ProTek Celebrates the 250th Anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps with Five New Models

ProTek is introducing five new models across two collections, with two joining the existing USMC Series 1010 and three debuting in the all-new Series 4100. These watches touch the heart and soul of ProTek, which has made quite a name for itself with timepieces designed especially for first responders and the military. A key element is the unique illumination technology pioneered by the brand’s founder, Barry Cohen. For the Series 4100, ProTek went big, opting for T100 tritium lume tubes— the largest available on the market— to serve as hour markers.

While the watches themselves feature carbon-composite cases and the ProTek signature tight unidirectional bezel, the case backs are made of stainless steel. They are screwed down for water resistance and feature the USMC logo with the phrase “The Few. The Proud. Uncommon Valor for 250 years.” In line with the robust character of the watch, they are also all fitted with antireflective sapphire crystals and screw crowns, along with genuine rubber straps with a quick-release function. Inside the cases tick robust quartz calibers to deliver time with military precision. 

While they can indeed take a beating and their design is based on the principle of form following function, they still possess an undeniable sense of beauty. They are straight-up honest about what they are built for and will therefore be all the more appreciated by not only those who serve but also veterans and anyone else who appreciates a purpose-built timepiece. 

As Founder Barry Cohen puts it: 

“The entire Protek brand was conceived and designed in collaboration with the same designer I worked with for decades at my former brand (Barry Cohen is also the founder of Luminox. red.). The newest models still feature our ‘facets’ design language (cases have lots of cuts and angles like facets on a gemstone), with two in our current 42mm case size, and three new models using a ne,w larger 45mm case with a chunkier design called The Aggressor, to fit its aggressive character. Even so, we retained our clean, uncluttered aesthetic for classic, timeless design that will always be in style.”

The watches are all built in clean rooms that meet the latest ISO standards and extensively tested to ensure they withstand the most demanding conditions. For ProTek, that means, for example, that the 30ATM/300-meter water resistance is first tested dry by pressurizing air, and then they get a wet test where they are submerged in pressurized water to absolutely guarantee water tightness. According to Barry Cohen, this is the only way to ensure that ProTek really deserves the title for creating 'All Terrain Watches.' Given their robust qualities, they are also reasonably priced at $525 (for the Series 1010, models 1011SF, 1011SFC) and $595 (Series 4100).

For more info, visit ProTek, here.