechanics of the Eclipse E2—the black version of course—we ought to talk about the brand for a moment. Lüm-Tec is known in the micro/indie watch world for making high-spec’ed and singular-looking tool watches which come with specifications lists as long as they are pages in a Government-issued MIL-SPEC to commission a space watch. Its capacity for offering such lovely badass tool watches stems from the fact that Lüm-Tec is part of another company called Wiegand Custom Watch, LLC, an entity founded in 2007 in Ohio by Chris Wiegand which specializes in custom OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) production and private label watches. In other words, Wiegand is the sole builder of unique watches designed by brands, and it designs and builds watches which it sells to brands under their own branding. On its website, Wiegand claims that it currently designs and produces watches for over 100 brands so it is very likely you are wearing one of its products as you’re reading this review! 

Lüm-Tec therefore is Wiegand’s own watch brand through which it demonstrates what it is capable of both in terms of design and mechanics. Which is why the Eclipse E2, and all of its collections for that matter, have such lengthy spec sheets because the brand does throw everything and the kitchen sink into its models—so to speak in a positive way of course. After one quick look at the Eclipse E2 you can already see what sets Lüm-Tec apart from the over-crowded horological market today: design-wise, a case that is aggressive and unusually flat; hands and indices made of so much luminescent compound that they appear to be constantly glowing akin to Tritium tubes on steroids themselves; and a singular visual language where the bespoke typeface of the brand’s logo can be found on the dial, for example, in the large Arabic numerals at the cardinal points. So the first piece of specification we must discuss is the case’s dimensions which will surprise you: 42mm in diameter, 47mm lug-to-lug, 10.2mm total thickness* and an effective lug width of 26mm and a bracelet which tapers to 18mm at the clasp. 

*As measured by my calipers though the brand indicates a case thickness of 9.1mm with a 3mm “leading edge.”

There is so much more to talk about in regards to the technical and mechanical sides of the Eclipse E2 that I have no choice but to Gatling gun-them your way: a Miyota 9039 (4Hz/42 hours of power reserve) regulated in six positions after assembly; a top sapphire crystal with military-grade double-sided anti-reflective coating; a screw-down see-through case-back made of sapphire; insane applications of MDV® X1 Swiss C3 GL (green glowing) luminous compound (a custom-made Super Luminova luminescent material applied in more than 30 layers) on the hands, hour markers, and recessed markers on the rehaut; an anti-shock movement mounting system; 100 meters of water resistance thanks to the screw-down case-back and dual-sealed screw-down crown; Viton® gaskets for the case-back made of corrosion-resistant fluorocarbon-based synthetic rubber (fluoroelastomer); diamond-cut hands with micro-polishing; and an anti-finger print coating on the 316L steel case and bracelet because why the hell not? Until today I thought that $795 USD was very good for a watch with a quarter of these specs. But what do I know? 

Last but not least, and something I’ve never heard of being done before by any micro/indie brand, is the fact that Lüm-Tec offers free lifetime movement timing regulation and pressure testing and seal lubrication/cleaning as well as a 2-year international warranty on everything else which brings the value of the Eclipse E2 to levels I wouldn’t be able to quantify nor qualify. There, a brand has done something no other brand has done before and on specs alone you have stretched your money far beyond what your eyes can see. But even more importantly than all of this, if such possibility is something you could have even fathomed, is the fact that the hand-built-in-Ohio Eclipse E2 is nearly flawless under micro and has a superior level of manufacturing and finishing other “Made in USA” brands I’ve gotten hands-on with cannot claim to have achieved, I’m sorry to say. Lüm-Tec/Viegand indicate that they build watches with parts made in Switzerland, France, Japan, Hong Kong, USA, and Germany, as do all other “Made in USA” brands, however Lüm-Tec far surpasses them in terms of manufacturing quality and quality-control. 

All of this makes of Lüm-Tech the American equivalent of the Swiss Formex but for less than half the price. 

Design

Alrighty then, I believe that the above “Specifications” section is the longest I’ve ever written because there was a lot to be said on this side of things already. But there is a lot more to discuss when it comes to the design of the Eclipse E2 which is what, as it is always the case, prompted me to want to write about it. (I swear!) Earlier I described this model as being an integrated bracelet sports watch because the bracelet appears to be integrated (read: non removable) from the case but that ain’t true. The end-links of the bracelet seem to be held in place by way of push-pins and in fact, it appears possible to remove the center end-link as well as the outer ones. But as of right now, the Eclipse is only offered on the steel bracelet through which we’re going to start chatting about the visual character of this watch. It is a specimen that experts would describe as being a “flat link” bracelet where each link is made of three elements and held together by way of push-pins to keep each link thin. This in turns guarantees that the bracelet is light on the wrist and fully articulates so that it conforms to it for everyday comfort. 

Each link of the bracelet is complemented by polished chamfers, on three of the four sides for the outer links and two of the four sides for the center links, which is an alternation of brushed/polished treatment we find repeated on the case. The latter is endowed with a superbly long and flat profile reminiscent of the Palmos One I reviewed a while back, though in the former instance the mid-case stands out more on account of four concave cuts located at each corner of the stainless steel body. I say “cuts” in the sense that they sharply demarcate themselves from the rest of the mid-case by their thin polished chamfers and sharp bottom edges and for framing the outer vertical edges of the case by way of sharp corners. This is what makes the case of the Eclipse appear “aggressive” as I mentioned way back when in this review and which give this model with a unique and strong visual character. This character is easier to catch when looking at the watch head from above as the aforementioned “cuts” drape around each corner of the case with an avant-garde elegance. I have never seen something like this before. 

Lüm-Tech didn’t stop at making a superb and original case however—which reminds me I forgot to mention the large and grippy 6.8mm crown which is so easy to operate that it ain’t funny—as the dial is equally superb and again, “agressive.” At the center of it we find polished pencil-style hour and minute hands complemented by a thin arrow-shaped seconds hand. All three hands are lumed and pop from the matte black portion of the dial with nuclear intensity. These hands are paired with highly legible printed hour markers for the time-telling functionality, where large Arabic numerals occupy the cardinal points and inward-facing tapered triangles inhabit the remaining hour slots. Then beyond them Lüm-Tec added three-dimensional lumed baton-shaped markers it recessed within the black-lacquered portion of the dial making a sort of super wide rehaut. The batons are doubled at the twelve for extra superlative legibility so that you won’t be able to fuck it up if someone asks you to read the precise time inside a blackhole. Yes, the dial of the Eclipse E2 is one of the most legible ones I’ve ever come across in the past five years. 

So it is friends. 

The Heart of the Matter

I was about to write another thousand words about the Lüm-Tec Eclipse E2 as this model generated so many thoughts of excitement and bewilderment in my horological mind that I don’t think I could ever put the metaphorical pen down. But gathering my thoughts into a condensed paragraph I must and so here we are. In general, when I review a watch, most of what interests me about it is the design and/or story and/or folk(s) who designed the watch, much less its specifications even when said specifications are excellent and in abundance. With the Eclipse E2 I wouldn’t be able to tell you whether I’m more enamored with the way it looks or flabbergasted by what it is made out of as both are excellent, outstanding, and superior to what most brands I’ve reviewed can offer. Keeping all of that in mind and again needing to wrap my head around this model, the key heart of the matter today is this: given its specifications, design, and quality of manufacturing and of quality control, I wouldn’t have been shocked if the Eclipse E2 would have retailed for the same amount as theTudor Ranger does in 2026. 

But—and there is always that fucking conjunction lurking around the corner—the Lüm-Tec Eclipse E2 retails for only $795 USD which is very little to pay for what you get and insane at the same time. The brand is able to offer such high-quality value timepieces because of its own fine-tuned supply-chain and experience and expertise into the watch design and manufacturing business, but I am fucking overwhelmed by the fact that Lüm-Tec isn’t one of the giant manufacturers behind the plethora of AliExpress brands which too make watches and parts for the entire world but rarely bother with designing something nice and new. In other words, where on earth have you been and why haven’t you checked out a Lüm-Tec before? This is the kind of micro/independent powerhouse which puts many giant and luxurious actors of the industry to shame with a $795 USD timepiece. Ok, I’m done now, you got my point. 

Conclusion

The only thing that is left to be mentioned now is the fact that the Eclipse comes in six variants—E1 (gray,) E2 (black,) E3 (teal blue), E4 (purple,) E5 (orange) and E6 (green.) All variants are readily available for purchase directly on the brand’s website.

Thanks for reading.