I asked around here about this watch a while back and no one seemed to have been familiar with it. I now have one (Christmas present). Here's a mini-review:
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Watch: UZI brand, model UZI-001-R, "H3 Protector, Rubber Strap"
Cost: $59.99 including free shipping
From: LA Police Gear,
http://www.lapolicegear.com/uzih3prwarus.htmlBottom Line: Big thumbs up!!!
This is a moderately large watch. Not gigantic, but what I'd call a full-sized model. Fits and looks good on my smaller body frame. The case appears to be some type of composite material. It is well finished and looks excellent. There is a choice of straps - I got the rubber one - and it is thick and heavy duty. The mineral crystal is flat and perfectly clear.
Tritium is used at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions, and on the hour and minute hands. At 12 o'clock there are two orange tritium bars, all other positions use a single green bar. The second hand and all the other hour positions on the watch (1, 2, 4 o'clock, etc.) have luminous marks, i.e., you have to put them under light to charge them for later dark use.
I was originally (pre-purchase) worried about the tritium for low-light (not dark) use, having never owned tritium before. But it is just fine. I can easily transition from light to shadows to almost dark to dark and read the watch perfectly at every light level. The tritium is not light-up-the-room-bright. It is perfect for a watch, but if you hope to walk down the hall bathed in a glow, you won't be. Orange tritium is not as bright as green, but the double orange bars at 12 o'clock compensate for this. The markings appear equally bright to my eye, be they orange or green.
The luminous non-tritium markers on the odd hours are not terribly strong. They are only bright for a minute or two after charging and then stay at a dim, but useable (in total darkness) level for maybe 15-20 minutes. The luminous mark on the second hand is better though. It stays fairly bright for about 30 minutes.
The watch has a rotating bezel. It only rotates counterclockwise. It is very stiff to turn and has click detents at every minute position. This could be used to mark elapsed time (what other uses does a rotating bezel have?), but I probably won't use it too much due to the stiffness required to turn it.
The crown is screw-down for watertightness, and has three positions. The normal closed position, position two for changing the date (works very rapidly), and the third position for setting hours/minutes.
You can only notice any sounds from the watch (an every second click) if you put it right up to your ear. I mean "right up", as in "touching". For all practical purposes the watch is silent.
The date window is diagonally positioned between the 4 and 5, so it doesn't interfere with any of the hour markings.
The movement is listed on the stainless steel caseback as "Swiss Parts, Thailand Movement" for what that's worth. All's I can say is that I set the watch with my atomic clock and checked it again 18 hours later and it was still spot on right down to the second.
Summary: I really like this watch! $59.99 for a tritium watch is a fantastic price. Composite rather than stainless steel construction, and tritium only on critical hour markings probably greatly reduced the price. I've only had it for a day (delivery was delayed due to snow in the area) so this review is only my initial impressions. I can't comment on durability, long term accuracy or scratch resistance just yet. The thing looks and feels solid as a rock so I really don't expect any durability problems.
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