M33 - A Quick Presentation (Pics Heavy)

[JFLUX13]

Hello all,

I've just received my brand new M33 Phantom from K&B Time, the exclusive LT distributor for Europe. I had the opportunity, in a previous post, to state how great this company is. This new acquisition makes no exception. The transaction, from start to finish, was handled perfectly.

I will try myself at presenting this watch to those of you who might be interested. I apologize already for the quality of my pictures (picture-taking is not my forte, obviously). The Lüm-Tec Official Website has a few high res pics that do a much better job at depicting how nice-looking this watch is.

Needless to say, my heart started to play salsa music while I was readying myself to open the package, impeccably done, as usual with K&B Time.








Now on with the watch. It actually comes with three straps: a rubber strap, a genuine leather strap with grey stitching, and a PVD bracelet.



The rubber strap is the model we usually see the Lüm-Tec watches with. The high-quality leather strap feels very comfortable. It is thick and has charcoal stitching. The PVD bracelet is surprisingly heavy. All three straps go well with the watch. Mine was delivered with the PVD bracelet (as per my request to K&B Time), but I ended up selecting the leather strap, mainly because of the bracelet weight and the fact that the stitching on the leather strap really enhance the M33 dial, IMHO.


M33 with PVD bracelet


M33 with leather strap

This being said, there are not many watch companies out there allowing their customers to have three choices of straps for the same price.

The LT Europe website gives the following specs and details for the M33 Phantom:

M33
Bead blasted PVD case. MDV® Technology/ GX lume.

Gender: gents
Dial: chronograph
Casing: Bead blasted hard PVD coated case with polished crown and pushers 44 mm x 10,65 mm
Strap type: genuine leather strap + rubber strap + PVD bracelet included.
Dial window type: anti-reflective coating on both sides of sapphire crystal
Movement: Miyota OS20 chrono Japan
Power supply: battery
Water resistant: 100M/10ATM
Date function: yes
Other functions: GX MDV lume black dial.
Numbered LIMITED EDITION. Only 200 pieces.

When looking at this watch, the terms Class and Precision come to mind. Although a ''phantom'' watch, I was stunned by the ease with which I was able to see every tiny detail on the dial. Even the date disk, very tiny, if I refer to other similar kind of timepieces, is easy to locate and see, thanks to the date figure being the only white element. Clever.



This watch is showing a superior finish. The hour and minute hands are plainly superb. There are skeletonized and coated with a radiant light green lume that makes them stand out, but with a certain well-thought restraint.

The three minute hands of the chronograph sub-dials are coated with the same light green lume. They are showing a perfect finish.

The Chronograph big hand is black. It may need to be synchronized upon delivery of the watch as your timepiece may take quite a beating during transport. However, the sync process is very well explained in the included manual and works flawlessly.



Each hour index is brilliantly enhanced with a little needle head coated with the now famous MDV technology. Let me tell you that this watch, once charged under the sun or a lamp, is simply a gem to be treasured, always! It is very bright yet handsomely delicate. It is simply the nicest phantom I've had the chance to put my hands on, Bell&Ross included...



The M33 weight is perfect for any wrist, although the combination watch/PVD bracelet may seem to heavy for some. However, on a strap, this watch is definitely making its presence felt without being overbearing.

At first, the M33 might seem a bit large. But it is only a false impression. I have a rather small wrist (6.7'') and you can see on the following picture that the M33 is not out of place where it actually sits. In fact, I don't see this baby leave my wrist for quite some time (showers excluded, of course)...



To sum it up, I have to say that I am absolutely blasted away by the beauty of the M33 Phantom. This watch is an unbeatable deal at this price, considering its awesome design, its fine details and finish, and its overall appeal. Considering Lüm-Tec is only producing 200 units, I can't think of a better bang for the buck as far as a phantom watch goes.



Kudos to Lüm-Tec for designing such a great watch, and many thanks to K&B Time for their perfect service.

[clubbtraxx]

Thank you for the nice story and unboxing pictures of your new watch.

One thing surprises me big time though, and that is the lume shot.

The hour and minute hands do not appear to have lume on them?

Here is an 'official' lume shot of the watch, looks real different:



Odd

CT

[JFLUX13]

One thing surprises me big time though, and that is the lume shot.

The hour and minute hands do not appear to have lume on them?


Odd

CT

Don't rely on my poor photo skills and crappy camera...
Both hands do shine. At least as intensely as in the official shot.

[clubbtraxx]

Don't rely on my poor photo skills and crappy camera...
Both hands do shine. At least as intensely as in the official shot.

Thanks for clearing that out, I found it an odd sight seeing clearly the small chrono hands but hardly the skeletoned hour and minute hand. Must be the specific picture then.

Congrats on a great looking watch anyway, it sure does look awesome and totally different from the other M chrono's.

Cheers,

CT

[Ray Knight]

Great review! I am glad you like the watch. CT, the skeletonized hands are never as bright as when filled with lume. The glow duration of the open hands is shorter as it is surface applied instead of filled.

[JFLUX13]

Great review! I am glad you like the watch. CT, the skeletonized hands are never as bright as when filled with lume. The glow duration of the open hands is shorter as it is surface applied instead of filled.

Thanks, Ray!
I spend the first night wearing my M33 (kind of funny thing to write but that's that anyway) and I noticed that the hands glow was indeed shorter in duration. It remains easily visible throughout the night, though.

When light charged, however, both hands are as bright as the indexes. They just fade more quickly, relatively speaking.

[Wombat]

Thanks for posting up those pics, it is a fantastic looking watch! I'm sure you will love wearing it.