A watch is a great way to finish off your look. Not only can watches be a lifesaver to those in the military, but they are a staple in a gentleman’s daily carry and wear. I own both the Auto Pilot and Valor from NFW and they are nothing short of rugged, dependable and bad-ass, which is why we chose them to collaborate with on the custom Crate Club watch.
NFW Watch Company is a small American owned and run business designing and producing quality timepieces. NFW is known for their support of the military and our veterans and gives a portion of each sale back to specific charities. For a list of their timepieces that give back, see their ‘Purpose Driven’ page.
Although you can read the specifications below, I would like to briefly cover a few of them and why we decided to go the direction we did. The 316L stainless steel case will stand up to day-to-day wear as well as other less than ideal conditions. The addition of the raised bezel ensures that the hardened mineral crystal remains unscathed during any activity or if it gets dropped.
With a water resistance of 100 meters, you’ll be able to wear this watch during swimming, snorkeling and other water-related activities. Under the hood is a rugged Citizen Precision Quartz movement that will withstand shock and abuse much better than other mechanical/automatic movements (primarily due to fewer moving parts) and will continue to run reliably for 10 years. Citizen movements are Japanese and seem to be very analogous to a Toyota truck: tough, reliable, well-designed & long-lasting.
We worked closely with NFW to ensure that the finished product would be one that we could stand behind for years to come. This watch is one that can be worn with everything from a t-shirt to a custom bespoke 3-piece suit.
Specifications:
- CASE: The Crate Club watch uses NFW’s Valor case design (42mm), which is forged from the very best 316L surgical/marine-grade stainless steel. The bezel is raised in order to provide protection for the crystal when wearing the watch in active, rough situations.
- WATER RESISTANCE: 100 Meters/330 Feet
- CASEBACK: 316L stainless steel, screw-in, with customized engraved graphics.
- CRYSTAL: Hardened mineral glass (heat-tempered to an optimal balance between scratch resistance & impact resistance). Anti-reflective coating on the underside of crystal.
- LUME: Swiss SuperLuminova (multiple layers of C3), on the hour/minute hands and all hour markers.
- MOVEMENT: Citizen precision quartz, with whopping 10-year continuous-run battery life
- STRAP: Black Italian oiled leather, white contrast stitching, with reinforcing rivets at the strap stress area. Custom machined stainless steel buckle with NFW “lay-flat” design so the buckle maintains a low-profile on the wrist.
- BONUS STRAP: Black ballistic nylon Nato strap included for when the watch is to be used in rough, wet, muddy, sweaty conditions. Also included is a steel strap changing tool.
