BOLDR Watches – Review (Promo Code Included)

In my Top 10 Watch Microbrands article, I wrote about 10 of the most admirable microbrands in Singapore (in my humble opinion) and the first brand in that list was BOLDR. A brand that I really admire due to the adversity they went through and yes they failed once where they cancelled their Kickstarter campaign due to rising manufacturing costs albeit the huge support.

And here we are, it took us long enough to have our hands on one of their flagship models, one that captured the eyes of many. The BOLDR Venture.

BOLDR Venture in Carbon Black

The Venture is a simple-looking field watch that delivers the necessary, a reliable movement, sturdy titanium case and an appearance to die for. It comes in a total of 4 colours and I’ve got mine in Carbon Black, falling in love is an understatement when I saw the suave contrast between the orange second hand and the full black dial.

It comes in a black NATO strap where the buckles are also made of brushed titanium which provides an even look throughout the whole watch.

Japan Superlume

The Japan Superlume they used on the dial and hands are equally as stunning and it provides perfect legibility in the dark. A part of me was really drawn to the numeral markers, perhaps it’s only me but I felt that it’s really an enticing font.

I am also fond of how it only illuminates the 12-hour-clock numeral markers and hands. This completely gave the watch a brand new look, a look that increases legibility in the dark too by eliminating the unnecessary aspects of the dial. I mean surely you can’t really admire your watch in the dark but ironically, you can with the Venture.

I think a huge part of the reason why this watch looks phenomenal is due to the curves of the 38mm case. A very sleek-rounded case design intensifies the focus onto the dial where it successfully encompasses the visual aspects of the watch. Needless to say, the choice of titanium helps to elevate the appeasing look of the shape which does not draw too much focus onto the case but rather refining the entire look.

The flat sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating pairs really well with the matte dial and it occasionally gives you that flecto you want when taking a wrist shot or when simply telling the time.

Specifications

Coming down to the specifications, the Venture houses the SII NH35A Automatic Movement which can be commonly found in many watches. It is usually known as the unbranded version of Seiko’s 4R35 where there’s a good possibility that you’re already owning a watch with this movement if you have a Samurai or a Mini-Turtle.

This goes to show the reliability of the movement and it is also equipped with the Seiko Magic Lever introduced by Seiko in 1959 to help improve the efficiency of the winding system. In layman terms, a simple shake of the watch from side to side will immediately get the movement going with a decent power reserve.

It wears really well with the 38mm case and a thickness of 14mm. It looks even better when worn due to how the case “wraps” around your wrist and with a lug to lug of 42mm and a lug size of 20mm, it simply is a perfect watch in terms of dimensions especially if you have a small wrist like me.

The Venture also has a water resistance of up to 200m and an easy-to-grip screw-down crown at 4 o’clock for those who aren’t fond of the crown pushing against the skin on their wrist.

Final Thoughts

I’ve only worn the BOLDR Venture with the black NATO strap that came with it and it already hits the spot, I cannot imagine how well this watch can pair with some other types of straps such as a piece of good ol leather strap.

If you are looking for a reliable and striking daily beater that only costs $299, I’d personally say you can look no further as this may just be one of the watches with the longest wrist time in your collection.

For more microbrand articles you can take a look here!

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Promo Code

If you’re keen to add the Venture into your collection, you can use the promo code “Nomad360” which grants you a 10% discount for all regular-priced items. The offer is only available till 28th June!