7 Reasons To Wear A Watch | Why You Should Start Wearing A Wristwatch

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Video Review| Zelos Eagle E-1A

Video Review | Zelos Eagle E-1A

The post Video Review| Zelos Eagle E-1A appeared first on WatchReport.com | Real. Honest. Reviews. | Authentic Watch Reviews |.

Video Review| MTM Special OPS Air Stryk II

Video Review | MTM Special OPS Air Stryk II

 

 

 

 

The post Video Review| MTM Special OPS Air Stryk II appeared first on WatchReport.com | Real. Honest. Reviews. | Authentic Watch Reviews |.

Zelos Eagle E-1A | Watch Review

Zelos Eagle E-1A

• Case : 42mm 316L Stainless steel DLC Coated
• Thickness: 16mm
• Lug to lug: 52mm
• Lug width: 22mm
• Movement: Miyota 9015
• Crystal: 4mm thick double domed Sapphire. AR coated
• Water Resistance: 200M
• Engraved logo on crown and buckle
• Sandwich dial: top layer matte sandblast, lower layer circular brushed
• BGW9 Superluminova
• Packaging: Aluminum display case, Canvas strap, Brown Vintage leather strap, Steel Warranty card

Price: $760.00 USD

Zelos Watches are not stranger here at WatchReport, as I have shared reviews on the Zelos Chroma and the Helmsman, both very nice watches for their price points. With the introduction of the Eagle, I can easily say this is Zelos’s best watch to date, in terms of design, construction and innovation. Quite frankly, this is not your run of the mill microbrand watch. And I don’t say that to put any other brand down either. I review each watch for what it is. The Zelos Eagle is not a sub homage, it is not a IWC Big Pilot homage or a vintage style diver. No, it is a unique piece that took a lot of thought and skill to bring it all together. Does it sound like I like this watch? It should. It is one of the few watches I review where I can say the negatives are very, very few. Plain and simple, this watch is badass. Intrigued? Then continue reading below.

Now at first, a 42mm case that is 16mm thick that is not a dive watch, sounds a little odd. But then when you look at the case design, it is easy to see why Zelos chose to make it so thick. Also keep in mind, the 16mm in thickness is measured with the domed sapphire crystal. If measuring just the case itself, it comes to 14mm. I have seen a few comments so far when posting teaser shots on social media about the height, and I don’t think some realize that the crystal is included, so I wanted to make sure to point that out.

So, why doe the case need to be even 14mm thick? Well, just look at it, and the two piece design. The inner case is bead blasted and then done in a DLC coating, and the machined grooves are meant to replicate those of a jet fighter engine. Jet fighter engine you ask? Yep, if you didn’t figure it out from the model name, Eagle, this is technically a pilot style watch. A pilot style watch with a lot of lume, a sandwich dial and a screw down crown helping to achieve 200 meter water resistance.

Back to the case design, the outer case is done in DLC as well, but this time in a brushed finish, and while it might not be noticeable right off the bat, it does create a contrast to the bead blasting on the inner core. The edges of the skeletonized case are well defined but are not sharp to the touch. This was something I was curious about when first looking at photos of the Eagle. The screw down crown protrudes from the inner case, and while the crown is long, it is somewhat small in diameter, making it a little difficult to manipulate, more so with screwing it back into the case than anything.

Looking at the dial you can see it has a two piece construction as well. The center dial is stark black, while the outer dial is grey with stencil numbers, where underneath the lume compound is applied, giving it that sandwich dial and unique illumination. I personally love sandwich dials. ( I love sandwiches as well, which is why I am 20 lbs overweight. ) Wait, wha? OK, back to the dial. Sandwich dials do not look great for every watch or design, but I think it fits perfectly here with the Eagle, and I like the font they chose for the numerals and markers as well. You will see the Eagle lacks a date, and some may find that to be a negative. I personally think it keeps the dial clean and uncluttered, though a date window at the 6 o’clock position would have been good as well.

When it comes to the case back, you have a sapphire crystal allowing you to see the movement; what many call an exhibition case back. Actually, in this instance, you can not see the movement (Miyota 9015) because it is covered by a turbine back-plate. One, I think it just looks cool. Two, As I have said many times before, a stock Miyota 9015 is just plain ugly and boring. I prefer to have a solid case back in those instances. With the turbine decoration, it looks great and of course goes along with the theme of the watch. The contrast of the steel turbine against the outer portion of the case back in DLC is also quite good looking as well. There is really not an angle of this watch where it does not show off its beauty or uniqueness. 

I am addicted to the vintage grey canvas/leather strap. ADDICTED. Many are probably aware I love leather and canvas straps, and this one included with the Zelos Eagle was super comfortable right out of the box. The canvas is a medium gray color that has some frayed edges and the leather backing is like that old leather jacket that was taken well care of; darker in color in certain areas and weathered, but so comfortable. Wow, I am starting to make myself sick here with all these compliments. Do I not have one negative? Well, I do, and it concerns the extra strap that comes in the package. The “vintage” dark brown leather does not feel vintage to me, nor is it a very good looking strap in my opinion. It is stiff, and to be honest it could break in nicely, but with the canvas/leather option I saw no need to even attempt to change it up.

There is no doubt that I am in love with the Zelos Eagle. And for quite a few reasons. One, I love the fact that a microbrand is thinking outside the box, giving it a go at their own designs instead of going the off the shelf route. Is the design the most amazing thing ever? No. But is it pretty awesome when this case design is coupled with the dial, ice blue BGW9 lume, sapphire crystal and a well regarded automatic movement for well under $1000? That’s a big yes.

7 1/2 inch wrist for reference:

Make sure to check out the video at the top for an even better look at the Zelos Eagle.

To see all of Zelos’s collections including the two other variations of the Eagle, (One in solid bronze), click HERE

Please leave your comments below. Thank you

The post Zelos Eagle E-1A | Watch Review appeared first on WatchReport.com | Real. Honest. Reviews. | Authentic Watch Reviews |.

MTM Special OPS Air Stryk II | Watch Review

MTM Special OPS Air Stryk II

Specifications:

• 47mm wide case
• 17mm thick
• 57mm lug to lug
• 24mm lug width
• 155 grams in weight
• Titanium Case
• Sapphire Crystal
• Modified Ronda 703 quartz movement
• 100 meters water resistant with a screw down crown
• Rubber strap (other options and other rubber straps available)
• Retail Price $1,050 USD

• Features:
• TITANIUM CASE
• SWISS ANALOG MOVEMENT
• DIGITAL COMPASS
• MULTI-FUNCTION DIGITAL DISPLAY:
• – TIMER/DATE MODE
• – ALARM MODE
• – GLOBAL, WORLD-TIME MODE
• – 24 HOUR MODE
• – CHRONOGRAPH MODE
• – ELECTRO-LUMINESCENT BACKLIGHT
• LONG LASTING, LOW LIGHT, LUMINOUS INDEX
• 3 YEAR WARRANTY

With a brand name like MTM Special OPS, obviously the owner has a military background and produces watches with Military/Law Enforcement personnel in mind.  And  doing some reading on the website, you will see that is the case. Myself, I am not a member of the Military or a LEO, and do not pretend to be. Granted, things like a world time mode, chronograph, compass etc, should definitely be useful to someone in the Military to have in a watch. But, what about us civilians? Do we even need a watch like this? Well, the simple answer is no. But most of us don’t dive or fly a plane, and we have dive watches and aviation styled watches, don’t we?

So, I am going to review this watch the only way I now how; as a watch enthusiast. And while I might not have a need for all of its functions, that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate them, nor does it mean I don’t think this watch is pretty damn cool.

Now, first things first. This watch is large. Very  large. When you are looking at 47mm by 16mm thick square watch case, it is imposing to say the least. Is it too large? Well, that is debatable. With its digital functions, being a large watch makes easier to read for sure. And, most G-Shock watches, which have a lot of the same functions are this large as well, if not larger. And while G-Shock watches are very lightweight due to mostly a plastic construction, so is the Air Stryk II, as it is made out of high grade titanium.

Before we get into some of the features of this watch, lets talk about construction. It has a solid Titanium case with a grey DLC coating, Sapphire crystal, and Hex screws everywhere. A large screw down crown with 4 pushers. A Solid titanium screw down case back and a silicone rubber strap. The hex screws used on the case and lugs are solidly in place with no issues. The lug bars themselves are quite unique. It utilizes a two piece screw bar and both ends when unscrewed with the supplied tools have rubber o-rings attached to them, to allow for a tighter fit, and to prevent the screws from being stripped.

They have the solid construction down, that is for sure. So what about usability? The 4 pushers operate many different functions, more than I can or want to type all out here, so please make sure to check out the video above. The settings are easy enough, and not over complicated in my opinion. The only thing I was not able to figure out, was how to sync the analog time with the digital time. Now, If you are going to use the analog for a home time just as an example, and the digital time for a another time zone, the hours would of course be different, but the minutes and seconds should sync. The only way I was able to do that was by setting the analog time and then going into the digital setting and keep pressing the reset button on the seconds, until I could get the time to sync. As you can imagine, it was a little frustrating. And it is quite possible that I just missed how to sync them easily, but if it were easy, I would think there would have been a setting that allowed this feature, and I did not find one. Everything else, as far setting the day and date, alarms (you can have up to 5 daily alarms), using the chronograph and timer and the back-lit electro-luminescent  function were all pretty standard and self explanatory.

For this review, I chose the white dial, but there are many more dial options available, even some with carbon fiber. The dial itself, or should I say the analog dial, is easy to read and has a lot going on when it comes to construction of it. Large 3D ramp style markers filled with superluminova compound surround most of the dial except for the 12, 3 and 9, these numerals are solid 3D pieces of the superluminova compound and attached to the dial. The skeletonized baton markers are coated in the same dark grey as the case is, and make a nice contrast against the white dial. Of course, the hands are going to get in the way of the digital display at some point, and this is inevitable.

When it comes to the readability of the digital section, well, it depends on your lighting. As you can see in some of my photos, you can not see the digital readout well at all times. The good thing is that the digital portion does have a EL Back-light feature, so if you find yourself not being able to see the readout, just push in on the upper left button, and it will glow a nice shade

Wearablity is going to be subjective. I have a 7.5 inch wrist, and for daily wear this watch is a beast. It is just beyond what I would normally wear. It is relatively comfortable due to it being titanium, so it is not a brick on the wrist, and the silicone strap is soft and pliable. Though, as we all know, silicone is also a lint and dust magnet. So while comfortable, it can look like crap quickly if you are not constantly wiping it off. Fortunately, MTM Special OPS offers about 3o different strap options for this watch, so if the one I show it on isn’t for you, they probably have an option you will like. The rubber strap is fitted with solid titanium buckle, which also uses a hex bar construction.

The screw down case back is titanium and features a large sword/dagger logo and a bead blasted finish. But most are probably wondering about what is under the case back; the movement. Now, I can only go on info that is given to me, but on the MTM website, they list the movement as being “Proprietary Swiss Quartz”. When I inquired further about that, I was told that the movement is “Modified Ronda 703 that incorporates with the digital displays and compass”. So, while they are using a base Ronda 703 as the starting point of the movement, the are modifying it to their needs for this watches specific functions.

When it comes to the luminescence, as you would imagine from looking at those markers and numerals, it is excellent in any low light or complete darkness situation. There are two different lume colors being used here as well, the hands and applied markers glow a light blue, while the numerals give off a strong fluorescent green. Not only is it functional, but damn cool to look at.

How do I sum up this review? Well, as usual, I did pick this watch apart and give you my real world findings of it. There are some things I think could have been done a little bit better, but I can say that of almost any watch. The construction is for sure top notch, and the overall package is worth the price of $1000 in my opinion with all it has to offer. How many civilians are interested in this watch over Military/LEO?  That I am not sure. I will say the functions can come in handy, and while we have many of these functions in our smartphone these days, I would think if you are going to be outdoors you would rather be using this solid and well built watch, versus your phone. And plus, you don’t have to worry about being in a service area or hoping your phone holds an all day charge.

For more information, and to check out all of the variations of the MTM Special OPS Air Stryk II, please visit their website HERE.

The post MTM Special OPS Air Stryk II | Watch Review appeared first on WatchReport.com | Real. Honest. Reviews. | Authentic Watch Reviews |.