Company: Lum-Tec

Website:

About:

Model: Abyss 600m-1

Specifications:

48mm width excluding crown(available in a 42mm case aka  (Abyss 400M)
24mm lug width
14mm thick
Weight on leather strap 155g/5.5oz.
316L Stainless steel case
Bead blasted titanium carbide PVD (titanium color)
Sapphire crystal with double side clear anti-reflective coating
Screw lock crown with double diamond sealing system
MDV Technology C3 luminous with matte black CNC cutout dial
Threaded solid 316L stainless steel caseback
600 meters/1980 ft. water resistance
Black leather strap. 24/22 size
Extra springbars included for fitting other straps
Ultra precision tuned 28,800 BPH Miyota 9015 Japan automatic movement with hand winding and hack feature
One year limited warranty
Limited numbered series of 150
Free lifetime timing adjustments

For starters, I have to say that it’s pretty amazing having a watch company right in your backyard. Lum-Tec isn’t literally in my backyard, but they are pretty darn close to home. Lum-Tec is known for making some pretty awesome, no nonsense style of watches. I enjoy a watch that embraces the unique without sacrificing function or quality. I also enjoy a watch that can handle adventure. A watch that can keep up with my active outdoors lifestyle. I spend a lot of time in the water and climbing/hiking/exploring, so it’s very reassuring when I know the watch on my wrist can handle it. In the past my experience with Lum-Tec watches has been a very positive one. None have failed my expectations nor has one failed my field tests. Today, I take a look at the Abyss 600m-1 to see if it too can pass my tests.

The case of the Abyss is very hard to ignore which comes in at 48mm excluding the crown. The large case has a great color as well which is due to the bead blasted titanium carbide PVD. It has an almost patina look to it. It’s actually quite awesome looking and makes the watch have a cool aged look from the get-go. The color and case design gives the Abyss a 20,000 leagues under the sea feel to it. The large crown is just fantastic. The gear edges make screwing/unscrewing very easy to grip and perform. It’s signed with the Lum-Tec logo. The crown is large, but thanks to its flat design it doesn’t dig into the wrist or hand. The crown is smooth as butter when you use it to wind it, set the date and time.

The case itself has some nice little accent details going on. If you notice the flathead screw heads on the sides of the lugs that appear to hold the lugs on the case. These look fantastic, and I know at this price point I expect too much, but I wish these screws were actually functional and not just for appearance purposes. It would be really cool if you unscrewed these screws and remove the watch from the case set. The same came be said for the hex heads on the drilled lugs, they are also for decoration purposes as the straps are held in place by spring bars. These are the only nit picky things I could find on the Abyss.

The stainless steel screw down case back has the Lum-Tec logo nicely engraved on the back. I love this case back and I am so glad they went with solid vs. exhibition. This eliminates an extra unecessary failure point. A solid case back can hold up better under the pressures of the sea if done correctly. The lugs are curved beautifully and allow this 48mm beast wear comfortably on the wrist. I love watches in the 45mm-52mm range if they are done right, like the Abyss here. The larger case gives way to the awesome dial on this watch.

The matte black dial is absolutely stunning. The sandwich style dial features some of the coolest stenciled numerals I have seen in a long time. The numerals are large and extremely easy to read, no matter what kind of lighting you are in. What I really like about this is how the minute track is set up. It’s set up in sections and they are located on the lower layer of the sandwich dial. The minute track is broken up by the main numerals 12,3,6,9. So the minutes appear inbetween the hour and are in sections of 5. I have never seen a dial quite like this and I really like the break in normalcy.

The skeleton hands on the Abyss are real vintage beauty. And by vintage I mean when your in the dark you get an old school radium treat. This watch truly lives up to the Lum-Tec name when you see it glow in the pitch black night. It’s like a flashlight and that’s no exaggeration. It lasts for hours too, none of that fades away in minutes disappointment here. I love the contrast of the old radium glow of the hands set with the radiant glow of the numerals. I found myself staring at the dial until I fell asleep. Yes I sleep with watches on. Why? Because it’s the best time to test lume. Fully charge before climbing into bed and when you wake up in the middle of the night you can chart on the lume quality after hours past the initial charge.

Ticking away inside this beauty is an ultra precision tuned 28,800 BPH Miyota 9015 Japan automatic movement with hand winding and hack feature. A real workhorse of a movement that won’t disappoint and is as reliable as its ETA counterparts. This movement also has a date function which the window is located at the 4 o’clock position. The date window looks great with the round border and the black wheel with white numerals. The dial features some some text as well that’s well done, simple and looks great.

The Lum-Tec Abyss 600 is a winner in my book. It’s got a awesome styled case, a killer dial, with unrivaled lume. The watch is really accurate to keeping +6 seconds per day. I put this watch through the paces too, no sissy play here either. This watch survived countless hours in the ocean without any saltwater damage. It went through some great climbing as well. It banged against quite a few cliffs and came away scratch/dent free. Even the flat sapphire crystal made it through just fine.

The color of this case is unique and it adds to that cool vintage vide that exudes from the Abyss 600. Like I mentioned before, it has that 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea feel to it. I would love to see a cool engraved old school divers helmet or octopus on the case back of this watch. It would continue the theme brilliantly. The black leather strap fits this watch perfectly. Eye for detail without a doubt because even the color of the buckle matches perfectly with the color of this case. The leather is smooth, soft and hugs the wrist like a champ. This watch is so comfortable to wear. I put the watch on a NATO strap and the combo looks equally as good.

You definitely won’t be disappointed by the Abyss 600. Now if the 48mm case is too big for your preference, you are in luck. Lum-Tec offers the same amazing watch in a in 42mm size (Abyss 400M).  The Abyss is my personal favorite Lum-Tec to date. It has plenty of unique personality and enough toughness to keep up with my love of the great outdoors. I know Chris loves outdoor adventures and it is truly transparent in his watches. I want to personally thank Chris for this honor and opportunity to put the Abyss through some abuse. It obviosouusly passed with flying colors. The pictures are a testament of that. All the pictures were taken AFTER the outdoor trials.

Thanks for reading.

Wrist size 7 1/2″ for reference.