Inspired by Rolex, but not a copy: Luminox Sports Timer XS.0911

Watches with a jubilee bracelet and no iconic crown on the dial are as rare as hen’s teeth. And no wonder, since this bracelet style is primarily associated with the Geneva-based Rolex. If you’re well-informed, you might also find a Seiko 5 GMT model that fits the bill. Or, in recent years, the very popular Black Bay models from Tudor. This sister brand of the more famous Rolex also uses the Jubilee bracelet from time to time. And it’s no wonder that these models, in particular, enjoy such popularity. The Jubilee bracelet is a hallmark of comfort, but also of a certain degree of individuality. 

Perhaps it is precisely this distinctiveness and association with Rolex that discourages many brands from using the Jubilee bracelet. They don’t want to resemble or imitate Rolex, and they fear potential criticism from customers, because Rolex is a name that few want to risk offending.

That’s not the case, however, with Luminox—also a Swiss brand—which incorporated this steel design element into its new Sports Timex model, reference number XS.0911. Right at the start of this review, I must mention that this is pretty much the extent of Luminox’s inspiration. The rest remains true to the brand’s DNA, which is a good thing, although there’s one thing that remains a big mystery to me—one that even this review hasn’t managed to unravel… 

Forget about homages

In my opinion, the market is literally oversaturated with homage watches and various imitations of more famous models. I’m so glad that brands like Luminox and others like it don’t feel the need to copy, but rather draw inspiration from more renowned brands, while still remaining true to the design that made them famous. Typical of Luminox in this case is the multi-index dial, which is also present here. Although this is a classic diver’s watch design, the brand couldn’t resist including two—or rather, three—levels of hour markers, a feature that, aside from Luminox, is generally typical of pilot’s watches or field watches.

However, this gives the model its distinctiveness, which means that when you look at them, you certainly won’t compare them to Rolexes or Tudors with the critical eye of a watch enthusiast. Personally, I’m not a big fan of this style on diver’s watches; I tend to prefer simplicity. That said, you certainly can’t deny how easy they are to read. And you certainly can’t deny the desire to stand by their convictions and proudly embrace their design language—which, in the end, is something I actually appreciate. 

Isn’t a hundred too little?

The Luminox brand is known for its classic tool watches. In one article, I even mentioned that if you were looking for a purely analog watch, some models could rival even the icons of the durability segment—the Japanese G-Shocks—in terms of their specifications.

That’s why I was surprised—or, more accurately, disappointed—to find that this test model is water-resistant to only 100 meters. This is something I simply don’t understand, for two reasons. The first is that these are classic diving watches.

You might argue that even the Seiko 5 models don’t have 200-meter water resistance, but we’re more used to that with them, and the limit is determined by the scalability of the product lines. The second related fact is that Luminox offers 200-meter water resistance even on models that are far more affordable than these ones, which carry a price tag of around 12,000 crowns—a figure that, within the brand’s pricing strategy, is already on the higher end.

And so I find it very hard to understand why the brand has, in a way, shot itself in the foot with this model, ceding ground in the competitive arena to Japanese brands like Seiko and Orient, or to Swiss challengers like Tissot and Certina. Both Swiss brands, in fact, offer their most affordable dive watches—with similar specifications and a price of around 12,000—that even feature 300-meter water resistance and a screw-down crown to boot. 

A Bet on Design? Not Quite

Given this very important information about water resistance and price, one might say that Luminox has, in this case, focused primarily on uniqueness through the oft-mentioned Jubilee bracelet. But the opposite is true. In terms of other features and specifications, Luminox watches easily keep pace with Tissot and Certina.

All three models feature a sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating, as well as very reliable and high-performance quartz movements. Luminox specifically paired its watches with the Ronda 515, while the competition opted for tried-and-true ETA movements. Where Luminox clearly has the edge—as the brand name itself suggests—is in luminescence. This is provided by Trigalight technology in two different colors. 

Many Questions, No Single Answer

This review of the watch raised many questions, and I’ve tried to answer most of them for anyone who might be interested. But I don’t know the answer to the last and most important one. Actually, I don’t know why Luminox chose such a low water resistance rating for these dive watches, which otherwise boast absolutely competitive specs. If you have any ideas, be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below 🙌🏻.

If I were now faced with the question of which watch costing around 12,000 crowns on a steel band to buy, I have two options:

• Either I want Swiss diving watches, in which case the water resistance rating is crucial for me—so I’ll end up choosing between Tissot and Certina.
• Or, for me, water resistance isn't that important—it's the Jubilee bracelet that matters—and in that case, I'd go with the Seiko 5 GMT.

In neither case, however, do these Luminox watches come out on top. They can only be the winners if you let your heart guide you rather than relying on technical specifications—which isn’t all that unusual when buying a watch.