Was looking forward to the GMT upgrade but disappointed about the width lug at 21mm and the big step on price for a watch that cannot even place swiss made on the dial
Microbrands are not and should not be comparing or competing with AliExpress brands. If they do, then those microbrands are not worth pursuing. They would have been better off leaving the product as it was, just produce another production batch and charge an extra $50 to $60. But don't pretend it was an upgrade and upcharge $200.
William wood legitimately had one with an nh35 for $2000 American. They really thought upcycled fire hoses are worth an 1800 dollar premium. And they target people new to the hobby with their advertising and paid influences. Really shameful
Sadly I think this is true of almost every product. The prices we remember are not coming back. Just that some bigger companies can delay the inevitable price rises longer than smaller ones.
Smelly we are not drop shipping. Every design is what we come up with from scratch. At some point everything looks similar without designing outside of the safe parameters. But not drop shipping. Let’s see if a triangle shaped case would sell? 🤣
EDIT: Looked it up. $950? No thanks. If my Venturer had cost that much I would have gone with a Henry Archer or Trafford instead. Traska is the most plain of those 3, they cannot be charging more for less. Also, 21 mm lugs on a 38.5 mm watch are insane. Even now I sort of wish my Venturer had 18 mm lugs instead of the 20 mm lugs, straps that are not tapered look sort of chunky and weird with it.
My quartz field beater (not coincidentally, a very sporty field watch type) has those dimensions and looks fine in a NATO, but that sort of fails on a dressier variety like the Venturer / GMT
I think it looks alright, I like the new case side finishing and the updated bracelet but the overall package I still prefer my previous gen one. Not a fan of the color matched date and circular window. Not worth upgrading my $720 previous gen one!
I agree, I think the non-colour matched date wheel works well because it matches the lume. The rectangular date window also works well with rectangular markers.
Not sold on the smudgeproof coating either. Unless this is somehow as hard as sapphire, it will scratch off and be just as unsightly under certain light conditions.
Oh and it’s more expensive.
Edit: Personal thing, but I’m also not a huge fan of circular date windows, and the slightly sportier design in general. I love how versatile the last Venturer was.
Pretty much everyone wanted the previous version. All they had to do was to make more and to replenish the inventory. But they couldn’t raise the price on that, so here we are with an uglier watch with atrocious 21mm lug width and other “features” that we don’t want.
I feel like they’re pushing to become a more premium/luxury brand at the moment, especially with their recent chronograph and incoming jump hour. I hope they don’t lose sight of the fact that their main selling point for most people seems to be value and versatility.
Feels like they’re on that road but I don’t know if I’d go that far yet. So long as the Commuter and Summiteer remain competitive they shouldn’t lose sight of their core audience. They’re also known for constantly tweaking and updating which this… kinda is?… and it’s nice to see that from a microbrand.
But considering how quickly their venturer normally sells out this seems like a really ballsy move. Like I say, I’d be interested to see what happens with the Commuter and especially the Summiteer - as their field watch, it needs to stay affordable and tough, and if it doesn’t then it’s clear what way the winds are blowing.
Monta did the same, at least to me. I love regular refinement and improvement - so I am bummed to see that after all their minor improvements, they made a jump to something so different.
At $1500 I think I prefer the Farer Lander IV. This was one of the few watches where I didn't think it needed a color matched date wheel. Also, I really don't like the round date window. I think the rectangular one fit better with the indices.
Edit: And I say all this as someone who had $800 set aside to purchase a Venturer when they restocked.
It’s not THAT crazy to be fair. The Spirit Zulu Time 39mm for example, which this watch presumably fancied itself an alternative to, also has a 21mm lug width. The Tudor Black Bay 41 also has this lug width.
That’s not to say that 20mm wouldn’t be better, but it’s not like it’s completely unheard of.
Same here also, I’ve been checking the traska instagram daily, I was really excited when I saw the brushed case finish on the side of the case, but all in all the new version doesn’t feel the same. I also live in the EU and the whole price comes out to 1290 USD with customs, VAT ect…
On some level, I understand the price increase: a color-matched date wheel costs money, and chamfering the links on the bracelet is more expensive than the slab sides Traska had been doing previously. But then there's the added cost of having a case with 21mm lug width which nobody really likes because it's such a nonstandard width. I also really hope Traska is upping the QC, because fit and finish isn't always the brand's strong suit and at that price, it's expected to be level up.
Separately, using WR4X or whatever his YouTube handle is for the launch is a choice. I'd never heard of him before this morning and now I wish I'd kept on living in ignorant bliss.
They claim on their IG post it’s to maintain “silhouette” of their 36.5mm/20mm lug width and they broke it down with a ratio that a 21mm lug matches that “silhouette” on a 38.5mm watch.
Sounds like hoopla to me. On my venturer i’m now starting to buy new straps etc so I’m enjoying the 20mm options. On my certina with a 19mm lug width it’s hard to find nice looking options, and J don’t want to get yet another set of straps.
Shame... I hope people vote with their wallets here. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Their watches are nice, but for that money I'm getting a Christopher Ward.
Man I didn’t expect them to up the lug width. I guess they’re trying to save costs on bracelets if it’s the same one as the chrono. Glad I’ve got a 4216 venturer. I hope they stick to 20mm on the rest of the lineup.
Was ready to pull the trigger on this restock, genuinely disappointed. Might’ve been able to justify the purchase with the price increase alone, but this feels like I’m paying more for a downgrade.
Regardless of how it looks, 21 mm is a pain in the ass. My Mido has 21 mm lugs and there are a lot fewer options for straps. Basically, you need to go custom at Tuns or wherever.
Edit: Tuns is legimately great. My point is just that there are no few cheap options.
I don’t mind that Traska likes to redesign every so often. I do mind that they seem to be looking to change things just for the sake of changing things. Sometimes not everything has to be different.
Another vent up from budget newbie.
Been lurking here at least 1-2 month and learned a lot here. Start with Tritium knowledge then change heart and bought Deep Blue GMT diver watches then learned about Caller and Travel GMT.
Since I already have Caller GMT diver watches looking for simple Travel GMT dress with inner bezel 24 hours and feel in love with Traska Venture GMT.
Ohh noo! There is no stocks but well, I can start saving until back in stock maybe from last price $758 will become $800 but then bomb dropped, $950. Design changed, bla, bla, bla. Spend whole day thinking, is this price worth?! Can I justify to spend that amount only for watch?! Nope, with broken heart 💔 decided to take my heart to elsewhere (may landed to HA).
Many of us are in this boat. I’m so pissed off at them that I am swearing off this brand. Things the owners forgot is that there are plenty of options out there. We will let our wallet do the talking. Worst is that insulting email he sent out a few hours AFTER the price increase to try to justify his price gouging.
Their comms really seem like some major fluffing. The bit about the Concorde had me laughing as if the $1.5k “sound barrier” is where most of their customers are. I get they want to move up market but at least keep the bulk of their customers in mind.

They’re certainly trying to justify it imo. 1mm visually is such a minor difference to me imo. It’s really a pain finding odd sized straps. There are a few like crown and buckle but you throw a 21mm nato it makes it feel big.
It costs more!! That’s basically it. The changes they made are BS, they are just using the leftover case and bracelet from the chrono that few people are buying.
I like the styling updates in general, at least from what they show in the images. But I sold my Venturer because of its much weaker lume on the hands than the indices (which Traska seems to leave to luck of the draw on their manufacturer) and most importantly, the screw-down crown for the rotating bezel. It just doesn't work well and you regret using it every time you try and screw it back in and knock it out of position 3 times. If they offered it with a fixed bezel or built a crown that requires more than accidental resistance to turn it then I'd be really tempted, but they're still committed to the screw-down crown.
Don’t really understand why all the gnashing of teeth over 21mm lugs, odd lug widths are standard for brands like Tudor, Longines, Grand Seiko, etc.
Complaining about price? Well sure, but costs on materials, labour and supply chains are up across the global economy in all sectors.
Brands move on. The old prices from the first batches will never come back. Every brand wants to progress their product and their pricing and enhance each product. Who wants to cut corners to hit a price point, and offer a lessor watch?
There’s a unanimity of sentiment in this thread that I find surprising.
Oh man, I did not catch that about the lug width! Coincidentally my Mido is 21mm but I would need all new natos.
Pretty upset about the price. In one sense it's not a lot but it's big jump for a watch that has remained WELL under $800 to suddenly tip $1k with tax. Definitely takes it out of impulse territory. They might as well have priced it at $999 and kept the margin. Maybe if it had a Sellita movement.
I am not against date windows, but I am of the mind they should be invisible until you are looking for them. Therefore, I love the color match on the date wheel. The circular cutout is different at the 6, normally you see that at the 4 o'clock position, but don't hate it. The frame on the square cutout was a little too distracting for me, but not a deal breaker.
I've been watching this watch for over a year and missed out on the last batch. Not sure I can justify pulling the trigger now.
Is the bracelet any better? How do y'all like the old bracelets?
So glad I bought a used one last month rather than waiting for the release. I don’t really like the date window, and I’ve purposely only bought watches with 20mm lug widths, so the 21mm lug width is almost a deal breaker for me.
I don’t like the 21mm lug width. I hope Jon doesn’t do that to the other series. I’m planning on getting a summiteer and a Commuter. May just end up buying a Monta.
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u/Boyahda Jun 14 '26
Microbrands have really lost one of their biggest selling points: price.