Today, I have a new Praesidus on my wrist. Like the rest of the brand’s line, it is a remarkably faithful interpretation of the World War Two A-11 field watch. The twist here is its size. You see, the Praesidus A-11 Combat is a mere 32mm wide. That’s right. I’ve got a vintage-style field watch in a period-correct size and absolutely did not see this coming.
When I reviewed the 38mm Praesidus A-11 Tom Rice just a few short weeks ago, I said, “it is still considerably larger than those wartime models, but I can’t blame the brand for selling modern sizes. I mean, really, how big do you think the market is for 32mm military watches?” I mean, ha! Small, period-correct watches for men? Madness, right? Well, the folks at Praesidus thought otherwise. Unbeknownst to me, they already had this little gem in the works and they are betting that a good number of people will want one.
If you already liked the Praesidus A-11, you will be pleased to discover that the Combat version is nearly identical, channeling the spirit of its wartime ancestor with a classic field watch layout featuring large Arabic numbers, squelette hands, and a 10-increment index. Like the Tom Rice edition, the new watch sports a surprisingly dapper case with a softly rounded and sandblasted case giving way to slim lugs with polished tops. It even has the same drilled lugs and coin-edged case back. It is, however, much smaller, just 32mm wide, 38mm long, and just over 10mm thick. It’s as if you took a 38mm A-11 and tossed it in the dryer for an hour on high. The only difference is the size.
While the Combat’s appearance is rooted in the 1940s, its function is not. That lovely, domed box crystal is K1 mineral glass, not plastic and the movement isn’t mechanical but a Swiss Ronda 763 quartz. Are these elements more modern? Yes. Are they improvements? Well, that is a matter of some debate. Personally, I’ll choose acrylic and mechanical over glass and quartz every time, but even I can’t deny that the newer options are more practical.
Speaking of practicality, there are some modern elements here that even a Luddite like me can’t deny. I’d much rather have Praesidus’s green and orange lume than whatever radium concoction was painted on the original and while 50m water resistance seems tame by today’s tool watch standards, it’s perfectly suitable for most wearers and about 49.9m better than any elderly A-11 could muster.
Praesidus offers a 16mm nylon, leather, or canvas straps for the Combat. The sample arrived on distressed leather that fit the vintage beater theme rather well.
So how does it wear? I’m sure you will not be shocked when I say “small.” No matter how you slice it, a 32mm does not take up much space. You could try to offset the Combat’s diminutive proportions with a Bund strap but I’d recommend you simply embrace them. The watches worn on the beaches of Normandy were not even mid-sized by today’s standards. Heck, some might have considered 32mm to be on the larger side of things. For comparison, my grandfather’s Roamer is just 29mm wide.
On the other hand, here is the Praesidus Combat next to another modern A-11 from my collection, the relatively Brobdingnagian 40mm Bulova Hack Commemorative.
If you have big forearms, you might want to choose something else, but I think the 32mm Combat looks pretty good on my 6.75″ wrist. Granted, it wears very differently than just about every other watch in my collection, but it’s kind of nice to see some strap on the top side. It looks more like our mental picture of a watch on a wrist because this is how men wore their watches before they ballooned in the early 2000s. Of course, if you want bigger, Praesidus will gladly sell you a 38mm or 40mm version.
The Praesidus A-11 Combat is available for order now for the very appealing price of $129, and if you sign up now for VIP access, you can get be one of the first 100 to get a special offer. How special? I have no idea, but it can’t hurt.
I love that Praesidus took the chance on this one. The brand already had a good thing going with its contemporary-sized A-11 models. With the Combat, they have created one of the most outwardly authentic A-11 tribute watches and that should make any watch nerd happy, even if you think a 32mm watch is not your cup of tea, although I’ve got to tell you, you should really try that tea because you might be surprised at how much you like it.
