RZE Introduce UTD-8000 a Titanium Watch with a Digital Heart

When looking at a watch like the Rolex Explorer or Tudor Black Bay Pro we all picture setting out on a wild adventure to the top of mountains, the bottom of caves or across the arctic but unless you’ve been sponsored to do so, it makes more financial sense to leave them nice and safe in your watch box at home. For genuine expeditions you want a watch that’s far more accessible, far more reliable and far more durable. Enter RZE and their new watch the UTD-8000, their first digital timepiece.

Let’s talk digital. Digital displays are actually a time honoured tradition in the realm of adventure watches. Just as on the mechanical side you have icons like the aforementioned Explorer, there are a huge number of famous digital adventure tool watches. Casio’s G-Shock immediately springs to mind as does the Breitling Emergency. There’s a good reason for these tool watches, including the new RZE UTD-8000, to be digital.

In the most simplified terms possible, digital displays have fewer moving parts than mechanical ones. There are no hands to snap off after a particularly jarring bump. There are no gear trains to be damaged by excessive vibration as you drive across a gravel path. And, arguably most important of all, the backlit LCD screen is super legible in all conditions. That’s particularly true of the UTD-8000 which has an oversize digital display for boosted readability.

The top portion of the display shows the day of the week, the centre is the time and at the bottom is the date. There are also additional modes that can be selected with the pusher at 7 o’clock, which include chronograph timer, alarm, hourly chime and format changes such as 12/24 hour time display. Around the edge of the digital display is a coloured ring that describes the various functions and which is available in a choice of yellow, black or blue.

Structurally, the RZE UTD-8000’s digital module is held in place by a compressible cushion material, protecting it from shocks inside the case. The case itself measures 41mm in diameter with the bezel overhanging slightly with a diameter of 42mm. Its thickness feels proportional at 13.4mm. As with all RZE watches it’s made from titanium, specifically grade 2, which provides great strength and lightweight properties ideal for adventuring. On the aesthetic side it’s suitably rugged looking with an industrial vibe courtesy of exposed screws and angular facets.

One of the major considerations in the creation of the UTD-8000’s case was weatherproofing. Whether you’re in the mountains or the arctic, protection from the cold and severe temperature fluctuations is important. Which is why RZE tested the watch in the Canadian tundra, exposing it to -30 degree Celsius temperatures for over 24-hours, as well as +60 degree temperatures for an hour. It survived them all with continuous operation. One of the most fun tests involved zip-tying it to the front of a car and blasting along at 100km/h (about 60mph for we Brits) to give it a real rattle test.

As for pricing and availability, the RZE UTD-8000 has a full MSRP of $219 on elasticised fabric strap or $369 on titanium bracelet (approx. £170/£290). However, the fabric strap edition is being launched in a two step process giving you the chance to get your hands on it as a significant discount. If you pre-order it between March 20^th and March 31^st there’s a special launch discount at $169, following which is the standard pre-order at $199 (approx. £130/£155). For a watch that will be by your side for the rest of your life (it comes with a lifetime guarantee) that’s quite the reasonable investment.

Check out the upcoming Issue 111 of Oracle Time Magazine in April for an interview with RZE’s Huiy Tang on the launch.

More details at RZE.

​Oracle Time 

Read More