🚨NWA🚨Traska Freediver v5.0 (Ref. 1185)

Warning TLDR: But I promise I included some cool information!

It was almost love at first sight when I became aware of this little company called Traska. The company was formed in 2018 and as a “micro-brand” they focus on direct to consumer sales. They started the company on Kickstarter back in 2018 and have had a very successful organic growth cycle off the back of the enthusiast community.

The founder Jon Mack said “An idea began to form in my mind for a watch that honored the timeless aesthetic and function of the vintage sport watches I admired, but in a robust modern package that could handle whatever you decided to throw at it.” This would be the company’s mission statement- build vintage inspired watches in a durable modern package at an affordable price point. I’ve gotta mention durability for a moment. Traska puts the entire case and bracelet through a proprietary hardening process. It’s likely a tempered steel but the hardness jumps from 200Hv on the Vickers scale to 1200Hv. That’s a 6x improvement over regular stainless steel!! That was the main selling point for me. Everything else is just a bonus!

Traska’s first model was this Freediver. Of which there have been five version so far. I’ll try and quickly go through all the changes they’ve made over the years.

2018: 1ST GENERATION (REF. 1181)

“The Freediver launches TRASKA into the world, rendering in solid steel our vision of a watch that unites vintage aesthetics with contemporary engineering.”

2019: 2ND GENERATION (REF. 1182)

“The success of the initial Freediver launch means we can take the second iteration to another level: Water resistance doubles to 200 meters. The case sides, hands, and applied indices are redesigned. We swap out the sapphire crystal bezel inserts to ceramic for a more durable wearing experience.”

2020: 3RD GENERATION (REF. 1183)

“Switching to a Miyota movement — now a staple of the TRASKA range — allows for a thinner case, which facilitates a whole host of other minor and major tweaks, significantly enhancing the aesthetics and wearing experience.”

2021: 4TH GENERATION (REF. 1184)

“Great strides in legibility bring the Freediver to its fourth iteration: Maxi-style applied markers make the dial sharper, fully graduated hash markers allow for elapsed time to be read with greater precision, and the new handset seamlessly blends the trapezoidal and circular design elements of the dial and bezel together.”

2023: 5TH GENERATION (REF. 1185)

Five years of constant development bring the Freediver to its fifth and (almost definitely) final iteration. While it may look similar to Gen. 4 at a quick glance, closer inspection reveals a symphony of aesthetic and functionality improvements that close the loop on a design vision that has impelled TRASKA from day one. A new locking mechanism enhances bracelet security, while the now fully CNC-machined push buttons provide a more premium tactile feel. A sharper coin-edged finish on the bezel produces superior grip, with a crisper, more precise turn thanks to the re-engineered bezel assembly. Requiring twice the production time, our new style of boxed sapphire crystal allows for significantly enhanced case ergonomics that harmonize form and function into the Freediver we have always been striving for.

I love how Traska continues development of a timepiece until they get every last detail just right. And even then, they still might find some small areas of improvement down the road. I like how they don’t rest on their laurels.

Oh, a quick comment on the Miyota 9039 caliber inside this watch. Traska regulates these watches in four positions and I’ve personally seen accuracy within COSC standards. When I write a full review of the three different models I’ll include timing data. But it’s looking spectacular so far.