Everybody’s got their outliers. Those pieces of the collection that may not fall in line with an overall vibe, or just something unexpected from out of left field.
Here’s a truly unique one, featuring two things I’ve never had in my collection, along with two of my favorite things. I’ve never owned a watch with an integrated bracelet, nor one with tritium tube markers. And speaking of a few of my favorite things, I love (like really, unhealthily love) olive drab green on almost anything. Dad was an Army man, so that makes sense. And due to that, and my long career in radio, 24-hour dials are super-useful to me.
So here we have this cool, modernistic ‘field watch’, from the UK brand Nite, model number MX10-210. Like Ball and Luminox, their brand is all about the tritium tubes.
Say what?
To the uninitiated, tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, and the glass tubes used as markers on watch dials and hands are filled with tritium gas (and a luminescent compound available in various colors). The Nite MX10 features T25 illumination tubes, which glow a tactical green (with orange at 12).
Nite’s tritium also comes in blue, and they offer models with a brighter lume formulation called T100.
Now, if you’re used to the blowtorch output of Seiko LumiBrite or Swiss Superluminova, the brightness won’t dazzle you. In fact, you might feel a bit underwhelmed. And if you’re anything like me, you prefer to be whelmed at all times.
But after charging, traditional lume fades over time. Tritium lume outlasts anything out there. You don’t recharge it. It’s never off. Sure, you won’t see it in the daytime, but in a dimly lit room, it glows brightly enough to easily read the time.
For me, the killer app is its utility in the outdoors, where artificial light pollution is not present. In the dark of a summer night lit only by stars, it’s a great choice for camping. And when I’m not wearing it, I keep the watch on my nightstand, and I can clearly see the time if I happen to wake during the night, even though the glow is unobtrusive. By the way, the glass tritium-filled tubes claim a useful life of around 20 years. All told, I think tritium’s pretty keen.
Let’s go to the tape.
CASE DIAMETER – 39mm, excluding crown
LUG WIDTH – 18mm
CASE THICKNESS – 12mm
WEIGHT – 158g
MOVEMENT – Ronda 715
CRYSTAL – Sapphire
CASE – Stainless steel, with screw-down caseback
WATER RESISTANCE – 100 meters
RETAIL PRICE – $520 USD (frequently discounted)
Even though the case is only 39mm in diameter, due to its unique lugs (and somewhat substantial bracelet), it’s an absolute unit. The push-in crown and screw-down caseback make it water resistant to 100 meters, and it features a sapphire crystal and no-fuss Swiss Ronda 715 quartz movement.
Size-wise, it’s quite a wearable case, with a height of 11.6mm, and a lug size of 18mm. But about that lug size: due to the integrated bracelet and proprietary end links, you’re limited to the bracelet, or an accessory polymer strap from Nite ($35). I imagine you could wear it on something else, that is if you don’t mind a somewhat derpy look, because the lug edges are noticeably wider than the 18mm strap width.
Also, the non-articulating bracelet links can lend a sort of bangle-like fit on smaller wrists, so consider that in your list of pros and cons.
All that aside, I really do enjoy the MX10, a truly unique piece in my collection. I really don’t have anything else like it. As far as the ducats you’ll be parting with, it clocks in at a not-unsubstantial $520 direct, though it frequently goes on sale. And if green’s not your thing, you’ll find it with a black dial in a stainless or stealthy black PVD case.
More information can be found at https://www.nitewatches.com/us/store/mx10210st25green
D.C. Hannay is a writer, commercial producer, voiceover artist, musician, and advertising copywriter from New York, writing professionally for over 20 years. He’s been fascinated with watches his whole life, beginning with his father’s 1970 Breitling Navitimer, and will always have a soft spot for anything Casio.
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