Astor+Banks Fortitude Lite

Well. Astor+Banks has hit its stride again. While its last two models—the Sea Ranger and the Fortitude (read that review, if you haven’t)—were objectively good watches, they both suffered from a case/caseback design that had them sitting far too high off the wrist. Having reviewed both, I found myself loving the look of the watches, but unable to enjoy wearing them. The Astor+Banks Fortitude Lite resolves the issue and presents one of the best wearing watches I’ve tried out in a long time, with some exciting dial options and the same beautiful aesthetic that made the original so great (or almost great).

With the original Fortitude in mind, much of the same is to like with the Fortitude Lite: dial texture, gunmetal hands, applied markers, case finishing, and the bracelet. The redesign of the case and—depending on how you feel about them in general—the omission of the date window elevates the Lite above its namesake. (Pictured: the Maíz dial, a paleness of yellow that I don’t much care for.)

Right off the bat, here’s the biggest change from the original Fortitude: by deepening the midcase and slimming down the caseback, the case design that made the original sit too high off the wrist has been improved for what I can say is a perfect wear on my somewhat bony 7in wrist. The screwdown crown is adequate, and while the size and round cap didn’t cause issues for me, those with larger fingers may struggle to get a solid grip (but those with such large fingers may also not be buying a 38.5mm watch). All the finishing is top-notch and the narrow lugs let the dial do the talking and keep the proportions in check (as opposed to some Rolex Maxi case absurdity).

The case is now 1mm thinner and .5mm shorter, and as you can plainly see, it sits perfectly. See how the bracelet flows seamlessly from the case to the wrist? In the original Fortitude, the case’s form resulted in an awkward gap between the first two links and the wrist. That gap is gone, and the way the bracelet now contours to the wrist is brilliant. Also, check out how the pronounced brushing of the bezel’s top juxtaposes the high polish of its rounded surface.

The dial remains unchanged save for the omission of the date window. You may prefer a date, and the one that featured on the Fortitude was very well done, a beveled window located at 6 o’clock with its top edge perfectly aligned with the dial’s circular crease. The only issue was that the date wheel, while color-matched, was not the same texture as the rest of the dial. A wide array of dials is available: Maíz (yellow), Polar (white), Silver (silver), Sand (beige), Mint (teal), Peach (salmon), and Mother of Pearl (mother of pearl).

As you can see, the texture–like ultrafine sandpaper—is one of the dial’s selling points. Disrupting it was not ideal, and I’m glad the continuity has been restored. The bisected hands return in a wonderful matte gunmetal, while the mother of pearl and silver dials get shiny blued handsets. The truncated pill markers fit perfectly, for whatever reason—maybe I just like them.

Lots of wonderful depth here with the markers and the crease. Also on display is the sometimes-subtle texture (it plays differently depending on the dial, with the Sand dial probably looking the most textured). My favorite thing (that I only noticed when I edited this photo)? The subtle shadow cast by the dial text, evidencing the depth of the dial itself.

Great lume, but not the best I’ve seen. Lights up fine, shines well, but the handset is slightly noticeably dimmer than the markers. Nothing that made the watch unreadable in the dark, though. Bonus: check out the tiny sliver of lume running through the seconds hand.

Clean caseback. Love it. I’ve grown tired of brands “doing something” with their casebacks. Brand name, depth rating, serial, and maybe where it’s made or from. Yes, this has a bit more, but it’s not as bad as others that include the actual movement name. Or the type of steel, God forbid. Underneath is the Miyota 9039, dateless sibling of the 9015, which was used in the original Fortitude. Great movement for a great watch.

The bracelet is so good. The links are short and articulate well, meaning it’s easy to get a great fit and it conforms easily to any wrist. The flip-lock clasp with six micro adjustments is solid. Even with the drilled lugs, I would’ve liked quick-release spring bars. It’s a bit belt-and-suspenders, but I like the convenience that they offer when removing and installing a bracelet. Speaking of which, the Fortitude Light is a banger on straps. I went nuts with the Peach dial

How do I feel about the Astor+Banks Fortitude Lite? You see that Peach dial model on my wrist up there? I bought one before I even sent the review pieces back. I actually tried to keep the review piece. That’s my entire conclusion. Go to the Astor+Banks website and buy a Fortitude Lite like I did.