Some collaborations just make more sense than others, and perhaps none more so than the latest pairing of Nodus and Raven Watches and the resulting TrailTrekker GMT. This GMT is a part of Nodus’ Design Lab series, and is the culmination of a shared vision between the Kansas based Raven Watches, helmed by Steve Laughlin, and the California based Nodus, founded by our friends Wes and Cullen. The TrailTrekker was inspired by the lands between these two locales (not of Elden Ring lore), and the early explorers that plotted new paths through the midwest, establishing the connective tissue that now binds these distinctly different states.
The TrailTrekker features a gray DLC case and bracelet that is 316L stainless steel at its core. The tone they’ve managed to achieve here is incredibly distinctive, and sets the watch in a rather unique realm of looking a bit outdoors-y without drifting into ‘murdered out’ territory. Further still, the case and bracelet contribute to the overall vibe thanks to the complementary nature of the dial and bezel, which have been treated with sand colored Cerakote. This provides a slight but notable contrast between the sections of the watch, both in tone and texture. This provides an optimal underpinning for the applied hour markers and hands, which each boast plenty of lume-filled real estate.
The design of the watch captures the qualities of each of the brand’s most iconic watches, the Nodus Contrail, and the Raven Trekker. The Contrail, a straightforward travel watch with well considered proportions, and the Raven Trekker, a dive watch with a bold yet approachable design language, come together here in the TrailTrekker in a manner that has me wondering what other watch pairs could be merged into something so organically. The watch works shockingly well, and feels a natural extension of both brands.
A single application of color comes within the 24 hour hand, which is entirely orange save for the blocky triangle tip, which is filled with lume. The 24 hour hand stands out without overpowering the hour and minute hand, save for the oversized tip, which commands attention. Most importantly, legibility doesn’t seem to be hindered as the 24 hour hand is pushed to the very edge of the dial. The large hour markers and dauphine shaped hands present no issues in navigating the core functionality. A date aperture with a white disc (neatly replacing the white hour marker) appears at 6 o’clock.
Inside, Nodus and Raven Watches have opted for the increasingly popular Miyota 9075 movement, which provides GMT functionality with an independently adjustable hour hand, an especially nice feature considering the static bezel. This movement also allows for a mere 11.8mm total thickness measurement while allowing the case to retain a 200m depth rating. The case itself measures 39.5mm in diameter, and 46.6mm from lug to lug, which means it should wear somewhere close to the Explorer II 16570, a very good thing.
I simply adore the look of this watch and appreciate the refusal to compromise on this vision between Nodus and Raven Watches. They have fully committed to the colorway and executed it at a high level, with all the functional amenities provided by watches much further up the food chain. The TrailTrekker is priced at $875, and represents yet another example of the possibilities provided by the Miyota 9075.
The TrailTrekker will be launched for sale Friday, March 15th at 9am PST through the Nodus website. If early indications are anything to go by, this one likely won’t last long, so get your bookmark in place now. More from Nodus and Raven Watches.
