Video: The Nodus x Raven TrailTrekker Forges Its Own Path

Some watches just feel comfortable in their own skin. Never afraid to put new ideas out there, the brands Nodus and Raven find common ground here. I personally appreciate a watch (or any piece of gear, really) that’s purpose driven in its design and execution. That means prioritizing materials and designs that bring a specific idea to life at the expense of broad appeal. These are the things that end up having personality. Character. Flaws. Our friends at Nodus and their partners for this project at Raven aren’t afraid to bring their ideas to life in uncompromising ways, and the result in this case, is a watch called the TrailTrekker. It’s not perfect, and hardly original, but it manages an undeniable charisma thanks to their willingness to bring the idea to life. 

The TrailTrekker represents a peculiar collaboration between the California based brand Nodus, and the Kansas based brand, Raven. These are two watch brands that for all intents and purposes, occupy a somewhat similar space in the micro-brand space. Both are known for the field and dive watches and sub $1,000 price points, packing a lot of value into their designs. While each has made watches that could be considered derivative, they’ve both shown an ability to create their own unique design DNA in recent years, and this crossover represents the best of both worlds. 

The theme of the TrailTrekker was inspired by the land between the two brands, which is to say, pretty much everything west of Kansas. The spirit of adventure and exploration is clearly present in the final result, and is even literally referenced on the caseback in the form of a supply wagon that looks straight out of the Oregon Trail. The watch drips with a rich, earthy personality thanks to the color that’s been achieved throughout the case, bracelet, and dial. The tone is gray meets sage and it takes on a warmth or coolness depending on the environment in which it’s being used. The uniformity of the colorway creates a visually striking presence that pushes the focal point to vital elements within the dial. 

This is a function-first design, but that doesn’t make it any less striking of an object to behold. A properly functional design takes on its own beauty, and the TrailTrekker is no exception. This feels like a rugged tool watch at every corner, something that will welcome some abuse. Nothing about this watch feels like it needs to be babied, and a part of that comes from that the overall fit and finish of the watch being about exactly what you’d expect for $875. The winding is a bit rough, the bracelet slightly janky, and the cerakote finish doesn’t exactly feel refined, but the watch feels like more than the sum of those parts. It has a huge personality that is owed to its design concept as well as the manner in which it’s been executed. 

One trend that’s taken hold in recent years, especially in the micro-brand space, has been blurring the lines between genres. The archetypical designs associated with dive watches, field watches, formal watches, etc. might serve as a starting point, but we’re seeing more overlap between these spaces with designs that boast a diverse function set within a design that echoes something familiar. The TrailTrekker takes some clear inspiration from something like the Explorer II with a fixed 24 hour steel bezel and GMT functionality, but it captures more of an all-rounder vibe that veers into field watch territory. In fact, I’d say that this watch would work just as well sans the GMT complication. The tone and textures of the watch beg to be outside and put to use, so while the GMT function is welcome, it doesn’t really feel like a travel watch in a practical sense. 

That said, this could very well be put to use as a great travel watch, should you be so inclined. The TrailTrekker makes use of one of the most anticipated movements of a generation: the Miyota 9075. We’re seeing this movement appear in more watches and for good reason, it offers ‘true’ or traveler style GMT functionality. This means that the hour hand is independently adjustable, allowing for a quick adjustment to local time when traveling, without losing track of home time. This was once a rare sight at this price point, but Miyota democratized it with the release of the 9075, which is a very good thing. 

This is not the most refined movement you’re likely to encounter, but it feels right at home with the rest of this watch. I mean that in a good way. There’s an attitude with this watch that ditches any pretentiousness while prodding you to get it out and use it. The uniform finish is a gunmetal gray DLC over the steel body and bracelet, while the bezel and dial get a hard ceramic coating, or Cerakote, that matches the color of the DLC nearly perfectly. I say nearly because the bezel and dial welcome something of a sage undertone that makes the experience all the more interesting. 

The color is deep and takes on the tones of its surrounding environment. If you dropped this watch on the ground while hiking, it would blend right in with the dirt, grass, and leaves. The specific way it’s been executed here is a big part of the draw of this watch, providing much of that IDGAF personality. At the same time, the overall legibility is quite striking thanks to the contrast that’s achieved between that base sage Cerakote, and the BGW9 Super LumiNova filling each of the hour blocks. The dauphine hands get a sliver of that lume as well, though this area would be my biggest complaint: the hands get lost easily in low light situations. An orange 24 hour hand provides a welcome moment of color, but it’s hardly enough to break up the sea of gray and sage surrounding it. The date aperture at 6 o’clock hosts a white date disc, appearing at a glance to merely be the 6 o’clock hour marker. 

The physical dimensions of the watch closely resemble that of the venerable 16570 Explorer II, though wearability is slightly different thanks to the shape of the case. The diameter is 39.5mm, while the lug to lug distance is 46.6mm. Factor in the 11.8mm thickness and you’ve got one hell of an adventure companion. It might not wear quite as effortlessly as the 16570, but it’s pretty damn close, and that’s very high praise. 

One small detail that I love here is the knurled crown. Resting between squared off crown guards, the crown gets a tight knurl that feels a bit like some of the great divers from Citizen. It’s grippy, and it looks the business. The crown is also a point of contrast, as it’s been done in black, which is picked up by the two-toned rehaut along the edge of the dial, which marks nighttime opposite the silver bottom portion representing daylight. 

The bracelet is a bit stiff in use, but does feature the Nodex quick adjustment system in the clasp, so it’s practical. There are quick release bars built into the end links, so swapping it out is a breeze. My feeling was that this is a watch that sings on a wide range of fabric options, as the base colors of the case and dial would compliment a range of colors both loud and subtle. 

At the end of the day, the nitty gritty, somewhat rough-around-the-edges details of this watch are what make it so special. The concept has been brought to life beautifully, representing a meeting of the minds between Raven and Nodus that makes all too much sense. This watch falls under Nodus’ Design Lab designation, and seems to push those boundaries a bit in what will hopefully pave the way for more experimentation in this realm. 

The TrailTrekker represents the maturity of a concept put forth between these two brands, and it tells a story as a result. Most importantly, this is a watch that nails every physical benchmark you could hope for in a watch under $1,000, and it does so on its own terms. 

The pre-order window for the TrailTrekker has closed, though more inventory is slated to arrive once shipping of those pre-orders has commenced. I’d recommend keeping an eye out for more, as this watch represents a turning point for not just the brands involved, but for the micro-brand space in general. Nodus // Raven