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Watch Freeks > General Watch Discussions > Reviews: > Watch Review > Watch Review: MTM Special Ops Silver Vulture Titanium | |||||||
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Watch Freeks > General Watch Discussions > Reviews: > Watch Review > Watch Review: MTM Special Ops Silver Vulture Titanium | |||||||
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| Watch Review: MTM Special Ops Silver Vulture Titanium | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: Mon Jul 25th, 2011 06:16 pm |
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1st Post |
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UKWolfeman The Extreme 
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Name of Reviewer: Michael W. (UKWolfeman) Name of person who took pictures in review: UKWolfeman Watch Name / Model Being Reviewed / Brand: MTM-Silver Vulture Titanium MTM 1225 South Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90015 USA Toll Free: 1-800-284-9487 Tel: 213-741-0808 Fax: 213-741-0840 Email: sales@specialopswatch.com Website: http://www.specialopswatch.com/ Facebook:http: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/MTM-Special-Ops-Watches/126807460733043 HISTORY (from MTM website): MTM, manufacturer of the Pro Ops line of specialized military watches was founded in 1980 by watch technicians and ex-military personnel. MTM is a pioneer in supplying customized watches to corporations, military and police units worldwide. MTM’s mission is to develop tough, dependable, rugged military watches utilizing state of the art technology…watches that comply with and supersede military standards and will complement future warriors and military forces worldwide in the 21st century. Originally, MTM was approached by members of an elite special forces unit who requested that they develop watches for their unit. They requested features not yet available in the watch industry. These were to be special forces watches which incorporated cutting edge technology and materials. The goal was to find and utilize such technology and to integrate it into the watch with functions that were useful to soldiers, special forces, and tactical units in the field. During the developmental stage of the MTM Pro Ops Series, inquiries were made by other divisions looking into the possibility of MTM developing a pilot or aviator watch, navy seal watches, police watches and other military equipment. The decision to release the MTM Special Ops first, as the flagship model with its revolutionary lighting system, was then made. It was shortly after 9/11 and the beginning of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq that sales began to accelerate at a rapid pace. Soon, demand began to increase for specialized watches from SWAT teams, Green Beret and Commando units, Delta Force and law enforcement operations worldwide. That demand led to the eventual development of the Vultures, Seals, Patriots, Predators, Silencers, Navigators, Warriors, etc, which are now being worn proudly by members of the FBI, DEA, U.S. Coast Guard, Navy Seals and the U.S. Secret Service Tactical Team. The success of MTM Pro Ops Watches is a testament to the rugged dependability and forward looking design that goes into each and every model. In the U.S., MTM Pro Ops Watches are available exclusively from MTM and are not available in retail stores. They are available internationally through thoroughly screened and approved distributors only. Model: Silver Vulture Titanium Price: $1100 USD  Product Description and Specs: Approximately 47mm X 17.5mm SOLID TITANIUM CASE AND BAND 660 FEET/200 METERS WATER RESISTANT RECHARGEABLE LITHIUM ION BATTERY RATED AT 10 YEARS Proprietary Ronda QUARTZ SWISS MOVEMENT WITH LARGE DATE WINDOW ANTI REFLECTIVE, SAPPHIRE CRYSTAL WITH ULTRAVIOLET PROTECTIVE COATING UNIDIRECTIONAL,SOLID TITANIUM,RATCHETING BEZEL LOCKING, SCREW DOWN CROWNS AND PUSHER CARBON FIBER DIAL SUPER LUMINOUS INDEX AND NUMBERS CHARGER AND USB ADAPTER INCLUDED LIMITED EDITION, EACH WATCH INDVIDUALLY NUMBERED 3 YEAR WARRANTY WEIGHT 181 grams First Impression: MTM provided great presentation for a massive titanium time piece that appears to be very well constructed and at first glance Reactor on steroids is the first thing that came to mind so readers have a good point of reference. However, I am in no way comparing this MTM to any watch brand at this point as this was obviously a first reaction only. Potentially an ultimate sport/activity watch. Watch Box: The Vulture comes safely packed in a very nice black waterproof Barracuda box along with instruction manual, tools, charger w/ cable, warranty card and a cool "Dog Tag". The overall presentation was very pleasing and superior in quality and flair.     Case - Crown Side: Pictured below you will see the crown side of the case revealing the three screw down crowns. The smaller screw down crown at the 2 o'clock position controls the lighting functions of the Vulture. The 7mm screw down crown at the 3 o'clock position controls the time and date functions while the canteen style screw down crown at the 4 o'clock position is for the recharging function for the lighting technology in the Vulture. Each crown has a knurled texture which makes them easy to grasp and rotate appropriately. The overall case size of this piece measures in at 47mm in diameter and approximately 17.5mm in thickness. Lug to lug measurement is approximately 56mm. The Vulture is very substantial in size while the titanium composition keeps the weight to a minimum.  Case - Non Crown Side: Normally on my reviews the non crown side of the case doesn't present anything significant of note other than a good view of the finish and height of the watch being reviewed. However, with the Vulture this side of the case while showing the nice finish and height of the watch also shows a unique feature to this piece. Between the 8 and 9 o'clock positions the case jets out into almost what I would call a wing which I find to be a very nice design feature that corresponds to the model name. The wing leads me to believe this is not a catalog case and was actually made for MTM.  Bezel, Dial and Hands: The bezel is a true 120 click unidirectional that is very easy to grasp at the edges which requires appropriate force to rotate. The bezel contains hex screws around the dial but not resting at each hour position but provides in my opinion nice balance to the bezel. I am unsure if the hex screws are funtional or rather just for asthetics. Resting below the sapphire crystal is carbon fiber dial. The dial on the Vulture is very unique and has a lot going on without being too busy. Each hour position is marked by the appropriate numeral except at the 3 and 6 o'clock positions. At the 3 there is oversized date windows and at the 6 is one of the LED lights for a couple of the watch lighting functions. Each hour is marked by luminous indicators which provide a more than adequate lume. A very unique design feature is that each indicator slightly rests over the edge of each hour numeral which is unusual but rather cool in my opinion. The company name and series is on the dial below the 12. USA, water resistance info and company logo are on the dial just above the 6. I will address the USA notation later in the review summary. Small lighting indicators are inset in the dial on either side of the 12 o'clock position that illuminate according to the charge level of the rechargeable battery cell for the lighting technology contained within the watch. 3 LED lights are raised through the dial between the 1 and 2 o'clock position, 5 and 7 o'clock position and the 10 and 11 o'clock position. The chapter ring surrounding the dial indicates each corresponding minute position and has openings for lights necessary for the additional lighting functions of the Vulture. The hands on the Vulture are unique. The second hand is orange and appears typical. The hour and minute hands are outlined in orange and contain adequate amounts of superluminova. The hour hand is in the shape of an arrowhead (best way to describe) and is very appropriate in size in respect to the dial. The uniqueness comes with the minute hand. The minute hand is actually shaped like a dagger/trench knife/special forces knife (not sure which is most appropriate) and matches the logo on the case back of the watch. While some may find the hands especially the minute hand gimmicky in nature I find it to be refreshing and creative/militaristic which also shows me a lot of time and effort went into the design of this watch. Maybe a reader can identify the blade more appropriately.    Case Back: The case back is nicely machined. The dagger logo, model name, and serial number are center of the case back. Around the outer edge of the case back the company name, series and other non spec related information is engraved. Very asthetically pleasing at least to me.  Straps/Bracelet: This particular model comes standard with the 24mm bracelet. Other models of the Vulture come with either a neoprene, ballistic or rubber strap. All models have screw in lugs in order to allow for switching out straps of your choice. Other strap options are available through MTM for an additional charge. The links on the bracelet model are approximately 4mm in thickness and are of the screw in varieity adding to the durability of the watch. The links are beveled resulting in a raised appearance in the center adding to the overall texture of the bracelet. The scissor style clasp is push button with flip lock. The clasp is engraved with the dagger logo while the flip lock is engraved with the company name. The clasp contains 3 micros for additional sizing. The clasp is similar to many others seen on the market. Sized to approximately a 7 1/2 inch wrist in the photos with one link removed.     Lume: The lume on the Vulture in the photos below speaks for itself. The superluminova on the hour markers and hands is on par with any other that I have seen and owned. The standard lume shot below was after a 10-20 second blast with a Surefire flashlight. The afterglow on the markers and hands was still present at 4am making reading the time still very easy. 4 light modes using multi LED strobes and an ultra-violet (UV) light frequency mode are present on the Vulture. The flashing stobes were pretty much impossible to photograph but the picture of the stobes on below will more than indicate what you can expect with the emergency mode. The combination of the superluminova and lighting technology in the Vulture makes it one of the most luminescent on the market that I have seen to date. The light modes are engaged with each depression of the crown at the 2 o'clock position Levels 1 through 4. STANDARD LUME (pictured below)  Level 2 and 3 Lighting (pictured below): Level 2 LEDs for 20 seconds and Level 3 Flashing LEDs in Emergency Mode will flash as long as battery has a charge.  Level 1 and 4 Lighting (pictured below): Level 1 known as Internal Mode the UV lighting illuminates dial for 8 seconds. Level 4 which could be used for extreme diving conditions the UV lighting illuminates the dial as long as the battery maintains a charge.  Recharge Capability: The Vulture comes with a USB cable and AC adapter for recharging of the power cell in the watch that supplies the power for the watch lighting technology. The USB can be used for connection and charging by laptop or desktop PC. The AC adapter allows for recharging on either a 110 or 220 wall outlet. As mentioned earlier there are lighting indicators on either side of the 12 o'clock position that will indicate when the watch lighting technology needs charged and when it is adequately charged. The battery/power cell is rated at 10 years per MTM. The lighting technology load/drain on the rechargeable battery/cell can be discharged supposedly in less than a day with continual use. I find the recharging capability of this watch to be very unique to the market as I have not seen others outside of the MTM brand though there may be others to which I am unaware. The watch came possibly fully charged so I have been unable to test the re-charging functions to this point but will update this review once recharging is necessary including an attempt of a photo on the charge indicators. The watch movement is powered by a standard long life watch battery Summary: The Vulture arrived with fantastic presentation/packaging as well as some unique features with the watertight carrying case, titanium construction, sapphire crystal, Ronda Swiss Quartz movement, screw down crowns, lighting system and recharging capability of the lighting system. MTM pieces are also GSA approved. The amount of lume and lighting technology on the Vulture is excellent almost stunning and provides superior lumination and afterglow duration well into the night. As mentioned earlier the dial notates USA above the 6 o'clock position which is another aspect of the Vulture that I personally find appealing because while components of the watch may not be made in the USA, according to MTM, the actual assembly and quality control for their watches takes place in Los Angeles, California. A direction I hope to see many other US based companies to take in the future. The only upgrade I would love to see in regards to the Vulture would be the addition of half links or a redesigned clasp. If half links are not entirely possible redesigning the clasp allowing for more micro adjustments will increase sizing options. While the Vulture is not a true dive watch a diver's extension would also be nice since the Water Resistance rating is at 200m making it more than capable in some diving situations. Of course an option to redesign on the bracelet or clasp would be to have one of the other strap options on hand which would make using it in some diving situations an option for those with larger wrists. The MTM Silver Vulture Titanium seems to be a fantastic militaristic and rugged style time piece. Being a former law enforcement professional I can see how this particular MTM offering and others can offer maximum benefits to the wearer. I wish I had one of these when I was still in the profession. I also believe the Vulture would be an ultimate watch for any type of activity not just those undertaken by our law enforcement community and military.
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| Posted: Thu Aug 4th, 2011 10:40 am |
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2nd Post |
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TVDinner Administrator 
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Nice Review Mike. Very interesting watch and beefy. Kind of like a watch on steroids. Great review again.
____________________ Current Rotation: Breitling Seawolf Avenger | Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean | Oris TT1 Diver Small Second Date | Oris TT1 Titan Chrono | Glycine Lagunare White Dial Chrono | SWI LE 7751 | Orient Saturation Diver | Hamilton X-Wind | CASIO G-SHOCK | Boschett Cavedweller WF LE (on order) |
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| Posted: Thu Aug 4th, 2011 11:59 am |
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3rd Post |
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rbmbb - Randy 
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Great pics Mike! Have you been going to the TattooChef school of photography? ;) The watch looks awesome and I must say that if I ever left the computer(I'm a watchfreeks addict  ) that would be a very useful watch indeed.Great review!
____________________ I own 142 watches,but here are my favorites(In no particular order): Current rotation: Hamilton Frogman,Kazimon Funfhundert,Debaufre Csar,Clerc CXX Scuba,Stuhrling Dynasty Tourbillon,W3 Custom Pilot,Glycine KMU 48,Suunto Core,Prometheus GT Chrono,Glycine SST06,DeepBlue DayniteOps,Stolas Spinnaker,Zixen Trimix Mechanik,Hamilton Pulsomatic,Vintage VDB 2011 Dualtime,Steinhart Aviation Chronograph,BaliHai'Project C,Victorinox Clous de Paris,Magrette Tane:Lord of the Forest,Clerc Icon 8 Double Temps... |
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| Posted: Thu Aug 4th, 2011 12:56 pm |
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4th Post |
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expressowesto Watch Freek 
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Great review and I got to see it in person and all those who saw it jaws were dropping to the floor. Great build and the Las Vegas light show is pretty amazing.
____________________ One Day At a Time |
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| Posted: Thu Aug 4th, 2011 03:05 pm |
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5th Post |
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soberdave09 Watch Freek 
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niccccccccccce review & killer pics.like the watch,but call me a snob,i only buy automatic's
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| Posted: Thu Aug 4th, 2011 03:47 pm |
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6th Post |
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Bichondaddy Watch Fan
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Their whole line is really cool....I especially like their all black IP Ti version with the orange dial!!! Their watches are really well built and made to take a beating!!! Great review....
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| Posted: Thu Aug 4th, 2011 04:04 pm |
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7th Post |
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NanaimoWatchFreak GIDDY UP! 
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WOW...Interesting lume possibilities. Good work Mike, i'm glad someone did a detailed review on it. The micro's would keep me away though, I have a weird sized wrist. Thanks for showing and great pics.
____________________ CURRENT WEEKLY ROTATION: REACTOR: Gamma, MARATHON: Jsar (Nov. 2007) Auto Converted, FORTIS: B-42 Marinemaster, STOLAS: Spinnaker, CROTON: Vortex "Pineapple", |
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| Posted: Thu Aug 4th, 2011 07:24 pm |
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8th Post |
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sixtysix Always Railroad Approved! 
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Great job on the review! I have an MTM,(Thunder Hawk) and I really like thier products....glad this one made the grade.
____________________ Remember, we are the caretakers of mechanical art. Member NAWCC, National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors  |
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| Posted: Thu Aug 4th, 2011 07:47 pm |
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9th Post |
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Axelay2003 Gerald 
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Nice! 56mm lug to lug killed it more my puny 6.75-inch wrist.
____________________ It's a beautiful world! GERALD. 
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| Posted: Thu Aug 4th, 2011 11:18 pm |
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10th Post |
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pdanielf Watch Freek
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UKWolfeman, That was a nice review. I have been eyeing the Vultures in their different variations since they were announced which was nearly a year before the original versions were ready for sale. I do have a couple questions. 1. Does the UV mode have enough brightness to charge the superluminova at all. 2. Special Ops Watch info on this watch only states in the specs the emergency flashing mode lasts for up to several hours. 3. Could you test how long the emergency flashing mode lasts when the lights are fully charged? Take Care, pdanielf
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| Posted: Thu Aug 4th, 2011 11:32 pm |
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11th Post |
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OpusX Watch Freek
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great review
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| Posted: Thu Aug 4th, 2011 11:46 pm |
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12th Post |
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KAS67 Kenny 
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Great review UKWolfeman on a great watch. Kenny
____________________ WATCHES IN ROTATION: Baume & Mercier Hampton Milleis XL Bathy's Benthic Titanium Reactor Fallout Deep Blue Sun Diver 1000 black Deep Blue Ocean Diver 500 blue Seiko Sawtooth black |
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| Posted: Thu Aug 4th, 2011 11:57 pm |
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13th Post |
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UKWolfeman The Extreme
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UV doesn't do a whole lot for the lume. The LEDs do charge the lume well. Running a full cycle each day the battery has not required charging as yet. Should get 30 days running a cycle each day. I will let you know how long the LEDs flash as soon as I can. My guess would be several hours possibly on a full charge is accurate. pdanielf wrote: UKWolfeman,
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| Posted: Fri Aug 5th, 2011 12:01 am |
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14th Post |
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pdanielf Watch Freek
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UKWolfeman wrote:UV doesn't do a whole lot for the lume. The LEDs do charge the lume well. Running a full cycle each day the battery has not required charging as yet. Should get 30 days running a cycle each day. I will let you know how long the LEDs flash as soon as I can. My guess would be several hours possibly on a full charge is accurate. Thank you. I am looking forward to finding out since the web site is so vague. That is one of the many benefits of forums like this and reviews like yours. Your photos did a great job of showing just how substantial this watch is and how nice it looks. Take Care, pdanielf Last edited on Fri Aug 5th, 2011 05:33 am by pdanielf |
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| Posted: Fri Aug 5th, 2011 04:39 am |
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15th Post |
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Mesh Guy Watch Freek 
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Exceptional review and a very cool watch, too. Thanks, Mike!
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| Posted: Fri Aug 5th, 2011 12:38 pm |
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16th Post |
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UKWolfeman The Extreme
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To answer that last part of your question. Keep in mind the lights were cycled one time every day since it was acquired but the flashing LEDs operated a minimum of 2.5 hours at which time sleep took over so they may have flashed a bit longer. 2.5 hours at a minimum along with taking into account cycling the lighting functions once a day is pretty good imho. Keep in mind there are also some Tube watches offered from MTM if LEDs are not your cup of tea and they are all built just as well I would bet. pdanielf wrote: UKWolfeman wrote:
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| Posted: Fri Aug 5th, 2011 04:45 pm |
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17th Post |
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pdanielf Watch Freek
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UKWolfeman, Thanks for the info. It was the original Hawk with its LED lights that got me interested in the brand. Then the Vulture was very intriguing to me with an emergency flash mode due to the types of sports I do. 2 1/2 hours is good for the battery powering it, but just not long enough it be useful as an emergency device in many circumstances. Too bad they could not have turned the flash rate down and gotten 4 to 6 hours out of the emergency flash mode. Now 2 1/2 hours is better then nothing and certainly is a nice complication and conversation piece in a watch. I also really like the LED mode. That could come in real handy at night on a trail. Thank you very much for taking the time to check this for me. Take Care, pdanielf
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| Posted: Sat Aug 6th, 2011 12:36 am |
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18th Post |
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nous defions Army Special Forces 
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I own two MTM watches. One of them is with me on deployment right now. I am very happy with their performance. Thanks for the nice review!
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| Posted: Sat Aug 6th, 2011 01:01 am |
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19th Post |
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BigTime738 Watch Freek 
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Great review! Very unusual light/lum features on that one... I'm thinking Reactor ND type technology would be more practical though... Last edited on Sat Aug 6th, 2011 01:02 am by BigTime738 ____________________  Omega, Glycine, Movado, ESQ, Tag Heuer, Tissot, Zodiac, Victorinox, Bulova, Orient, Seiko, Debaufre, Steinhart, Hexa, Xezo... |
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| Posted: Sat Aug 6th, 2011 01:33 am |
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20th Post |
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gman66 Gary 
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Great review of a killer piece. Your pics show all the details perfectly. Now, I have one more to add to my "must have" list...
____________________ I'm in serious need of professional help... |
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