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In case you haven’t heard of Nite watches before, they are a UK-based watch brand specialising in tritium tubes and military watches.

The MX10 is a key model in Nite’s lineup. It confirmed the brand’s ability of creating tough, practical watches when in 2005 it was issued a NATO codification reference and Nite were contracted to supply the British Special Forces. If the MX10’s good enough for them, surely it’s good enough for the rest of us?

The bracelet model will cost you £300, and if you go for the rubber strap equivalent it’ll cost you £250. This isn’t really a lot of money for a watch of this standard. Let’s see why.

The case

The MX10 is a very comfortable and wrist-friendly size, measuring in at 39mm in diameter, and 10.75mm tall.  It’s not too big, yet packs some impressive girth to provide a quality feel.

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The entire watch is completely brushed, bar the polished caseback. This supports the purpose of the watch, bring a utility tool watch, which has been commissioned by the British Army. The brushed finish will last longest against any scratches or marks from wear.

Weighing in at 158g, the MX10 doesn’t mess about. Considering it houses a light quartz movement, it feels tough and heavy duty thanks to its weight.

On top of the case is a flat Sapphire crystal, with a triple anti-reflective coating on the underside. Whilst this AR coating does seem to remove a lot of the detailing on any reflections, it doesn’t remove them completely, so you do still get some reflections. This is most probably just due to the fact that the crystal is flat though. It’s good that Nite have fitted a sapphire crystal to the MX10, supporting it’s tough military/tool watch status.

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The bezel is raised from the case and has a large chamfered edge, and is very thin – which allows the dial to be the most prominent element of the watch. The edging is accurately carved and the finishing is spot on.

The MX10 has a push-pull crown, which surprised me a little. I would have thought a screw-in crown would have been better, but then again this watch isn’t a dedicated divers watch. It is well-sized, The ratio to the case looks right. It’s quite thin, so it doesn’t jab you in the back of the hand thankfully. It features the Nite icon deeply etched on the end, and good quality, deep grip, all very well machined and finished.

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The crown guards are rather rounded and protect most of the crown, so they’ll do their job of protecting it well.

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The lugs are a unique shape, you won’t be able to retro fit another standard strap to the MX10. You probably won’t need to though, as bracelet is a beaut, and you also have the option of a rubber strap  too. The lugs have a large sweeping top following the shape of the wrist, with a large semi circle cut out. These do stick out quite far, so if you have wrists any smaller than mine (7.5″), it may not follow the shape of your wrist so well and may have a bit of a gap between the lugs and wrist. The lug to lug length is 52mm, which is pretty long for a watch this size.

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The lugs are drilled through, so the pins have easy access from the outside, resulting in quicker and simpler strap removal. It also means you are less likely to scratch the case when trying to remove the pins.

The screw-in caseback is the only part of the MX10 that is polished, and the finishing is excellent and mirror-like. All the details are in a circle, and in the centre is a large Nite logo, with the NATO stock number and details about the Tritium tubes above and below it. Surrounding this is a border, creating a channel for more watch specifics. This is split into quarters, with every quarter divided by means of a small Nite icon. In each quarter there is Swiss Movement, sapphire crystal, water resistant 100m, and stainless steel. It is a well designed caseback, offering lots of information in a compact and visually appealing way.

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The MX10 has a water resistance of 100m or 10ATM, which means you can wear it swimming or snorkelling.

Despite it’s relatively small size of 39mm, the MX10’s case is hefty and rugged. It won’t let you down.

The dial

The main feature of all Nite watches is the Tritium tubes. GTLS (gaseous Tritium light source) is an external light source using tritium gas, which reacts with phosphors on the inside of the tube to create light. No charging is required, it’s a completely self-powered light source. They glow for about 25 years, slowly diminishing in brightness. Tritium light sources are regularly used in the military, one instance can be found on the sights of various rifles.

The MX10 features 15 tubes – one for each hand and hour marker. All of them are green, bar the 12 marker which is orange, so you can tell which way up you’re looking at the watch. Green tubes are the brightest and most visible you can get.

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From a design standpoint, the MX10 is definitely focused on practicality and cause over beautiful design. But if you were to buy this watch, you probably wouldn’t care much about elegance and beauty anyway. It is quite simple, ensuring the watch offers great visibility and completes it’s purpose.

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It is a matte black, which when coupled with the white hands provides superb legibility.

I really love the rehaut, it gives a great amount of depth to the dial. This is thanks to how deep it is and how it rises right up to the crystal.

It features a precisely printed minute track, with each white line extending as long as the tritium tubes marking the hours do, which are all perfectly glued and positioned in place.

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The logo in the top half is printed in 3 colours. In the lower half of the dial we have MX10 and 100m, then right at the bottom is T25 and Swiss Movement. T25 refers to the Tritium and the amount of millicuries is in each tube.

The hour numbers of 1-12 are larger and near the outer edge of the dial, with the smaller hour numbers of 13-24 positioned just inside. Having both sets of numbers can sometimes clog up the dial, but the sizing and positioning is just right on the MX10.

The hands all have tritium tubes applied subtly. The hour and minute hands are white batons with pointed ends. This offers great visibility against the black dial. The tritium tubes are quite long, almost taking up the whole length of the hands.

The second hand is teal/turquoise blue, which matches the logo and is a very appealing colour. It has a thin point with a larger section near the end to house the tritium tube, and a rectangle the other end acting as a counterweight. All the hands are flawless, and as is the way of the MX10 – serve their purpose with minimal fuss.

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The date window is simply cut out of the dial. I think it would have looked a bit nicer if it had some sort of border or frame. Still, the cut out is clean and accurate with no bad edging.

The date wheel is white with black text, which of course means good visibility. Some may complain about this though, as some prefer to have the date wheel colour matching the dial colour. But, this would result in it being quite camouflaged, especially in amongst all of the hour numbers on the dial – which would not make it easy to check the date at a glance. So I strongly believe a white date wheel is the correct choice.

The MX10 doesn’t portray itself to be a watch all about the looks. In every aspect it’s focus is purpose, and in this regard it holds up superbly well. The dial is functional, well executed and still looks pretty good.

The bracelet

As was the case with the Nite Icon, the bracelet on the MX10 is excellent quality – it’s thick, comfortable and well built.

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It’s quite a unique style, with all the links connected below the main section. This creates an almost seamless appearance, with just thin gaps separating the links. This is not only visually pleasing, but also means the bracelet has a very smooth top and underside which adds to the comfort of wearing it.

Because of the way they’re joined the shape is quite rigid. If you close the clasp and place the watch on it facing up, instead of collapsing flat, the bracelet keeps itself upright and maintains a wrist shape. This means it’s a very comfortable wear, as the bracelet supports itself and actually makes the watch feel lighter on the wrist.

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The finishing of the bracelet is all brushed as per the case, matching well. The only detailing is two thin channels running the whole length towards the outside of every link, which keeps things a bit interesting.

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The end links are obviously very unique, as they have to fit the unusual shaped lugs with a semi circle ingress. They fit together perfectly, displaying the accurate machining of the MX10.

The double locking deployant buckle is sturdy and solid. All parts click together securely and accurately. It gives you the sense that it is very well built, and that it won’t break open at all. The Nite logo is deeply etched on the top edge.

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The bracelet definitely supports the ethos of Nite and the MX10, being a rugged, active/military type watch you can depend on.

The movement

The movement powering the MX10 is a Ronda 505. It’s quartz, Swiss Made, and has a date complication. Nothing particularly exciting to report on it, apart from the fact that it has 45 months battery life, and accuracy of -10/+20 seconds a month. It also has a battery saving mode when you pull the stem out which saves 70% battery life.

Ronda are well renowned for their excellent Swiss Made quartz movements, so you can be confident that the MX10 will hold up well in tough circumstances.

Final comments

As I mentioned in the introduction, if the MX10 is good enough to be issued to the British Special Forces, it’ll most definitely do the job for the rest of us. Because of this, the watch is extremely well put together, and is likely to last you a very long time. The bracelet is fantastic, all the machining and finishing is spot on, and it just feels solid and dependable. Considering this is from a British brand, plus the added bonus of tritium tubes, £300 is a great price in my eyes.

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33 comments

  1. Andrew W

    Top watch.
    I have one, and it is superb.
    Been using Nite watches for several years.
    I had 2 but traded one in for an Aqua 2.
    To be honest I am a bit of a Nite watch Tart, because I have a Vision VS2 as well.
    But hey.. Quality!

  2. Daniel H

    I discovered Nite watches in a wikipedia article about military watches. I knew I had to have one, was able to find a used Nato special edition MX10. Love the watch, very well built and it’s been holding up quite well.

  3. 200Fathoms

    Also worth checking out the Traser Officer Pro for a quite similar aesthetic…

  4. Gary Mellor

    I have an MX10 and, I’m afraid it’s worse than useless as a timepiece. Ever since being purchased it has, at random periods, lost 15 / 20 minutes without warning. It’s been back to Nite once for a service for which I was charged, but with no improvement. It’s currently back with them again but they say it keeps perfect time. No it doesn’t! My advice? Save yourself a lot of money and buy something that works.

    1. Sidney Mincing

      All I can think is that you are extremely unlucky because my experience of wearing the MX10 for the last few years has been totally different. As was said in the above review, my watch has maintained an accuracy of -10/+20 seconds per month which, for me means that it is so reliable that I have never had to update its time between battery changes, which are about three years. I own several other watches but this is the one that I turn to whenever I am involved with any energetic activity outdoors.

    2. Geoff Morsby

      I had the same problem with my MWC G10, after much frustration, the problem was identified as the sweep hand touching the minute hand, just and not consistently. The watch would stop for six hours every three or four months, always when well away from communication of any sort in remote areas. Seems OK now, but I did buy Marathon as a replacement.

  5. Richard Neale

    I’m with Gary on this. My Chrono CR7 watch has been back three times for different things and while the customer service experience has always been good I have lost faith in the product and despite asking for a refund (based on the fact that they have spent more time with my watch than it has spent on my wrist!) they have said that they will not offer a refund. I would not recommend this product or company as the quality just does not justify the price tag.

    My G-Shock has proved a lot more reliable over the years than this which is a shame as I would have preferred to back a British company.

  6. eran

    I had one mx 10 and had to replace the movement twice.
    look at amazon for people feedbacks.

    the strap is so bad , must replace it every 6 months.
    I don’t know why people buy this watch.

  7. Mark

    I visited the Nite watches after spotting an advert for the GTLS on their watches. The advert showed pictures demonstrating the watches radiating stunning Tritium illumination. Based on the images I decided to visit the website. I was greeted with page after page of images, showing watches with their main IP being the GTLS. You could even press a button which demonstrated the watches without and with the Tritium illumination in action. I was immeadiately sold by how bright the GTLS looked.

    I purchased one of the watches and received it within a few days. How disappointed was I!!

    The quality and brightness of the GTLS is nothing like it is described and advertised on their website. The price for the watch I purchased was £300 and I have to say, is not worth any where near that amount, especially if you take away the main selling point which is the GTLS. The illumination the watch gave off is no where near as bright as they are shown on their website, and very misleading. When I complained about this Sam even stated that they are unable to give a true representation of the brightness, meaning that the website uses graphically enhanced pictures of the watches!! This totally goes against the sale of goods act, as the watches are not as described!!

    There are much better watches out there, Praetorian watches being one of them, which is like night and day when it boils down to the quality of the tritium tubes being used. Quite ironic really when you look at the name Nite watches, dark they most certainly are. Not worth the money, buy else where at half the price.

    1. Don Russell

      WOW ! I came across the NITE website and I was Really impressed by the brightness of the glowing parts and all of the attributes these watches have. I just got and SENT back for a replacement Traser Tornado Pro w/steel bracelet. This Traser watch did NOT work from the git go. In the mean time I sent my Armourlite ColorBrite watch in for repairs as it got moisture in it and the battery went dead same time. I “WAS” going to purchase one of these NITE watches because…Boy,, they sure “LOOK” good and all ! BUT !! After Reading about the so called ” CUSTOMER Relations” problems of Not giving refunds, Not Fixing the “Problems” you folks have endured, I have Changed my my Intentions of purchasing one of these watches ! All I want is a Tritium watch that will KEEP working and have GOOD CUSTOMER SUPPORT ! Seems these aspects are NOT in Order with this Company ! I Thank ALL you Fine folks for your HONEST Comments about this Company !… Now the Traser Replacement that I am anticipating returned from the WATCHCO.COM I trust will hold up and work for years to come, But… if this does not happen,I will have my repaired ArmourLite ColorBrite watch to fall back on, and if necessary I’ll purchase another ArmourLite ColorBrite watch and cross my fingers ! I also, just in case purchased a good Ol’ Standby SEIKO $120.00 watch… just in case ! I just want a Tritium watch that will hold up ! Is there NO MORE Quality in Craftsmanship and Pride on making watches anymore ? !!! I wonder ……..

  8. Commentor

    On the comments above this watch looks like a pile of shite. Surely this company should provide a refund so that in itself shows this should be avoided like the plague. You can’t beat a GShock – that’s a quality watch.

    1. Mat

      I agree, I had a terrible time with this company. Watches are graphically enhanced on their website, the gas bars they use for the glow are far inferior to other watch brands out there, they look nothing like they do on their website. When I returned mine they refused to give a refund, stating that I had damaged the watch which was untrue. I got the watch on IFC that they offer……Don’t do this!! They claim full payment from the finance company before you have even received the watch…… Then f@ck you off as they have their money and leave you fighting with the finance company. I left a review on trusted reviews and they got them to take down the review…. So much for trusted reviews being impartial, they obviously get commission from Shite watches!!

      1. Richard

        I agree, mine has just been back yet again (fourth time) and still they won’t offer a refund. It is an absolutely rubbish watch and company. Avoid like the plague is what I say and I am trying to get that warning out to others! My Trusted Review was also taken done so I reworded it to avoid mentioning a competitor but strangely enough several other glowing reviews then appeared above mine which were probably from the company themselves.

  9. Mat

    That’s exactly what happened to me, I re-worded the review at the request of trusted reviews and yet it still wasn’t enough and they took it down. And then loads of new reviews flooded in saying how amazing the watches are!! Absolute scam company, watch are light, cheap and the GTLS bars are a joke!

    1. Richard

      The only option is to keep publicising how bad they are and eventually they will go out of business hopefully. Nite watches are absolute rubbish.

  10. Bruce Coleman

    Thank You, Thank You, Thank You….I was just about to send an order for a new accurate and super bright Nite watch for me in Australia. As an early am Bus Driver I thought this would be ideal. I am glad I found this site! Thanks again.

    1. Mark

      Bruce I recommend a company called Praetorian watches, they are far superior for the GTLS bars, much brighter and the watches are half the price, build quality is superb. Glad you didn’t buy from Nite, they really are not that good!!

  11. Richard

    I agree with Mark, avoid Nite at all costs. There are better options out there for less money. I’ve gone back to G-Shock.

  12. Ben Frain

    Yes, another one on the ‘avoid Nite’ train. Got an MX10 with black PVD. Within 6 weeks it was horribly marked around the face. I just sit at a desk all day and do nothing to put the watch through its paces! I subsequently contacted them to complain as I don’t feel it is fit for purpose and despite much to and fro on email with Nite they ultimately offered nothing (it could be re-cased at my expense for £120),
    Their watches are described as durable. They are not. The MX10 I had looks like it has been to hell and back in less than 6 weeks. I have G-shocks and Seiko’s that years later still look better than this.
    Again, in case you missed it at the beginning. Avoid these watches if you are after a timepiece with even the most basic durability.

  13. Phil H

    I have just received the MX10-201 in PVD black, this replaces a Dalvey Chronograph that I have had for years, I wanted a metal strap watch instead of leather, I agree that the Nite website has enhanced images of the GTLS but having said that, using the watch at night is perfectly adequate for use, in fact not having the gimmick of a button push nightlight is great, the watch feels impressively weighty and sturdy, if I examine my old watch it is covered in small scratches from wear and tear, I suppose if you want a G-Shock look then why buy a Nite watch, they are poles apart in style. I can’t help feeling that some of these reviews are ridiculously biased against Nite, it remains to be seen how the MX10 performs but first impressions are good.

    1. Mark

      Give it a few weeks they are neither robust or anything comparible to other watches (some half the price) when it come to the gas filled bars!! Im certainly not biased just said how it was!!

    2. Richard

      I hope your watch does give you good service and you are happy with it, all I can say is that mine is used as a paperweight now as it is just too unreliable. Looks are only partially important to me as what I really need is something that I know will work. Definitely not biased against Nite I just feel that the product is useless and the customer service is rubbish (returning your watch four times in a year cannot be good!).

  14. Richard Sims

    I have an MX10 and found it to be unreliable. It will be accurate for weeks then suddenly it will lose 2, 4 or 6 minutes over 24 hours, for no reason and the frequency of these losses is quite random. I sent it back but they charged me the return postage because they said they found nothing wrong with it.
    It looks good and I find the illumination adequate so if you just want a tough looking thing on your wrist, buy one. But if you want a reliable timepiece then buy something else.

    1. Paul

      I have the exact same problem with my MX10.
      I purchased it 2011 and the problem started early this year (2017).
      I had a new battery put in, but the problem persists.
      That is, the random loss of around 15 minutes.

      It’s a pity as I like the watch, and I was going to buy another Nite watch.
      I’ll have a look at the Mondain GTLS watch.

  15. TJ Wilson

    I got mine back in June and I’m happy with it. I wear it almost all the time to my job and I don’t do a lot of desk work, more like rolling up my sleeves and getting my hands dirty. I have only had to take it off a couple of times to avoid getting it marred, and it keeps great time. It was shipped to America in a timely fashion and I am pleased to own it.

  16. Harold

    Having read some of the negative comments on this watch, I felt compelled to share my thoughts with you. For about a year now, I am the proud owner of an MX10. I’ve been jumping from airplanes with it and I’ve been racing my bycicle with it (including winter races of about 200kms at below zero (C) temperatures and in the rain. I swam long disances with it, and I do not even bother to take it of at the gym. Contrary to what would be wise, I operate power drills without taking it off and occassionally it receives a blow when I play rugby with my kids.
    After that year, the time is approximately 30 seconds off, which could also be caused by me adjusting the date every second month.
    So, either some of you have been very unlucky, or I am just very lucky. What I do believe for sure is that owners have less reason to put a comment here when their watch does what it is expected to do: run.
    About the GTLS tubes: my T25 tubes produce more than enough light at night. I am quite sure that your military users (I am Dutch by the way) would not feel comfortable at night if these would emit more light when in hostile territory (it’s a NATO watch remember). There are more powerfull GTLS tubes available, it’s just a matter of application which to choose.
    So, having said this, I am going to order myself a Nite VS2 model. Not that I need it, just because I like them.

  17. TM

    My email to Nite Watches:
    My watch arrived today and it no way duplicates the brightness displayed on you web page.

    I even placed my firefighter flash light on it without any reaction.

    It is a dark watch.

    I wish to return the watch and please apply a refund to my credit card.

    I will also enter the dispute the charge with VISA so we don’t have issues.

    Please provide a prepaid return shipping label and I will send it back.

    I am sorry this did not work out but after doing additional web search I see I am not alone in this situation.

    I also do not want to swap this out for a replacement.

    I am so disappointed I just don’t want to seek a remedy other than a prepaid return and credit to my VISA card.

    Please acknowledge.

    Thank you

  18. Ville

    I was hoping to purchase a Nite watch but have changed my mind after reading about the problems with both the watches and the company’s customer service. A watch is only as good as the customer service.

  19. Peter Pemberton

    Do not buy a Nite watch if you need long-term reliability and service. I have a 12 year old Nite watch that is consigned to the dustbin because Nite will no longer support the model and wash their hands of any responsibility or empathy with an early supporter of the brand.
    Recommend looking elsewhere for your timepiece.

  20. Senior Moment

    I’ve had one of these for years, the service has been immaculate, the watch sturdy and kept excellent time.

  21. Branko Barovic

    I bought a MX10 around 2009 and I’ve found the time keeping is good, no issue there.

    Now for the issue that comes with this watch fitted with the black polymer strap, it’s not robust in the slightest. The first-time I went on a field exercise with it as I swung my bergan onto my back the strap by the time face broke as it got court by the strap of the bergan.

    So off to nite watches who repaired even serviced my MX10. In fact nite customer service is exceptional in my opinion.

    So after a few exercises and the strap broke and this ‘time’ (no pun intended) the polymer strap disintegrated. Now for a military time piece issued to the SF you’d think the strap be soldier proof.

    Just to comment on the handsome looking time face and say the robustness to is excellent. So after a good number of years I’ve finally got around to sending it back to nite so I can have a black PVD bracelet fitted. Its good the watch can have different type of strap put on, so we’ll see how it goes. (14/06/19).

    Summary, it looks like a £275 watch and the time piece is excellent. However, would I be able to justify the cost again and use it for a field watch… probably not.

  22. Mr. Doug

    I have 2 Nite watches – all good until the polymer strap of my Nite Alpha broke, and it’s not very old. The watch fell off but fortunately I was able to recover the watch. A few days later another part of the strap cracked, watch was just sitting on the table, so the plastic must have already had a crack forming. I don’t want a metal strap and won’t buy another cheap plastic strap from them . . not sure if there is another brand that will fit but will start looking.

  23. Rukor Fiester

    I hope they look for this, it’s GOOD BRAND LOGO

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