A partnership between one of the most recognizable names in outdoor survival and a first-rate watch producer has given us a range of excellent Bear Grylls Luminox watches. The expert watch designers at Luminox go by the motto “Every Second Counts”, which is perfectly compatible with the favorite motto of every Gryller, “Never Give Up.” Bear only lends his name to excellent gear that’s rugged, reliable, and of sufficiently high-quality to count on in your own wilderness trekking. If you’re a big fan of Bear or an outdoor enthusiast yourself, you should check out this selection of Bear Grylls wristwatches.
What Watch Does Bear Grylls Wear?
When Bear Grylls wears a watch, he always chooses one that can take the rigors of outdoor adventure. High water resistance is one key feature of a wilderness watch, given that you never know when you’ll have to brave rough waters or fierce rain. It should also be strong enough to resist trips, falls, and other impacts. The key construction materials employed in the Bear Grylls Luminox watches are stainless steel, hardened mineral, and CARBONOX. In all, these watches will survive just about anything that Mother Nature may throw at you.
To help you choose the best watch for your preferences, I’ve highlighted six of the finest models. Each watch has shares some common features, but they’re all distinct in terms of style. Not to mention the presence of unique survival features from one watch to the next, such as a usable paracord strap or tachymeter. But at the end of the day, each Bear Grylls Luminox Watch has one purpose in mind, and that purpose is helping you survive.
Common Features
Each of the watches is the same size and shares key mechanical design characteristics. Sourced from the manufacturer, the basic timepieces mostly share the following features. However, there’s still a bit of mechanical variation that I’ll get into later.
- Function: Chronograph Date
- Movement (technology): Quartz
- Size of case diameter: 45.00 mm
- Case material: CARBONOX
- Case: Bezel Fix
- Case Back Stainless Steel Screw-in
- Crown: Stainless Steel
- Water-resistance (m/ft/atm): 200 / 660 / 20
- Crystal/Glass material: Hardened Mineral Crystal
- Case Height: 14mm
- LLT on Dial: 12H Orange
- LLT on Dial: 1-11H Green
- LLT on Hour hand: Orange
- LLT on Minute hand: Orange
- Illumination: Night Vision Tubes (25 years)
Some key considerations include the Quartz movement feature. High-end Quartz watches like the type Luminox designs keep extremely precise time, with a few seconds of deviation on a timescale of years.
Compared to mechanical watches, the mechanism is much simpler and proves more resistant to impacts of all sorts. This detail goes to show how much the watches are built from the start to cater to the outdoor survivalist. Hardened Mineral Crystal is a much stronger alternative to the glass and plastic that covers many weaker watches, as well.
Water-resistance ratings are also an important feature to appreciate. For instance, a rating of 100m represents a device suitable for water sports and recreational swimming. However, the Bear Grylls Luminox watches have a 200m rating. A 200m waterproof device is suitable for skin divers, professional water sports, and similarly rigorous activities. It’s hard to imagine what accident these watches won’t survive.
No matter which watch you choose, you’ll also benefit from the advanced Luminox night vision tubes. When night falls, you’ll still be able to read the watch clearly. The manufacturer guarantees that they won’t lose brightness for a decade and that the night vision tubes will continue working for at least 25 years. But enough of what they all have in common, what makes them different?
Unique Features
The six Bear Grylls Luminox watches fall into three series of two watches. You can choose the Land, Sea, or Master lines depending on which one has functionality more suited to your needs. As their names indicate, each series is specialized in serving different kinds of outdoor adventurers. From important, technical features down to little details like coloration, you’ll want to choose the one that matches the terrain where your enthusiasm lays.
Land Series
If you choose the Land Series, you’re in good hands for exploration in any land. The first is the Luminox Limited-Edition Bear Grylls 3782 Wrist Watch | Black/Orange, while the second is the Luminox Limited-Edition Bear Grylls 3798 Wrist Watch | Black/Green. Both models include a wide range of features that are useful for any terrain, such as a built-in compass.
Another unique characteristic is the presence of chronographs, which allow you to track your walking speed by comparing distance covered to time spent. There are many situations where an explorer will benefit from knowing how fast they’re walking, or being able to pace themselves to reach a goal at a certain time.
There’s a neat difference between the 3798 and the 3782, besides the color-coding that separates the Sea and Master series. While five of the watches come with a rubber strap of various colors, the 3798 comes with a paracord strap. If you ever find yourself in need of paracord, you can remove and unwind the strap. The uses of this feature include making traps, fire-starting tools, and much more. Overall, if you see yourself hiking across unfamiliar mountain trails, you’re in good hands with the Land Series of Bear Grylls watches.
3782 Land Series
3798 Land Series
Sea Series
The Luminox Sea Series is more accustomed to oceanic adventurers. It includes the Luminox Limited-Edition Bear Grylls 3723 Wrist Watch | Black/Blue, as well as the Luminox Limited-Edition Bear Grylls 3729 Wrist Watch | Black/Orange. Any experienced diver will appreciate the attention to detail that Luminox displayed in making these watches. Both models use the color orange on the second and minute hand, as well as on the rubber-gripped screw-down. This is important since orange is among the most visible colors when working underwater.
Another useful feature is the diving count marker, which counts up from 1-20. The 3723 and 3729 both come with a waved rubber strap, and the wave construction serves to let them expand more easily. As a result, they’re significantly more flexible. Besides that, there are a few notable mechanical differences. For instance, the diameter of the watch is slightly smaller than the Land and Master series at 42mm rather than 45mm. The watch bezel on this series is also a unidirectional rotating model, rather than a fixed one like the other lines.
3723 Sea Series
3729 Sea Series
Master Series
Luminox and Bear Grylls outdid themselves with the Master series, which seem to combine every feature that anyone could ever look for in a watch. It consists of the Luminox Limited-Edition Bear Grylls 3741 Wrist Watch | Black, and the Luminox Limited-Edition Bear Grylls 3749 Wrist Watch | Black/Orange. It has impressive qualities such as astonishing 300m water resistance, two chronograph dials, and a built-in compass. A sapphire coating offers some excellent anti-reflective qualities that boost visibility under sunlight.
Both models have a resilient, comfortable rubber strap, although one is black and the other orange. In terms of looks, both are stylish, modern-looking watches. The high density of features gives the watch face a complex, distinctive look that I really like. It seems like every millimeter has some number or marking, and they’re all useful and functional. For instance, there’s a reminder of how to write out SOS in Morse Code on the diameter of the watch.
While the Land Series is tailored to trekking overland and the Sea Series is suitable for diving and watersports, the Master series has its name for a reason. It’s perfect for any sort of outdoor adventure that you see yourself enjoying, with industrial-grade waterproof qualities, a compass, and much more.
3741 Master Series
3749 Master Series
What is the Best Bear Grylls Watch?
Each of these watches is an excellent choice for anyone with a pioneer spirit. I have to say, I’m fond of the 3798 model. Not only does the paracord band look good, but wearing it means that I have extra paracord in a pinch when I might need it. However, the best models are the ultra-rugged, super-functional 3741 and 3749 models. They pack the most features of all the watches, with extreme water resistance, a compass, and an SOS Morse Code reminder. Aesthetically, all the features are arranged in such a way that gives the watch face an intricate appearance I like. That said, it’s no surprise that they’re the priciest models.
Ultimately, your choice needs to come down to your needs, budget, and preferences. Choosing a Master series Bear Grylls wristwatch leaves you prepared for anything, but you might not need all the functionality it has to offer. If you’re a hiker, hunter, or otherwise spend most of your adventures on dry land, then you’ll find the Land Series watches to be a good fit for you. If the depths of the ocean feel more like home to you than the mountains do, then you’ll find features like the dive counter and orange coloration on the Sea Series irreplaceable.
Bear Grylls Yellow Watch
Before the recent partnership with Luminox, Bear would wear, Casio and Breitling. He is seen in an advertisement wearing a Bremont Chronograph watch, but I’m not sure he wears that in any of his shows or adventures.
The most common watch we used to see Bear wear is the Casio G-Shock GA2000-1A9 which has a nice bit of yellow in it.
Bear mentioned the Breitling Emergency watch in particular in an interview with the Telegraph, saying “I wear a Breitling Emergency watch; it’s quite nice because if you get into trouble you can pull a cord and it sends a distress signal. You can’t set it off down the pub though.”