The past decade has made American watchmaking exciting for the first time in forever, with a number of new U.S.-based microbrands popping up. And while most aren’t doing any real manufacturing stateside, they’re still designing their watches in-house, and often assembling and regulating them, too.
One of my favorites are Nodus, a design-forward maker of sports watches that’s based in Los Angeles and offers a ton of value for money (along with interesting designs that look like nothing else out there). Another favorite is Kansas-based Raven, which makes high-quality tool watches with classic styling reminscent of Rolex/Tudor and Seiko. Now, those two brands have teamed up to create what might just be the ultimate American microbrand tool watch in the Nodus x Raven TrailTrekker — and to do it, they borrowed a feature from EDC pocket knives.
Nodus x RavenNodus x Raven TrailTrekker
Specs
| Case Size | 39.5mm |
| Movement | Miyota 9075 automatic GMT |
| Water Resistance | 200m |
Pros
- A fun collab between two great brands
- The use of Cerakote on the bezel feels innovative
Cons
- Difficult to get one
- No lume on the bezel
A Cerakote finish on a watch?
If you’re deep into the world of EDC knives, then you’re probably familiar with a coating called Cerakote. If you aren’t familiar, Cerakote is a thin polymer-ceramic coating that adds hardness, scratch resistance and corrosion resistance to a material. It’s sometimes used on knife blades for added resilience and is also employed frequently in the military and aerospace industries.
For the TrailTrekker, Nodus and Raven have applied Cerakote coating to the 24-hour bezel and, interestingly. the dial. The coating should keep both looking fresh as a daisy for years to come. (Just to be clear, I’m talking about a tough, rugged daisy that doesn’t take crap from anyone.)
