Signing you in

It’s been over two years since American-based microbrands Nodus and Raven teamed up to give us the TrailTrekker, arguably the ultimate affordable tool watch on the market.

Since then, the two enthusiast favorites have revisited the TrailTrekker well to iterate on the original Rolex Explorer II-inspired GMT with a slick white-dial version and a pretty blue dial, both of which ditched the gunmetal gray DLC coating of the original for a less toolish appearance.

While those last two TrailTrekkers attempted to beautify the model, the latest version goes in the other direction by leaning harder than ever into tactical tool-watch territory, making it the most ambitious and badass take on the rugged GMT yet.

The new TrailTrekker Carbon sees the return of the original’s gunmetal gray DLC coating to the watch’s 316L stainless steel case and bracelet, which not only gives the watch a rugged appearance but also greatly increases its scratch resistance.

This time around, the darker case and bracelet are paired with a more legible dial and bezel … especially at night. All four hands, the applied indices, the 24-hour bezel markings and even the date wheel are all coated with Super-LumiNova BGW9 Grade A, which appears stark white during the day but glows blue in low light.

And that’s not all. You may notice that both the dial and bezel insert on this TrailTrekker are made of lightweight forged carbon fiber, but this isn’t your average forged carbon. It’s been impregnated with that same formula of Super-LumiNova. This enables the dial and bezel to come alive at night with swirls of blue, making the watch even more legible in low light and giving it a seriously cool lume signature.

Additionally, there’s one more exciting change added to the TrailTrekker Carbon. For the first time, the watch includes an additional strap to go along with its excellent bracelet.

It’s the brand-new Nodus Fusion strap, which is made of premium and supple FKM rubber (in black, naturally) and includes solid steel end links for seamless integration into the case. The end links feature the same DLC coating as the case, and both the strap and bracelet are equipped with quick-release spring bars to make changes a breeze.

Outside of the new lumed carbon material and the additional strap, this is the same TrailTrekker that has become a legend in the enthusiast community.

It’s still powered by the Miyota Calibre 9075 “true” GMT automatic movement featuring an independently adjustable local hour hand and regulated by Nodus to run at +/- 8 seconds per day. Its tapering bracelet is still secured by a clasp containing Nodus’s proprietary Nodus Extension Module for tool-free microadjustments.

The beefy knurled crown still screws down to ensure 200m of water resistance. The box sapphire crystal still has Nodus’s signature blue-tinted anti-reflective coating on its underside. And the case dimensions remain a pleasing 39.5mm across, 46.6mm long and 11.8mm thick.

I’ve loved every rendition of the TrailTrekker so far, and while the original will probably always be my favorite, the Carbon is a close second thanks to its cool lume treatment and focus on legibility. It’s the most tactical version of the watch we’ve seen so far, and I think it’s going to be a big hit.

The Carbon is the most expensive TrailTrekker to date, with the lumed carbon material and the additional strap pushing the price into four-figure territory for the first time. However, it’s still a ridiculous value for a tool watch of this caliber, coming in with an SRP of $1,075.

The TrailTrekker Carbon is set to go on sale on Nodus’s website on July 22 at noon EDT.

Johnny Brayson is an editor at Gear Patrol mostly covering watches. He enjoys watches that are packed with blink-and-you’ll-miss-’em details and believes nearly every watch could stand to be a tad smaller.

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