Post by trappedintimewatches on Aug 10, 2021 3:58:19 GMT -6
Hello everyone, Michael again.
I would like to let you guys meet my current daily beater, my Boldr Venture Field Medic.
A full titanium watch which has become my to-go-to watch for daily use due to it's light weight and compact form factor.
Feel free to read my full hands-on experience below and leave your feedback, questions or personal experience with this brand.
Enjoy !
Intro
Gooood morning/afternoon/evening/night everyone and welcome to another watch review of Trapped In Time Watches.
Today we’ll be taking a look at BOLDR Supply Company.
BOLDR Supply Company is an outfitter brand, based out of Singapore, where they manufacture both watches and -gear. The BOLDR philosophy is based on the idea that watches become a part of your life while you’re wearing them.
Even though I am hesitant to copy-paste any advertisement from store sites, I have to say this quote really embodies how BOLDR watches are designed, made and worn.
The main design language is based on creating watches with both modern and classic design elements, while incorporating horological technologies using tough, yet quality materials. BOLDR Time pieces are made to last a lifetime, enduring the everyday beating over and over again.
This philosophy is reflected throughout the whole line up, going from field/toolwatches, to divers, to more classic chronographs. All of them radiate a sense of indestructibility, while still being elegant and wearable.
BOLDR Supply Company is a leading example of a modern watch company which takes a lot of pride in building a both ecologically and ethically responsible business model. Supporting a lot of community initiatives and setting up cooperations with local businesses/artists.
For instance, BOLDR Supply Co. donates 30 Dollar for each sale they make on the Field Medic range.
Something we can only admire and applaud !
BOLDR Supply Company is actively moving towards using 80% sustainable, environmentally-friendly materials in our products and packaging, handpicking their materials of durability, resilience and environmental impact.
For instance, BOLDR Supply Co. donates 30 Dollar for each sale they make on the Field Medic range.
The watch that I will be discussing today is the Venture Field Medic ‘Camo-green’.
The Venture range is part of the more affordable products in BOLDR’s portfolio.
It offers a compact field watch chronograph in fully bead blasted titanium.
Let’s see what this daily beater (?) brings to the table.
Unboxing and first impression
When going through the several models on the website, I realized that my main interest always goes out to dive watches. In general, this is the design and overall form factor that I prefer. However, this small(er) time piece almost instantly got my attention when scrolling down the web page. As I was still looking for some more affordable watches to start/expand my collection, this Venture Field Medic was just the thing I needed to get some more diversity in my collection, adding a field/toolwatch to the collection in a cool new case material, as this timepiece offers a fully bead blasted titanium case… at a very interesting price point (299 Dollars) .The Venture is available in several versions (GMT, Wayfarer, Field, Field medic and Rally) each with multiple color schemes. The latest of them being a Field Medic in a cool camo-green version. I was even more convinced in going for this color layout when I read that BOLDR is donating 30 Dollar for every sale of its Field medic 'camo-green' goes to to help with Covid-19 efforts, read up on their site if you are interested.
The watch came in a very cool watch case, offering optimal protection during transport. (The case is even water tight!)
In the case we find the watch and complementary paperwork; manual, social media, -unsigned- warranty card and a cloth. I like how the inside is padded with high density foam, giving each item a designated place within the box.
My first impression of the watch? This looks even cooler than on the website. This timepiece oozes craftsmanship and durability. I love the combination of the camo-green/print and the specific matte grey color of the bead blasted titanium. This is a winner !
The watch standard comes with a green nato strap, I also added the fully bead blasted titanium bracelet… and honestly, I can’t decide which one I like the most and/or ant to try out first. Both of them complement the watch so well.
Specifications and key features
The Venture Field Medic lineup offers a 38mm, full titanium, fully bead blasted case. The case has a very distinctive design, with a compact lug-to-lug distance of 44mm and thin profile of 12,2mm.
The lugs have a cool angular shape, creating the illusion that the links are hooded. This is a design feature that I really appreciate on this timepiece as it suits the ‘sturdy and raw’ image of the watch.
At the sides of the case we can find both pushers for the chronograph function together with the branded screw down crown, giving it up to 200m water resistance.
This field medic features a very intriguing dial with camouflage print. When taking a closer look at this dial, you get to experience a subtle sunburst effect on the deep green patches, accompanied by matte grey and grey/blue parts.
The way these different colors and textures are arranged, really give a sort of depth to the dial which is very pleasant to see when the light hits it. Because the dial opening is rather small at 30mm diameter, the ratio of dial versus case becomes different then more traditional time pieces… putting more emphasis on the synergie between dial and case rather than having the dial as main eyecatcher.
I think you either like this approach, or you don’t. Having a smaller dial opening does result in the watch looking even smaller with it’s already modest dimensions.
For me, this definitely works for this model, being a true field/toolwatch with practicality being the foremost requirement. (plus, I really love it visually as well.)
Furthermore, the dial houses a 60 minute chronograph , a 24 hour subdial and a special graduation on the dial and chapter ring to follow up on the heart rate and respiratory functions.
Of course, unless you are a real paramedic, the last feature will be nothing more than a gimmick. Last but not least, we also have a datewheel at the 6 'O'Clock position.
The hour- and minute hands are brushed metal, which make them stand out on the rather dark dial/backgound, making up for good legibility during the day. The second hand (which only functions in combination with the chronograph) is black with a lumed tip.
Lume is of good -not superior- quality. Japanese Superlume is applied on the hands and most of the lettering on the dial.(combination of green and blue)
The lume is bright and does a good job keeping the hands and (dot) indices visible… for a relatively short amount of time that is. Don’t expect to get more than 2 hours of decent legibility out of this fieldwatch, mainly provided by the hands, rather than the surrounding indices and lettering.
On the top of the dial we find a flat sapphire crystal, with AR coating.
The screw-down case back features a custom embossed emblem.
The Venture Field Medic is delivered on a nato strap by standard.
The nato strap is a suitable army green and is of high quality.
The coolest details of this Nato, is continuing the use of titanium in the ‘metal parts’ of the nato strap as well, including a very subtle yet detailed logo.
The Nato feels sturdy yet flexible, making up for a comfortable fit.
I also added the full titanium bracelet. Which is also completely bead blasted to match the case of the watch with a full titanium, milled, push button safety clasp which offers 3 micro-adjustments.
The bracelet starts tapering down from 20mm at the lugs, to 18mm at the clasp.
The design of the titanium bracelet is nothing groundbreaking, but how lightweight it is… well, that’s something you have to experience.
When heaving it on the nato it comes in at 55g, while that's (JUST) 85g on the bracelet.
This timepiece is driven by the Seiko SII VK64 mechaquartz, hybrid mechanical quartz movement. Using quartz technology for the watche’s main function and a mechanical module for operating the chronograph. (providing a nice sweeping seconds hand when operating the chronograph). This movement should not set you back more than 20 seconds (+/-) per month, while only needing a battery replacement after 3 years (give or take).
Let’s put it to the test
On paper, this timepiece has some good specifications when it comes to wearability. The light weight and compact construction should translate to a comfortable experience… only one way to find out! I think this has to be one of the most ‘demanding’ hands-on experiences I’ve done with a new watch as I took this BODLR with me on a 2 day trip to one of Belgium’s biggest theme parks. You might say, that’s nothing (like a walk through the desert, rock climbing or any adventurous challenge) … but with two kids of 4 years old, a lot of sunscreen, sweat (30+°C), sandy playgrounds and several hours of chlorinated water in the water park, I was somewhat hart broken to put my brand new watch through such a beating first time wearing it.
The very first thing I can comment on is that this neat (little?) timepiece wears so comfortable. Even though I had it non-stop on my wrist for approximately 16 hour a day, during hot, sweaty weather, I never felt the urge to take the watch off to let my skin ‘breathe’. This is my very first titanium watch and it really feels completely different on my skin than ‘regular’ 316L stainless steel. Maybe it’s the combination of the titanium with that silky smooth bead blasted finish… but it’s a whole other experience than I’m used to (In a good way though!)
The bracelet flows well on top of my wrist, but I noticed that at the ‘bottom side’, where the clasp folds over and touches the bracelet, there is some gap-formation due to the clasp-mechanism pushing on the bracelet. Worth mentioning that my wrist size is only 16,8 cm’s, which often results in having this issue when dealing with fully milled folding clasp mechanisms.
The clasp itself opens and closes fluently, while still providing a secured closure.
The watch had no issues whatsoever after going into the (chlorinated) water for a few hours.
What did strike me is how prone the bead blasted titanium is when it comes to ‘stains’ on the bracelet and case. The combination of sunscreen and sweat had me cleaning the watch quite frequently as it was full of stripes and fingerprints. Unlike 316L stainless steel, the mate/silk finish of the bead blasting makes it almost impossible to get rid of these smudges with a dry microfiber cloth (with a damp cloth, it worked just fine).
The compact dimensions of this watch also add to a great overall feel of comfort while wearing it and it prevents me from hitting the watch against walls, doors etc., something I do experience when wearing larger (thicker) watches.
The dial proved to be very legible throughout the day, thanks to the contrasting hands and the Anti-reflective coating from the sapphire glass. The only thing I noticed is that the composition of the dial, with the added ‘medical’ features, does make it a bit harder to tell the exact time at one glance as these features make the dial a bit more chaotic and cluttered.
It’s only a small remark as I do think that these extra marks really add to the overall look and feel of this watch. The camo -inspired dial looks better in real life than the pictures do justice.
As mentioned before, the camo-patern with sunburst greens, matte finished greys and blues creates a sense of depth on the dial, which is not observable on the pictures you get to see on the website. The lume proved to be sufficient, lasting long enough when needed.
That being said, I did catch myself not really looking at the watch/dial that often as I normally do with a new watch. And while that might sound bad or discouraging, but it’s not and here’s why.
Most of my watches are bright, colorful or shiny and really catch the eye when the light hits them.
This automatically results in me looking like a brainless zombie, staring at my wrist for no obvious reason (or so it looks).
However, this is not the case with this BOLDR Venture Field Medic.
It is a stealthy watch, but a good looking one. If you take your time to get up and close with it, you’ll see a lot of craftsmanship with attention to detail and subtle yet special features.
The verdict
The BOLDR Venture range is fantastic value for money if you are looking for a good, compact field/toolwatch. It comes with a lot of extras when comparing it to the competition:
+Full titanium with bead blasted finish
+Good (mid-range) movement with the VK64
+Multiple variations (if this camo-version is not your thing)
+Good Nato with titanium parts
Even better full titanium (bead blasted) bracelet
- Clasp mechanism big when having small wrists (pushes on the bracelet)
- Push pins are hard to reach for swapping in the bracelet.
- Titanium (bead blasted) parts prone to fingerprints
Feel free to like, comment and subscribe if you enjoyed this content. 'thank you - Michael from TITW'
Blog: Trapped In Time Watches
I would like to let you guys meet my current daily beater, my Boldr Venture Field Medic.
A full titanium watch which has become my to-go-to watch for daily use due to it's light weight and compact form factor.
Feel free to read my full hands-on experience below and leave your feedback, questions or personal experience with this brand.
Enjoy !
Intro
Gooood morning/afternoon/evening/night everyone and welcome to another watch review of Trapped In Time Watches.
Today we’ll be taking a look at BOLDR Supply Company.
BOLDR Supply Company is an outfitter brand, based out of Singapore, where they manufacture both watches and -gear. The BOLDR philosophy is based on the idea that watches become a part of your life while you’re wearing them.
The [HASH]beBOLDR spirit is a shared vision and mission to welcome challenges and take the road less travelled. Every individual faces multiple adventures in their lifetime, whether on a mountain top or in the throes of physical & mental adversity. To [HASH]beBOLDR is to face life head-on as it is, without over-thinking or hesitating.
Even though I am hesitant to copy-paste any advertisement from store sites, I have to say this quote really embodies how BOLDR watches are designed, made and worn.
The main design language is based on creating watches with both modern and classic design elements, while incorporating horological technologies using tough, yet quality materials. BOLDR Time pieces are made to last a lifetime, enduring the everyday beating over and over again.
This philosophy is reflected throughout the whole line up, going from field/toolwatches, to divers, to more classic chronographs. All of them radiate a sense of indestructibility, while still being elegant and wearable.
BOLDR Supply Company is a leading example of a modern watch company which takes a lot of pride in building a both ecologically and ethically responsible business model. Supporting a lot of community initiatives and setting up cooperations with local businesses/artists.
For instance, BOLDR Supply Co. donates 30 Dollar for each sale they make on the Field Medic range.
Something we can only admire and applaud !
BOLDR Supply Company is actively moving towards using 80% sustainable, environmentally-friendly materials in our products and packaging, handpicking their materials of durability, resilience and environmental impact.
For instance, BOLDR Supply Co. donates 30 Dollar for each sale they make on the Field Medic range.
The watch that I will be discussing today is the Venture Field Medic ‘Camo-green’.
The Venture range is part of the more affordable products in BOLDR’s portfolio.
It offers a compact field watch chronograph in fully bead blasted titanium.
Let’s see what this daily beater (?) brings to the table.
Unboxing and first impression
When going through the several models on the website, I realized that my main interest always goes out to dive watches. In general, this is the design and overall form factor that I prefer. However, this small(er) time piece almost instantly got my attention when scrolling down the web page. As I was still looking for some more affordable watches to start/expand my collection, this Venture Field Medic was just the thing I needed to get some more diversity in my collection, adding a field/toolwatch to the collection in a cool new case material, as this timepiece offers a fully bead blasted titanium case… at a very interesting price point (299 Dollars) .The Venture is available in several versions (GMT, Wayfarer, Field, Field medic and Rally) each with multiple color schemes. The latest of them being a Field Medic in a cool camo-green version. I was even more convinced in going for this color layout when I read that BOLDR is donating 30 Dollar for every sale of its Field medic 'camo-green' goes to to help with Covid-19 efforts, read up on their site if you are interested.
The watch came in a very cool watch case, offering optimal protection during transport. (The case is even water tight!)
In the case we find the watch and complementary paperwork; manual, social media, -unsigned- warranty card and a cloth. I like how the inside is padded with high density foam, giving each item a designated place within the box.
My first impression of the watch? This looks even cooler than on the website. This timepiece oozes craftsmanship and durability. I love the combination of the camo-green/print and the specific matte grey color of the bead blasted titanium. This is a winner !
The watch standard comes with a green nato strap, I also added the fully bead blasted titanium bracelet… and honestly, I can’t decide which one I like the most and/or ant to try out first. Both of them complement the watch so well.
Specifications and key features
The Venture Field Medic lineup offers a 38mm, full titanium, fully bead blasted case. The case has a very distinctive design, with a compact lug-to-lug distance of 44mm and thin profile of 12,2mm.
The lugs have a cool angular shape, creating the illusion that the links are hooded. This is a design feature that I really appreciate on this timepiece as it suits the ‘sturdy and raw’ image of the watch.
At the sides of the case we can find both pushers for the chronograph function together with the branded screw down crown, giving it up to 200m water resistance.
This field medic features a very intriguing dial with camouflage print. When taking a closer look at this dial, you get to experience a subtle sunburst effect on the deep green patches, accompanied by matte grey and grey/blue parts.
The way these different colors and textures are arranged, really give a sort of depth to the dial which is very pleasant to see when the light hits it. Because the dial opening is rather small at 30mm diameter, the ratio of dial versus case becomes different then more traditional time pieces… putting more emphasis on the synergie between dial and case rather than having the dial as main eyecatcher.
I think you either like this approach, or you don’t. Having a smaller dial opening does result in the watch looking even smaller with it’s already modest dimensions.
For me, this definitely works for this model, being a true field/toolwatch with practicality being the foremost requirement. (plus, I really love it visually as well.)
Furthermore, the dial houses a 60 minute chronograph , a 24 hour subdial and a special graduation on the dial and chapter ring to follow up on the heart rate and respiratory functions.
Of course, unless you are a real paramedic, the last feature will be nothing more than a gimmick. Last but not least, we also have a datewheel at the 6 'O'Clock position.
The hour- and minute hands are brushed metal, which make them stand out on the rather dark dial/backgound, making up for good legibility during the day. The second hand (which only functions in combination with the chronograph) is black with a lumed tip.
Lume is of good -not superior- quality. Japanese Superlume is applied on the hands and most of the lettering on the dial.(combination of green and blue)
The lume is bright and does a good job keeping the hands and (dot) indices visible… for a relatively short amount of time that is. Don’t expect to get more than 2 hours of decent legibility out of this fieldwatch, mainly provided by the hands, rather than the surrounding indices and lettering.
On the top of the dial we find a flat sapphire crystal, with AR coating.
The screw-down case back features a custom embossed emblem.
The Venture Field Medic is delivered on a nato strap by standard.
The nato strap is a suitable army green and is of high quality.
The coolest details of this Nato, is continuing the use of titanium in the ‘metal parts’ of the nato strap as well, including a very subtle yet detailed logo.
The Nato feels sturdy yet flexible, making up for a comfortable fit.
I also added the full titanium bracelet. Which is also completely bead blasted to match the case of the watch with a full titanium, milled, push button safety clasp which offers 3 micro-adjustments.
The bracelet starts tapering down from 20mm at the lugs, to 18mm at the clasp.
The design of the titanium bracelet is nothing groundbreaking, but how lightweight it is… well, that’s something you have to experience.
When heaving it on the nato it comes in at 55g, while that's (JUST) 85g on the bracelet.
This timepiece is driven by the Seiko SII VK64 mechaquartz, hybrid mechanical quartz movement. Using quartz technology for the watche’s main function and a mechanical module for operating the chronograph. (providing a nice sweeping seconds hand when operating the chronograph). This movement should not set you back more than 20 seconds (+/-) per month, while only needing a battery replacement after 3 years (give or take).
Let’s put it to the test
On paper, this timepiece has some good specifications when it comes to wearability. The light weight and compact construction should translate to a comfortable experience… only one way to find out! I think this has to be one of the most ‘demanding’ hands-on experiences I’ve done with a new watch as I took this BODLR with me on a 2 day trip to one of Belgium’s biggest theme parks. You might say, that’s nothing (like a walk through the desert, rock climbing or any adventurous challenge) … but with two kids of 4 years old, a lot of sunscreen, sweat (30+°C), sandy playgrounds and several hours of chlorinated water in the water park, I was somewhat hart broken to put my brand new watch through such a beating first time wearing it.
The very first thing I can comment on is that this neat (little?) timepiece wears so comfortable. Even though I had it non-stop on my wrist for approximately 16 hour a day, during hot, sweaty weather, I never felt the urge to take the watch off to let my skin ‘breathe’. This is my very first titanium watch and it really feels completely different on my skin than ‘regular’ 316L stainless steel. Maybe it’s the combination of the titanium with that silky smooth bead blasted finish… but it’s a whole other experience than I’m used to (In a good way though!)
The bracelet flows well on top of my wrist, but I noticed that at the ‘bottom side’, where the clasp folds over and touches the bracelet, there is some gap-formation due to the clasp-mechanism pushing on the bracelet. Worth mentioning that my wrist size is only 16,8 cm’s, which often results in having this issue when dealing with fully milled folding clasp mechanisms.
The clasp itself opens and closes fluently, while still providing a secured closure.
The watch had no issues whatsoever after going into the (chlorinated) water for a few hours.
What did strike me is how prone the bead blasted titanium is when it comes to ‘stains’ on the bracelet and case. The combination of sunscreen and sweat had me cleaning the watch quite frequently as it was full of stripes and fingerprints. Unlike 316L stainless steel, the mate/silk finish of the bead blasting makes it almost impossible to get rid of these smudges with a dry microfiber cloth (with a damp cloth, it worked just fine).
The compact dimensions of this watch also add to a great overall feel of comfort while wearing it and it prevents me from hitting the watch against walls, doors etc., something I do experience when wearing larger (thicker) watches.
The dial proved to be very legible throughout the day, thanks to the contrasting hands and the Anti-reflective coating from the sapphire glass. The only thing I noticed is that the composition of the dial, with the added ‘medical’ features, does make it a bit harder to tell the exact time at one glance as these features make the dial a bit more chaotic and cluttered.
It’s only a small remark as I do think that these extra marks really add to the overall look and feel of this watch. The camo -inspired dial looks better in real life than the pictures do justice.
As mentioned before, the camo-patern with sunburst greens, matte finished greys and blues creates a sense of depth on the dial, which is not observable on the pictures you get to see on the website. The lume proved to be sufficient, lasting long enough when needed.
That being said, I did catch myself not really looking at the watch/dial that often as I normally do with a new watch. And while that might sound bad or discouraging, but it’s not and here’s why.
Most of my watches are bright, colorful or shiny and really catch the eye when the light hits them.
This automatically results in me looking like a brainless zombie, staring at my wrist for no obvious reason (or so it looks).
However, this is not the case with this BOLDR Venture Field Medic.
It is a stealthy watch, but a good looking one. If you take your time to get up and close with it, you’ll see a lot of craftsmanship with attention to detail and subtle yet special features.
The verdict
The BOLDR Venture range is fantastic value for money if you are looking for a good, compact field/toolwatch. It comes with a lot of extras when comparing it to the competition:
+Full titanium with bead blasted finish
+Good (mid-range) movement with the VK64
+Multiple variations (if this camo-version is not your thing)
+Good Nato with titanium parts
Even better full titanium (bead blasted) bracelet
- Clasp mechanism big when having small wrists (pushes on the bracelet)
- Push pins are hard to reach for swapping in the bracelet.
- Titanium (bead blasted) parts prone to fingerprints
This BOLDR Venture Field Medic 'Camo Green' won't turn any heads at the bar while you're having a drink.
But you know what, it doesn't need to.
This watch is designed by and for purist watch enthusiasts which acknowledge and appreciate the amount of craftsmanship and quality that has gone into this stealthy yet beautiful timepiece.
Blog: Trapped In Time Watches
