Something I have wrestled with a lot in the last couple of years is the idea of value in microbrands. To be honest, it is an annoying subject to devote any brain power to. After all, like probably everyone reading this, I like watches because I am a nerd, not because I find joy in considering how their MSRP is calculated. But when MSRP seems to be on a never-ending hunt for a new plateau industry-wide, can you blame a nerd for feeling a bit defensive before forking over any cash and making that customary New Watch Announcement post on Instagram?
When I first got into watches several years ago as a budget-conscious, spec-focused collector, I seemed predestined to find my comfort zone in the microbrand space. It is hard not to feel nostalgic when I reminisce about those early days of collecting, when it seemed that every time I stumbled onto a forum, I discovered a new brand competing to offer the best value for $299. But what does my nostalgia have to do with the 39mm Trekker from Raven Watches that I just spent the last two weeks test-driving? Quite a bit, actually.
Raven was founded back in 2008 by Steven Laughlin. In the grand scheme of things, that is not that long ago, but in the ever-evolving landscape of small independent watch brands, this makes Raven something of a dinosaur that has survived countless trends in watches, including the race to the bottom pricing that dominated the microbrand space when I began forming my own opinions about value. To be honest, that timing and the fluctuating concept of value are exactly what kept a Raven off my wrist for so many years. Dig through the archives of Trekker reviews from ten years ago, and you will see an MSRP of $750. At the time, many reviews sang praises of the design and build quality, but danced carefully around words like “expensive.” Oh, how times have changed.
I am writing this at the airport, traveling home to New Hampshire after visiting Washington, D.C., to attend District Time 2026. Aside from the tremendous fun of meeting fellow collectors and chatting directly with the creators of some of my favorite watches, I am leaving the show with two takeaways. First, quality is up, across the board. Gone are the days of collectors looking past subpar finishing or generic designs because we feel dazzled by a sapphire crystal and 200 meters of water resistance. Second, prices have increased along with these standards. Microbrands priced in the $ 1,000 to $ 2,000 range are no longer taboo. In fact, they are beginning to feel like the norm. In 2026, $690 can feel like a steal.
Let’s take a closer look at the updated Trekker and see if it actually is.
While prices industry-wide may be on the rise, Raven’s Trekker, which was originally released with a beefy 40mm case in 2012, is somehow less expensive than it used to be (now $690 down from $750). And it’s not just the price that is down. The reworked Trekker hit the market in 2024 and is now 39mm with a 48mm lug-to-lug. It also has a slimmer profile at 12.5mm, achieved through a reduced crystal and caseback- a worthwhile trade that required sacrificing the previously excessive 300 meters of water resistance (don’t worry, it’s still 200 meters) in exchange for improved wearability.
The Trekker 39 comes in several variations, with a handful of dial options (blue, black, and grey), choices like a blacked-out crown, DLC bezels, as well as optional numerals and date windows. I spent my time test-driving the Vintage Blue, an aptly named variation that pairs its vintage specs with a blue glossy dial, blue ceramic bezel, blue SuperLumiNova, and a blue AR coating on its sapphire crystal. While it sounds like a simple formula, I can’t think of any other watch that fully commits to the color to this extent. The result, rather than feeling flat as one might expect, is a depth and overall richness that surprised me immediately out of the box.
Speaking of aptly named, below the boxed crystal with all that satisfying AR coating, the Vintage features the same sword hands and dial layout as the original Trekker. The dial finds balance with a 3:00 date window and text at both 12:00 and 6:00 with the brand name (accompanied by a logo), model, and water resistance. Props are due for resisting the trend of cluttering precious dial space with the word “automatic”. Alternating markers packed with lume include an elongated triangle at 12:00, batons at 6:00 and 9:00, and circles on every other hour, providing variety while making legibility a cinch in all lighting situations.
The Vintage Blue has a standard stainless steel crown. Although at a beefy 8mm, maybe standard isn’t the right word. Physically speaking, the larger crown provides noticeably increased grip without digging into the wrist any more than a typical crown, at least on my 7.5-inch wrist. Aesthetically, it looks cool as hell.
The case features brushed finishing, a fitting choice for a purpose-built watch that pairs nicely with the more elegant features of the dial. Transitioning flawlessly with sloped drilled lugs, this same level of care carries over to the brushed three-link bracelet, which tapers from 20mm at the lugs to 16mm at the clasp. It includes quick-release spring bars and an adjustable clasp with on-the-fly micro adjustment. While I’m usually not a bracelet guy and prefer the comfort and lightness of straps, I found the Trekker felt most at home on the bracelet, which provided a balanced wearing experience.
The Miyota 9015 powering the Trekker hardly needs an introduction. Running at 28,800 vibrations per hour, it provides a satisfying sweep of the second hand and a date complication, and it’s quickly becoming the industry standard (sorry, Seiko). My particular Trekker was well within accuracy specs and was familiar and easy to operate.
Early in my test drive, it became clear that I was unlikely to stumble upon any cut corners with the Trekker, a prediction that proved to be accurate. The lume consistently glowed well into the night. The bezel was aligned and never had backplay. And the blue motif, combined with the refined case and quirky crown, never lost its charm. When my test drive had run its course, I didn’t have a single complaint. Which, in retrospect, makes sense for a watch that had been refined for 12 years.
So how do you close out a review of a dive watch that has been refined to the point that even a picky collector like me has no gripes? Probably by returning to the pesky subject of value. After all, collecting is a personalized experience largely determined by our subjective approach to placing value on things like specs, provenance, and originality.
Does the Trekker offer the best specs per dollar compared to its microbrand counterparts? Though priced aggressively and (unlike a decade ago) is arguably inexpensive by industry standards, probably not. And while Raven offers an attractive take on a classic format, it’s certainly not the loudest or most attention-seeking dive watch out there, either. But the longer I collect, the more I realize that sometimes the best value watches aren’t the bargains or the flashiest releases, but the ones that have dedicated years to perfection and careful refinement- qualities that define Raven Trekker 39 and make it a watch absolutely worth considering.
