Affordable automatic GMTs are coming in hot and heavy right now, so it is no surprise that Time Bum fan favorite, Traska, will join the fray on January 29 with the Venturer. That watch will sport Traska’s signature style on the outside and Miyota’s new 9075 movement on the inside. We’ll get a Traska Venturer for a proper hands-on review soon, but in the meantime, here is a taste.
Previous Traskas have been quite traditional and delightfully so. You won’t find a chunky 44mm diver in the brand’s collection, but a selection of mid-sized sport watches that offer refined details and maximum versatility like the Freediver and Summiteer models we have previously sampled. It’s a formula the Time Bum team loves — enough to name the Summiteer our 2020 Watch of The Year. I’d say the Venturer is a worthy addition to that stable from the photos and specs provided.
The Venturer’s case is 38.5mm wide, 46mm long, and 10mm thick, excluding the AR-coated sapphire box crystal. A slim mid-case and polished sides should make it appear elegantly lean. Toughness doesn’t suffer, as Traska has sealed the watch for 150m water resistance and applied a proprietary hardening treatment good for 1200hv.
A four-hand watch needs a 24-hour bezel; the Traska Venturer wears it on the inside, operated by a 10 o’clock crown. It’s a less common arrangement than the more symmetrical “compressor” style 2 and 4 o’clock layout and, to my eye, not as overtly sporty. Those who prefer their crowns on one side will have to wait for the forthcoming Seafarer model, but that is another story.
Traska’s polished and faceted elements on the glossy lacquer dial further dress up the watch. The hour markers, hands, and bezel are filled with Swiss BWG9 SuperLuminova. Buyers may choose from four variants: black, white, blue, or green.
The watch will come with a 20mm bracelet standard. It tapers to 16mm at the folding clasp and has fully articulated links.
Traska will release the Venturer on January 29, 2023, for $695. If history is any guide, the first batch will sell out fast, so I’d advise anyone interested to get onto TraskaWatch.com, sign up for updates, and move quickly once it is launched. I’d also invite you to drop by Traska’s table at the upcoming District Time show (March 4-5, 2023, 421 7th Street, NW, Washington, D.C.) and check out the entire Traska line for yourself.
