Before we start, confession time: I’ve been a big fan of Ridge ever since I discovered their minimalist metal wallet over three years ago. The brand’s ethos aligns perfectly with our philosophy of buying less but best here at Luxe Digital, and the Ridge wallet has been an integral part of my everyday essentials ever since I got my hands on it.
Check my hands-on Ridge wallet review to see why.
Most EDC enthusiasts will agree: Ridge is one of the best brands for high-quality, functional everyday gear that elevate your everyday and stand the test of time. A brand to watch, one would say. Well, the brand’s newest watch is precisely what I will be reviewing for you today.
I admit I’m starting this review of Ridge’s Titanium Field Watch with a massive bias. BUT, I’m aware of it, and I’ll be extra careful in being factual and sticking to the facts to help you decide if this is the right watch for you. 😊
Ready? Let’s get into my review of the Ridge Titanium Field Watch.
| Case diameter | 40 mm |
| Lug to lug | 47 mm |
| Thickness | 11.5 mm |
| Water resistance | 200 meters (660 feet) |
| Movement | automatic Miyota 9039 |
| Available colors | Olive green, navy blue, orange, and black |
Pros:
- Timeless and functional design
- Premium mechanical movement
- Just the right case size at 40mm
- Superb value for money
Cons:
- Not as prestigious as high-end watches
- The nylon and leather straps are initially a bit stiff
Our verdict:
The Ridge Titanium Field Watch ticks all the right boxes. Powered by a premium mechanical movement, it delivers a simple, timeless design that’s highly functional, readable, and wears like a feather on the wrist. The watch comes with two interchangeable straps to match your style and activity. It’s not as prestigious as a Rolex Explorer, but we couldn’t ask for more at this price point.
Why you can trust Luxe Digital? As watch enthusiasts and adventurers ourselves, we know a thing or two about premium watches (Hint, hint: check our humongous list of the best luxury watch brands in the world to see what I’m talking about). All year long, we rigorously test and review elevated essentials and go the extra mile to unearth everyday gears that go the distance and brands that we believe will go places.
Ridge sent us four models to test before the launch, but our opinions and recommendations are our own. The brand didn’t influence this article in any way.
See how we test products and learn more about our HAPPY philosophy (read: Honorable Craftsmanship, Aesthetic Design, Positive Impact—on People and the Planet, Purpose, and Function, and Yielding Value) for buying luxuries. You can also read our selection of the best field watches for every budget to learn more about our experience with similar watches.
Photo: © Luxe Digital
Ridge Titanium Field Watch review: Age-old military tradition with a modern heart
I’ve worn the Ridge Titanium Field Watch for two weeks now, and my first-day impressions remain unchanged.
If you love adventuring into unfamiliar waters—literally or figuratively—the Ridge Titanium Watch is a capable field watch that knows how to have a good time, from field trips to the office jungle to going deep in the great outdoors.
Readable, reliable, robust, and ready for action, the Ridge Titanium Field Watch is one of the most flexible (ironic for a watch made of hard metal, I know) watches there is.
The watch comes with two easily interchangeable straps—a rubber strap for every model and a nylon or full-grain Italian leather strap, depending on your chosen color.
The Ridge Titanium Field Watch is water resistant up to 200 meters (660 feet), which is plenty for a field watch. You should check our round-up of the top diving watches if you need something that can go deeper undersea.
You can purchase the watch directly from Ridge’s official website. Continue reading if you want more details. Next, we’ll explore the following aspects of the watch:
- Unboxing experience
- Materials & craftsmanship
- Straps
- Movement
- Aesthetic & design
- Available colors
- Comfort, fit & sizing
- Care & maintenance
- Price
- Who is it best for?
- My conclusion and recommendation
Unboxing: A pleasant experience
The Ridge Titanium Field Watch comes in a beautiful box with plenty of padding to protect the watch and the interchangeable straps during shipping. In the box, you’ll find the watch case, together with two interchangeable straps and a leaflet giving you more information about your watch.
Photo: © Luxe Digital
Materials & craftsmanship
The case is crafted in pure Grade 2 titanium. With one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios of all known metals, titanium is a great choice for a field watch.
Titanium is also hypoallergenic and exceptionally corrosion-resistant, just like stainless steel, but much lighter (by about 30 to 40 percent).
If you wear the watch with its rubber strap, it weighs only 69 grams on the wrist (just under 2.5 oz). So you’ll barely notice it’s there until you actually need to check the time.
Photo: © Luxe Digital
Ridge also offers a special edition of the watch in sleek matte black PVD-coated Carbon Fiber 3K.
An antireflective-coated Sapphire Crystal protects the dial, and the numbers and hands are covered with Superluminova lume. All this makes it very easy for you to read the time, whatever the weather or light conditions.
Straps: Mix and match
The watch’s straps come in a choice of three materials:
- Rubber strap matching the dial’s color. Whichever model you choose, you’ll get a rubber strap in the box.
- Brown full-grain Italian leather strap. These are reserved for the Matte Olive and Alpline Navy dials.
- Black Nylon strap. These are reserved for the Royal Black, Basecamp Orange, and Carbon Fiber 3K dials.
Here’s the full breakdown:
Image: © Luxe Digital
I have a hard time deciding which strap I prefer. The rubber strap is perfect when I’m training or hiking and sweating, so that’s easy to choose. But the leather and nylon straps are gorgeous if I want to dress up the watch. Nylon is more modern and minimalist, while the brown leather strap is more classic.
I’ll let you decide the combination that works best for you. You can also check our casual style guide for men if you need extra style tips to look great.
I personally found the nylon and leather straps a little stiff when I first wore the watch. They both took a couple of days to loosen up and adjust to my wrist. The rubber strap, on the other hand, was supple and comfortable from the get-go.
Photo: © Luxe Digital
Movement: Premium mechanical movement
Ridge fully embraced the history of classic military watches by adopting a mechanical movement for the Titanium Field Watch.
The premium self-winding Miyota caliber 9039 is very accurate and easy to maintain with its 42-hour plus power reserve.
First introduced in 2018, this 24 jewels Japanese-crafted movement uses the energy of your wrist’s movements to recharge its power reserve. This means that the mechanical movement will accurately tell you the time as long as you wear the watch. Unlike cheaper Quartz movements, you won’t have to worry about batteries dying down with this watch.
Photo: © Luxe Digital
The Miyota caliber 9039 is rated with an accuracy of -10 to +30 seconds. So, over an entire day, the watch might be anywhere from 10 seconds too late to 30 seconds too fast, which is usual for an automatic movement. However, finding this level of accuracy at this price point isn’t usual!
In addition to the self-winding mechanism, the watch also offers a hand-winding option. So, if you haven’t worn the watch for a few days, you can pull out the crown and manually wind it to recharge its power reserve. The movement can even stop the second hand from moving when you pull the crown all the way to set the time more accurately. This hacking feature is usually only found in high-end luxury mechanical watches at a much higher price point.
Aesthetic & design
Ridge fully embraced the rich military history of the field watch when designing this product. And that’s a good thing! You can instantly tell that the brand designed the dial to be easily and quickly readable. Even numbers are large and visible from afar. The hours and minutes hand are bold and covered in lume to ensure visibility in the dark. The seconds hand is much thinner but also comes with a lume pill to retain its readability in the dark.
Photo: © Luxe Digital
With a case of 40mm, the Ridge Titanium Field Watch is just the right size, in my opinion. I have an average wrist size, and I’ve never been a big fan of how large dials look on me. The only exception to that rule is if I want to go big with a pilot watch, but that’s only reserved for special occasions.
The case is also 11.5mm thick, so it’s very comfortable to wear under a shirt or long sleeve. It won’t get stuck in your clothes.
Oh, and the back of the case comes with transparent glass, so you can see the 24 jewels automatic movement ticking in all its glory.
Available colors
There are five different colors available for the Ridge Titanium Field Watch:
- Matte Olive
- Royale Black
- Alpine Navy
- Basecamp Orange
- Matte Black Carbon Fiber 3K
Photo: © Luxe Digital
They’re all beautiful, but I would go with the Matte Olive if I had to pick only one. I think that combination works best for a field watch. What do you think? Let us know on Facebook or Instagram!
Comfort, fit & sizing
The pure titanium used to craft the watch’s case and the premium automatic movement you’ll find inside the case are surprisingly lightweight, making this Ridge watch very comfortable to wear all day long. You’ll barely notice it’s on your wrist when you don’t need it.
The case’s diameter of 40mm is, I think, the perfect size for a field watch. And thus, it fits very well on the wrist. The only thing to be aware of is the fit of the nylon and leather straps, which are a bit stiff initially. But they’ll adapt to your wrist after a day or two of wearing the watch.
Photo: © Luxe Digital
The rubber strap, however, is supple and very comfortable as soon as you put it on.
Care & maintenance
Ridge built this watch to withstand the harshest conditions, and it will last you decades… if you care for it properly.
The main thing to pay attention to is the watch’s crown. Like every other hand-winding movement, you need to ensure that the crown is firmly screwed down once you’ve set the time to prevent water and moisture from entering the watch.
You should also rinse the watch with clear water if you go swimming in salt water to protect the materials, especially on the strap. And once in a while, remove the straps and wash the case with soap and warm water to keep it clean.
That’s it. It’s that easy.
That’s all you need to know about maintaining the watch in perfect condition, really.
Photo: © Luxe Digital
Ridge is so confident in this watch that they offer a limited lifetime warranty. As long as you follow their recommendations, the watch should stay with you for decades to come.
Price: Superb value under $300
The standard versions of the watch (green, black, blue, and orange) are selling for $275, which is a great value for money compared to the other available options.
The special edition in Carbon Fiber 3K is $375, which is also a good value for similarly coated watches.
Check Ridge’s official website for the full price list and latest deals.
Photo: © Luxe Digital
Who is it best for?
This watch, like any other watch really, isn’t for everyone. I wouldn’t recommend it if you want a prestigious dress watch or a dedicated diving watch, for example. But, if you want a simple, down-to-earth, and well-built watch at an affordable price that you can take from the office to the weekend and never have to worry about, the Ridge Titanium Field Watch is definitely a strong contender. I think it’s also a great option for someone on a budget starting their watch collection.
Photo: © Luxe Digital
In conclusion: My thoughts on the Ridge Titanium Field Watch
I love field watches for their versatility, timeless design, and rich military history. This interpretation by Ridge is a beautiful product.
While still relatively new in the world of watches, Ridge has built an honest reputation for simple yet sturdy designs and extremely durable products. The brand’s focus on premium and durable materials to improve the tools you carry daily is clearly visible here.
If you’re in the market for a watch that you can wear all day long in various situations, or if you’re starting your watch collection, I think the Ridge Titanium Field Watch is a great choice at this price point. It will reliably serve you for years to come and is backed up by Ridge’s lifetime guarantee.
Photo: © Luxe Digital
Our verdict
The Ridge Titanium Field Watch ticks all the right boxes. Powered by a premium mechanical movement, it delivers a simple, timeless design that’s highly functional, readable, and wears like a feather on the wrist. The watch comes with two interchangeable straps to match your style and activity. It’s not as prestigious as a Rolex Explorer, but we couldn’t ask for more at this price point.
What we like:
- Timeless and functional design
- Premium mechanical movement
- Just the right case size at 40mm
- Superb value for money
- Feels unbelievably light and comfortable to wear
What we don’t like:
- Not as prestigious as high-end watch brands
- The nylon and leather straps are a bit stiff at first
The alternatives:
- At a similar price point but a totally different design inspiration, you can check the Nordgreen Pioneer with the military-inspired black dial and olive green NATO strap, but I wouldn’t quite categorize it as a proper field watch. Check also our hands-on Nordgreen watches review to learn more about the brand.
- Also, at a similar price point but generally with larger and busier dials, you’ll find plenty of options from Vincero. Check our hands-on Vincero watches review to see more options.
- At a slightly more expensive price, you should take a look at LIV Swiss Watches for a bolder and more modern take on functional watches. We have an in-depth review of the brand here.
- The Citizen Garrison and the Timex Expedition Scout are also great alternatives from brands with a history in the field watch industry.
Where to buy the Ridge Titanium Field Watch?
You can buy the Titanium Field Watch from Ridge’s official website. It comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
Ridge Titanium Field watch: Frequently asked questions
The standard versions of the watch (green, black, blue, and orange) are selling for $275. The special edition in Carbon Fiber 3K costs $375. Check Ridge’s official website for the full price list and latest deals.
Yes, Ridge uses pure Grade 2 titanium for its products. Pure Grade 2 titanium is lighter than stainless steel and exceptionally corrosion-resistant. Check our hands-on review of the Ridge Titanium Field Watch to learn more.
In my opinion, the Ridge Titanium Field Watch thicks all the right boxes. It delivers a beautiful timeless design that’s very functional and readable in every condition. The automatic movement is lightweight and precise.
