UDT-8000
Author’s Note:
RZE is a brand close to my heart. Not just because I like their watches, but because one of the owners, Huiy, is a dear friend. He and I often get lunches together, chat watches and talk about our families. He is a true confidant. I also did not pay for this watch, perks of having a buddy that runs his own watch brand I guess. All that being said, I will ensure I give a fair and concise review. The price of this watch as reviewed is $219 USD.
Brand History & Initial Thoughts:
Normally when I write these reviews, I take quite a bit of time to dive into the history of the brand at hand. RZE is a very new brand, founded in its current form in 2020. In this short 5 years, RZE has accomplished a lot and developed and impressive and diverse catalog and managed to identify a clear design language and identity for the brand. Further to the brands history and the ethos behind RZE, I refer you to their site’s “about us” section:
“Since 2020, RZE has been dedicated to building timepieces for the everyday adventurer. Inspired by the use of titanium in the aerospace industry for its strength to weight ratio, each watch is crafted from solid UltraHEX™ titanium to ensure your adventure companion is capable of enduring the toughest conditions and escaping unscathed. From beaches to boardrooms, high tide and desk dives, we’re proud to be a part of your journey; We are #assembledforadventure.
The brand belief of turning limitation into strength saw RZE breaking new ground time and time again. Our tireless pursuit of the new compels us to constantly push boundaries and go further - always providing indestructible gear that accompanies our adventurers on life's journey."
The UTD-8000 is RZE’s debut digital watch model. A first for the catalog and a testament to the constant development and iterative philosophy that is ever present for the brand. The UTD-8000 was designed to be a “go anywhere do anything” (GADA) watch that could withstand whatever extreme conditions are thrown at it. The UTD-8000 is resistant to water, dust, corrosion, scratches, shock, vibrations, and features an advanced custom module, fully operational even while the watch is fully exposed to extreme temperatures. Needless to say, for a sub $300 watch and a first offering into the digital space, this is a seriously impressive and extremely capable piece
Packaging:
I love when brands make your box opening experience a treat. The UTD-8000 is no exception. The outer box of the watch is the standard RZE black and yellow cardboard box. Clean and simple. Once you open the box, you are greeted by a yellow Toyo T-150 tool box inside of a red white and blue cardboard sleeve adorned with line art and proudly stating “Made in Japan”. It’s hard to place exactly the familiar novelty of this packaging, the best I could garner is that it reminded me of opening vintage Japanese toys from the 1990s. It suits the watch but also feels unique.
Upon sliding off the sleeve, you see the bright yellow metal tool case. You flip it up and underneath the hinged foam covered lid, you are greeted by the UTD-8000 sitting perfectly inside its foam slot staring back up at you, ready to be worn. The opening experience of the watch is utilitarian and on point for the watch. It’s nothing superfluous or flashy while still authentic to RZE as a brand and the UTD-8000 as a watch.
Specs at a Glance:
Upon taking the watch out of the packaging, you are immediately struck by the impressive feel and finish of the watch. Here are some of the specs of the watch at a glance:
CASE: Solid Grade 2 Titanium with UltraHex™ Coating + Shock Resistance
LIGHT: Aqua-marine LED Backlight (UltraGlow)
MOVEMENT: Custom UTD-8000 Multi-Function Digital Module
BATTERY: CR2032
BATTERY LIFE: > 3 years
WATER RESISTANCE: 200m (660ft) / 20ATM
LENS: Sapphire crystal with inner-side Super-AR
STRAP: Custom elasticized fabric strap
BRACELET: Available with RZE titanium bracelet coated with UltraHex™ and QUIKCLIQ™ on-the-fly buckle
CASE BACK: Screw secured titanium caseback
CASE SIZE: 41mm measured at the bezel (42mm at the case)
CASE THICKNESS: 13.4mm
LUG WIDTH: 20mm
LUG TO LUG: 49.5mm
Case:
The grade 2 titanium, 41mm case of the UTD-8000 comes in at a slim 13.4mm thick and with a lug to lug of 49.5mm. These dimensions coupled with the 20mm lug width ensure that the UTD-8000 is highly wearable and comfortable on a variety of wrist types and sizes. On the fabric strap that I wear the UTD-8000 on, I find that it feels weightless and I often forget that it is there until I need it. The case is treated with RZE’s trademarked UltraHex coating which hardens the surface of the titanium and makes it scratch proof. I have yet to scratch the UTD or my other RZE’s significantly thanks to the UltraHex coating on them.
The case has sharp angles where the lugs are attached and flow into the faceted case sides where the 4 control buttons are located. The watch feels flat and planted on the wrist while also having a strong presence that is focused on contemporary design and maximum functionality.
The bezel of the UTD is affixed via 4 screws that make me think of a combination of an AP Royal Oak and a Bell & Ross BR03. They suit the watch well and give it that utilitarian look while providing style and flare to the design. Arching in script along the 12 o'clock section of the bezel is the work “Titanium” proudly engraved. Along the bottom of the bezel at 6 o'clock is the word “UltraHex”. Both words are there to proudly remind you of how light, tough and capable the UTD-8000 is.
The caseback is affixed by screws and features a nicely machined 3D RZE logo in the center. The perimeter of the caseback features information such as the 20BAR (200M) water resistance rating, the fact the watch was designed in Canada, and reminds you again that the watch is titanium treated with an UltraHex coating. Further to the water rating, I was informed by RZE that the buttons are in fact functional while the watch is submerged.
Display:
Time to get to the heart and soul of the UTD-8000. Let’s get something straight off the hop. I am not a digital watch guy. I’ve worn a Suunto Core and had a Casio Mudman all through my early policing career and training and I was never a fan. I was happy the day I switched to nicer analog watches. I will concede though that in the last year or two I have come to appreciate Ani-digi- displays. Having owned the Breitling Aerospace Evo Night Mission and the Seiko SNJ025 (Arnie), and the aforementioned digital watches, I feel that I can give an informed opinion on the display of the UTD-8000. In short, I really like it. It is simple, large and legible. The watch has everything you need and nothing you don't.
In its standard mode, you see the time in a large format in the middle, above it is the day of the week and below the time is the date. Both windows are labelled as well. The perimeter of the display has all the buttons labelled with their functions as well as the water resistance and shock resistance at 6 o clock in a cool blue colour. At the top at 12 o'clock is the RZE logo in medallion yellow. The display is capped with a flat sapphire crystal that has an inner super anti reflective coating that works extremely well. I opted for the negative display model so the empty space of the display is black and the digits on screen are grey. The back light of the watch is fantastic as well. It's a beautiful aquamarine that is easy to see and not too bright so as to ruin your night vision or be annoying. RZE calls the backlighting system “UltraGLow”. I’ll admit that I don’t know if anything is proprietary about the backlight system for RZE, but “UltraGlow” sure sounds cool.
Module:
The module of any digital watch, including the UTD-8000, is really where one finds the “secret sauce” per se. It’s where you find all the unique functionality of the watch and get a sense for what this what the brand and designers are all about. The sense I got after interacting with the module of the UTD-8000 is that RZE went for stripped down simplicity and reliability with their module. Personally, I love that. I don't need tidal timers and 5 time zones and 3 alarms. The UTD-8000 has all the functionality I need and I love that it is easy to use.
The functions found in the module include:
- Time display (12 or 24 format)
- Day display (2 characters, e.g. MO, TU, WE)
- Date (month - date)
- Stopwatch (simple stopwatch only. Start, stop, start again and stop again as many times as you want, reset)
- Alarm (one)
- LED Backlight (Aquamarine in colour, perfect amount of illumination without being a beacon for others to see)
- Bonus: Idiot proof. It is super easy to use and all the buttons are labeled.
Strap/Bracelet:
The model of UTD-8000 I received comes on RZE’s elastic strap. It is clean, slim and with great Velcro patches that keep the watch secure but are easy to release when you want to take the watch off. The fabric is soft and breathable and does not irritate your skin.
The UTD-8000 can also go on RZE’s UltraHex titanium bracelet, which if you are willing to pay the extra cost, elevates the watch to a new level and in my opinion is worth the price. Specs for the bracelet are:
- Bracelet Material: Grade 2 Titanium with UltraHex™ Coating
- Lug Width: 20mm
- Buckle Width: 16mm
- Buckle style: Stainless steel with UltraHex™ Titanium Coating and on-the-fly tool-less micro-adjust.
Final thoughts:
In a world dominated by Timex Iron Mans and Casio G-shocks, RZE is stepping up to offer a simple yet premium alternative to those big names. The UTD-8000 is affordable and something different while being packed with features like UltraHex, insane shock and temperature resistance and 200m water resistance. The module of the UTD-8000 is stripped down and utilitarian but still has everything you need. I definitely recommend the UTD-8000 to anyone who is looking for a watch they don't need to worry about and can be a trustworthy and affordable companion for anything that life throws at them!
I’d also like to see RZE continue to expand out the catalog for these. Different colors of cases, module lights and contrasts, different straps and possibly differently programmed modules for more specialized models, the options are limitless. Who knows what the future holds for the RZE UTD-8000. What I do know is that we are just starting with this watch and there is plenty to look forward for the UTD-8000 line.