Christopher Ward has unveiled The Twelve Snake, a special edition of their popular integrated sports watch, designed in collaboration with French artist seconde/seconde/ to celebrate the Year of the Snake.

The Twelve Snake features a 40mm stainless steel case and comes in a striking Venom Green colorway, complete with a pixelated dial inspired by the iconic Snake mobile game from the late 1990s. This watch has a number of fun details including a custom snake rotor snake and a false date window that displays various insect "treats" that appear and disappear, mimicking the gameplay of the classic game.

Priced at $1,225 on a steel bracelet and $995 on a rubber strap, The Twelve Snake is available to pre-order now for a limited time, with deliveries starting in July.

For more information see Christopher Ward's website.

Zelos has unveiled yet another new addition to their collection, this vintage-inspired chronograph dubbed the Vitesse.

According to the brand, this model harkens back to timepieces used during an intense period in 1960s motorsport, with a number of design elements - including a high domed sapphire crystal - taking their cues from that era.

In terms of specs, this one has a diameter of 40mm, a lug-to-lug measurement of 48mm and a thickness of 13mm. The engine here is the La Joux Perret L100 automatic chrono movement, featuring 68 hours of power reserve and customised rotor with spoked-wheel pattern.

The Vitesse comes in three distinct colourways; salmon, “Gulf” blue, and a classic black and white “panda” edition. All variants will be paired with a very nice looking 'Beads of Rice' bracelet and will be available starting August 4 for $1,200 USD.

For more information see Zelos' website.

If you’ve not seen one before, let me introduce you to the Seiko S-Wave, well, one of the many models released under the moniker during the sub-brand’s brief run. While information about this collection is limited, it seems Seiko used the name for a number of its more sporty and affordable offerings at the time, somewhat akin to the five line that would follow later. Sadly a lack of popularity meant the range only lasted a few years, and has faded into relative obscurity since.

While a great many S-Waves featured rather bold dial colours, the one I have here today is a much more subdued forest green, which can appear very dark depending on lighting conditions. In terms of overall design this is a really fun little timepiece, with the pop of red from the seconds hand and flowing curves of the stainless steel case. The contrast of the white fence post hour and minute hands makes for a very easy time reading experience. The day and date complication at four o’clock is always a practical addition, while the drilled lugs, applied logo and exhibition case back are nice touches, especially at the lower end of the market, where this model was positioned back in the day. Something that is present here that Seiko has long stopped offering with their entry-level watches is a signed crown, which rounds out what is a really rather attractive piece, one Seiko might do well to look back at and take inspiration from going forward.

In terms of specs, this watch has a case diameter of 38mm, a height of 12mm and a lug-to-lug measurement of 46mm, making it extremely wearable even on smaller wrists. The original band for this one was long gone before I picked it up, but from what I understand these were generally paired with a black leather strap, so I’ve been using a fairly plain Timex equivalent I had laying around. Thanks to the standard 20mm lug width there are no shortage of more exciting options out there, but I think this works well, at least for the time being.

This model comes equipped with an ‘A’ variant of the venerable 7s26 automatic movement, the very first of its kind Seiko ever produced, making this piece just a bit special. Of course, as you may very well expect after more than 20 years the example I have here isn’t running particularly great, with it losing a good couple of seconds every hour. Still, thanks to the prevalence of Seiko’s basic movements, if I was planning to start wearing this one regularly it wouldn’t be difficult or expensive to swap in a new one, or even perhaps the 7s26’s hacking and hand-winding cousin, the 4R36.

I do really like this little watch, it’s an easy wear and looks fantastic. I’m honestly surprised it didn’t get much love back in it’s heyday, still I’m very happy to have it the collection as something just slightly unusual.

TRASKA has unveiled an all-new addition to their collection, this vintage-inspired dual-crown dive watch, dubbed the Seafarer.

This 39mm model has been two years in development and is now the fifth in TRASKA’s stable, joining among others the very popular Freediver.

According to the brand’s owner this is a “loving homage to some of [his] favourite … dive watches” from the ‘50s and ‘60s, designed with the goal of “delivering … an aesthetic that is simple, functional and absolutely stunning to behold”.

Powered by the ever-reliable Miyota 9039 automatic movement, this piece features a boxed, double-domed Saphire crystal with underside AR, 150m of water resistance and a stainless steel case and bracelet finished with the company’s proprietary anti-scratch coating.

The Seafarer will be available in four distinct coulourways: an almost salmon Sun-Bleached Orange, Charcoal Black, Arctic White and of course the company’s signature Mint Green, starting June 5 for $570 USD.

Thanks for watching, please consider leaving a like or a comment, as it really does help grow the channel. See you in the next one.

For more information see TRASKA's website.

Today I’ll be taking a quick look at this, BOLDR’s very first Expedition model from back in 2018. I purchased this watch several months off the secondary market ago but am only covering in now, following the announcement that this watch is getting a re-release, with a limited number to be made available starting March 10.

If you’re unfamiliar with BOLDR, it is an independent watch brand based out of Singapore that began life with an initially successful Kickstarter campaign for a smartwatch, which was ultimately cancelled by the company due to unforeseen certification costs. They persisted, however, later returning to release a well-received quartz-powered chronograph dubbed the Journey, which lead to the creation of this watch and a number of other popular models in the years since.
In the marketing material covering the re-release, the company stated that this watch was the most requested to resurrected from their back catalogue, and I’m glad they finally acquiesced. I actually think this original Expedition accounts in large part for getting me into watches in the first place. I remember watching a video by the Time Teller showing off the Expedition version two next to the blue Everest variant of this and thinking the V1 was just a marvellous looking timepiece, while also wondering why on Earth they moved on to - what I think - is a fairly average-looking second iteration.

Anyway, let’s cover the specs quickly. This is a large, duel-crown field watch, featuring 200m of water resistance, a double-domed sapphire crystal and a Sellita SW200 automatic movement; which is Swiss-made, hacks, hand-winds and has a 38-hour power reserve. The 41mm bead-blasted stainless steel case has a thickness of 14mm, lug width of 20mm and a lug-to-lug measurement of 46mm.

I do really love the design of this watch, there’s just something about how the matte bead-plastered case, bold Arabics and squared-off syringe hands that come together to form a rugged yet rather pleasing aesthetic. Perhaps the real standout here are the duel crowns, they’re both screw-down and wonderfully knurled making them very easy to operate. I’m also a fan of the bright orange painted in the groove of the top crown that compliments the tip of the seconds hand nicely. If you’re wondering, the bottom crown is used to set the time and the date, while the top controls the inner rotating bezel, which can be used to mark countdowns, time elapsed or even as a compass.

While I’m still on the lookout for a blue Everest model, I’m very happy to have this white Eiger variant in the collection, especially given the magnificent full-lumed dial, which as you might expect performs admirably after dark. Here’s a quick sample.

One thing to note is that this watch comes on a canvas strap, not the leather one you see here. The canvas is nice and robust, it just isn’t quite my cup of tea. Another option though this time around is a stainless steel bracelet, which BOLDR is offering for the first time on this model.

I’m glad BOLDR is finally bringing this one back, albeit in a limited fashion. For those thinking about getting in on the re-release, it seems like what I have here is very similar to the White Sands variant on offer, but not exactly. All three of the 2022 variants have a centre cross hairs on their dial, a different case back pattern and a slightly different layout to the inner bezel. Also, in the case of the white one, the new model seems to have old-radium style ‘fauxtina’ lumed hands, which I’m not sure look quite as good as the standard white on this one. Regardless, if you’re interested in one of these, each colourway will be limited to 300 pieces and will go on sale starting March 10 for $599 USD.

For more information see BOLDRS's website.

Today I’ve got what I think is some pretty exciting news to share with you all. BOLDR has announced that they’re doing a limited re-release of this, the original version of the Expedition; their well-equipped 41mm field watch.

This 2022 edition differs somewhat from the 2018 model, with an ever-so-slightly tweaked dial and case back design, but stays true to the original with the same sleek bead-blasted stainless steel case and handset. The colour ways are also a little different to the initial offering, in particular the sandy khaki tones of the Rubʿ al-Khali model, which is all new.

According to the brand, the Expedition is “a tough, adventure-ready watch with impressive features to go along with its attractive design”, which "has remained the company’s most highly requested watch to return by fans”.

I may have been one of those asking for this to come back, honestly the second iteration of the Expedition - that BOLDR has been selling now for a number of years - just doesn’t do it for me, but the design of this one I just love. It’s unfortunate they’re not offering a blue Everest option this time around as that’s the one I’ve been chasing for some time, I did manage to find a white full-lume dial model a few months back though that I really do enjoy wearing. It’s actually incredibly similar to the White Sands variant being offered here, so let me know if you’d like to see a quick impressions video of that one.

Just the original, this watch features 200m of water resistance, a double-domed sapphire crystal and a Sellita SW200 automatic movement. The re-release Expedition goes on sale March 10 for $599 USD. Each variant is limited to just 300 pieces, so if you’re interested in this one make sure you get in quick.

For more information see BOLDRS's website.

Today I’ll be taking a look at the 2022 edition of the TRASKA Freediver, quite a popular microbrand dive watch, which I’ve been wearing pretty well exclusively now for the past week.

If you’re unfamiliar with TRASKA, it is an independent American watch brand based out of Florida, founded by Jonathan Mack in 2017. The company’s success to date was largely built off the back of their first Kickstarter campaign for the original version of this very watch back in early 2018, which was fully funded in just a few hours.

This is the fourth iteration of the Freediver and, as you might expect, this model comes with a number of welcome refinements over its predecessors. The most obvious of these being a significant redesign of the handset and dial, undertaken with the aim of improving legibility. The lumed minute markers on the ceramic bezel insert are now also fully graduated, giving you better precision when timing dives or whatever you’ve next got in the oven.

The Freediver comes in four different colourways: Carbon Black, Stone Grey, Arctic White and what I have here, the company’s signature Mint Green. All colourways are available in date and no-date variants. While likely not the most popular choice, I opted for the date complication on my unit as I find myself neglecting watches that are time-of-day only.

Going over the specs just quickly, the case for this one measures in at 40.5mm across, 48mm lug-to-lug and a thickness of 10.5mm, which is quite slim for this style of watch at this end of the market. I’m not sure how but my collection has come to include far too many watches with odd lug widths, so the standard 20mm here makes a welcome change.

Powering this one is a Japanese Miyota 9000 series auto, a solid high beat movement with a 42-hour power reserve.

The sapphire crystal here has a generous layer of anti-reflective coating and is boxed style double domed, though the dome is incredibly subtle and could be mistaken as flat on first glance.

The water resistance rating on this one is a perfectly acceptable but uninspiring 200m.

With the specs out of the way let’s focus in on the design. The 316L stainless steel case is a well-executed but fairly simple, mostly brushed affair, with just slightest hint of polish along the chamfered outer edge of the drilled lugs. The black ceramic bezel is a highlight for me here though, there is a slight amount of back play but the action is fantastic and it looks great. The substantial coin edge feels fantastic and the engraved ceramic is very well done and has a healthy application of lume. Turning to the dial and, yeah, I think this one really does come together quite nicely. The trapezoidal hour markers and hands match perfectly and the white, black and mint colour scheme on the one I have is really rather pleasant. It has also proven to be extremely legible in all lighting conditions, making the redesign a successful one I think.

I received a question from a subscriber asking my thoughts on the circular date window at six O’Clock and it does seem like a bit of an odd choice, why not just go with a trapezoidal window? Perhaps the designer felt the circular date portal, along with the lollipop seconds hand and circle top lume pip helped to offset the sharper angles prominent throughout the rest of the design. I’d still like to see what a different approach might look like but I feel it mostly works as is, and it is honestly growing on me more as time goes by.

The signed, screw-down crown is large and plenty grippy, making time adjustments a breeze.

Quite a few microbrands have come out with some pretty wild case backs in recent times, not so here though with the back being surprisingly sterile, engraved with just the core specifications; possibly a decision made to keep the watch as thin as possible.

The bracelet here is a good one; very well finished, solid end links, screw pins and an excellent clasp. I had to remove three links for my 6 1/2” wrist and had no trouble getting a comfortable fit thanks to the four holes of micro adjust.

Here’s a quick lume shot for those curious what it looks like after dark. The lume here is BGW9 Super-LumiNova and there’s a good amount of it, making for a healthy glow.

There really isn’t a lot to complain about this one, the main thing that somewhat bothers me is the rotor whine seemingly inherent to Miyota movements. Here’s a quick sample of what I mean… On wrist it’s only notice in a very quiet settings but when you do catch it it just sounds a bit cheap, making my wish TRASKA had have opted for a different engine. Not a deal breaker by any means, just something to be aware of if you’re looking to pick one of these up.

Overall I’m very happy to add this one to the collection, I love the colour and clean design of the dial. I think the asking price here of $600 USD is very reasonable for what you’re getting. You can really tell this is a design that has been honed over time, with very few weak points.

For more information see TRASKA's website.