Review and photos by Mike Razak
My very first review for The Time Bum was the Dryden Chronodiver, almost two years ago. I had met Jerry, the owner of the brand, the year before at Wind-up Watch Fair in NYC. While we were out to dinner, he showed me some renderings of an upcoming dive watch he was working on. One of the shots was a gorgeous green dial that I instantly fell in love with. The watch I saw would evolve into the Dryden Pathfinder. And while it isn’t available in that verdant shade, I received a fantastic white dialed version that I’ve been able to thoroughly put through the paces.
The case on the Pathfinder is just about perfect for me. Like me, Jerry owns a Seamaster Professional (he is the 2531.80, mine the 2254.50, which is obviously superior). And his love for that watch is clear in the Dryden Pathfinder. The case looks nothing like the SMP, but it wears very similarly. That is to say, perfectly.
The slim 11.8mm profile (including the crystal!) is so sleek, and the lugs that taper down help the watch to wrap around the wrist. While it measures 41mm across, it wears closer to 40, perhaps almost 39. Polished chamfers stretch along the top and bottom of the case for elegance and a better fit.
I imagine this shrinking effect has to do with the all-steel model I had. The white dial—Arctic Silver, as they call it—can be equipped with your choice of four different bezels: 12-hour in stainless steel or dive in steel, black ceramic, or blue ceramic. I love the look of the steel as it lends a bit of ruggedness and lets the dial text and seconds hand pop a bit.
The bezel, which features a lumed triangle, has a gentle outward slope, but due to this, it is a bit thin on the edge. Gripping can be a challenge at 12 and 6, but I found gripping at 10 and 4 or 2 and 8 to solve the issue. I’ll also note that the issue is mitigated when the watch is on a strap, as the clearance between the bezel and the lug box increases.
The only real issue I took with the Pathfinder was the screw-down crown. The crown is a sandblasted finish to hold up better to wear and provide better grip. I get it, and it’s a creative solution, and it keeps the crown perfectly proportional with the case, but that finish is nowhere else on the watch, so it’s a bit odd. Plus, the smaller size makes it still harder to grip than I’d like. A better solution, to me, would have been simply sizing the crown up, having brushed ridging, and (in the interest of compromise) sandblasting the end.
The dial of the Pathfinder achieves beauty in its simplicity. Available in three colors—including Glossy Black and Midnight Blue—the Pathfinder’s Arctic White is aptly named, as it’s subtle texture evokes frosted over snow.
Obelisk hands feature brushing to match the case, as do the surrounds of the baton hour makers. The “Automatic” and the tip of the seconds hand provide a pop of blue on the otherwise steel and white model.
The lume on the Pathfinder is balanced and well-executed. While not the brightest out there, the Super-LumiNova BGW9 used her shines brightly enough. Even a quick step outside in overcast skies will quickly charge it up!
The careful eye will see two tracks around the dial: your standard minutes/seconds track and an outer track with 360 hashes. Like the brushed frame around the 6 o’clock date window, it’s purely decorative, but I like it.
Flipping the watch over, you have a depiction of a lighthouse set on a craggy coast, befitting the Pathfinder name and its water resistance of 200m. Under the screw-down caseback beats a Miyota 9015. This movement needs neither introduction nor explanation, so I’ll give it neither.
The stock bracelet features quick-release spring bars making removal and swap traps a cinch. As a strap addict, this was great for me. If you’re not familiar with quick-release bracelets, you’re in for a treat, as they make the process so much easier. Even better, the 20mm lugs are drilled! Screw pins make sizing a snap. And the clasp, which features 4 micro adjustment holes, sits almost flush with the links.
All in all, it’s a comfortable bracelet that pairs perfectly with the watch. In addition, each watch ships with a vented rubber strap, also featuring quick-release bars and thicker ends to allow for better a better case-to-wrist transition.
The Dryden Pathfinder doesn’t break the mold, and it doesn’t bring a lot of newness to the watch world. But if we expect that of every new watch, we will be constantly disappointed. As a person reviewing watches on a regular basis (I have 7 in right now), I’ve stopped demanding innovation and creativity of each watch that I review. They’re great when they show up, but I no longer require them.
What I look for in a watch is execution and quality. How well did the brand deliver on its concept? And how well made is the watch? Everything else is secondary, at best. In the case of the Dryden Pathfinder, the answer to both questions is “exceedingly well.” While it will retail at $650 (a perfect price), it’s available on the Dryden website for just $499.⬩
