Praesidus Watch Co. A-11 Service Watch Review
"Field watches" returns 201,00,000 results in 0.52 seconds on Google; your results might vary. How does a brand, and one without provenance, garner the attention of a saturated market? Marketing is the obvious answer. Product, price, place, and promotion bring the right amount of attention to your target audience, and then it is off to the races. The Praesidus Watch Co. is attempting to do just that, and their A-11 Service Watch will help you determine if they deserve your attention and, most importantly, your money.
This picture was too fun to pass up. I understand it is comparing apples to an orange.
The A-11 Service Watch sent in for review is a 38mm model, but Praesidus also offers a 42mm version. The watch is a modern take on the A-11 Spec, a timepiece that the U.S. military developed after it entered World War II. The A-11's legacy is not just stout; it's monumental. It played a crucial role in helping the Allies win World War II, a fact written about extensively. The original A-11s are, by many accounts, legible, robust, and uncomplicated, a testament to their enduring design.
Product
The watch arrived, and the unboxing was straightforward. The packaging is a blend of medium and heavyweight cardboard, which goes hand in hand with the A-11's military-inspired theme. I appreciate the no-frills packaging for various reasons. One is that it allows the A-11 to take center stage when unboxing and does not leave me with another considerable box to stash away.
No frills packaging means no unnecessary mark-up.
My first impressions of the Praesidus A-11 Service Watch were positive. Praesidus managed to maintain the legacy visage with modern materials. Legibility IS NOT an issue with the Praesidus A-11 Service Watch. The black dial, sword-shaped hands, white Arabic numerals, and "fauxtina" indexes (well-executed) offer excellent contrast. The double-domed mineral crystal is clear, provides some nostalgia, and is a fair detail at this price point. The sandblasted case specifications are as follows: 38mm in diameter, 12.5mm thick, 20mm lug width, and 44mm lug to lug. These specs are slightly larger than the original A-11s but bring Praesidus' model into the modern world, especially considering that a Seiko NH-35 powers the timepiece.
“I know you have eyes. I didn’t want to waste 250 words explaining drilled lug holes, quick-disconnect springbars, and reinforced strap holes. ”
Price
259 USD. Yeah, you read that right. 38m or 42mm, both are 259 USD. I need help finding everything right with the price point. It is a well-built $259 watch and offers the watch enthusiast a low barrier to a field watch, which draws inspiration from more storied and expensive brands. A quick eBay search for an "A-11 military watch" returns 75 watches with prices as high as 3200 USD. We watch enthusiasts know that the vintage timepiece market can be dicey even for the most experienced of us. Praesidus offers a small taste of that market at an affordable price via a solid little watch.
Place
Praesidus has been marketing its timepieces via Instagram and YouTube and has an online storefront as well. These outlets are par for the course in the watch space, and if "higher" end brands operate in those spaces, I expect the smaller brands to as well. There are no gripes here.
“The lume is good for 259 USD. If you want great lume, buy a Vertex. ”
Promotion
Praesidus has also leaned heavily on veterans like Tom Rice, Vince Speranza, Bud Anderson, and Dean "Diz" Laird—all accomplished WWII veterans and, in Bud's case, Vietnam veterans as well! Praesidus claims to support "war veteran associations and communities" by committing 5% of each sale to its "partner" organizations. I have not seen any information on contributions to date, but that would be nice, especially for anyone interested in purchasing a timepiece.
Conclusion
If field watches are your thing, you don't like wandering the vintage corners of the market, and you enjoy a "military" tie-in, then the Praesidus A-11 Service Watch might be for you. I have yet to hold a better 259 USD field watch that homages the original A-11s as the Praesidus A-11 Service Watch. For some people, "homage" is a bad word, but in this case, the word applies, which I think is the most respectful thing Praesidus could have done.
“Praesidus provided the A-11 Service Watch to WatchRolling.com; we do not have to return it. WatchRolling.com maintained complete editorial control, and Praesidus Watch Co. will see this review as soon as you do.
After completing this review, Praesidus Watch Co. has kindly agreed to give away the A-11 Service Watch. On April 4, 2024, I will randomly select a giveaway winner from the comments left on this review. Please leave a comment and let me know what your favorite field watch is. Each entrant is allowed only one entry. I will contact the winner using the official WatchRolling.com e-mail address. Shipping will be to any address in the United States, including FPO or APO addresses. I will not ship internationally.”
