25-Year ‘Mesmerizing’ Glow: ProTek Series 3000 Field Watch Review

What, as they say, is in a name? This can be a tricky question when it comes to branding. If you ask Barry Cohen, the founder and former owner of Luminox, he might tell you to include your best feature in the company’s title. That was certainly the case with his previous group, known for its tritium lume tubes, which emit a continuous glow for up to 25 years.

It’s a theme he’s followed with his latest venture too: ProTek, a new “no-excuses brand of tritium tactical watches, built to handle what life demands, in any environment.” Not to be confused with Casio’s ProTrek lineup (which we’ve covered more than once), this company leans into the image of military, rescue, and outdoors professionals working in challenging environments.

To boot, it utilizes, “only quality components able to stand up to the rigors of harsh extremes.”

You’re seeing one of the initial models here — the ProTek Series 3000 Field. There are a lot of Ts in the spec sheet, with titanium, tritium, ten atmospheres of water resistance, and an overall emphasis on toughness.

So when the company offered up a loaner for review, it fit our tastes to a … well, you get it.

In short: The ProTek Series 3000 Field is an interesting watch, with a titanium shell, a reliable quartz movement, and a solid pedigree. The 100m water resistance is good, the shape is classic and comfortable, and the tritium “ProGlo illumination” system is one of the brightest I’ve seen. The dial is a bit underdressed, and the feature set is basic for the price. But when it comes to legibility and ease of wear, the 3000 Field really shines.

ProTek Series 3000 Field Watch Review

The full name of the tester shown here is the ProTek Field Series 3005. As you can see, it comes with a green dial and a brown leather strap. The face is flat, open, and free of decoration, apart from the company’s apostrophe-shaped badge and the text above and beside the 6 o’clock.

I was immediately struck by the legibility of the design, especially when compared with some of the busy (if functional) arrangements you see from Luminox. And after the fisheye bulge of the Spinnaker Piccard, the flat sapphire crystal of this ProTek was an easy-reading breath of fresh air.

Speaking of legibility, ProTek puts a lot of stock into its “Swiss self-powered ProGlo illumination system,” which it says is:

“100X brighter than conventional lume and glows continuously for 25 years without a need to be ‘charged’ by an external light source. [The Series 3000] uses the largest tritium tubes available for the indices in three colors to create a mesmerizing light show in darkness.”

Strong words. And I’ll admit, my previous experiences with tritium-tube watches (including Luminox’s Bear Grylls Survival ECO Master) were good, but not great.

This one, though … to quote a classic Popscicle commercial: “The colors, Duke! The colors!” Even in moderately lit rooms, you can make out the varied, subtle hints of the indices. And once the sun sets — absolutely gorgeous!

But it’s more than just the ProGlo. Look at the way the indices notch into the minute ring. There’s a secondary bevel there, creating another angle that catches the light. It’s a very subtle thing, but noticeable and pleasing to the eye.

Let’s Get to the Guts

Beneath the green surface of the Field, ProTek has gone with a MIYOTA quartz movement. This group is a division of Citizen, and you know I’m a fan of the Promasters. This particular mechanism is dubbed the Super 2035 and features an estimated four years of battery life.

For someone who’s not a huge fan of leather straps, I’ve been seeing some nice ones lately. And the Series 3000’s Italian cowhide is probably the best of the bunch.

The holes feel a bit widely spaced, but the band itself is thick, supple, and feels every bit as rugged as the metal parts of the watch.

A Series of Minor Complaints

A caveat, before you read on: For the most part, my complaints about this watch have nothing to do with its functionality. If you like what you’ve read above, you can skip straight to the purchase links.

But there are a few tiny details that keep the ProTek Series 3000 from being an unqualified recommendation.

First, there’s the “titanium push crown with multiple O-rings.” It’s a fine piece on its own — signed, well-finished, and easy to use. But there’s also a super-slight sponginess to it that’s a little hard to describe. Perhaps it’s the result of said O-rings, since it’s not of the screw-down type.

There’s also only one crown position, as this ProTek lacks a date function. Now, I know there’s debate as to whether a calendar belongs on a field watch. But this is my review, and I like to have the day of the month on my wrist. But I understand why it was left out, the 3000’s face is perfectly symmetrical, and an added numeral would throw it off.

My biggest nitpick is also the smallest. As nice as the internal MIYOTA movement might be, the seconds hand just barely misses its markers. Like, we’re talking about a bare fraction of a millimeter here.

Most people won’t notice this, and it has no effect on the watch’s timekeeping ability. But the brand does claim to be “Built for Earth’s most demanding,” and I’m kind of a stinker. At just under $500, I’d like to see its alignment at 100%, not 92%.

And speaking of cost, I’m curious as to why the Series 3000 is among the most expensive models in the ProTek lineup. It has to be the titanium and massive lume tubes, right? Because even after the 20% preorder discounts expire, the upcoming Series 1000 and 2000 Divers will go for the same price, or slightly less.

ProTek Series 3000 Field Watch: Conclusion

That was a long stretch of negatives, and I want to get back to what the Series 3000 Field does well. Because despite my picking of nits, I would recommend the watch, overall. Most of the right pieces are here, the wearability is next to none, and the ProGlo tritium is stunning.

Still, I’d like to see ProTek do something more to set its brand apart from Luminox. Perhaps a solar-powered Field? That could help account for the empty dial space, and it’s something their older Swiss cousin lacks. MIYOTA is Citizen-adjacent, after all.

But on its own, the Series 3000 is an intriguing entry into a fresh, purpose-built lineup. It’s a thoughtful design with some strong, colorful touches, and the symmetrical face makes for one of the most evergreen timepieces I’ve seen.

As it is, this 3005 is a very good watch, and if you like it in photos, you’ll love it in person. But with another iteration and maybe an added feature or two, it could be something extra special.