Bear Grylls Survival Land 3716 Luminox's 66 g aluminium field watch

What is new about the Bear Grylls Survival Land 3716?

Luminox announced the Bear Grylls Survival Land 3710 Series in October 2025, and the XB.3716 is the Anthracite half of a two-watch launch (the XB.3717 is the Sand version). Since 2020, Luminox and Bear Grylls have put out more than 30 watches together, and most of them are busy: compass straps, dive bezels and dense dials. This one goes the other way. Luminox describes it as a clean field watch design, and the dial bears that out: large Arabic numerals, a 24-hour inner track, a date at three o'clock and very little else.

The bigger change is the case. It is made from what Luminox calls ALUMI-NOX, an aerospace-grade aluminium that the brand says is anti-corrosive and anti-magnetic. It is the first time the brand has used the material, and it is why the whole watch weighs just 66 g by Luminox's figures.

The XB.3716 pairs an anthracite grey aluminium case with an olive green, sand-textured dial, cream numerals, a dark rubber strap and the orange crown that marks every Bear Grylls model. The Never Give Up motto is engraved on the steel caseback.

How big is it, and how will it wear?

Luminox lists the case at 43 mm across and 13 mm high, with a 23 mm lug width. (WatchTime's Japanese report gives the thickness as 12.4 mm; we have used the brand's own figure.) That is a large field watch by current standards, and 43 mm with a fixed, slim bezel will look every bit of its size on a smaller wrist.

The saving grace is weight. At 66 g on its rubber strap, it is far lighter than a steel watch of the same size, which tends to make a big case feel smaller across a long day. The flip side is that very light watches can feel insubstantial to people used to steel. Luminox fits a screw-down crown, which is a sensible choice for a watch meant to be worn outdoors, and the wide 23 mm lugs mean replacement straps are a slightly less common size than the usual 22 mm.

What movement does it use, and how accurate is it?

Inside is a Swiss quartz movement, the RONDA 515, with time and date. Luminox quotes a battery life of around 50 months. Quartz suits the brief: the watch can sit in a drawer for weeks and still be on time, and a typical RONDA quartz will be far more accurate day to day than any affordable mechanical field watch. Luminox does not publish a monthly accuracy figure for this model, so we will not guess one.

The other functional point is the lume. Like most Luminox watches, this one uses small self-powered tritium gas tubes, which Luminox calls Luminox Light Technology. There are 14 of them on the dial and hands, and Luminox says they glow constantly for up to 25 years without needing light to charge them. For a watch meant for camping, night walks or early starts, that is the feature that sets it apart from painted lume.

How well is it built?

On paper, the specification is good for the money. Luminox fits a sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating, a screw-in 316L steel caseback, a screw-down crown and 100 m of water resistance. The strap is nitrile rubber with a steel buckle. It is Swiss Made.

The open question is the aluminium case. Aluminium is light and does not rust, but it is generally softer than steel or titanium and can dent or scuff more readily, and a coated finish can wear through at the edges over time. Luminox says ALUMI-NOX gives superior protection against the elements; how the finish holds up after a few years of real outdoor use is not yet known, because the watch has only been on sale since autumn 2025.

Is it good value against its rivals?

The RRP on Luminox's UK site is £535. That puts it up against the Seiko 5 Sports Field HDB009K1 at £350 RRP, which gives you a steel case, an automatic movement and a compass bezel for less, but with painted lume that fades through the night. The closer match is Victorinox's Swiss Army Quartz 242043, another Swiss quartz field watch, at £545 RRP on its mesh bracelet.

Against those, the Luminox makes its case on two things: tritium tubes that glow all night without charging, and a very light case. If neither matters to you, the Seiko is better value. If you want a field watch you can read at 3am in a tent, there is not much else at this price that does it as well.

What is the catch?

There are three. First, the size: 43 mm is big for a field watch, and the design has no bezel to break up the dial. Second, the price: £535 is a lot for a quartz watch in an aluminium case, even a Swiss Made one with sapphire. Third, it is new, so there is no owner feedback yet on how the ALUMI-NOX finish wears or how the strap holds up. If you like the look but want a lower-risk buy, the Sand XB.3717 is the same watch in a lighter colourway, and the older steel Atacama Field models give you the same lume in a more proven case.

“A field watch you can read at 3am in a tent, in a case that barely registers on the wrist.”