Reviewing the Philip Stein Traveler

Over the past few weeks, I’ve posted up reviews on watches from Teslar, both here and over at Knapsack that feature a chip that works with natural frequencies to help you feel better. Serendipity can be a funny thing, as I also had a watch come in from Philip Stein at the same time. They also have a chip in their watch that makes the same health benefit claims, so we’re going to tell you about the Philip Stein Traveler today.

Now, you may actually be more familiar with the Philip Stein name than Teslar (or at least were before the reviews). At one point, Philip Stein was licensing the Teslar technology for use in their watches, but that is not the case today. Even so, the Philip Stein watches have some similar claims in their marketing materials:

Our planet has a pulse, measurable natural frequencies that surround life on Earth and the unique Natural Frequency Technology® within our watches is finely tuned to harness and channel frequencies that can help wearers better cope with stress on a day-to-day basis and improve their overall wellbeing.

So, since that was all I had found, I had to ask the brand for more details about this chip. Here’s what they had to say:

Natural Frequency Technology is the proprietary technology we embed in each of our watches and bracelets. We’re huge proponents of aligning with nature’s frequencies which leads to a balance between body, mind and soul benefiting every aspect of our lives. Our technology is not based on sound frequencies but very subtle natural frequencies.
Philip Stein

As with my Teslar reviews (here and here) I did not notice any dramatic changes in health, except perhaps my knees were a bit less gripey at me. Again, not a rigorous, controlled experiment, and I’m sure everyones mileage will vary.

Aside from the frequency technology, I was interested in checking out the Philip Stein Traveler for a very specific reason – it’s a GMT-equipped watch with some classic lines to it. And hey, serendipity strikes again – our review unit came in with a lovely blue dial as well. Once I had the bracelet sized for my wrist (made easier by some half links near the clasp) it was time to take it for a spin.

The Philip Stein Traveler was a nice, everyday sort of a companion. If you think of this as a traveling watch (which, given it’s name and the GMT complication, why wouldn’t you?) it gives you the sort of versatility that you want when preparing for a trip. The stainless steel case has the versatile sport watch profile, and is completely polished, allowing it work as a dressier piece. The stock bracelet is both polished and matte (on the center link) so again, it can be dressier, but it also doesn’t look out of place with jeans. It (the bracelet) is also equipped with quick-change spring bars, so swapping in a different strap would be a cinch. A lot simpler to pack an extra strap or two than it is to pack multiple watches, in my book.

Then, we’ve got the dial itself. As I mentioned, the Philip Stein Traveler came in a lovely shade of blue on the sun ray dial. This isn’t an overly glossy dial surface, but there is a bit of a sheen to it. Over that you’ve got the luminous applied indices (with the Philip Stein logo taking the place of the 8) and the stick handset. The handset is narrow, but polished, so I never had an issue picking them out against the dial. And of course, the GMT hand with it’s red tip pops out without any issue (and picks up the red ‘GMT’ on the lower portion of the dial).

To get the GMT complication into the Philip Stein Traveler, they went with the Swiss Ronda 515 quartz movement (need a battery, I’m guessing, to help power the frequency chip). When you’ve got a well-known quantity in the mix with the movement, I think that can help allay concerns with a watch from a brand you’re less familiar with. Here, you’ll “only” be able to track two time zones – your local time with the main handset, and then the second timezone (I set this one to GMT) via the scale printed on the chapter ring, which is nicely color-matched to the dial.

Flipping the Philip Stein Traveler over, you’ve got a fairly plain caseback. A few details of the specs are engraved on it, and in the center you’ve got a small window showing you the chip. Rather similar to what we saw with the Teslar watches, actually. Here, however, I think there’s an added benefit some may not realize. If you’re looking for a watch to be able to have a caseback engraved, you’ve got a lot of space here to put some text or a date to commemorate something.

I’m sure many will be interested in the Philip Stein Traveler for the advertised health benefits, and that’s where I cannot confidently say one way or another if it will work for you. I’m not a doctor or scientist, so I’m not about to dig into these claims. As a watch, though, that I can speak to. And frankly, I think this is a great traveling watch. It gives you style that is flexible, quartz reliability and accuracy, and you’ve got something less expensive kicking around should it go missing in your travels. As tested, the watch runs $595 while some other versions run a bit more. There are other color dials available, as well as some gold-tone versions as well. And should you be more interested in the chip technology (but not the watch) they do have a variety of bracelets that pack the chip alone. philipstein.com

Review Summary

Brand & Model: Philip Stein Traveler
Price: $595 (as reviewed)

Who’s it for? You want a solid quartz watch to travel with, covering a variety of situations and time zones
Would I wear it? Indeed I would
What I’d change: You really want to hit the traveling companion mark, get that WR rating up to 100m