Unsurprisingly, as a watch lover, I’m also obsessed with other shiny objects, like cars. Particularly of the fast, loud, and flashy variety.
Once a year in my area, the National Street Rod Association has a huge meet that includes hundreds of vintage muscle cars, hot rods, and rat rods. If that last term is unfamiliar, think of a hot rod that’s heavily patinated, even proudly showing rust. There’s something quintessentially American about an old, rusted-out hulk that can still burn rubber and cling to its former glory. It’s powerful either way, and it could be beautiful if restored but yet it has an undeniable charm even in its decrepitude.
The Heartlander by the Dryden Watch Co out of Kansas City, Missouri, is a proud tribute to that heritage, especially in its remarkable and unique Autumn Rust colorway. Dryden has already found success with their Pathfinder and Chrono Diver watches, but the Heartlander offers the most options and, dare I say it, the most heart. From the name to the design to the fact that it’s assembled in the USA, this is a watch that evokes some good old-fashioned American can-do attitude. Founder Jerry Wang proudly touts the final assembly in their Kansas City workshop, even stamping it on the Heartlander’s caseback, and it’s easy to see why: in this day and age, it’s a rare differentiator. The Dryden Heartlander was released just this past month in limited quantities per dial version. So, is it any good?
For this review, I compared two versions of the Heartlander: the aforementioned Autumn Rust and the Gunmetal Gray. The two of them are a study in contrasts, and the options available for the Heartlander bears serious consideration, which I’ll get into shortly. Let’s go over the basics first.
The Dryden Heartlander is a 38 mm stainless steel watch with 100 meters of water resistance, a 46 mm lug to lug length, and 11.2mm thickness. The lugs are 20 mm and taper to 16 mm at the clasp, and the included bracelet features quick-release springbars for easy swaps. Inside beats a Miyota self-winding movement: either the 9015 for the versions equipped with a 6 o’clock date window or the 9039 for the no-date options. It’s a solid, reliable, if unexciting, movement with a 42-hour power reserve.
The watch and bracelet weigh in at just over 130 grams, making it feel quite light and sporty on the wrist. I’m used to dive watches and tool watches weighing over 180 grams, so this feels noticeably lighter to the point that I initially wondered if it was titanium rather than stainless steel (it’s not).
The case is slim, with understated brushing on the sides and polished chamfers along the top outer edge that fades into the nicely tapered lugs. The bezel also features circular brushing rather than polishing, which gives it a nice, subdued look as well as stylistic cohesion. The Field versions feature polished bezels.
To my eye, the crown is a bit oversized, but it’s beautifully finished with the Dryden logo on the tip, and I love the knurled edge. And since the only thing better than a little knurling is a lot of knurling, I accept the size gladly. It is very easy to operate and screws in snugly. The elimination of a dead position through the use of the Miyota 9039 on the no-date versions shows keen attention to detail.
I might have expected an exhibition caseback showing off an undecorated Miyota like so many other microbrands, but I really admire Dryden’s restraint in going with a relief caseback of a wind rose. It’s gorgeously executed and feels nice to the touch.
The president-style bracelet feels light but not cheap, and the simple signed clasp features four micro-adjustment points. It’s nicely machined, and the screwed links are easy to adjust.
I mentioned the 100 meters of water resistance. Most of us don’t truly put our tool watches to the test, bragging about specs that are good in theory. I actually put the Heartlander through its paces with an impromptu weekend trip to a local ski resort that included an indoor water park. There I subjected it to the very scientific tests of multiple waterslides, dips in pools, and hiking up and down a mountain that my body is not rated to handle. The watch did great (my body is another story).
Now let’s get into the different versions. For such a simple watch, Dryden offers an impressive array of dial options. Five fall into the “Classic Sport” category, with Explorer-style dials and no date option, whereas the remainder are “Traditional Field” with Arabic numerals for each hour as well as the 6 o’clock date window. Some have printed numerals, and others have applied hour markers. Some feature gilt handsets and minute tracks, others have Old Radium lume, some feature BGW9 blue, and there is even a fully lumed dial version — and that’s before we get to the colors. All versions feature Tudor Ranger-style shovel hour hands and a rectangular lollipop seconds hand. “Dryden” and “Automatic” are printed at the top of the dial with “Heartlander” in a contrast color in an elegant script beneath, accompanied by the depth rating. All of them ship in a brown, zippered leather case with “Dryden stamped” on the cover. It’s great for carrying two watches in padded safety, and has room for a springbar tool and extra straps. It’s a rare example of watch packaging being useful as well as attractive.
The Gunmetal Gray is a great all-around choice, subdued enough for daily wear or special occasions but with enough personality to be fun and fresh. It features a dark gray sunburst dial that ranges from charcoal to almost purple in some lights. The hour markers are applied and look very nicely finished and symmetrical. The Swiss Superluminova BGW9 is well applied and glows a cool blue in the dark. The “Heartlander” marque and the seconds hand are in an eye-catching electric blue that reminds me of old two-tone Chevy Bel-Airs.
The Autumn Rust dial, on the other hand, has to be seen to be believed. Dryden could have gotten away with a simple brown fumé dial. The Oris Divers Sixty-Five in brown comes to mind. It’s a good look, and I would not find fault with it. Dryden opted for a heavily textured dial that goes way past the faux-tropical look that might have come off as cheesy, instead giving us a warm red-brown dial that honestly looks like rust. It’s well executed and got a lot of comments from watch lovers and non-watch lovers alike. The hour markers are printed rather than applied, and the minute track and handset are gilt in this case, as are the logos, save for “Heartlander” in red. It has a wonderfully vintage vibe that surprisingly feels earned.
The other options for the Explorer-style dials are a Blue sunburst with applied markers and an orange seconds hand, the Polar Vintage in a textured white dial similar to the Autumn Rust, and Black Vintage with a black dial and red seconds hand. The Polar Vintage and Black Vintage both feature printed markers and gilt dials/handsets.
The remaining field watch options come in Black & Gold, Full Lume, and Blue & Crimson. They feature the same handset as the Sport versions (gilt for the Black, polished for the Blue, and black-outlined for the Full Lume). Where they really differ is in the printed Arabic numerals for all 11 of the 12 hours–the 6 is gone in favor of the date window. All three feature the date on a disk color-matched to the dial, which is a great detail that could have been overlooked with so many options. It’s hard to comprehensively list all the similarities and differences in the execution, so I would encourage anyone interested to carefully scrutinize the different options to find the right one.
The Autumn Rust may be the signature standout colorway, but for my money, the gunmetal sunburst with the light blue seconds hand is the most beautiful, and it’s just as versatile as the more traditional black, white, or blue versions.
Eventually, any smaller stainless sports watch with an Explorer dial is going to get compared to the original article, so let’s get that part out of the way. I don’t have a 36 mm Rolex Explorer to compare against, but I do have a 39 mm 214270 Mark I and a 36 mm Tudor Black Bay, so this slots nicely between them. It may seem uncharitable to put an affordable, sub-$500 microbrand watch up against two titans of the market that cost many times its price, but if it’s unfair, I’m not sure to whom. After all, for a fraction of the price, you’re getting a great watch with a character all its own, and I have to say I think 38 mm is really the sweet spot for this style, at least on my 6.5” wrist. In fact, it makes me yearn for Rolex to make one in that size.
At the end of the day, the Dryden Heartlander is a great choice whether it’s the first in a collection or just the latest in a long line of watches. The design is timeless and the implementation impeccable, with enough personality to rise above the sea of similar watches. I really admire Dryden for its commitment to providing a fully-fledged lineup that offers something for just about every taste and nailing the execution. The Heartlander retails for $500 USD and is currently available for the introductory price of $450, which to me is a bargain for such a versatile watch of such great quality. Visit their website to learn more.
