Raven Airfield

I pity the poor soul who doesn’t know about Raven Watches. Owner and Founder Steve Laughlin has been in the microbrand game for almost 15 years, originally with Benarus, then Stevral, and finally Raven Watches. Much like Farmers Insurance, he knows a thing or two, because he’s seen a thing or two. That experience comes through clearly in every watch he produces. His Trekker releases have all been met with acclaim, as was his most recent release, the Solitude. The Raven Airfield seems no different: a solid, well-designed watch that is the first pilot-style offering from the brand.

The simplicity and cleanliness of the dial are what get you at first; the stark contrast of black and white, with the pop of the second hand. The case is familiar in silhouette but upon closer examination, offers a bit of character. It is immediately evident that this watch is meant to be worn and used, in whatever conditions it may encounter.

As mentioned, the case is a familiar shape, reminiscent of countless other Submariner-inspired watches. But this is not a Sub, nor even close to it. The crown on the Raven Airfield is one of my favorite I’ve encountered. It’s a unique take on the oversized onion crowns you see on traditional pilot watches, like the IWC Big Pilot, with a profile that tapers as it approaches the case. Instead of the pronounced ridges, however, the screw-down crown has these wonderful frosted divots that provide excellent grip. Notice, too, the brushed chamfer on the underside of the case. Much as you might see with many Seiko dive cases, this chamfer helps create visually slimness to the case and gives it a shorter look on the wrist, which can be seen below.

The Airfield case may seem simple, and certainly, many of its lines are, but the finishing is exceptional–this is what you get from a brand owner who’s been at it for so long. I especially love the beveled bezel and its sharp edges and clearly defined brushing. Where many tool watches seek to use polishing sparingly, with a ribbon chamfer, say, the Airfield has case sides that are fully polished, which creates a nice break in the facets. You should know that while the underside chamfer helps it look shorter, the watch stills wears just about every bit of its 13mm height.

One of the hallmark features of a traditional pilot watch is simplicity and legibility, and the Airfield…really takes off. The juxtaposition of the black outer ring abutting the white center dial creates highly legible contrast and allows the main markers to be black while leaving the lume to the hashes on that outer ring. The Raven Airfield is available with a framed day-and-date display or without, and the day/date wheels are matched to each of the black, white, and green dials. That means I’m in full support of both models–a rarity with date windows, much less day and date.

The Raven logo is applied, but not too tall, adding a hint of depth to an otherwise flat dial. I’m usually all about depth and texture on my dials, but the starkness and clarity of this dial works and works well. The crisp, sans serif font with sharp angles and are consistent with the rest of the dial’s design. Check out the black ring around the dial, between the bezel and the crystal: that’s a ceramic insert that has the reflectivity of the sapphire and extends the perceived area of the dial a bit.

The black and white syringe hands keep the high-contrast theme going, while the bright orange seconds hand provides the only pop of color on the white dial (the black dial features a red hand, while the green sports yellow). I mentioned my preference for texture, and while this doesn’t have any in-your-face sunburst or guilloche, the center white does have a bit of graininess to it, keeping it from looking flat and cheap. Kudos, too, to Raven for ensuring that the unlit lume color matches the dial color perfectly. Another example of Mr. Laughlin’s experience being played out in his designs.

Lume is excellent, which is to be expected of top-grade X1 Super-LumiNova. Charges quickly (even inside), shines brightly, and lasts a while.

Underneath the screw-down caseback lurks the formidable Seiko NH36 (the no-date version features the NH38). This movement is used just about everywhere and has 26 jewels, a 41-hour power reserve, and beats at 21,600vph for a nice smooth sweep of the second hand. The caseback has all the expected text with the addition of the year and the edition number. Though the aesthetics of a caseback are entirely unimportant, I do like the circular brushing and how it echoes the shape of the caseback sockets.

Not a hand model. Look at those cuticles. Gross.

As you may have seen on the caseback photo, the Raven Airfield’s bracelet features quick-release pins, which is a godsend. I’ve recently had conversations with other watch nerds about quick-release, and while there’s some disagreement about the benefits on straps, there’s a clear consensus that quick-release on bracelets is superior to any other option. It saves the watch from inevitable lug marks and the owner from inevitable frustration. The bracelet itself is a solid effort–nothing great, nothing terrible, just exactly what you want on a tool watch. The same goes for the clasp, which has four micro adjustment holes for dialing in a perfect fit. Happily, Raven has ditched the 5-link bracelet with the rage quit-inducing pin and collar system: the new bracelet features easy-to-use screws.

Much as the case with any black and white watch (though admittedly less so with predominantly white dials) the Raven Airfield is a proper strap monster.

While it may pair well with a ton of colors, that doesn’t mean it’ll pair well with every strap. Thicker straps work better due to the case height, and NATOs will likely leave it sitting too high on the wrist (I didn’t even bother trying).

The Raven Airfield is another success from a brand from which we’ve come to expect it. A pilot watch that does a bit of its own thing and does it exceptionally well. I wasn’t surprised to like the Airfield–I’ve been keen on white dials of late, and already own the Raven Solitude–and at a very reasonable $590, it presents an exceptional value. You can head over to Raven Watches now to check out all the Airfield models and buy your own.