For when the going gets tough.

You kinda know what you are in for with a watch that takes its cue from the world’s best-known elite military force. But just in case you are unfamiliar, the SEAL in this timepiece’s moniker pays homage to the United States Navy’s Sea, Air and Land Teams, otherwise known as the Navy SEALs.

To be clear, we did not subject the Luminox Master Carbon SEAL Limited Edition 3803 through the kind of punishing environs that one would associate with Navy SEALs operatives. (The harshest test that the watch had to undergo was probably the glare of lighting equipment for a photoshoot). But rest assured that Luminox has done the dirty work for us to ensure the timepiece lives up to its name.

You wouldn’t know it as you strap on the Master Carbon SEAL Limited Edition 3803. The case is incredibly light and as you run your fingers over the surface that feels powdery to the touch and takes on the appearance of dark screed cement, there is an irresistible urge to pick at it, just to see if you could chip away at the material.

But of course, you can’t. In fact, it would take a lot more than a fingernail to do damage to the hardy case. Made by fusing long carbon bars with polymers (as opposed to combining carbon powder and polymers in other models), the case of the Master Carbon SEAL Limited Edition 3803 is ostensibly lighter (the watch weighs just 80g), hardier and more thermal resistant compared to normal carbon compound cases. To prove their point, Luminox even set fire to the case, and the carbon bars came out of the test unscathed.

Fans of the Carbon SEAL collection will know that the case construction isn’t new – it was also featured on the Reference 3801, which we reviewed here. What make this limited edition run stand out are its dial, which sports a blue carbon fibre weave, and its matching navy Zulu webbing strap.

That aside, the Master Carbon SEAL Limited Edition boasts all the familiar tool watch traits of its brethren from 300m water resistance to long-lasting, unparalleled lume that is a trademark of the brand. Interestingly, the limited edition model is priced similarly to the regular run collection – guess the choice is clear then.

Case	46mm carbon compound case
Dial	Blue carbon fibre
Movement	Ronda 515, Quartz
Strap	Blue Zulu webbing
Functions	Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Price	S$1,134.20