I have a confession to make. I’m a bit of a watch nerd. Can’t get enough of ’em. Don’t tell my wife, but my current collection is hovering somewhere in the 30-something range. When you are in the military, an accurate timepiece is an absolute necessity. It’s a piece of kit—a tool. Heck, you can even use an analog watch as a compass if you are in a pinch.
My biggest moment of watch love came in the early 1990s when I discovered tritium watches—you know, the timepieces with tubes that are self-illuminating. Suddenly, you can tell the time with precision in pitch-black darkness. Even the second hand of my first tritium watch was illuminated. I used this numerous times to get the pulse rates of soldiers in low-light situations or total darkness. I can over the exact process of how to do that in a different article.
Suppliers to the US Army
Back in 1989, a company called mb-microtec introduced their first watch and supplied it to the US Army. The watch was designed and built to meet rigid military specifications and was ultimately the birth of the brand Traser. Traser grew to become a renowned Swiss watch brand known for its robust and highly functional tactical and outdoor watches.
Let’s rewind the clock a little bit, so to speak. Mb-microtec was established in 1969 by Oskar Thüler. The company is recognized for inventing the self-illuminating technology called Trigalight, which uses tritium gas-filled tubes for continuous, low-light visibility. This technology set the foundation for Traser’s unique identity as a manufacturer of durable and self-illuminated watches.
The brand’s watches are often characterized by rugged designs, reliable construction, and continuous readability in all lighting conditions, thanks to their proprietary Trigalight technology.
Traser’s current collections include several categories: Tactical, Outdoor, and Diver watches. Notable models like the P68 Pathfinder, P99 T Tactical, and P67 SuperSub cater to different needs while sharing the core values of resilience and functionality. For instance, the P68 Pathfinder offers features like integrated compass rings and tritium-based luminescence, making it suitable for outdoor enthusiasts. The P99 T Tactical stands out for its titanium construction and tactical design, aimed at professionals needing reliable timepieces. The P67 SuperSub diver’s watch, with 500-meter water resistance and helium release valve, caters to underwater challenges.
The P96
The P96 Outdoor Pioneer (shown above) is a rugged lightweight timepiece water resistant to 200 meters. It fits the wrist nicely at 44mm and sports a 22mm supple rubber strap. The crystal is made of anti-reflective Sapphire and the face features trigalite tube at all of the indices as well as the minute, hour and second hands. The movement is a Swiss-made quartz Ronda 515. The case is made from glass-fiber-reinforced polymer. It is available on the Traser website for $340.
The P99 T Tactical Grey
My personal favorite of the pair is the P99 (shown below). It’s a chunky boy at 46mm, but it wears great on my 8″ wrist and weighs in at a featherweight 95 grams. It sports a titanium case with a screw-down crown and 200 meters of water resistance. The crystal is anti-reflective sapphire, hovering almost invisibly over the slate grey face, making this quite a legible watch from just about any distance and angle. The strap is ocean blue and deeply embossed with the brand name. Right out of the box it is quite comfortable on the wrist. The bi-directional bezel has just the slightest hint of backplay. The movement is Swiss-made quartz, a Ronda 517. It is available on the Traser website for $785
The P67 SuperSub (Automatic)
The featured Image for our article (at the top of this page) is of the Traser P67 SuperSub. It is a gorgeous piece with tons of stainless steel and sapphire. The case is stainless steel, and the face is a substantial 46mm. The piece features a screw-down crown and an impressive 500 meters of water resistance. The crystal is anti-reflective sapphire. All this is held down to your wrist with a 22mm wide stainless steel strap. Powering this self-winding automatic is a 26-jewel Sellita SW 200-1. Trigalite tubes are found at all the indices. This piece can be had on Traser’s website for $1,405.
Traser continues to innovate while maintaining its core philosophy of creating reliable, purpose-driven watches that meet the demands of adventurers, military personnel, and everyday users seeking a dependable companion for various conditions.
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The holiday season is upon us, and I know the watch lover in your life would be forever grateful if one of these were to be found in his or her stocking. You’re in luck; Traser is working with us to offer you an exclusive 20% off if you use the code SOFREP20 at checkout at traser.com.
Pick one up today; you can’t go wrong!
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