We at The Time Bum are always game to review a new Dryden. I examined the Chrono Diver, JP did the Heartlander, and Mike has already written about the Pathfinder. Each time, we walked away impressed with the watches’ comfortable fit, high-quality execution, and exciting use of color. That last point convinced me to feature a second Pathfinder review, now in its updated v1.5 guise, and when I unboxed these Magenta Fume and Sky Blue models, I knew I had made the right decision.
The Pathfinder is a mid-sized sports watch, its stainless steel case measuring 41mm wide, 47mm long, and just 11.8mm thick with 20mm between the lugs. A Miyota 9015 automatic (28.8k bph, 42+ hour power reserve) runs the show. I’ll get to the case and bracelet improvements later. For now, look at those dials. Really, just take a moment to gaze at these pictures and take them in. Let the color and texture bounce around your retinas and settle deep into your brain.
Wild, isn’t it? Now, imagine how they would have looked in pictures taken by a competent photographer.
If you recall, the Dryden Heartlander ‘s Autumn Rust dial convinced me to buy one for myself and then nominate it for Microbrand Watch of the Year, describing it as “the last thing you see if you overdose after snorting a line of pure, uncut pumpkin spice.” For the Pathfinder’s Magenta Fume, I’d wager that this is what Jimi Hendrix was trying to tell us when he wrote “Purple Haze.”
The ombré effect is glorious, and the radiant texture beneath makes it all the richer. New to the v1.5 model are the 5-minute blocks topping the hour markers, rendered here is a contrasting light blue that matches the model name text.
Now feast your eyes on the aqua dial. Dryden bills it as “Sky Blue,” yet my mind went right to the sea. How could I not? That’s the clear water of the Caribbean right there, an effect enhanced by a gently undulating texture on which the gunmetal hands and orange second hand and text float. Stare long enough, and you will feel the warm sun on your face and hear the one-drop rhythm of reggae music in the distance.
It’s a natural association, not just due to the visuals, but because the Pathfinder is a fully functional dive watch, rated for 200m water resistance and equipped with a 120-click timing bezel, a screw-down crown, an AR-coated sapphire crystal, and dazzling BGW9 Super-LumiNova.
It’s only on the dial and pip for steel bezels like the Sky Blue. Those with polished ceramic inserts like the Magenta Fume also get lume in all of those markers.
Other options include Forged Carbon, Green and Gold, Midnight Blue, and Saffron Yellow. If eye-catching color is not your thing, that’s cool. Dryden offers Gloss Black and Arctic Silver dials, too. They are every bit as lovely as the more vivid variants in the series, just more conservative. One could argue that toning down the color allows you to better appreciate other details like the applied markers, brushed hands, and that tidy frame around the date window that truncates but does not eliminate the 6 o’clock marker.
With the v1.5, Dryden retained the already excellent case and upgraded the bezel with deeper notches to improve grip. Although I didn’t have the opportunity to try the original Pathfinder, I have no complaints about the new model’s operation. The bezel action was firm and required no heroic efforts from my fingertips. Dryden also bumped up the crown size a touch to 6.5mm and polished it. I like how it complements the bright chamfer that runs down the sides, slimming the case as it highlights the otherwise brushed surfaces.
Case finishing is superb; all clean breaks and sharp transitions.
Strapping it on, I found the Pathfinder struck the right balance between telegraphing its sporty presence and respecting the physical limits of my 6.75″ wrist. That 41mm case looks slightly smaller when topped with a steel bezel like that of the Sky Blue, which draws your eye to the tighter diameter of the dial, minimizing the overall size. The slim case and bracelet are easy to wear with a buttoned shirt cuff.
Dryden already had a perfectly nice bracelet on the original Pathfinder. The v1.5 improves it by adding the excellent milled clasp I sampled on the Heartlander. It is signed, has four micro-adjustments, and is finished to match the case.
On the back, you will find a simple etching of a lighthouse with the key specs surrounding it.
The Dryden Pathfinder v1.5 is available now for $550, a price that I consider dead-on for a watch with these specs and level of execution. You can order one at drydenwatchco.com, or better still, stop by the District Time show in Washington, D.C., March 2-3, see the watches in person, and meet their talented designer. Once you find the color that touches your heart, you may find it impossible not to bring it home.
