I first reviewed an ArmourLite IsoBrite ISO100 tactical field watch back in 2014, and despite my total absence of need for anything “tactical” or any desire to venture anywhere near the “field,” I rather liked the buff bruiser and the near-limitless glow of its tritium tubes. Since then, ArmourLite has added some new versions and limited editions, including the skull face ISO3002 Night Enforcer they lent me for this review.
ArmourLite sells its watches for hard use in tough environments, and they’ve got the right specs for it: 200m water resistance, a sapphire crystal with an anti-refective coating, two waterproof straps, and more than adequate nighttime illumination (more on that later). The crown does not screw down, but its double gaskets do the job just fine. A Swiss Ronda 715Li quartz is another nod to endurance. Maybe it won’t set our watch nerd hearts a-flutter like a high beat mechanical, but it will provide dead accurate time for 10 years with superior shock resistance, and no worry from magnetic fields.
Like ArmourLite Valor and Eclipse series watches, the Night Enforcer has a carbon fiber reinforced polycarbonate case with a stainless steel case back. Now, before you say, “Ew, plastic!” you should know that it really doesn’t come off that way. Rapping the case delivers a reassuringly solid “thunk” and its black matte finish and crisp edges give it a quality look like the interior fittings of a high-end luxury car. The result is more Mercedes-Benz than Fisher-Price. It also has the advantage of being lightweight, which is a very good thing given the watch’s generous proportions: 47mm wide, 52mm long, and 14mm thick. This is not what you would call a small watch, but the polycarbonate keeps its weight to a mere 3 oz.
The unidirectional timing bezel is easy to grip, and it snaps firmly into its 60 detents with zero wobble or back play. Its index is engraved and painted, although not lumed. Instead, it has two different color tritium tubes at 0 and 15, and if you haven’t tried a tritium watch before, I can tell you that it is some dandy stuff. Here’s the idea. Tubes are filled with a phosphor layer and tritium gas. As the gas undergoes radioactive decay, it emits electrons that cause the phosphor to glow. Unlike luminous paint, it requires no light source or charge to get rolling. Eventually, decays and loses power, but that process takes decades. The tubes are also in place on the hour markers, all three hands, and even the skull’s eyes, because why the hell not?
Speaking of that skull, it certainly is the most noticeable feature on the dial, but not the only one worth your attention. A steep rehaut, cut away over the tritium markers, steps down to a sandwich dial of three stencil-cut numbers and skully himself, over a layer of gray lume. The minute and hour hands are also gray (paint, not lume), while the second hand is blood red. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it subtle, but the black and gray motif does downplay it a bit. ArmourLite claims only about 5-10 minutes of green glow time on the gray lume, but I was able to eke about 20 minutes out a full charge. It’s not terribly impressive, but typical of such a dark color. Of course, it really doesn’t matter, because you are not relying on that to read your watch. Not when you’ve got tritium.
Here’s how it goes. Zap your Night Enforcer with light and the conventional lume on the skull and numbers glows green, as do all the tritium tubes on hands, markers, and bezel. Those tubes might actually seem kind of dull compared to the pop you would expect from a quality photoluminescent material like SuperLuminova, but it appears brighter as the lume fades, as you can see in the photos. In total darkness, tritium is no slouch. Most watches use T25 tritium tubes, which contain 25 millicuries (mCi) of tritium gas. IsoBrites use T100 tubes with four times as much gas for a much more powerful glow. ArmourLite also predicts a longer life span than T25 tubes – about 50 years.
The watch comes with two black 22mm straps: two-piece silicone and nylon NATO. The signed silicone was buttery soft and comfortable if a bit of a lint magnet. It is also rather generously long. A bit too long for my 6.5″ wrist, but considering how big the watch is, I can hardly complain about that. Bigger guys with bigger wrists will appreciate it and will probably wear the watch better to boot. The nylon NATO was exactly as you’d expect although it does take a bit of persuasion to squeeze it under those short lugs as there is little space between the case and the spring bars. My biggest complaint is the brushed hardware on both straps. Come on guys, it’s a black case with a phantom skull on it! It deserves a similarly stealthy black buckle.
Hardware matching aside, the ArmourLite IsoBrite Night Enforcer Limited Edition is a fun piece and a worthy accessory for your field activities, whether tactical or otherwise. It sells for $525 directly from ArmourLite.com. ⬩
