Watches Appreciation And Resouces: Hands on with Isobrite Eclipse ISO201 T100 Tritium

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Hands on with Isobrite Eclipse ISO201 T100 Tritium

If you like black and you tactical, you’ll like this Isobrite Eclipse ISO201. This watch is very much like the Isobrite Afterburner which I reviewed here. There are some subtle differences between them that you need to know about.

The Dial

If you love black, you will love the Isobrite Eclipse. Everything, with the exception of the tritium vials and date, is black. The hour numerals and text on the dial are polished to make them stand out against the matte black face. You still need a good amount of light so see them, but when the light dims who cares about the numbers? On these watches, its all about the glow of the tritium vials. There are tritium vials on each hour maker and two at the 12 o’clock position. The hour, minute, and second hand each have a tritium vial. There are also tiny tritium vials at the 12 and 15 mark on the bezel. Unlike the Isobrite Afterburner, the vials on this watch do not have rectangular covers. You see each little glass vial and they’re pretty cool to look at. Powering this watch is a reliable Swiss Ronda quartz movement.

The Case

The case on Isobrite Eclipse is exactly the same as the Isobrite Afterburner, and is constructed out of lightweight carbon fiber reinforced polycarbonate. This watch is tough but extremely light. The whole watch with strap weighs just 3 ounces. Protecting the dial is a scratch-resistant anti-reflective treated sapphire crystal. Water resistance is a respectable 200 meters or 660 feet. The 60 click bezel is very solid with no play at all. The crown is a no-nonsense simple push down crown and each click of the crown is very solid and tight. I repeat: it does not screw down.

That Glow!

Just like the Isobrite Afterburner, the Eclipse uses T100 tritium vials for lume. The glow comes from tiny glass vials filled with tritium gas, which is an isotope of hydrogen. These vials are coated with a phosphorescent paint which react with the tritium gas. The most common tritium watches use T25 tritium tubes which have 25 millicures of tritium gas. On the Isobrite watches they use T100 tritium which has 4 times the amount of tritium gas. This creates two great things. The watch glows four times more brightly and it also last twice as long. Most t25 tubes will glow up to 25 years but the t100 tubes can glow up to 50 years.

The Strap

The strap on the Isobrite Eclipse is the same as the Afterburner and is very comfortable to wear. Unlike some other silicon straps, this does not attract lint, which is great. The strap is very soft and flexible bit also feels durable enough to trust that it will not fail you.

Overall Impression

The Isobrite Eclipse is a lightweight but tough watch, and with those tritium vials that create such a cool glow I cant help but love these watches. I normally don’t wear quartz watches, but I would wear this regularly and I would not worry about it, because that case is made to take abuse. If you want a tough, rugged watch with some cool factor this would be a good choice in my opinion. For $ 499 USD, I feel this is not a bad deal for a well built tritium watch. You can check them out at armourlite.com.

Review Summary

Brand and model: Isobrite Eclipse ISO201
Price: $ 499.00
Who’s it for? Tactical watch lovers.
Would I wear it? Sure would, I love tritium.
What I’d change: Love it the way it is.
The best thing about it: That bright tritium glow.

Tech Specs from Isobrite

Illumination: Swiss-Made T100 tritium markers
Functions / Features: Date display
Movement: Swiss-Made Ronda 715Li quartz
Battery Life: 10-years (lithium)
Crystal: Scratch-resistant sapphire with anti-reflective coating
Case Diameter: 47mm
Case Thickness: 14mm
Case Material: Carbon fiber reinforced polycarbonate
Caseback: Stainless steel engraved plate fixed with 4 security screws
Bezel: Unidirectional ratcheting diver bezel with two tritium elapsed minute markers
Crown: Double-gasket push-in with side shields
Water Resistance: 200m / 660ft / 20atm
Band Material: Silicone
Band Width: 22mm
Band Clasp: Stainless steel buckle with logo
Weight: 3 ounces