Traska Summiteer Field Watch Review: Scratch the Luxury Itch for Under $800

After a full day of airplanes and passport control lines, I was finally on a train headed to the Roma Termini station, just a short walk from my hotel, the first of my vacation to Italy. I was drained but excited as I stood in the cramped train. No way I was reaching into my sling bag to get my phone out now. I glanced at the Traska Summiteer on my wrist and saw we’d be arriving right on time for our check-in.

Pleased at the handsome watch, I looked around the train. On many a wrist, several stainless watches glinted in the low light. Italy, and Rome in particular, is no slouch when it comes to fashion. And for the first of what would become many during the 10-day trip, I grinned, realizing I’d chosen well in bringing a rugged, yet very attractive field watch on this European adventure.

Before the trip was over, the watch would come along skiing a glacier in the Alps, swimming in the Mediterranean, and crossing countless miles of cobblestone streets in Rome and Naples. It came to define an ideal watch for exploring a mix of urban and outdoor environments, and it scratches an “explorer” itch at a tenth of the price of some more renowned brands.

In short: The Traska Summiteer 36 packs durability, legibility, and accurate timekeeping into an extremely attractive watch that costs $740. Thanks to its excellent yet attainable Japanese Miyota 9039 movement and Asian manufacturing, the Florida-designed and regulated watch offers the quality and features of more expensive watches. From a unique steel hardening process that makes them virtually scratch-proof, to 100 meters of water resistance, amazing lume, domed sapphire crystal, and fine fit and finish, the Summiteer is an ideal field watch for those who value rugged legibility that also oozes luxury appeal.

Compare the Traska Summiteer on GearJunkie’s guide to the best field watches.

Traska Summiteer Review

Traska may be the definition of “microbrand.” Before it reached out to offer a watch to test, I’d never heard of the brand before. But I’m sure glad that I now have.

The Summiteer is clearly an iteration of the early Rolex Explorer. I tested a 36mm model, which is among the smallest watches I’ve tested over the last six years, and must admit I absolutely love it. The 36mm case perfectly fits the brief for a field watch, and with my modest wrist size, its proportions are nearly ideal.

Much like the vastly more famous Explorer, the Summiteer has extremely legible, large numerals at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. Two sword-styled, lume-filled, gold-edged hands mark the hour and minute while a thin spade smoothly traces the seconds above a dark forest green dial. White batons mark the remaining hours other than 12, which uses an inverted triangle.

The dial is very similar to the Explorer, other than the fact that it has a Traska name, a sunken center circle, and the word “Automatic” subtly written across the bottom.

The result is that this watch is easily legible, even in very low light or complete darkness.

Movement

The Summiteer uses a Miyota 9039 movement beating at 28,800 beats per hour. It has a power reserve of 41 hours, allowing it plenty of power to get through a day on the nightstand. But it won’t make it through a long weekend.

Fortunately, the watch is a joy to set, with the screw-down crown unscrewing smoothly. It moves assuredly into winding and setting positions, and thanks to its simplicity, is easy to reset in a matter of seconds.

The Summiteer has a solid caseback, generally the gold standard for field watches, so you won’t see the 24-jewel movement. But in my use, it’s been quiet and reliable, gaining just over a minute after two weeks of wear. That accuracy, within 10 seconds a day, is very good in the world of automatic, mechanical watches.

No surprise, the Miyota 9039 is popular among many well-regarded microbrands, such as Baltic and Praesidus.

Hardened-Steel Case and Bracelet

While $740 is no small sum of cash, in the world of mechanical, microbrand wristwatches, it’s very much nearer the entry-level end of the spectrum. And the fact that Traska offers a major point of differentiation from even very expensive watches is remarkable at this price.

That point is hardened stainless steel. The case and bracelet on the Summiteer have a treatment that increases its 316L surgical-grade stainless steel from the typical 200HV on the Vickers hardness scale to a remarkable 1200HV. Hardening is not entirely unique to Traska and is utilized by some other microbrands as well as bigger players like Sinn and even Citizen. But it’s a really nice feature on a relatively affordable watch.

I gave the hardness a test by scraping a few spare lugs with a key and a screwdriver. I pushed hard and really tried to score the metal, and it didn’t show a bit of damage or scratching. Does that mean the steel is entirely impervious to damage? No. But it will be much harder to scratch or scuff than many stainless watches. After three weeks of wear, including daily wear while traveling, my demo Traska Summiteer looks brand new.

Beyond the steel, the case and bracelet are quite beautiful. The finishing, in my eyes at least, is flawless. I’m sure some horology buffs could find something amiss, but to me it looks downright exceptional.

I’d like to note the bracelet offers some remarkable details for a watch of this price. The inside of the clasp is finished with jeweling, which gives it a swirled, refined pattern. And the clasp offers micro-adjustment, a wonderful and easy-to-use button that allows you to make small changes to watch fit for minor changes in your wrist.

Scratching “The Itch”

If you’re read this far, you probably picked up that I really enjoy the Traska Summiteer. To me, it’s a gorgeous watch that can serve as an actual field watch thanks to its durability, legibility, comfort, slim size, and modest price.

When I initially received it, I wondered if it would suffice to scratch an itch I’ve felt for a while for a higher-end field watch like the Rolex Explorer. It’s a tough question to really answer, because truly expensive field watches carry with them a cachet that, let’s face it, often has more to do with the name than with performance.

For me, at least for now, the Traska Summiteer really does scratch that itch for a luxurious yet capable field watch. Honestly, I couldn’t ask for much more than a stunningly pretty, comfortable, reliable watch. And the fact that it costs a tenth of that of a Rolex Explorer really doesn’t hurt. On the other hand, for those who care, it’s not the same thing. So I think it comes down to the individual consumer here.

I love the Traska Summiteer. It’s a stunner, and with the ability to handle everything I threw at it while traveling internationally, I don’t worry about it breaking through really any standard field use.

The fact that it costs well under a grand makes it a great candidate for everyday wear. If you’re in the market for a nice small field watch with seriously good looks, I wouldn’t hesitate to check out the Traska Summiteer. It’s an ideal daily-wear field watch in many ways.