As watch enthusiasts, we like to wear watches through which we can express who we are or who we aspire to be. That is why most of us orbit around a certain genre of watches over others, although some of us do collect all types of watches. (In the latter case I found that people are attracted by certain designs or periods of watch design whether the timepiece is a diver or dressy one.) And it can take us a long time to figure out what we like best because we need to sort out our thoughts, the ideas that come from what we’re exposed to everyday, and what we can afford to buy. Personally, I’ve liked many types of watches over the years but my favorite one is what I call the elegant explorer. Think a 36mm Rolex Explorer, the first Seiko Alpinist from 1959, or the Nivada Grenchen Antarctic 35.

Watches built for debonair adventurers, robust enough to withstand harsh climates and rough terrains, elegant enough to fly-under-the-radar and look good with a suit for an evening with National Geographic. (What? Am I not allowed to dream too?) Generally speaking, elegant explorers have small to medium builds, overall good specifications, and are legible. For one reason or another, many of them also come with a 3-6-9 dial configuration which is both practical but also, perhaps, a code to announce what they are made for. (I will get back to this later on.) So imagine my joy when I received the Dryden Heartlander Gunmetal Grey which fits the bill for a great elegant explorer and which is also financially attainable currently retailing for the discounted price of $475 (full retail of $500.) 

So let’s explore the Heartlander! (Ah. Ah. Ah.) 

Specifications

First I need to tell you that the Dryden Heartlander has great dimensions for my perfectly-sized wrist. Indeed, a diameter of 38mm, a lug-to-lug of 46mm, a total thickness of 11.2mm and a lug width of 20mm to match my 6.50”/16.5cm wrist like a tailored suit fits the debonair explorer in you for your night out with Nat Geo. Alright, my wrist is perfectly sized for me because that’s the only one of two that I have and I’ve become used to its dimensions. A 38mm diameter and 46mm L2L is about the perfect combo and I wouldn’t want it to be even one millimeter larger in either direction. 37mm would have been perfect for me but then, of course, loads of watch nerds would have complained it’s too small for their bear-like wrists. Although people’s wrist sizes, worldwide, are a mystery to me, I believe the Heartlander would fit that of many folks. 

This Dryden is also built to be a reliable adventure watch thanks to having a double-domed sapphire crystal on top, good applications of BGW9 SuperLuminova on the hand and applied hour markers, 100 meters of water resistance thanks to a screw-down crown and case-back, and a no-date Miyota 9039 inside (4Hz/42 hours of power reserve.) So you can work, swim, hike, dive, scroll, eat, talk, travel, drive and fly without the shadow of a doubt that your watch will continue ticking. Moreover, the bracelet contributes to making the Heartlander robust and versatile, having screwed-links, quick-release spring-bars, a double-pusher deployant clasp with four holes of micro-adjustments. The clasp is reasonably-sized and the bracelet tapers to 16mm which aids in making the watch wear comfortably as the bracelet drapes around the contour of your wrist. 

A quick reminder about this watch’s retail price: $475. 

Design 

I love the design and layout of the dial and for me the “star of the show” (I hate this expression) is the combination of the sunburst gray dial with the brushed hands, especially the shovel hour hand. The fact that the hour and minute hands are brushed means they are easy to see at any angle and under many lighting conditions—from I’m-hiking-at-noon-in-the-desert bright to romantic-sunset-soft dark—so are the applied hour markers which are lume-filled and complemented by brushed surrounds. The seconds hand is painted blue and equipped with a rectangular element that is also lume-filled, and its color matches that of the model name printed below the pinion. All markers are applied and we do find the iconic 3-6-9 layout of the Rolex Explorer 1, Tudor Ranger, and Nivada Grenchen and, therefore, an inverted triangle at the 12. 

This particular combination makes reading the time an easy task whilst striking the perfect visual balance between legibility and elegance. But I will indeed come back to this later on. 

The design of the case of the Dryden Heartlander also perfectly supports this model’s intended purpose. It's elegant and sporty, it hugs the wrist without feeling too tight. The mid-case is thin and long, fully brushed, and the lugs are also thin and long and brushed. Both sections are separated from one another by thin polished chamfers. We also find polished accents on the inside of the lugs and between them, and surprisingly, not on the fixed bezel at all. Generally brands polish the lower section of the bezel to make it stand out a bit. But this is not the case here and I think it looks great as is. The predominance of brushing continues onto the bracelet, on all links and on all sides which makes the bullet-style design stand out just enough, though Dryden polished the chamfers of the clasp. 

A special shout-out goes to the screw-down crown and its 6.2mm diameter. It is endowed with a deep cross-hatched knurling which makes it easy to grab and operate. The outside section is fully polished and complemented by the brand’s logo. 

The Heart of the Matter

I often like to say that we don’t need watches in 2024 and, well, that’s right. We want watches because again, they are talismans, keepsakes, and vehicles for self-expression. I don’t like to spend too much on watches and $500 is, and has been, my sweet spot for a long time because I believe we can find very good watches at this price point. Sadly, however, each year we have fewer and fewer options at this level. I also often like to say that even if I were to strike it rich, I wouldn’t spend several thousands of dollars on a watch because I find doing so to be utterly silly. It is as silly as spending $150 a piece for a nice dinner, paying triple for business class seats on a plane, paving a bathroom floor to ceiling with expensive tiles, and dishing out $300 for a pair of jeans. (Regardless of their quality.) 

So, at the heart of the matter here is the fact that Dryden created a well-priced, well-spec’ed elegant explorer watch that comes with its own charm. The latter is true looking at the color combo of the hands and dial, the predominance of brushed surfaces on the hands, markers, and case, and the overall modest yet modern proportions of the entire apparatus. The military-style knurling on the crown indicates we’re looking at a toolwatch, whilst the grey sunburst effect on the dial and bullet-style bracelet are akin to driving a well-aged Shelby Cobra. (This style of bracelet makes me think of the Omega Speedmaster and NASA, therefore the car Ryan Gosling’s character Neil Armstrong and buddies drive in the movie First Man.) What I’m saying here is this: the Dryden Heartlander feels like a classic muscle car slightly re-designed and up-spec’ed for the 21st century. 

Before I bid your farewell in the conclusion I would like to come back to the thing about the 3-6-9 configuration. I do believe that, combined with baton-style markers, having a 3-6-9 setup helps in making any dial legible and elegant as the batons look classic and the Arabic numerals signal utility in addition to being legible. This is why, yours believes, this combo can be found on several iconic and classic exploration watches like the Explorer 1, Antarctic 35, and Ranger. And that this is what distinguishes an adventure/exploration timepiece like the Dryden Heartlander from a field watch. Indeed, the latter tend to have a full set of Arabic numerals to guarantee superlative tactical legibility, and I’m yet to find many examples of such watches that can pass as elegant for a Nat Geo cocktail party. But I’m certainly wrong about this. 

Conclusion 

The Dryden Heartlander came out about two years ago and was very popular. (It sold out in all dial and color variants.) So folks asked for more and the brand happily obliged. At the time of publishing this article (December 10, 2024—sorry, I feel that adding dates to articles generally looks tacky because when is the last time you saw a date being written on a Van Gogh?) there are eight versions of the Heartlander available on the brand’s website except for the Autumn Rust. Four versions with the no-date Miyota 9039 caliber and the 3-6-9 dial configuration and three with a Miyota 9015 and a full stack of Arabic numerals. All versions cost the same so $475 USD on sale and $500 full retail. 

So go take a look at Dryden’s website. That’s all. 

Thanks for reading.