Well, a lot has happened since 1810 and the first wristwatch made by Abraham-Louis Breguet for Queen Caroline Murat of Naples. A lot. Technical advances, engineering revolutions, and design coups of the greatest variety with many milestones in-between, and a horological Revolution/Crisis—what it was depends on who you were when it happened—jumpstarted by Seiko in 1969 with the Quartz Astron 35SQ, the first battery-powered timekeeping device. Some say quartz movements made watches uninteresting and cheap, some others say they are the best things to have happened to humanity since the discovery of fire some 2 million years ago. (I’m not exaggerating!) And because we humans cycle through everything we do all the time,  and what we like, dislike, think and don’t think, it was of course obvious that quartz and then digital watches would make a big comeback once the majority of us was over our watch snobbery. So here we are now able to enjoy what’s to come. 

And what that is comes in the unique combination of titanium alloy, a small battery, a module, and an LED screen. More specifically, a lightweight titanium payload of 41mm made by RZE and called the UTD-8000 which stands for UltraHex Titanium Digital. RZE has been a pioneer of many things in the world of micro/independent horology, for example reinforced full titanium cases and bracelets, solar-powered titanium field watches, and so the Singapore brand thought it would be fun and only right to meet the extra demands of watch enthusiasts/collectors/nerds who like to really GST* with their watches, activities which involve a lot of vibrations and shocks which no mechanical or quartz/mecarquartz watch could handle. So RZE put a digital module and LED screen inside a shock-resistance and custom made holder and inside its legendary titanium case. Et voila, a world’s first and unique horological creation combining the best and toughest of technologies to make the ultimate tool watch. 

*Get-Shit-Done

Specifications 

The first thing to know about the RZE UTD-8000 is this: it’s big but light, and darn well robust. The whole watch was built to be impervious to shocks, vibrations, water, dust, corrosion, heat and cold. So it’s a badass motherfucker of a tool watch with indeed a 41mm diameter case which is complemented by a 49.5mm lug-to-lug, a 13.4mm thickness, and 20mm lug width. I won’t say it’s a small watch, of course not, but it is rather light whether on the elastic fabric strap of full titanium bracelet, weighing 57 and 105 respectively, with a bracelet sized to my 6.50”/16.5cm wrist. When you take into account its impressive robustness and weight, and you compare it to what a mechanical and stainless-steel watch would end up weighing in order to have the same level of reliability and solidity—which I imagine would be at least two times that—then the UTD-8000 is impressive. It’s large but easy to wear. 

The core functionality of the UTD stems from a pre-programmed module which was customized for RZE to offer the most essential functionality—removing the superfluous and so making it the antithesis of a Citizen digital tool. The module displays the time, date, day of the week, and has a stopwatch which can totalize hours, and an alarm function. That’s it. No multi time-zone tracking, no moonphases calculator, no conversation of units. It is, in other words, the digital version of a complete mechanical tool watch which would combine time + day/date and a chronograph module attached to the caliber. RZE wanted the module to be easy to use and to require only one page of instructions instead of 30 pages of it printed in an ant-size font. Moreover, RZE chose where and how to display the information (font type and size) for superlative legibility which is also guaranteed at night thanks to an aqua-marine backlight which illuminates the information, not the screen itself. 

To make the UTD-8000 resistant to shocks and vibrations, the module sits inside a plastic module holder complemented by a silicone shock absorber. RZE being RZE, the case-back is screwed-in by way of four hex screws which anyone can open to replace the battery, a standard CR2032 which comes with a stated shelf life of three years. So we have 200 meters of water resistance, a full titanium and reinforced case, and of course the titanium bracelet is also reinforced with RZE’s proprietary hardening coating the brand calls UltraHex, screwed links, quick-release spring-bars, and a proprietary on-the-fly micro-adjustment system called QUIKCLIP. I don’t know what else you would need or want to add to the UTD-8000 without going overboard in terms of functionality. What I already like about this watch, even though digital timekeeping devices aren’t supposed to be my thing, is the simplistic approach with which RZE conceived the UTD. 

Design 

RZE is known and has made a name for itself for its lightweight, robust, and angular titanium cases. The brand cleverly repurposed what it knows how to do best—its signature design—and adapted it to the novel nature of a digital module. Which is why we find, for example, a symmetrical and multi-faceted case with angular lugs which are perfectly matched to the bracelet end-links and links which have an “H” construction, and which flows all the way to the clasp’s chamfers. The case sides display upper and lower facets angled toward the middle, creating a flat and raised section in their center which is identical on both sides of the case. The particular construction and setup of the modules with its four pushers made it possible for RZE to design one of the most symmetrical cases I have ever had the pleasure of seeing in the lightweight metal. And this perfect symmetry aids in making the large case wear extremely well. 

This symmetry is further made perfect by the fact that RZE added four large screws on top of the case which are recessed within the bezel—actually fasteners holding the case together but which have the appearance of screws—which echoes the four pushers found on the outside of the case to actuate the module and access all of its functions. So the pushers are placed at the 2, 4, 8, and 10 positions whilst the fasteners are placed at the 1, 5, 7 and 11 positions which indeed creates balance and perfectly frames the LED screen. The latter is protected by a flat piece of sapphire and surrounded by a yellow insert on which are printed key words to indicate what buttons to push in order to use the module, as well as the mention of the UTD-8000’s shock and water resistance. An inner black insert crosses the screen in two areas to indicate where the day and date are placed. 

The Heart of the Matter

Let’ summarize what we’ve come across thus far: a lightweight and robust titanium case, 200 meters of water resistance, a customized module, a sapphire crystal, superlative resistance to shocks, vibrations, water, dust, heat, cold, corrosion, and a functional strap/bracelet. That’s a lot to wrap into one single watch, and what constitutes the first heart of the matter here is the fact that the UTD-8000 will only set you back $230 USD on the elastic strap. Should you want the outstanding titanium bracelet you will have to dish out an extra $180 USD which I know seems like a lot compared to the watch + strap combo, but I would argue with you right away that a bracelet made with so much good tech and of such a high quality should—and does—retail for $180 USD. The good news is that this bracelet fits RZE’s Endeavour and Resolute models, just so ya know. So: the UTD-8000 is a badass tool watch which is reasonably priced as badass tool watches should. 

The second and more important heart of the matter here is what this new RZE creation represents and stands for. When we think about digital GST watches, we of course, and immediately, think of a dozen G-Shocks which have raisin cases and bracelets, and mostly square cases sprinkled with odd synthetic protrusions which, to me, make them look like cheap toys. (I’m not judging those who wear them, just the watch, as I know and you know Delta Force operators and Navy SEALs sport G-Shocks.) While other digital watches are equipped with brushed/polished and thin cases which do not invite us to throw them into a rock-tumbler. So there was something missing: a robust digital watch for adults and that’s what RZE created with the UTD-8000. In other words, a purpose-driven mature looking module watch built tough to do tough things whilst looking like it was designed by an adult for adults and not by a designer who found inspiration in a child’s bouncing rubber ball. 

All due respect to Mr. Ibe Kikuo and Team Tough, of course. 

N.B. The UTD is the terrestrian equivalent of a professional dive computer. Does that sound better? 

Conclusion 

As it is often said on Mainspring, creating a new version of something ubiquitous isn’t easy. Designing a diver, field, or GMT watch which doesn’t look like hundreds of models that have come before it without looking alien is a tough challenge. And so it was difficult for RZE to develop its first digital watch, so that it would match the brand’s design and intellectual philosophies of creating tough, reliable, and singular tool watches which can be acquired for moderate sums of money. RZE prevailed and succeeded, and the UTD-8000 constitutes a small revolution in the world of micro and independent horology—or marks the beginning of a new crisis—for it is a unique combination of a customized module, digital screen, and proven titanium body which didn’t exist before and which demanded a lot of boldness and courage to make.

Today we looked at the UTD-8000-MY which stands for Medallion Yellow, a staple RZE color, but there are three other versions of it: BK for black, NB for navy blue and a limited release First Contact with a white and red color scheme. You can learn more about the UTD here. 

Thanks for reading.