Quick, describe a tool watch. It’s got to be tough, of course, so you’ll want at least 100m water resistance. It’s got to have a reliable movement. Protected from shock and magnetism? You bet. Crazy lume? Check. This thing is going to take some knocks and look good doing it, so how big should it be? Maybe 42mm? 44? Even if it’s as small as 40mm, it still needs to be pretty thick, right? Well … let’s back that up a tad. You can have all of the vital tool watch qualities without having to perch a monster on your wrist. Indeed, you can have a slim, dare I say, dapper tool watch like the Reise Resolute, which is set to launch on Kickstarter August 20. The Resolute may just be the anti-tool-watch, tool watch, and that is just fine by me.
Strapping the Resolute onto my wrist just felt right. I am not a huge guy, so while I do enjoy a big honking wrist rock every now and then, I tend to gravitate towards more manageable pieces. This one serves up ideal proportions for my 6.75″ wrist. It is 40.5mm wide, a proper mid-size that looks ever so slightly fuller due to the broad shoulders of its faceted lugs that almost square off its shape. Length is a compact 46mm. So far, so good. Now, the watch runs a Seiko NH35A automatic, so its probably pretty stout, right? Wrong. Overall thickness is an almost quartz-like 11.5mm, that is further slimmed by dramatic cuts that taper the case sides and crown guards. As a result, the watch appears surprisingly svelte. It’s a comfortable fit and tucks under a shirt cuff with ease.
At 64 grams, it is also weirdly light. For that, you can thank titanium. Ah yes, durable, lightweight, corrosion-resistant, antimagnetic, hypoallergenic titanium! It might just be the perfect tool watch material. With a no-nonsense, dark gray matte finish and drilled lugs, it looks the part too. Indeed, it should keep looking that way because Reise saw fit to harden it to 1200Hv with ULTRAHex Coating. The caseback is relatively unadorned, but the crown is signed and displays a chunky edge that makes it easy to operate. There is nothing fussy about the case. Instead, it looks taut, purposeful, almost military.
As it is a proper tool watch, its screw-down crown and threaded, Viton-gasketed case back provide 100m water resistance, which is certainly more than enough for anything this side of deep sea diving – and for that, you should be wearing a diving watch (if only to justify the fact that you already bought a few). It has a flat sapphire crystal with a Super-AR coating inside.
The dial is another step outside of the ordinary. The gritty, sand-textured black surface features applied markers that recall the bars of a familiar diver’s layout but are longer, thinner, and a tad more refined than you might expect. Long baton hands and a vintage style lollipop second hand complement them. My favorite detail has to be the applied date window frame with clipped corners, echoing the appearance of the case. Nothing about the Resolute’s face will jump up in yours. Rather, it all works as one, low-key unit whose refinement sneaks up on you.
That is until the lights go out. At that point, two tones of SuperLuminova pop to life and stay that way for a good long time. I’ve had some lume monsters through here lately, and the Resolute is right there with them. Very impressive.
The watch arrived on a 20mm black canvas strap with leather lining that fits the Resolute’s rugged, yet trim design. It has an 18mm signed titanium buckle. This last point is key because good luck finding aftermarket titanium strap hardware.
My sample’s black-on-black scheme certainly captured the tool look, but Reise will also offer it in gray, green, or blue. I have to tell you, I am drawn to that smoky gray. Of all the colors, that one seems to perfectly capture the Resolute’s balance between function and fashion. I’ll bet that will be the hot option when the Kickstarter campaign gets rolling, and roll, it will because it will launch for a very tempting $299 and those who sign up for notifications can get it for an even lower early bird price. After the campaign, expect full retail of $399.
For more information and to sign up, head over to Reisewatches.com. ⬩
