Review and photos by Mike Razak
I’ve been a fan of Cincinnati Watch Company and their pieces for a bit now. After doing a review and a period of longing, I finally pulled the trigger on a blue P-40M a few months ago. But I had the Cincinnatus Field in for review around the same time and was almost equally impressed. There were a few things that didn’t click for me, but I’m happy to say that the Cincinnatus Field V2 has arrived and has improved upon its predecessor. Instead of doing a full review of the new watch, I’ll delight you with some photos and discuss the improvements. As such, I’d highly recommended checking out the original review, as the form factor has not changed.
Trust that all things that made the Cincinnatus Field fantastic remain. The dial texture is gorgeous and now even more so in the added blue and green colors (I tried the West Coast Blue). The bold sword hands allow for easy reading. The case is perfectly proportioned with a great contrasting bezel and rounded lugs.
Photo courtesy of Cincinnati Watch Co.
The only issue that remains for the Cincinnatus Field is that the lume still struggles and is a bit uneven. Given how great the watch is otherwise, though, this is no dealbreaker. Further, lume on a watch like this, doesn’t need to be perfect. The hands and cardinal numerals shine sufficiently. Maybe the V3 will bring an upgrade here?
So what’s new? The first big change is the inclusion of a bracelet. One of my gripes with the strap that came with the original Field was that it just didn’t match the quality of the watch. It looked good but wasn’t up to snuff. And the generic NATO that was also included was even more disappointing. Happily, there’s no such issue with the oyster-style bracelet. It flows seamlessly from the case thanks to fitted endlinks. A perfectly serviceable stamped clasp secures the watch and features three microadjustments plus the model name. On the bracelet, properly adjusted, the watch wore perfectly.
Next, the crown has been enlarged. Another of my nits picked with the V1 was the crowns insubstantial size. It was fine, but didn’t allow for great grip when changing the time or winding. The new crown has been beefed up to the perfect size.
I would’ve liked drilled lugs for easy strap changes, but if I’m honesty, I don’t know how often I’d use them. I liked so much how the bracelet integrated and wore that I only changed the straps so I could take photos to show the watch’s versatility.
Also changed is the movement, and with it the caseback. The Seiko NH71 has been traded for the NH38. The former was a skeletonized, gilt movement, showed off through a sapphire caseback on the Cincinnatus Field. Featuring identical specifications, the NH38 also allows for proper a proper no-date watch, and is hidden behind a sturdy solid caseback. The caseback is unadorned apart from peripheral text.
The new Cincinnatus Field presents a great GADA (go anywhere, do anything) watch with a bit of character brought on by the hands and dial. At the price, it’s hard to argue with and harder to beat. Available for$295 at preorder, I’m not sure there’s anywhere else to get this caliber of watch. Full retail will be $350 and that’s still a fantastic deal. And there are two bonuses: all Cincinnati Watch Co. watches are now assembled, regulated, and pressure tested in house by their watchmaker. And a portion of every sale goes tot he Freestore Foodbank, helping to feed Cincinnati residents in need. So get a great watch and help some people out.⬩
