The wrist light, the watch flashlight. Perhaps the ultimate EDC light?

Hey everyone!

So I've had my eye on the Surefire 2211 series since it was announced. Quite frankly, the asking price is true insanity.

I wouldn't mind a wrist light, so I started looking for a bit. I found a a million billion links to a couple of China SF 2211 knockoffs, $8-$79. I'm certain they're not very good. Some even had a digital watch in them. There's the E-Smart, The GoRead, the Antiee, the "Parrot Uncle" (?!?!), the ZTHY (?!?!), and more. These things all look exactly the same, a Surefire knockoff. Some have a cheap digital watch, some do not. I'm sure they're all garbage. I stopped counting at about 15 of these bizarre knockoff names, all pushing the same product.

There are these silly "flashlight gloves" that let you strap a gigantic full size flashlight on the back of your hand and that's ridiculous. Nope!

There's the TAILI watch flashlight with what looks like 10 5mm led shining out of the face. No idea if it's one of the brightest or not, not counting SF 2211's claimed 300lm.

There's the iBeam Sport Watch flashlight, with flip up magnifier. There's a video on the net of some guy soldering while using it.

Victorinox has the Night Vision Watch Flashlight, $595! What's so special about a wrist light?

This is all I've found so far. As the top of the market is over $700, any other watch flashlights or wrist lights I should be considering before I take the plunge?

I have no real usability, durability, or suitability info yet on these items (but working on it.)

Wrist light and watch flashlight thread, anyone?

Re: The wrist light, the watch flashlight.



Best. Wristwatchlight. Ever. I bought mine from the B&HPhoto website a couple years ago (not sure exactly how long). Never, never had any regrets about it. It is hands down one of the most useful possessions I've ever purchased. And it really is bright enough on high to LIGHT UP my whole back yard at night.

Re: The wrist light, the watch flashlight.

Erm... The Surefire 2211X is a lot more wallet-friendly. Might be a good alternative if you've set your sights on the 2211 but not the price-tag. Plus choice of using CR123 primaries in the 2211X might be a big point to some.

Re: The wrist light, the watch flashlight.

jonwkng said:

Erm... The Surefire 2211X is a lot more wallet-friendly. Might be a good alternative if you've set your sights on the 2211 but not the price-tag. Plus choice of using CR123 primaries in the 2211X might be a big point to some.

Click to expand...

I would agree... if you're talking about just a wristlight...no Luminox watch... no rechargeable capability... and Nitrolon instead of aircraft aluminum, then sure. It's an excellent Nitrolon, non-rechargeable wristlight.

BTW... I edited my original post to tone it down a bit. Apologies if it came across as rather intense and passionate. It's because I really appreciate my 2211 Luminox. I do understand the value of compromises when necessary. I really do. It's just that when the 2211 first came out, I thought if SF ever came out with a wristwatch version, I would buy it. They did... and I did. No regrets.

Re: The wrist light, the watch flashlight.

jonwkng said:

Erm... The Surefire 2211X is a lot more wallet-friendly. Might be a good alternative if you've set your sights on the 2211 but not the price-tag. Plus choice of using CR123 primaries in the 2211X might be a big point to some.

Click to expand...

Oh, funny. I was just looking at the 2211X on the web, found one place offering it for $152, scrolled down and they were offering "6 month financing" on it!

I've no interest in the China 2211 knockoffs. Based on my experience with China knockoffs, I'd be better off with a full build custom than trying to mod stuff that wasn't right to start with. What's really annoying about the knockoffs is they're spamming the market with the same two models under many, many names; this is making it really hard to find things other than these knockoffs. It's why I started this thread, giving up after seeing 30 pages of 90% the same models over and over again and 10% stuff that's not a wrist light.

Yeah, I was actually leaning towards the 2211X as I don't actually wear a wristwatch and was mostly looking for a nice wrist mounted light. I don't mind CR123 as I have several to burn already.

I've also considered mounting one or two custom tail clicky 10440 light(s) (perhaps a Vinh) to a wrist band, afaik this is the only way to get wrist-mounted output past 300lm as far as I've seen so far. The only downside is first degree burns!

In addition, we were discussing the "belt buckle" flashlight the other day, based on CPF custom "Micro ATL." That thing is about the size of a domino or so and wouldn't be bad looking on the right wrist strap.

socom1970 said:

Best. Wristwatchlight. Ever. I bought mine from the B&HPhoto website a couple years ago (not sure exactly how long). Never, never had any regrets about it. It is hands down one of the most useful possessions I've ever purchased. And it really is bright enough on high to LIGHT UP my whole back yard at night.

Click to expand...

So, you EDC it? Holding up like a champ? Great to hear. What kind of runtimes are you actually getting, say on high mode?

socom1970 said:

BTW... I edited my original post to tone it down a bit. Apologies if it came across as rather intense and passionate. It's because I really appreciate my 2211 Luminox. I do understand the value of compromises when necessary. I really do. It's just that when the 2211 first came out, I thought if SF ever came out with a wristwatch version, I would buy it. They did... and I did. No regrets.

Click to expand...

No worries, friend. Passion is a quality of an enthusiast. What you're describing is merely proof that "you're really into this."

Re: The wrist light, the watch flashlight.

Thank you for that, vampires.

I've never had a problem with it. I believe Surefire's claimed runtimes are accurate for the most part. I get about an hour of continous use on the 300 lumens high. I've gotten more than the 4 hours on the 60 lumen medium. Not sure of the 13 hours on 15 lumen low, but I've never run out of battery life yet on low.

It's really nice because, even though the 300 lumens is crazy bright, the 60 and 15 lumens are quite enough for most tasks. Even the 15 lumens setting is very useable.

Re: The wrist light, the watch flashlight.

Well that sounds good!

Something I've been wondering for a while about the 2211 series: When you point your fist directly at an object, at about what angle is the light coming out? I thought that looked kind of strange at first, but I see the utility in not focusing 50% of the light on the back of your hand.

A wrist light seems obvious and easy, it's surprising the market seems so rareified at the moment.

Re: The wrist light, the watch flashlight.

Uh oh! Surefire knockoff spotted at rip-off prices from an Amazon seller.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012CBCFGG/?tag=cpf0b6-20

That's an $8 light! Look out! Not Surefire!

Re: The wrist light, the watch flashlight.

Here's a quick and dirty beamshot in our shop. Sorry there's no good place to do this right now.



I would guess the angle of the light is maybe 30-35 degrees of divergence from the wrist. Very little light hits my wrist. The optic makes a beam that has a bright, squarish hotspot with lots of spill coming off the hotspot. There is no noticeable edge to the outer spill. It is an incredibly useful beam pattern.

White wall hunters probably won't like it much due to the optic artifacts, but in real world use, it's top-notch. It also has fairly decent throw for what it is.

Re: The wrist light, the watch flashlight.

I looked up some of the other wrist/watch lights mentioned in the OP. The Victorinox Night Vision is the only other one that looks worth buying, IMO. It looks really quite nice. And afaik, Victorinox makes good stuff. It looks far more civilian-ish, unlike the tactical tank look of the 2211 Luminox.

It looks like it has decent light output, but I can guarantee that my 2211 Luminox will blow it out of the water. The Night Vision looks useful for finding a keyhole, words on a page, or maybe changing a tire in a pinch when you have no other light options; the 2211 Luminox is useful for finding and destroying the night vision of the bad guy in the alley who wants to kill you.

Also, it appears the led on the Night Vision uses the watch battery for power. (?) I like that I can plug in my 2211 anytime and top it off, with the watch being unaffected at all by the light and vice-versa.

I think both are very good for their respective reasons and uses.

Re: The wrist light, the watch flashlight.

Yes, from what I've been able to find so far the SF 2211 series is king of wrist light output. Everything else seems to be 3mm and 5mm, so not in the same category.

So if the Vic Night Vision is using watch power, then it's off to the jeweler's and overpay for a watch battery every so often? I suppose style comes with a price, then. I agree, one of the most stylish I've seen so far.

The TAILI watch I mentioned in the OP is rechargeable, but about a mile thick. It looks extremely heavy.

I just hate all this SF knockoff spamming, it's making it nearly impossible to search and survey what's out there! Grr.

The price isn't bad on the iBeam watches, $59-$79 for most models.
http://www.ibeamwatches.com/
I don't think they look bad at all, this may well be the only real midrange option on the market... maybe there's others, I haven't found them yet.

Edit: the iBeam runs on watch power as well, read a few reports of even a jeweller having difficulty in battery swap.

Re: The wrist light, the watch flashlight.

In keeping with my avatar, I present an old concept... the "lighter watch."

http://gizmodo.com/5420814/the-cigarette-lighter-watch-because-everyone-smoked-in-the-80s

They're still around, but they are very very poorly produced. $6-$90 with massive price gouging going on and I think they're all made in one place.



Any review of someone using the above pic lighter watch has reported DOA units and near instant failures galore. As such, I'm disqualifying this ultrabudget wrist light as junk. Too bad, I want one of these things... provided they actually WORK!

This is the only model of lighter watch I've been able to locate.

Again, with the spamming that conceals other results. I tried again with image search, there were two other competitors and they've gone out of business. All 3 are junk.

It's high time Colibri got in on this. Theirs would work and be nice.

Re: The wrist light, the watch flashlight.

more_vampires said:

Uh oh! Surefire knockoff spotted at rip-off prices from an Amazon seller.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012CBCFGG/?tag=cpf0b6-20

That's an $8 light! Look out! Not Surefire!

Click to expand...

This is the part I like....
1 for $25 ($25 each...)
3 for $68 (~$23 each)
5 for $220 ($44 each - nice !!)

Re: The wrist light, the watch flashlight.

Sharp eyes, Mr Fett. This stuff is so prevalent and so common, I went and started a thread about ripoffs so we can post the worst offenders.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...he-Most-Overpriced-Budget-Lights-in-the-World
Someone has to at least try to reign in this insanity.

These knockoff people are driving me insane with their spamming while trying to find legit products.

I snagged one more: The Dakota Wristwatch Flashlight, another 5mm running on watch power. However two notable things about this one:

1. Electroluminescent dial plus the white emitter
2. $25 at Optics Planet.

It's amazing how much searching it's taking to find something other than a 2211 knockoff/ripoff. Their spamming is killing looking for a watch with a flashlight. It took me all day to find that Dakota. This is the sort of product I was expecting to find in 5 minutes, not a million links to the same two knockoffs of Surefire.

It's why I sorta called for backup with this thread. I can't be the only one who wants a wrist light.

Re: The wrist light, the watch flashlight.

Nighthawk Beacon C2 wrist light. $90.

I have one. Sad to say, it doesn't hit my checkboxes.

It's extremely thick, bulky, weak output, bad UI, extremely tiny capacity battery. I think it probably beats many of the wrist lights running on watch power, but mine has bricked itself and it's a set-top box. Maker warns against trying to go in there. So there you go.

As far as I can tell, the Surefire 2211X Nitrolon smokes it in every possible way at only about $60 more.

Edit: Ironically, I can find no "smartwatch" with a flash/flashlight app. The ubiquitous "lol I've got flashlight on phone" doesn't apply to the world of smartwatches. Cameras, yes. Zero flashlight capability as far as I've seen. Lackluster backlights as well, not even up to the challenge of outdoor daylight in some cases.

Re: The wrist light, the watch flashlight.

I guess I can see where the wrist light could come in handy say working on a car in tight quarters. Aside from that I see my shoulder getting really tired quickly from having to often extend and hold an entire arm that the wrist light would be on. Love Luminox though

Yes, utility. Utility is king. My reasonings for wanting the right wrist light are as follows:

1. Always on with almost zero inconvenience.
2. A backup that doesn't fill my pockets or displace other lights and gear. Example, I normally try to keep it down to one belt holster.
3. Compatible with various clothing. I just got 30+ tight jeans that I had to lose 10 lbs to fit into. I had to sacrifice flashlights.
4. Quick draw. Space Ghost-style, reach down with off hand and blast the light. Possibly faster than any pocket.
5. Unusual. This is a big criteria for me. I'm to the point where normal is boring.
6. Reputation. I see some old friends once in a while and I'm expected to have something new and weird.
7. The total package of ergonomics. When seated, it's awkward to pocket-draw a light. With the light securely on your wrist, you've got a whole lot of strange corner cases covered.
8. Versatility. A wrist light translates to a head light with minimal hacking.
9. I don't currently have the best. It's all the reason I need.

I did a bit of CPF digging and the previous wrist light threads are a bit underwhelming. Guess it's time to do this again, 2015 style. The market has grown, there are seemingly more models now than in 2012 or 2013. Though it's grown, this niche seems rather fledgling still.

Anyone with suggestions on stuff we've missed or discussion on what we've found so far? I like comprehensive threads.

We want the CPF-choice wrist light, I feel we've disqualified quite a few options so far.

In addition, we were discussing the "belt buckle" flashlight the other day, based on CPF custom "Micro ATL." That thing is about the size of a domino or so and wouldn't be bad looking on the right wrist strap.

Click to expand...

3d printing info for 5mmx3 wrist light similar in principle to the Micro ATL. Anyone got a make bot?
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:224158

more_vampires has my respect.

I need to feed our dog outside every night. No use turning on the deck light when there are so many good portable lights to use. We use some 'arthri-ease' powder sprinkled on a little bit of canned dog food. There seems to be nothing better than a headlamp to get the job done. A light in the hand does not allow one to see down in the can. A light on the outside of the wrist is a total overshot. Seems like the wrist light is very good at lighting an area in front of you, but at close up, not effective. Working on a car would probably be frustrating unless the light from the wristlight could bounce off of a nearby surface to light the area in general. I am open to dispute. Fact is, I do not own one.

Appreciated greatly, KB. Your thoughts have helped me to think in different directions on this, particularly in versatility.

Wearing a headlamp all day, snide comments from others aside, isn't comfortable for me. I'd put it on when I needed it and stash it otherwise.

The right wrist light could be worn as easily as a watch, depending on the looks it may draw compliments instead of derision.

Out in the woods or in the workshop, I realize that the Fenix HL05 is a contender for this thread, budget category.


It sort of looks like a watch. On the wrist, a curious viewer might say "what kind of watch is that?" Worn on the head during daylight, a viewer might say "You look like a doofus wearing that head light all day."

The light turns on and off by pressing directly into the light colored circle. The body of the light has a hinge and pivots while installed on a band.

Now, you have a wristlight and can put it on your head for that sort of application. I'm actually considering doing this! $15, no battery swap hassle, the coin batteries are cheap enough in bulk by net/mail order. Never buy coin batteries at the drugstore or photo shop, guaranteed ripoff.

It would be a simple mod to remove the clip/pivot action and mount it directly to a wrist strap for an overall thinner device and greater comfort.

Thanks, KB. Your contribution made me think of this. Cool. I even have the wrist strap left over from my dead Nighthawk Beacon C2.

Edit: This could go on a belt buckle as well. Floody goodness, modes, white and red.
I just realized that this exceeds the feature set of all wrist lights I've looked at so far.

The MTM Special Ops watch, as featured on that TV show. To the best of my searching, it is no longer available. It was about $500 the last I could find it offered.

Output seems it would be mediocre at best. On the plus, it had magnetic charging.

Evaluation: TV marketing gadget, not "ready for prime time" else MTM wouldn't have dropped it. The Victorinox Night Vision II is at the same price point and on it's gen 2. Looks like MTM gave up.