Vero is no stranger to tough tool watches (see our reviews of the Workhorse and Open Water), so it was only natural that they would collaborate with a company like Realtree, known for its rugged hunting gear and innovative camouflage patterns, to bring us the Vero Realtree Tide Tracker Compass, a watch as practical as its name is long.
In keeping with its aquatic function, the Tide Tracker is rated for 120m water resistance and sports two bezels. A flat, AR-coated sapphire crystal and a sturdy Seiko NH38A automatic movement underpin its rugged nature.
This is a mighty handsome watch. Its bead-blasted stainless steel case is 39.5mm wide, 47mm long, and 11.25mm thick, placing it squarely into the contemporary mid-sized range. It’s a sensible size that should easily fit most people. It certainly worked well on my own 6.75″ wrist.
When a watch’s outer bezel matches the case color, the dial – and therefore, the watch – appears smaller, and that is the case here. Following the angled internal bezel brings you to a compact central dial with a traditional diver’s “bars-and-dots” layout in beige, and a fabulous hour hand with a red needle sprouting from its squared-off tip. Vero managed to squeeze in six lines of text, including both brands’ names, the Tide Tracker name/function, and the tide symbol. It’s a lot, and yet, it all balances beautifully.
Vero offers just two variants: blue and black. I sampled the blue Compass, a deep denim color that seemed appropriately oceanic. Its beige markers are ringed in red, and it comes with a 20mm blue camouflage canvas strap. The Outpost black version keeps the beige but eschews the red accents on the markers and adds green camo. The most striking difference is its white internal bezel, which makes that model appear even more compact than the blue.
The Vero’s titular tide tracking function is accomplished by aligning the 120-click, unidirectional external bezel (high/low tide) with internal (14-day) and the time of the last high tide. Once set, you must manually advance the outer bezel each day. It’s quite clever and easy to use. Both bezels are 120-click, unidirectional, and move with precision.
The watch’s twin crowns are signed and also polished, which, I must say, would hardly be my first choice given the no-nonsense matte finish of the case and bezel. They are also asymmetric, with the 2 o’clock internal bezel crown standing taller than the time-setting crown at 3 o’clock. The fact that the crowns screw-down is a great benefit, not only for ensuring water resistance, but also for the security of that internal bezel setting. I’ve owned a few watches with internal bezels and non-locking crowns, and I inevitably bump them out of position. Not so with the Tide Tracker.
Any tool watch worth its salt must have adequate illumination, and the Tide Tracker does not disappoint, offering up a good dose of Super-LumiNova on the hands and markers for a strong green glow. You will need to check the tide before the sun goes down because those indexes are just paint. This is not unreasonable, as their fine markers and numbers would likely not hold enough lume to be useful.
On the underside, the Realtree name and insignia take center stage on a polished and blasted caseback. While we are back here, also note the Realtree tab on the strap, and its quick-release pins. I really liked the canvas strap. While I know the mottled blue design is camo, it comes off as less military and more abstract impressionist. I see it as clouds and water. The quality of the stitching and the reinforcement around all the holes, including the pin releases, bodes well for its longevity. Vero also offers a fine selection of colorful FKM tropic-style straps for $35. The khaki looks particularly nice on this version. Between the quick-release pins and the drilled lugs, you will have no problem fitting the perfect strap.
Vero makes a point of declaring the Tide Tracker perfectly suitable for life in either the wilderness or the office, and shows a video of a man who looks like he wants to punch a Grizzly Bear wearing a Tide Tracker as he toils in his cubicle. Could you really wear this with a suit? I suppose you should ask yourself if your workplace is camouflage-friendly. If so, then yes. On the other hand, look at that guy. He clearly hates his job. He hates that suit. It’s crushing his very soul. He can’t wait to get the hell out of there and head into the woods. I think the watch feels the same way.
I must add a word about the packaging. First, it looks awesome, like a relic of mid-century Americana. Second, the dense foam insert that protects the watch is glued together, and that glue can end up on your watch, as it did on my review sample. Do not panic. Dissolve it with rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth and wipe it away. Then take your new watch to play on a muddy riverbank like it was intended.
Overall, the Vero Realtree Tide Tracker Compass is tough, handsome, and delivers an uncommon feature in a very clever manner for $550. For more information or to order your own, visit vero-watch.com.
