Raven Trekker - Vintage Blue - Steel Bezel
“Go Anywhere Do Anything”
Authors Note
I was sent this Trekker – Vintage Blue to keep upon finishing my review. As always, I will reframe from Bias but also, I can promise you this, this watch is a great adventure companion, and I couldn’t be more stoked to have it in my rotation.
My History with Raven
I was first introduced to Raven Watches through a mutual friend of Steve Laughlin, His name was Jake and when we met in Buffalo NY and he unrolled that watch roll with some Raven watches in it I was certain I had found a brand that had what it takes to be a true adventure watch. Although never hearing of Raven before my sit down with Jake I realised something, not all watches need to be blasted across social media, some watches speak for themselves. As I picked up the Trail Trekker it was not loud it was a quiet professional time piece, and I was very much intrigued. Fast forward a couple months and I was fortunate enough to review the Trekker although be it in a different configuration and colourway. Something I will always be grateful for is the relationships and trust friends and companies give the SBWC with Reviews. Here we go.
The Company and the Man Behind Raven
Raven Watches is owned and operated by Steve Laughlin. Their headquarters and design office is located in Overland Park, Kansas. Raven was founded in 2008, and I quote they are “dedicated to creating high-quality, durable time pieces inspired by the adventurous spirit of exploration”. Something you can tell almost immediately after picking up any of Ravens watches is that they have heart. They do not feel like a cold inanimate object like most pieces. Almost as if there is already a story of adventure within them. Raven is known for their reliable time pieces that have modern advanced features like high water resistance, incredible lume, and rock-solid automatic movements. Having these characteristics truly places Raven rubbing shoulders with some big names with not having to brag or overdue adverts.
Steve Laughlin - I have been in contact with Steve for almost a year now regarding reviews, and he has always been very polite and honest throughout our communication. Something that I believe makes you trust this company is their comms. Steve earned a BFA in Visual Arts from Kansas State University in 1999 and began designing and producing watches since 2008. At Raven he works in product design, marketing, photography, website development, sales, shipping and email communications. If you didn’t know Raven watches and caught a glimpse of their products, I think most of us would agree those watches were made by someone with a passion for adventure and photography. You wouldn’t be far off with that conclusion.
“Travel, adventure, and photography inspire the Raven designs, and this passion has produced watches that attract like-minded customers. Ravens are worn by many professionals that find themselves in board rooms to battlefields”
-Raven
The Trekker – Vintage Blue – Steel Bezel Intro
Launched in 2012 under the name Raven Vintage 40, the Trekker came to light during a worldwide obsession with heritage watch design. With many companies almost carbon copying the blueprints of the past Raven began to push the boundaries with modern materials and design giving them their own presence and space. The modern-day Trekker has now become a staple of Raven watch company and is the go-to adventure piece for many watches enthusiast.
Unboxing / First Impressions
The Raven Trekker Vintage Blue arrived in protective packaging along with the Finch Knife that will be covered in another gear review at a later date. The Trekker comes in a simple sleeve style carboard box with a clean image of an adventurer in the mountains adorned on the front. Sliding the two pieces apart your met with warranty cards, stickers and of course the watch. Nestled in some foam for protection the box sapphire glass immediately stole the show. The early morning sun from the bay window gave the Trekker an immediate presence. Electrifying even. Picking up the watch I felt its familiar weight, not too heavy but sturdy enough for its 39MM size. Running you fingers along the case and bracelet you feel the build quality and understand why this would be hard pressed to switch out of the bracelet. With a very well done taper and double push button deployment clasp the Trekker is a breeze to operate. Bezel is crisp and little to zero back play. Setting the watch was a breeze and winding the movement was a very tactile and smooth experience. The overall fit and finish of the Vintage Blue is leagues above most watches at this price point and Id be hard pressed to find a competitor at their level.
The Case
The Trekker case is made of Brushed Stainless Steel and comes in at 39mm in diameter and 48mm lug to lug with a thickness of 12.5mm which is damn near perfect in dimensions and sits very comfortably on the wrist. With turned down drilled lugs it really hugs the radius of your wrist. Sporting 20mm Lug width the strap options are endless but as stated earlier I really like the bracelet and am hard pressed to take it off. I did however switch the bracelet once in the last couple weeks to an admiralty grey NATO style strap and it wore very well while chopping down a tree on my property. The bottom of the case has chamfers around the edges which lead to a comfortable wearing experience especially when articulating your wrist doing push ups or climbing. The Caseback remains solid and simple which suits the watch perfectly. The company logo is at the center with the specs of the watch around the circumference. Speaking of specs, the Trekker is now 200 meters which is more than sufficient for the average adventurer and sport diver.
Sapphire and Dial
The new Trekker has a slimmer profile which has been made possible by lowering the box sapphire crystal and reshaping the caseback. This overall design feature gives the Trekker a more modern appeal without sacrificing durability. The Sapphire Crystal is extremely legible with just a small amount of distortion at an angle. The showstopper enters here. The AR coating on this watch is so well done it becomes electric in certain light giving off some serious 90’s Omega Seamaster vibes.
Below that well executed brilliant crystal is an equally well-done gloss blue dial. The chapter ring is brushed plain stainless steel giving it a small port hole style feel with the minute track painted in white on the dial around the circumference. Moving inward starting at the twelve are applied stainless steel indices filled with healthy amounts of bright Blue SuperLumiNova. The twelve being a classic inverted triangle with the 1,2,4,5,7,8,10 and 11 all being circular. The 6 o’clock is a rectangle along with the 9 o’clock. All of these working together give you the ability to not confuse the orientation of the watch in low light conditions. The Trekker is equipped with a date function which snaps over perfectly at 12 and the date window itself is well done with a crisp white border and the wheel itself is black on a white background giving a solid read immediately. Continuing inward you have the Raven Logo under the 12 and the text TREKKER and 200M/650FT just above the 6. The hand stack is simple but very well done in execution. Starting from the bottom the sword style hour hand is done in a polished silver with a healthy diamond of blue lume applied reaching its desired target. The second hand is pencil shaped and long enough for precise minute timing polished just like the hour hand the pair give great legibility. The second’s hand is what I would call paddle style with a rectangular shaped lume marker 3/4s of the way down toward the minute track. Overall, the Trekker dial layout is super legible and brilliant to look at.
The Bezel
The Bezel is Stainless Steel also with a very well-done coin edge that gives proper purchase at any angle. The first time I operated a Trekker Bezel was a positive experience and this being the second time I was just as pleased showing continuity in construction with different interpretations of the Trekker model. You can tell these watches are put together with extreme accuracy and built to endure. The surface of the bezel is very well done in a brushed finish, and the dive time markings are painted in black with every 5-minute being thicker and the 15-minute increments being numerals. Finishing the bezel is a stand alone Lume pip which is perfectly aligned for timing in any light condition.
Bracelet
The Trekkers Bracelet is to me better than many major brands by a long shot. Even the Shields and Crowns fall short on clasps and adjustments sometimes and that’s beyond me for what you pay. The Trekker couldn’t be farther in form and function. The Quick Release 20mm female end links taper down to 16mm aiding the bracelet to fall around your wrist. The double push button deployment clasp is well executed with the NODEX glide locking system your comfort is guaranteed throughout the day. I have had watches before where I would keep a quick release back up rubber to ensure if my wrist swelled, I could easily switch it out. The NODEX adjustment gives you that one and done bracelet option that many watch enthusiasts look for. As for adjustability in length the screw pins make sizing the bracelet a dream also. Raven truly has knocked it out of the park with this modern rendition.
Movement
Miyota 9015/9039
A new signed oversized crown improves tactile manipulation of the Miyota 9015/9039. When unscrewed as stated earlier it is a dream to click in and out giving you a hacking function for coordinating timing with other devices or in orders before stepping off on a mission. The date wheel is snappy and clean. Hand winding the watch is very smooth. I have worn this watch while operating Milwaukee impacts and Hilti Concrete drills at 350 feet in the air which give your wrist a constant jolt of movement and the Trekker has stayed true on time. The Miyota is a true workhorse and with it being a common movement servicing should be a breeze. When screwing down the signed polished crown to secure it, it has a very positive thread and when it seats itself you get that feeling of security. Adding another level of protection for the 200M water resistance.
Conclusion
Coming from a service background and now being a civilian looking at watches that meet an achievable price point with incredible specs for adventurers and serving members of first responder communities/military alike really gives me a sense of pride sharing Raven with our community. Raven puts out a well-balanced spec’d watch that I would whole heartedly recommend to anyone looking to get into watch collecting or that just needs that one and done adventure watch that's suitable for day-to-day life. Hats off to Steve and his team, I look forward to seeing what else is in the future for Raven and wish them all the best.
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