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Everyday carry enthusiasts have long been familiar with Ridge. Their minimalist, metal-cased wallets put the EDC outfitter on the map in 2013. Over a decade later, the brand has expanded their material expertise and manufacturing know-how into other EDC products, checking off boxes with their very own iterations of the keycase, bolt action pen, rings, and even watches. The latter of which continues to grow with the introduction of the Ridge Titanium Field Watch, available as of 14 September 2023 with a price tag starting at $275.
Building on the success of the Land & Sea GMT watch collection, a solid stainless steel travel watch option thanks to its ability to track another timezone and substantial water resistance, Ridge has now set their sights on adding a lightweight (just 1.6oz), highly capable tool watch that can hold its own in town and in the great outdoors.
The Ridge Titanium Field Watch is equal parts durable and easy on the eyes. It has all the qualities you would want in an everyday wearing wrist watch—a modern 40mm Grade 2 titanium case, glare and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, Japanese Miyota 9039 automatic movement, and a screw down crown ensuring the case stays watertight up 200 meters. Doubling down on the utilitarian aesthetic, all models come with a pair of interchangeable straps—a color matching ribbed rubber strap for a sportier look and a leather strap for more buttoned up occasions.
For the dial, legibility is the name of the game. Every other hour marker is demarcated by Arabic numerals which make for easy reading at a glance, and the SuperLuminova filled hands and markers light up the dial in low light situations. Unlike the Land & Sea GMT, which pulls more from the traditional look of 1960s to 1970s steel sport watches, the Ridge Titanium Field Watch dabbles with various design cues. The oversized numerals for one, harken back to vintage pilot's watches and the overall dial exudes a Bauhaus feel.
The Titanium Field Watch comes in four different dial variations that use the natural titanium color case: Matte Olive, Royal Black, Alpine Navy, and Basecamp Orange. For an even lightweight and stealthier option, Ridge offers up a blacked out titanium case with an integrated Carbon Fiber 3K dial.
As the de facto (and self-proclaimed) watch guy here at Field Mag, I can confidently say the microbrand watch scene has more value proposition models available now than ever. It’s easy for a brand to just flat out copy a classic design and then proceed to slap their brand name on the dial. It’s the brands that are taking these designs, molding them into their own and exploring new ways to iterate upon them, that matter. And this is exactly what Ridge has going for them with the Titanium Field Watch. It’s an easy wearing, distinct, utilitarian field watch with a price tag under $300, which not many brands out there can offer.
The Ridge Titanium Field Watch with colored band is now available for $275. The he blacked out Titanium Field Watch with carbon fiber 3K dial retails for $375.
Published 09-14-2023
