Trafford Watch Co. Crossroads

A little over a year ago, Austin-based Trafford Watch Co. released its debut model, the S.O.E. Roadster via Kickstarter. The racing-inspired MechaQuartz chronograph blew past its funding goal, raising more than four times its target amount with over 250 backers (including a friend of mine who now wears it regularly). That watch took its inspiration from brand owner Nathan Trafford’s passion for vintage cars and the legendary drivers of racing’s golden days. As he was looking at who was ordering and why, Trafford kept seeing the same thing: people celebrating an event, a milestone. It struck him that his watches were being used as a commemoration of the crossroad moments in peoples’ lives. It was then that he hit upon the idea for his second model, The Crossroads, a watch driven by the idea of reaching new horizons, with plenty of Texas in its design. How does the Trafford Crossroads stack up against other offerings? Let’s find out.

What immediately pops out is the rectangular case’s soft, round form, the curvature of the silhouette, and the absolutely beautiful dial. The Trafford Crossroads is available in Bluebonnet blue, Cabernet red, Mockingbird grey, or the Agave green seen here.

The Trafford Crossroads sits very easily on the wrist. Its dimensions are a bit deceiving: rectangular watches wear larger than expected as they don’t have a nice smooth outline to trick your brain into thinking they’re slim. Instead, the blockiness of a watch makes it stand out on the wrist. That’s the case here, and despite its measurements, you’ll find it wearing closer to 39mm, which is perfect. The curves of the case make it comfortable, and the strap only furthers that.

While I like the overall case design, there are things about it that leave me wanting a bit more. Starting with the good, the way the polished side shifts its way around the crown is incredibly graceful. The crown is a bit soft in its operation, what very vague tactile distinctions between positions (this is being fixed on the production models). The curve of the case is inspired by the horizons that lie ahead, like crossroads, beckoning us forth (or something), and is matched by a sweeping sapphire crystal. The case finishing, to my eye, is not as good as I’d like it to be. The edges between the different surfaces are very soft, and I’d like to see them have better definition; there’s no word on whether this can or will be improved (though I was told it would be noted), but the case will be receiving a hardening coating to make it near idiot/scratchproof.

This dial may be perfection. Not that everyone is going to like it, but in that it does nearly flawlessly everything it sets out to. The radiating sunburst dial is always splendid to look at, shifting its hue in the light, while the orange accents leap off of the dial. The center of the dial is slightly recessed, giving a bit of depth, while the black chapter ring around the edge gives more dimension with its steep slope. If you ever manage to move past simply ogling the dial, the high contrast between the hands and dial makes reading the time a glance easy. Each dial color is inspired by and named for parts of nature observable in and around Austin. Nathan Trafford did concede that he had always had in mind a black/grey dial, blue dial, red dial, and green dial, but that the exact shades were determined by his environs.

The lume on the Crossroads is really a treat. The numerals and hands are fully lumed with Super-LumiNova. No polished outline, no filled handset, just Lume! Lume! Glorious lume! The thick-printed numerals and fully-coated hands shone evenly and with adequate brightness after a brief walk outside on an overcast day. That said, it could have been a touch brighter for me—and according to the good Mr. Trafford, it will be improved for production.

The Trafford Crossroads comes with the reliable Miyota 9039, a three-hand no-date movement that the brand has fitted with a custom rotor. The rotor is finished in red with the arced cutouts inspired by the horizon (reportedly, the finishing will be bumped up a notch or two for production). You’ve probably heard plenty about this movement, being as it’s the go-to no-date movement at this price point—but if you haven’t, allow me to educate you. The Miyota 9039 was released a few years ago by Citizen (which owns Miyota), presumably in response to all the angry brands who kept having to include ghost date positions in their crowns. The movement has a 42-hour power reserve at 28,800 vph, with 24 jewels and an accuracy of -10/+30 seconds per day. One of my favorite features (and one that irritates plenty of people) is the boisterously loud whirring of the automatic rotor when it’s engaged by an especially forceful flick of the wrist. So, you know, the watch is also offered with a Seiko VH31 MecaQuartz, a jeweled quartz movement with a sweeping seconds hand that ticks 4 times per second; that version will have a closed caseback.

The watch’s accommodating lugs are fit by default with a coordinated strap (black, brown, or teal, depending on the dial). I found the strap to be comfortable immediately, with no break-in necessary. The hardware is custom designed and features the Trafford logo and a faceted form. It was sturdy and secure every time I had it on the wrist, so much so that I didn’t use the quick-release tabs to switch it out — highly uncharacteristic of me. But I could have done it, and I would love to see this on an orange strap to pull the color from the seconds hand.

The Trafford Watch Co. Crossroads is a superb sophomore effort from the brand, and one I frankly didn’t see coming after the super-sporty, race-inspired S.O.E. Roadster. This hard right turn shows the brand has deftness in its design ability, not limited to sports watches or dive watches, but willing and able to take chances with less common shapes and designs. Nothing is entirely new, but as with most watches these days, the Crossroads’ success is defined by the synergy of its elements; here, the watch is far greater than the sum of its parts. As I wrote this review up, a week or two after sending the watch back, I kept getting caught in recollections of the beautiful dial and the case’s sweeping curve—this one is a winner. The Trafford Watch Co. Crossroads will retail for $549 for quartz and $749 for mechanical. The Kickstarter campaign, though, launches today, and pricing will be $399 and $499, respectively, with a $25 discount during the first 24 hours. You can access the Kickstarter campaign here, or head to the Trafford Watch Co. site for more details.