Boldr’s latest Expedition line is one of the best tool watches – basic, rugged watches that will last you decades – on the market. Lumed to within an inch of its life, encased in a beautiful steel case, and eminently wearable, Boldr has created a new classic.
The $599 Sinai I wore features a DLC-coated steel case and Sellita SW200-1 hacking movement. A crown at 2 o’clock sets the internal countdown bezel and the date window peeks out of a hole at 4 o’clock. And that’s it: a watch that works, that’s visible, and that’s totally rugged.
Lovers of Luminox watches will see why I like this watch so much. The primarily quartz-based Luminox pieces have everything Boldr does except for the automatic movement. Because I’m a mechanical snob, Luminox never appealed to me although their pieces are nearly perfect in their usability and legibility. Now Boldr has done them one better.
The Expedition is definitely a little smaller on my wrist than I’m used to but it’s not much smaller than, say, an Orange Monster or Marathon SAR watch. Like the Marathon SAR, this piece screams no-nonsense.
Boldr sells the Expedition in multiple colors and styles and has named them after various natural wonders. This one, Sinai, is “wrought with significance to the Jewish, Muslim and Christian religions, the summit of the mountain houses a mosque and a Greek Orthodox chapel.” While the description may be a little breathless, this interesting addition to the tool watch canon is definitely not.
