When I hear the name Daytripper, I think of a light adventure that requires no more than 3 hours of driving, including a fun meal, neat souvenir, and arrival back home in time to sleep in my own bed. The Daytripper by Trafford Watches is exactly that: a watch for a light adventure that will see you safely home again.
The Trafford Daytripper has the unique function of a quick-set hour hand. I can see this working for figuring out when I can call a friend in another time zone or plotting out my itinerary when scheduling a short trip. Trafford achieved the quick-set hour hand by modifying a Miyota 9075. By removing the “home” hour hand of the Traveler GMT, you now have a three-hand watch with an independent hour hand.
The movement is set in a round case with sculpted, twisted lugs. Due to the thickness of the 9075 movement and the high box crystal, the case gives the impression of a small soup bowl for the movement to sit in. I think that a woven single-pass NATO strap would be an excellent strap alternative, thanks to that curved case. The lugs angle down from the case and curve around my wrist. The twisted shape brings to mind the Chevy 3100 pickups of the 1950s and cruising down an open desert road. The display back shows off the signature Trafford red rotor and the movement beating away. With 100m of water resistance, the watch is more than durable enough for adventures on the road.
On top of the case, a box sapphire crystal gives the watch some serious height. The anti-reflective coating provides perfect visibility to the blue linen dial. This is not a watch to smoothly slip under the cuff. This is a watch for dangling outside your driver’s side window as you cruise down the highway or sit in rush hour traffic. For this run of the Daytripper, Trafford created four variants based on iconic stretches of the US interstate highway system. There’s the brown I-40, the white I-95, the forest green I-75, and the navy blue I-40 that I got to review.
The radial linen dial draws your eyes in towards the applied numerals and contrasting rehaut. The rehaut index goes from 13 to 24, but I honestly don’t know how I’d use that feature without a second hour hand. Suggestions are welcome. Another interesting detail about the rehaut is that the number of ridges matches the beat rate of the seconds hand. Only the truly dedicated design professional would pay attention to such a detail. The numerals and Trafford syringe hands are filled to the brim with BWG9 lume—zero doubts on visibility during late-night drives.
To be perfectly honest, I would skip the bracelet with this model. While it checks the usual boxes (fitted solid end links and micro-adjust clasp), the bracelet doesn’t mesh with the watch. The mirrored surfaces on the case are a stark contrast to the brushed bracelet. It doesn’t feel like the two go together. Which is fine – the Daytripper is a strap monster and Trafford straps are excellent. None of this is to knock the quality or fit of the bracelet. The short clasp fits well against my wrist, and the endlinks match tightly with the case. Overall, it’s a well-made bracelet, just not for the Daytripper.
The included strap is a lightly padded navy blue affair with the signature custom lining fabric. Matching the blue of the dial, the strap is topped off with Trafford’s custom-engraved buckle. The leather curved around my 6.5” wrist with zero break-in period and kept the watch light and comfortable.
At a price of $799, Trafford has created a watch that is as comfortable taking a weekend road cruise as it is navigating rush hour traffic. The watch can be worn either dressy or casually without concerns about durability. Trafford clearly has a winner on their hands as this model has just sold out. But if history is any guide, another run of the Trafford Daytripper is very likely in the works. So keep an eye on the Trafford website to be the first to find out about any new releases.
