I've owned this watch (Suunto X-Lander Military Edition Watch [all black version with black "negative" face] ) for almost a year now, and I just have to give it a rave review. The face is HUGE ... I'm talking about the size of a hockey puck. Well, maybe not the size of a regulation hockey puck, but if you have wrists that aren't very thick (like mine), then this watch will look like you strapped a hockey puck on your wrist.

This watch is built for hard use. The negative face is easy to read in bright sunlight, the options are easy to scroll through once you get the hang of learning what they do (don't worry, the Suunto comes with a user-friendly "book" of instructions on how to navigate through what this watch is equipped to do), and the digital compass feature is quite handy. In addition, there is a barometer, temperature guage, stopwatch, countdown alarm / wake-up alarm, -AND- an altimeter. In addition, the buttons are known as "stinger style" buttons which are able to be depressed underwater without having to worry about water leaking into the case ... few Suunto watches have this option, so this in one other plus that makes the X-Lander Military Edition so desirable to watch aficionados.

This version of the Suunto X-Lander is all black and "sterile" (i.e. no extra logos, writing on the band, etc.). Nothing screams "SUUNTO" on this watch ... it has more of a covert, almost incognito feel to it. It has a look that can be worn casually or in a corporate boardroom. In browsing around on various Internet forums and websites devoted to watch enthusiasts, this watch tends to garner high marks across the board. It also has a strong resale value if you decide to part with it further down the line ... but I have a feeling that that won't happen anytime soon.

This watch is currently being used by coalition forces serving in the Middle Eastern Theater (Iraq and Afghanistan) and stands up to their very high quality standards. I know of forward base operators using this watch's compass to vector in airstrikes and mortar fire upon enemy combatants and the locations of their weaponry. Do your homework and run a search on Google for this watch and you'll see what I mean.

My only qualms with this watch are two very minor points:

First, the watchband's buckle is slightly difficult to undo as it has a uniquely shaped "tooth" (the pin that fits through the watchband's sizing holes). This "tooth" has a slight bend to it (almost "S" shaped) which is an extra safety precaution to ensure that the buckle is fully locked down ... it ain't gonna come off of your wrist by accident. However, you almost have to do a bit of yoga poses to remove it with one hand.

The second point is that of the illumination option. This watch doesn't have the strong backlighting like that of Timex watches or others that have a very bright blue glow to them ("Illumiglow-style"). I would have expected this watch to have a very powerful nighttime reading capability, however, with the negative face on this watch, only the numbers are illuminated and not the background as you would find on other watches. This being the case, the contrast of illuminated numbers on a black background rather than black numbers on an illuminated background, tends to be something the wearer will have to get used to.

If you have the available finances ... GET THIS WATCH.

And as a final suggestion, head on over to a website that manufactures custom fitted protective film to apply to the watchface to prevent scratches, nicks, etc. The site is called "ZAGG / invisibleSHIELD" and their watchface protective film specifically made for the Suunto X Lander can be found here (the Suunto Vector and Suunto X-Lander have the same diameter watchface, so disregard that it states that it is for the "Vector" ... it will fit the X-Lander):

[...]

I have this protective film on my watch an it is practically invisible. It is easily applied and brings a bit of peace of mind to the user with regard to preventing scratches on the watchface. A small investment, but well worth it.

Enjoy!

[...] 5 stars

I hope my experience with this particular watch is the exception, but I found absolutely nothing 'military' grade about this watch: The band broke after a few months of VERY light use, and Suunto does not offer a similar band as a replacement, but rather a generic band, taking away quite a bit from the watch's overall appearance. A few months after the band broke, the compass stopped functioning; I'm not sure how sitting on my desk caused the compass to stop working correctly, but there you have it. I have spoken to other Suunto owners who have had the same issue with the compass function.

I have owned Casio Pathfinder watches in the past, and they have been FAR superior in regards to both longevity, reliability, and ease of use. My last one survived 5 yrs of hard use (scuba diving, surfing, mountains and deserts...) before giving up the ghost. And it cost about half of what the Suunto cost me. I thought I would try a different brand, but the Suunto survived less than a year of light/no use, no submersion or impacts. I have used Suunto products in the past (compasses) with no problems, but I would not buy another watch from this manufacturer. Hope this helps.


1 star