My Vaer S3 Tradition is 36mm of absolute perfection!I don't know where to begin. The brushing, the sleekness, the vintage tool watch vibe with it's black/amber dial and it's flawless, high end finish. THEN there are it's specs/features: 36mm case, 20mm lugs, screw-in case back, screw in crown, 100m WR, sapphire crystal and (best of all) QUARTZ! This is the watch many of us have waited for our whole lives: A quartz Explorer/Smiths Everest. I LOVE THIS WATCH !! Well done, Vaer.
I was just thinking that too. It doesn't have the American history like Timex, but I love the fact that the case is stainless steel instead of coated brass like many Timex watches have.
You could say that (and definitely less TICK, I used to have one on my bedside and it drove me crazy). We're paying homage to brands with a bit more depth that the Weekender, but in the same vein (Hamilton, Walthan, Elgin) From a price / quality perspective, we're definitely in a different class than Timex - if you're in the market for a watch with 100m depth rating, sapphire crystal, and a Swiss Made movement, we're a great choice. Jody did an awesome job at highlighting the subtle niceties of our case in the review as well, and if you set the Timex and our watch side by side, the differences are very noticeable. Some people really care about these seemingly small features (that add up to make a much better watch) and are willing to pay a bit more to get them. In our eyes, $149 for a watch with all of the above is a small price to pay for something that will be on your wrist for years to come. There's also the knowledge that while Timex is shifting their operations out of the states and over the to Asia, we're doing our best to move in the opposite direction. Glad to answer questions and talk watches, feel free to reach out through our site! -- Ryan
I have some US Timex watches but this reminds me more of the Rotary brand sold here in the UK. Rotary tend to come with a 3 year warranty as standard, which drew me in.
Looks good for the money. On my way home, I just spent $120.00 on beer whiskey and wine for the weekend. That just means one thing. Watches are getting cheaper and booze is getting dearer.
Quartz is so common, so for enthusiasts it's an issue of rarity. But honestly who cares lol. There are a lot of good looking (and quality) watches that are quartz.
I think some watch enthusiasts enjoy the mechanics behind it. It’s an old art form mechanical watches. I personally enjoy interacting with my watches and I really like the fact that someone had to figure out how to build this centuries ago. That took some serious smarts and ingenuity back then. Heck, it still does now. When I put on an automatic or hand wound watch I feel like I’m wearing something that has a heart. That said, I don’t mind quartz watches. Almost half of mine are. There are snobs and haters in every hobby unfortunately.
@@kylegriffin3778 that's not why they don't like quartz, they like the mechanical nature as well as master craftsmanship that goes into it mechanical and auto watches.
Good timing Jody! I just got the black dial field watch 4 days ago. I must say , it looks great all black. I wanted a thin , light , water resistant, daily driver kind of watch. I looked at the Boldr , Hammy, Seiko , Bertucci and a few others. I ended up liking the 40mm size and case design of the VAER best , so I pulled the trigger on the black one. So far , so good. Quality seems on point and it’s so light it disappears on the wrist until you need it. Customer service seems to be pretty good as well. I contacted them about a packaging snafu ..(my watch was shipped sitting loose in the box , instead of on a strap, and fell out to the floor when I opened it). They got back to me and apologized , although a extra strap or two would have made me feel better about it. Quartz has its advantages , it’s always ready and takes beating. So I hope for many trouble free years with this one.
I have been keeping my eye on this company! They are filling a frustrating hole in the market. Finally a 40mm case, 100m WR WITH a cool knurled screw down crown, and sapphire!!, that is actually at an affordable price point. I'm just a little underwhelmed by the dial options, especially the lack of lume on this colorway. A Fully lumed dial option would be pretty awesome. Absolutely LOVE the case design and its curves. Great review as always! Excited to see what they've come up with for the automatic.
We appreciate your kind words, and we're making constant improvement on the lume front! Our dark dial options (Heritage and Field) have subtle green lume on the numerals and BGW9 on the hands! We're also in the process to transitioning to BGW9 lume on the hands of all of our watches. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to chat watches! -- Ryan | ryan@vaerdesign.com
Don't mind quartz. I've had a Breitling B1 (which was lovely) and I still own a cheap Timex. The Timex I have is the Expedition Scout and for less than a quarter of the asking price of this I think it gives it a run for its money. Sure it's not as water resistant, and it's a bit loud (which I love) but that's about it. I've rather save the $150 and buy some T-shirts!
I have decided to give you a first comment (If youtubes not broken that is) love your vids and keep it up. I wish watch channels like this got more exposure and not the channels that just show of the most expensive watch they could find.
I just purchased the HERITAGE DARK, with the black dial I believe it's their newest model, it has to different color lumes for the hands and hour markers, It should arrive in a few days, I'm so excited!!... this brand looks like it has a lot of potential.
I got an A2-T in 2019 which i liked so much that I upgraded it to an A2-T Super Classic (lithium battery, sapphire crystal) in 2021. I went for the Super Classic rather than a Vaer or Luminox or Victorinox, I think Bertucci beats all three in value and toughness
It looks like they were able to put lume on the markers for the black and green versions of this one (due to the markers being white to contrast with the darker dials). Just something to keep in mind if you're trying to pick which one to buy.
I love hand wind or automatic as a dress watch. In my job as survival instructor solar or kinetic. The quartz where you never know when the battery runs out just for use in or around the home. My sweet spot for analogue is 38mm case size and I have thick wrists. But luckily we are all different. This watch shown has the looks of a field watch but is not. I like the 100 mtr wr and the screw down crown and case back but for field use I think the lume is not sufficient.
I just ordered this watch. looks like a great everyday watch that I could swim with or take outdoors without too much worry. Sapphire crystal and Rhonda movement is pretty good at that price.
I love the idea of a rugged, water resistant outdoorsman watch that you can dress up or down. I also was looking for a bauhaus style watch with timeless looks. The Vaer seems like a dressier and more durable watch than the Timex Expedition. It’s also more rugged than a Nomos or Junkers and much less expensive than the Junghans. I’m a bit surprised that they haven’t pursued the backpacker/hiker market a bit more. This watch seems to fit the Southern California, mountain to sea, lifestyle. It hits a sweet spot in the market at the sub $150 price point. I think they have a winner on their hands. I ordered myself a Classic Light. Can’t wait to get it on wrist and experience it for myself.
If they get their USA! USA! USA! marketing right they could be onto a winner in the domestic market. Another great video about a smaller brand company.
We totally understand that they're a ton of junk brands out there popping up, but we're not one of them! We're based in America, and we have as much of our watch value in the US as possible (currently 43% US for our Horween watch). Our assembly is end to end in the US - we source components (Movements from Switzerland, components from Asia, Leather straps Made in USA), and they're all fully assembled and tested here in Los Angeles. If you're interested, you can read more about our assembly here: journal.vaerwatches.com/american-assembly-vs-american-made/ If you ever have any questions, feel free to reach out direct ryan@vaerdesign.com
Nice watch. I have a mechanical Hamilton Khaki 38mm and love it. I swapped out the canvas strap for a dark brown leather with white stitching. The original canvas strap was extremely comfortable, but was so ugly, especially the color.
Your channel opens up my eyes every time. Does indeed makes put the Hamilton a few notch down. The leather strap looks premium too. I would buy the watch and put the leather on my Seiko Diver.
We're glad to hear you've been following us! Below is a bit more info on the auto. We're currently spending a lot of time in design. The watch will have domed sapphire, 100m water resistance, and exhibition caseback. The case will be very similar to the quartz in terms of fit and finish, though thicker to accommodate the automatic movement. We'll be using BGW9 and C3 lume across the board (depending on color scheme) and all watches will have lume hands and some form of lume on dial. The dials will be a mix of Heritage Design, a new design, and potentially Field. Our Japanese version will use a Miyota 9015 (thinner and higher bph than many of the cheaper versions out there that many brands use). Our Swiss version will use ETA (likely 2895 and will likely be "Swiss Made"). Retail for the Japanese will be in the range of $450, as the Miyota 9015 is significantly more costly than the Seiko NH35 and the Miyota 8215 that you see on most "affordable" autos. Swiss will retail in the range of $650-$750, as the ETA 2895 is another large bump in price. As we're still a small brand and we don't have any major investors, we'll likely be releasing the watch via crowdfunding where you can pick up one of the watches for 20%-30% off (depending on how early you jump on it). Let me know if you have any questions - it's going to be an incredible watch, and we're trying to gain user feedback as we develop it. Feel free to sign up for our newsletter on site to stay in the loop. -- Ryan | ryan@vaerdesign.com
Hi, Jody! Good food for thought here; I get a lot of ads in my Facebook for Vaer watches, and right now they're offering a discount so the watch (not this exact model but similar) is only $119 US. I like the 40mm size as well, and the retro/military field watch look too. Might have to give them a go, at that price point...it would be a first Vaer for my collection. Thanks for a timely bit of info, even though posted a couple of years back!
I'm still waiting on a Hamilton Khaki Field Automatic 38mm with the H-10 and a screw down crown. I mean, you're making a field watch, it's got automatic winding, it's a rather accurate movement, it's got a power reserve of 80 hours, but nope no screw down crown sadly.
The Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical is probably one of the best watches I ever owned. So good, FANTASTIC quality. If you can, please pick it up, you won't regret it!
Glad the orient defender 2 is out at that price with an in house automatic. But you know Jordi because you have already done a video on it. Just really enjoy your videos. You do an awesome job of reviewing watches. I bought the Mach bullhead from Detroit Mint because of your review. I really liked the watch in the movie but getting one is difficult and expensive. Thanks for your discount codes, I got the automatic version with the cuff. It’s my girl’s favorite watch out of my 86. No sorry 87, just got one in today. Lol almost forgot to add it.
I did end up buying this one right before they switch to the v2 which has better lume but no more min counters on the far out track but they changed the hands and made it more cream colored which I don't like. I really like the one I have its the perfect summer watch because its so light.
Very nice review of this watch brand. Glad to see someone makes an affordable guartz field watch where the second hand lines up with the indices. Unfortunately my Boldr Venture does not.😩
Never heard that brand. I think one of those microbrands. Can you tell similar with well known ones such as:casio, lorus, pulsar etc under 50usd and under 40mm diameter.
Going back and watching some of the ‘vintage’ reviews. I already have the Hamilton, And always have a spot in the boxes for another field watch. I quite like this one(for the price. I think I might choose to get it with the beautiful Horween leather strap and Use it on other watches… have Lots of nice NATO’s and two piece straps to put on this one. Vaer Was originally a strap company That has branched out into watches. They charge $70 for the strap By itself So it’s a bargain to pick up with the watch! Love the channel Jody...keep them coming!
I own both, and I'll say that you should just save up for the Hamilton. The Vaer is great of course, but when you're tapping the $200-300 pricepoint, you can find used Hamilton Khakis for not much more than that....
Great. Review. At around $130 that's a good deal. I'm under the opinion the quartz is not really that bad of a thing. I own both and the courses are still getting some wrist time.
Thank you for the kind words, and we agree! Some situations call for an auto, and some for a quartz. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to chat watches. --- Ryan | ryan@vaerdesign.com
I've got a 42mm Victorinox chrono quartz that is my go to nato strap white face weekender. Never really see any of the watch guys talk about them that much. I've had a couple of them including rubber strap models. I don't think I paid more than $400 for it. Came with an orange/brown leather strap but love it with the nato straps.
We agree! While automatics have their place in a lineup, quartz are easy and reliable. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to chat watches! -- Ryan | ryan@vaerdesign.com
I’ve started to come around to more Quartz,I just got the Laco Quartz.I get annoyed having to constantly swap watches in and out of my winders or just shake or wind a few.And I really like this Watch!!And That 2 piece strap?!?!?!WTH???Companies try to get too “New” or “Bold” That strap looks like something I threw together with scrap leather.Great Video!!
Our Field Hunter model has orange second hands, as does our Classic Dark! Feel free to reach out directly if you have any questions! - Ryan | ryan@vaerdesign.com
We agree on the thicker leather! We use a 4/5oz hide, and we've found that anything thinner just does not last over time. The holes tend to blow out, and the hide stretches more easily. -- Ryan
Good video, but I prefer my Citizen BM8180-03E (Chandler Field Watch) on a Milanese mesh band. That being said, my watch for the last couple months is another Citizen Eco-Drive, a BN0150-28E Promaster Diver on a NTTD-type seatbelt material NATO strap that I ordered from aliexpress.
We'd be glad to shed some more light here! Below is further info on our auto. We're currently spending a lot of time in design. The watch will have domed sapphire, 100m water resistance, and exhibition caseback. The case will be very similar to the quartz in terms of fit and finish, though thicker to accommodate the automatic movement. We'll be using BGW9 and C3 lume across the board (depending on color scheme) and all watches will have lume hands and some form of lume on dial. The dials will be a mix of Heritage Design, a new design, and potentially Field. Our Japanese version will use a Miyota 9015 (thinner and higher bph than many of the cheaper versions out there that many brands use). Our Swiss version will use ETA (likely 2895 and will likely be "Swiss Made"). Retail for the Japanese will be in the range of $450, as the Miyota 9015 is significantly more costly than the Seiko NH35 and the Miyota 8215 that you see on most "affordable" autos. Swiss will retail in the range of $650-$750, as the ETA 2895 is another large bump in price. As we're still a small brand and we don't have any major investors, we'll likely be releasing the watch via crowdfunding where you can pick up one of the watches for 20%-30% off (depending on how early you jump on it). Let me know if you have any questions - it's going to be an incredible watch, and we're trying to gain user feedback as we develop it. Feel free to sign up for our newsletter on site to stay in the loop. -- Ryan | ryan@vaerdesign.com
Nice review! Yea it looks similar to the Timex Expedition indigo that I hav in my watch case that I purchased in 1983 I believe,best I recall it was about 20 bucks,plus mash the crown and it lights up,still In great shape for its age,,anyway as for this watch,like it’s design ,basic easy to read dial,drop the price about 50 bucks wouldn’t be so bad..
Nice one Jody. Jody have you had a look at the microbrand Nodus ? They have a updated Retroscect that I think looks really beautiful and specked nicely coming in April.
@@JustOneMoreWatch nice, will keep my eye out for it but agree the Avalone does seem a bit large and I'm not a big fan of that style of casing. Reteospect 2 is more my speed. Love your work Jody , keep it up and God bless.
You're correct! Our dark face dials have lume on the numerals, and lume on the hands has been updated to BGW9. Feel free to reach out with any questions or if you want to chat watches. -- Ryan | ryan@vaerdesign.com
Initially I thought...why not just get a Timex? But a decent finish, sapphire and 100m have convinced me. This is the perfect watch for someone who needs a watch but isn't really into them (my wife?)
We appreciate that you're able to see the value here! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to chat watches! -- Ryan | ryan@vaerdesign.com
Vaer is being closed mouthed about the automatic. No indication about whose movement they will use, in particular. They have indicated that their first automatic will have a railroad style minute ring, like their quartz "heritage watch", which just hit the market this month.
Hey guys! Would be glad to shed more light. We're currently spending a lot of time in design. The watch will have domed sapphire, 100m water resistance, and exhibition caseback. The case will be very similar to the quartz in terms of fit and finish, though thicker to accommodate the automatic movement. We'll be using BGW9 and C3 lume across the board (depending on color scheme) and all watches will have lume hands and some form of lume on dial. The dials will be a mix of Heritage Design, a new design, and potentially Field. Our Japanese version will use a Miyota 9015 (thinner and higher bph than many of the cheaper versions out there that many brands use). Our Swiss version will use ETA (likely 2895 and will likely be "Swiss Made"). Retail for the Japanese will be in the range of $450, as the Miyota 9015 is significantly more costly than the Seiko NH35 and the Miyota 8215 that you see on most "affordable" autos. Swiss will retail in the range of $650-$750, as the ETA 2895 is another large bump in price. As we're still a small brand and we don't have any major investors, we'll likely be releasing the watch via crowdfunding where you can pick up one of the watches for 20%-30% off (depending on how early you jump on it). Let me know if you have any questions - it's going to be an incredible watch, and we're trying to gain user feedback as we develop it. Feel free to sign up for our newsletter on site to stay in the loop. Thank you, Ryan | ryan@vaerdesign.com
Vaer Watches thanks Ryan, when will your crowdfunding campaign start? I’ll sign up for the newsletter too thanks for the transparency and thoroughness in your reply ✅
@@VaerWatches Really? The swiss movement will have a secondary seconds hand at 6 o'clock rather than a sweeping seconds hand at the center? This is surprising, as it will require different faces than the miyota 9015 movement watches. I have read that the implementation of the seconds hand on the eta 2895 is "inelegant"... On the other hand the miyota rotors are noisy, though the movements are highly accurate without adjustment. Tough choices then...
Nice watch, sapphire crystal, nice finish, wish there was more lume because I’m a lume junkie 🤪 quartz is fine, more accurate. It’s good to have a variety of movements. Nice review Jody.
You're in luck! Our lume is being updated across the board. Our dark face Field and Heritage watches have green lume on the numerals and BGW9 on the hands. We're also working to update BGW9 to on the hands across the board. Let me know if you have any questions, or if I can provide any additional info. Thank you, Ryan | ryan@vaerdesign.com
Very nice looking watch, but only lume on the hands kills it a bit for me as a field watch (though certainly better than no lume). Everything else is clean, and the case finishing does look slightly better than the Hamilton. Nice looking watch for sure, and even though the Horween is chunky, it's nice they have that option there. The American assembly is definitely appealing. I like that they will give you a second strap too. Maybe the Horween will be better fit for the upcoming automatics, which will presumably be thicker. Thanks for the review.
We appreciate the kind words! We recommended signing up for our newsletter on our site - we'll be releasing updates there. We're currently spending a lot of time in design. The watch will have domed sapphire, 100m water resistance, and exhibition caseback. The case will be very similar to the quartz in terms of fit and finish, though thicker to accommodate the automatic movement. We'll be using BGW9 and C3 lume across the board (depending on color scheme) and all watches will have lumed hands and some form of lume on dial. The dials will be a mix of Heritage Design, a new design, and potentially Field. Our Japanese version will use a Miyota 9015 (thinner and higher bph than many of the cheaper versions out there that many brands use). Our Swiss version will use ETA (likely 2895 and will likely be "Swiss Made". Retail for the Japanese will be in the range of $450, as the Miyota 9015 is significantly more costly than the Seiko NH35 and the Miyota 8015 that you see on most "affordable" autos. Swiss will retail in the range of $650-$750, as the ETA 2895 is another large bump in price. Let me know if you have any questions - it's going to be an incredible watch, and we're trying to gain user feedback as we develop it. Feel free to sign up for our newsletter on site to stay in the loop. Thank you, Ryan | ryan@vaerdesign.com
I HATE it when the 3 gets cut off. It looks haphazard and cheap. Not adjectives I want for a $200 luxury item. Personally, for the field watch genre, I am looking at two different watches. Laco Type B Flieger and the Hamilton Mechanical 38mm no-date. Both of those are in the $400+ category however.
We'll take that 3 / date window feedback into consideration for future designs! Though we definitely steer clear of using the term "luxury" to define out watches - this is an overused word in the watch industry that we believe should be reserved for the AP, Patek, Blancpain, Rolex, etc. of the world. We're just out to offer a high quality everyday watch that our owners can rely on (look great wearing).
Hello I have that model Vaer in the black face dial and the hours are lumed. I like the watch and am not put off by the quartz like some of these people!
45govt, Is the lume on the numerals or on the pips or both? This is IMO a critical aspect of the military field watch, legibility in low light conditions. It's right up there with hacking, as a priority for me.
Thank you, Jody, for the review, and I enjoyed your intro, please don't jump to the next video had me laughing. I know I don't always agree with you on pricing things and think I am harsh, but if we all thought the same thing we would all have the same watch. That is why there are so many as people have different tastes. I watch all of your videos regardless. I like thin lightweight watches. I don't care for nato straps. I know some love them. I also agree the leather one it comes with it really too thick for the watch. Loads of strap makers who will make a nice thin leather band that will fit well. I was going to say it is nice and easy to read and reminds me of wall clocks when I was in grade school. Then I saw someone also wrote that. I guess many of us had to see those wall clocks all day long back in time when we were in grade school. I only like quartz when it is accurate. Seiko 9f from my research is the most accurate quartz movement, the bad news is I have only seen that with Grand Seiko which are not cheap to buy. They are in the thousands of USA dollars which is out of my range. I hope they will use them with less expensive watches. I do appreciate the mechanical movements more and like a sweeping hand more than the Quartz watches.
Thank you for taking the time to comment! Regarding second hand alignment, variance for hand assembled quartz watches is completely normal. You'll even find second hand alignment to be varied on "luxury" watches like Tag, Omega, and Tissot. This is normal and is due to the play required for proper working of the movement gear train. In choosing our watch design and our assembly team, this was an aspect that we researched quite a bit, and is a common characteristic of quartz movement watches - though it has absolutely nothing to do with timekeeping precision, which we do guarantee. We've written up an article recently if you'd like to read up further on the topic. journal.vaerwatches.com/watch-second-hand-not-aligned/ . Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to chat watches! -- Ryan | ryan@vaerdesign.com
I actually prefer the Timex. This one has a good looking case and hands, grippy looking crown, but the red numbers on the dial are too pale for a no-fuss field watch. The 3 is cut by the date window ? My biggest problem is the smallest one - the logo is bad - the gap between the A and the E is poking my eyes out! it's like positioning the dial at a 0.5 degrees rotaded - it's nothing big, but it bugs the hell out of me... If they redisign the logo and darken the red numbers just so they are not like spots in your eye sight after getting up too quickly... then it would be descent .
Just don’t get the ‘field’ watch thing at all. To me the Hammy and this look like an old Timex I used to wear as a teenager and that was a very long time ago. Outdoors it’s a Diver and quartz it’s a G-Shock if you want something really tuff. See how confused I am? Just begs the question why really. Especially when there are great Seiko 5’s much cheaper too! Feel free to enlighten me because I just don’t get it??? 😕
I see the words "better", "Hamilton" and "half price" I'm listening... And then you said "Quartz" okay... I don't hate quartz tho, i own a couple of them
It took 22 days from the time I ordered and paid for it until I received it. Yes, assembled in the USA. If compared with a Filson, or Shinola not even close. As far as how good it is, the jury is still out. :) I paid for the two piece leather strap and I wish I had ordered the one piece leather strap. If I change back and forth it will be a royal pain in the caboose. I do like the nato, the leather two piece will likely stay in the box. :(
"Vaering" on a school clock aesthetic but looks good despite this. Like another viewer commented, personally I would prefer a Flieger type B dial. The WR and sapphire is a big plus for the price.
We appreciate the kind words! Check out our Heritage line as well - it has a different take on the dial. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to chat watches! -- Ryan | ryan@vaerdesign.com
Jody, this is one of your best videos of the new year👍 I like the comparison to the Khaki Quartz, and I even appreciate the nod to 'American Assembled,' whereas the Hami's aren't American any more much like certain Italian brands that are manufactured and owned by Chinese companies. If Vaer can produce their sw200 for less than the Hamilton Auto then they will kill!!!
Like others this looks like a Timex. Was wearing Orient Mako 2 to start video switched to Timex Expedition for comparison($23 40mm black dial leather band. Set the Timex three weeks ago and it has gained 2 seconds). May not last as long as review watch but looks to close for price difference.
Thanks, going to buy a chronograph soon. Between the Parnis quartz and the Alpha mechanical, any thoughts. Price for the Alpha is more but....not an issue if my wife does not find out to soon after, time after all heals all wounds and you do need a watch to tell time. Quarts or mechanical?
You could buy a Seiko SNK807 for half the price of one of these. Better yet, you can buy another one of a different color for the price of one of these.
