Saturday, August 8, 2015

2015 Trasers (part 4) - Special Forces 100

The best tritium watch on the market is getting a face lift and it's better than ever!  This week we are taking a look at the all new Special Forces 100 and how the best watch in the business is getting even better.

The Special Forces 100 is the new replacement series for the old Commander Force 100 and while it shares many of the same features with the out going model, it improves the watch in almost every way.  Starting from the ground up the Special Forces 100 takes everything we love about the reigning champ and makes it just a little better. 

Let's start with the styling.  The new model certainly shares the same basic shapes and style of the original but tweaks it just enough to make a statement.  The differences are subtle but once you start to look closely they are unmistakable. First off it's bigger.  Measuring in at 44mm in diameter (up from 42mm) bringing it in-line with the new standard of modern men's watches while retaining the standard 12mm thickness of most Tritium watches on the market.  The new size is comfortable on the wrist while providing slightly bolder look and yet not too big to wear every day for every occasion.

The Special Forces 100 also gets a new font which really updates the overall look of the watch.  I know a new font seems like a little thing but you really do notice.  It makes for sharper numbers and once again brings the watch into a more modern style.  The old watch actually got a new font on the dial not too long ago but bezel is really showing it's age.  It's basically the same bezel it's had since the watch was launched and it's really showing it's age.  It has a very old-school feel to it and the new dial/bezel looks like something from the digital age.  It ties everything together nicely freshens up the whole watch.

And speaking of the new dial, the new internal bezel (that holds the Tritium for markers for 1-12) is now recessed giving the hands more room and providing more surface area under the crystal.  You'll notice the second hand now floats over the hour markers rather than stop short.  The change makes for a much larger look that is more readable than before and allows for a greater use of space.  This coupled with the larger case make for a dramatic increase of overall dial space, where as the old dial looked somewhat squished.  

Hands are different now too.  Gone are the old school hands that accompanied almost all Tritium watches for a generation and in it's place is a much more contemporary look.  We also find new stamping on the setting crown, which is now adorned with the signature H3 logo (trademark logo for Traser's Tritium Trigilight technology) and the crown is also slightly larger and easier to grip.  This allows for easier opening and closing of the screw-down functionality as well as setting procedures.

As with all the new 2015 Traser's we are looking at, this model features the Ronda 715.6 Li Quartz movement that provides up to 10-years battery life in between changes.  Definitely one of my favorite things about the new models.  Getting to go 10 years in between changes is a really nice feature and something missing from the original. 

Most of the standard features like 200 meters water resistant, sapphire crystal, screwdown crown, screwdown caseback, solid titanium case and bracelet (and of course full Tritium illumination) remain untouched but the little things mentioned above all add up to a nicely updated watch that still retains everything that made it great in the first place.  And in a market where an affordable solid titanium watch remains the minority, the Traser Special Forces 100 retains it's crown as the watch to beat in an ever growing and competitive marketplace.

For a full list of feature, specs and prices visit one of our great sites: Topflight Watches or Time 4 Tritium or call us Toll Free at 1-888-243-6329.  One of our friendly staff would be happy to provide you with any information you need.  We love to talk about watches!


Stay tuned next week for our look at the Survivor Pro.