Oak & Oscar Humboldt Watch

There has been a noticeable resurgence in American watchmaking over the last few years and at the forefront of said resurgence is brands like Oak & Oscar who place quality over quantity with their small batch releases, the latest of which, the Humboldt Watch, might just be their finest to date. The Oak & Oscar Humboldt Watch is a robust 40mm, Swiss-powered automatic timepiece with a 20ATM water resistance and an external, rotating 12-hour bezel that’s built for adventure.

The Oak & Oscar Humboldt Watch is pioneering in nature and the catalyst for its design is the spirit of discovery. If you like your timepieces to have an adventurous spirit then this is definitely one for you and the price tag of $1450-1650 is a mighty pleasing one when you consider just what you’re getting for your money here. We’re big fans of the small but perfectly formed collection of timepieces from Oak & Oscar here at Coolector HQ and this Humboldt offering has caught our eye considerably.

Adventurous Nature

Taking its design inspiration from Alexander von Humboldt, an 18th century explorer who spent his life traversing the world in the pursuit of knowledge, there is a striking aesthetic to the timepieces within the Humboldt Collection from Oak & Oscar. He influenced generations of discoveries throughout the world and he was even credited by Charles Darwin as the “greatest scientific traveler who ever lived” – with this timepiece being a celebration of his considerable achievements.

The Oak & Oscar Humboldt Watch is chock full of clever and eye-catching details which make it one of the American watchmaker’s most impressive and accomplished to date. This includes features like drilled lugs in the casing so you can effortlessly switch to the right strap for the job. Use the strap changing tool included with your watch, a paper clip, or even a sewing needle to make the strap switch – it really doesn’t get much easier than this.

With a 12 hour bezel, the Oak & Oscar Humboldt Watch lets you keep track of a second time zone, elapsed time, or count down minutes with a quick twist of the bi-directional 12-hour external bezel. This is undoubtedly one of the most functional and versatile bezel designs out there and the ideal tool for everyday life. The 20ATM water resistance of this watch means its ready for any adventure and with the screw down crown, and multiple rubber gaskets you’re good to go underwater deeper than you’ll ever need to go.

Strong As Steel

The biggest difference with this Oak & Oscar watch is that it is available with a steel bracelet. After some 18 months of research, prototyping, and testing, this represents the first Oak & Oscar bracelet. This eye-catching, stainless steel bracelet sits comfortably on the wrist with a fully articulated link design that gradually tapers from the 20mm solid end links to the 16mm buckle. It is ready to tackle the elements, and adds a striking aesthetic to the Humboldt watches.

As with all watches, the movement is amongst the most important components and the Humboldt is powered by the legendary, Swiss-made, ETA 2892A2, which is a workhorse calibre with 21 jewels, a substantial 42-hour power reserve, and the iconic Oak & Oscar 4-star rotor design. Founded in 1856, ETA has over 150 years of experience crafting some of the most accurate and reliable movements in the world. If you’re after a bold, adventure ready timepiece, look no further.