In Review: Vaer C3 Korean Field

Vaer is no doubt a brand that you’re familiar with – you’ve probably seen their stuff on social media, and have perhaps even had ads pop up. While I’ve been aware of the brand, I’d never taken a closer look at what they had on offer. We’re finally rectifying that oversight with today’s review of the Vaer C3 Korean Field.

Vaer started up in 2016, so they’re a relatively new brand. They’re focused on historically important models, and have a focus on providing these designs at very affordable price points. For the Vaer C3 Korean Field, the obvious historical tie are the watches that were worn during the Korean War. The dial mimics the design pretty well, and the 36mm case diameter calls to mind the smaller watches of that era.

While watches of that time would likely have had a mechanical movement inside, here, we’ve got a quartz movement. Not just any quartz movement – it’s the Ameriquartz 6130 HT. This was selected as it’s a movement built in the U.S. (with parts sourced from everywhere). This fits in with the ethos Vaer has in assembling and testing their watches here in the States. In other words, they’re trying to do as much as they can locally.

As I mentioned in the podcast a few weeks ago, I was very pleasantly surprised by how the 36mm Vaer C3 Korean Field wore on the wrist. Fortunately, the case is slimmer, so the proportions look right against the diameter. While at first it was a bit jarring to see the smaller watch on my wrist (as compared to what I’m used to), I quickly got used to it. This was helped a great deal by the dial.

While the dial of the Vaer C3 Korean Field is a bit more compact, the “aged” lume numerals stand out crisply against the black dial, and both they and the handset are easy to see at a glance. Over the top of that, you’ve got a bright-white seconds hand ticking away. Given the great legibility (even in the dark), the light weight, and healthy WR rating (100m) courtesy of it’s screw-down crown, makes for a watch that is great, yes, for the field. Or any everyday life thing you’re tackling.

Size and weight go a long way towards that, but the variety of straps available for the Vaer C3 Korean Field really make it flexible. At the starting price of $269, you get the watch on their textured silicone strap. For our review, we also got to try out the Horween leather strap (which smells amazing), and $80 add-on. You could instead opt for one of their nylon straps for your second choice ($0 additional) or go for the bracelet, a $40 addition. I think it’s great that the pricing starts low, and basically comes stock with two straps, and gives you options based on your budget.

At the end of the day, yes, I was quite pleased with the Vaer C3 Korean Field. No, that doesn’t mean I’m fully converted to 36mm watches, but it made me see that it was quite the possibility. With the steel case and sapphire crystal, the quartz movement should be well-protected and just keep quietly doing it’s job, and doing it well. For those really wanting to commemorate what happened on the Korean peninsula, that’s engraved right on the caseback. And for those looking for something with a mechanical movement? Well, keep an eye out, as we’re working on a review of the slightly similar Vaer A3. For now, check everything out over at vaerwatches.com