The return of an ‘80s inspired aesthetic within the watch industry is well documented in these pages and elsewhere, and this week we’re treated to the latest installment of the nostalgia wave coming from Momentum with a new UDT. The Chronosport UDT is something of a niche legend in enthusiast circles, having appeared on the wrist of John Rambo in Rambo III, as well as real life specialized US military units, from the the Navy SEALs and UDTs (Underwater Demolition Teams), and US Army Special Forces. It is the living embodiment of an ‘80s action flick with enough field tested bona fides to back it up where it counts. It’s also an ani-digi design that perfectly captures the look of an era.
The Momentum UDT presents a clear throughline to the original, with some welcome updates for a modern audience. That said, this one will likely still remain something of a niche watch for obvious reasons, and that’s just fine by me. The new UDT sticks to a formula that works, with a thin set of pencil hands against a flat black (solar) dial that’s fully indexed, including an inner 24 hour scale. It’s a straightforward presentation that places a (now larger) LCD screen at 6 o’clock. That screen can be cycled to display a second time zone, program an alarm, or function as a chronograph timer.
As far as functionality goes, the UDT strikes a perfect balance, bringing everything you’d want from an ana-digi solar watch to the table, without making things too complicated to use and read. That’s the inherent charm of these watches, and the resulting look is, well, just really cool to folks of a certain age. There are plenty of other designs from around the same time that I’d love to see brought back with a similar amount of respect (looking at you, Breitling), but, as discussed earlier, it generally takes the smaller independent scene to gain enough traction.
The new UDT stays true to the original look and feel, presented in a black-ion plated stainless steel case measuring 42mm in diameter, and 47mm from lug to lug. They are using a hybrid ana-digi, solar movement from Japan, allowing for a total thickness of 11.7mm. Marathon is providing 5 different strap options, but the lug width is 20mm and should take to any form of aftermarket option with ease.
The new Momentum UDT is currently available for pre-order at a price of $295, with shipping expected to commence in early September. Once that happens, the regular price will be $369. Keep an eye out for more on this one coming soon. Momentum