Review: Traska Seafarer

If you’re not familiar with Traska, allow me to enlighten you. The brand is the brainchild of globetrotting go-getter Jon Mack, who was born in the USA, but spends a good amount of his time in Europe, while traveling to Asia to oversea the manufacture of his watches directly, because he speaks Mandarin, of course. Traska’s collection is cohesive and consistent, with excellent finishing and attention to detail.

As the latest entrant into the catalog, the Traska Seafarer is no different than the watches that preceded it. The dual-crown diver continues with the signature Traska case and simple oyster bracelet, while adding an internal bezel with a printed dial. It’s a straightforward affair that continues Traska’s commitment to making refined watches meant to be worn and used.

As with all Traskas, there’s a wearability that is unmatched by most watches at this price point, and certainly by many above it. While this model’s black and white simplicity is the draw, the other variants provide color for those who want it.

The Case

It’s all crisp and clean with the Traska Seafarer. The mix of well-defined brushing with high polished accents give the case a balanced look–yes, this is technically a tool watch, but as with all Traska models, it can pull double duty at the office or for a night out. The crowns are both easy to operate with good grips.

Another Traska, another exceptionally wearable watch. The proportions and dimensions, plus the gentle curve of the lugs make it disappear on the wrist. The sapphire crystal doesn’t add any distortion is small enough not to add substantial height; the watch “slips easily under the cuff,” as they say.

I have always loved the contouring of the Traska case (it’s the same on all models). The gentle roundness of the midcase makes the watch a better fit, visually, when on the wrist. Of course you can’t see it, but the Seafarer (case and bracelet) has a hardness coating that makes it 6 times harder than most steel watches, and virtually impossible to scratch—trust me, I’ve tried.

The Dial

There’s great legibility to the Seafarer’s dial, thanks to the simple black and white color scheme. The layout, too, is clean with no clutter and everything kept to the basics. The watch comes in four different dials: Charcoal Black, Arctic White (seen here), Sun-Bleached Orange, and the ever popular Traska offering, Mint Green. The orange features a blue bezel, while the mint features a grey bezel.

You’ll see it a bit in the lume shot below, but here you can see the lume application on the bezel is a bit wanting (look at the 12 o’clock circle). You can be the judge whether the black lines and borders on the dial proper are thick enough; especially around the lume plots, I felt they could be a bit heavier to help the plots stand out a bit more.

The raised bezel adds some needed depth to the rather flat dial. Nothing wrong with a two-dimensional dial, but I always prefer a bit more, especially if the dial is so stark. I do like the interior edge of the bezel, which has a sudden drop that maintains the defined lines throughout the dial.

There are times, in certain light and not infrequently, that the hands get somewhat lost on the dial. The high polish catches the light and turns the sliver hands white, and so all that’s left to distinguish them is the shine against the matte dial. I might have favored black to match the bezel.

The lume is solid, though not perfect. It shines adequately but the internal bezel’s lume is a bit seems splotchy in places and shines more dimly than the rest of the dial.

The Rest

The Seafarer features an unadorned caseback (hence the lack of a separate picture) and a simple but beautifully done Oyster-style bracelet. The brand push-button clasp is one you may have seen on other microbrands, and for good reason, as it’s secure, easy to operate, and looks fantastic. If you were paying close attention, you’ve also spotted the drilled lugs, which make strap changes a cinch; with its modest proportions, this one works on basically any strap.

With the Traska Seafarer, the Good Mr. Mack is doing what he has done with every watch he’s released so far: making a clean, easy-to-wear timepiece that’s almost beyond reproach. They don’t take many chances, but they are all rather impressively contenders for a one-watch collection. Doing that once as a brand is impressive, doing that now five times is astounding. Perhaps there’s something to be said for being consistent and keeping things simple.

You can find out more and order the Seafarer directly from Traska.