Protek’s Rugged Watches Are Officially USMC Strong

Semper fidelis is Latin for tritium illuminated field watch, right?

May 16, 2023 12:02 pm
a photo of a Protek USMC watch on a black background
The Protek USMC Collection is tough-as-nails.
j.forster

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There’s a saying in the Marines — hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Based solely on their latest USMC collection, you’d think that Protek Watches has fully adopted that motto as brand mantra.

A relative newcomer of a watch brand, the splinter of Barry Cohen’s Time Concepts — you might recognize Cohen as the man responsible for the cult Luminox label, whose tritium-illuminated were embraced by timepiece enthusiasts and Navy SEALS alike — has long since earned the respect of military and law enforcement with a batch of watches lauded for their rugged durability and affordable price point.

Now, Protek is making it official: having been named as an Official Watch of the United States Marine Corp, the rugged timepiece makers have dropped a USMC collection, featuring nine distinct colorways of a USMC-embossed caseback dive watch. The 42mm carbon composite dive watch includes the same Swiss self-powered ProGlo T25 illumination system (a system that should, in theory, glow for upwards of 25 years) that claims 100 times conventional luminosity.

The back of a protek watch on a black background
Each piece of the Protek USMC Collection is stamped with the marine’s iconic insignia.
j.forster

Other notable features of the USMC Dive include water resistance up to 300 meters and Japanese Quartz Miyota 2S60 3-hand movement, all powered by a 10-year battery and rugged carbon-rubber-steel protection. “This is the same unsurpassed and enabling illumination technology I pioneered and brought to the consumer world with my former brand,” said Cohen. “We worked hard to keep the prices down — they are reasonably priced at $450 suggested retail, given the use of superior quality components throughout.”

The Protek USMC Dive Collection retails for $450 and is available now for purchase at Protek or below, joining the brand’s three other offerings dive and field offerings.

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