Author
Field Mag
Photographer
VAER
Presented by 
As design-obsessed, outdoors loving city dwellers, we spend far too much time chasing down the latest gear that works well—and looks good—both around town and on the trail. While the fashion world's current obsession with Outdoor Guy™ style now means gorpcore sandals and techwear are more accepted than ever in cities, that massive GPS smartwatch you're rocking still looks ridiculous. For a more considered approach to outdoorsy timekeeping, give VAER a look.
The young watch brand out of Venice Beach, CA was founded by two avid outdoorists—think surfing, backpacking, fly fishing, all of that good stuff—to offer a better looking, more durable watch for everyday adventures. The fact that each is Individually hand-assembled in America and available with USA-made leather straps is a cherry on top.
Of the nine designs available we're drawn most to the retro aesthetic of the limited-edition 36mm C3 Tradition, a pared down field watch that's attractive and functional for all indoor and outdoor pursuits.
Spec wise, the C3 features a Swiss-made Ronda quartz movement, scratch-resistant sapphire glass, a beautifully finished case, a locking screw-down crown providing 100 meters of water resistance, and of course, luminescent hands and hour markers.
For you watch nerds scrunching your face at the quartz mention, we’ve definitely found that it’s always nice to have at least one set-it-and-forget-it, grab-and-go timekeeper in the collection. And we think you'd be hard pressed to find a better everyday adventure watch for under $200.
As for the size, 36mm is a perfect unisex diameter that's super comfortable on-wrist. Plus the 8.5mm case thickness means you're less likely to snag on things like trekking pole or backpack straps. Though most watches have swelled to well above this size in recent decades, 36mm is actually much closer to the historical size of wristwatches from the WWII and Vietnam eras.
That watch you've seen on the wrist of Steve McQueen or Paul Newman on countless IG inspo accounts? Yeah, it's probably a 36mm, just like the C3 Tradition. (Not convinced, or you actually have a larger wrist? Check out VAER's best-selling 40mm C5.)
The all-new, limited-edition C3 is available now for $199 in four distinct dial arrangements and comes with a silicone strap plus your choice of nylon or Horween leather second strap. And like all Vaer watches, the new C3 comes with a guaranteed waterproof warranty—meaning you can stay on-time, with peace of mind, wherever your next adventure takes you.
Published 08-19-2020
