The Traser Titanium Commander watch is a 200M rated unidirectional bezel quartz watch that uses tritium tubes to give exceptional readability at night. Popular with various armed forces since the 1990s this bomb proof watch will put up with a large amount of abuse and keep ticking. With a cost effective service and battery change support network the lightweight titanium case is hypoallergenic and resists scratches and looks just as good in the field as it does under a dress shirt.

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In Depth Guide

I usually test outdoor gear for a few weeks before writing a review but in the case of the titanium Traser Commander I’ve had this watch for over a decade! In that time its dived to 200ft in the Red Sea, crossed the Sahara desert and been used in the extreme cold in Mongolia.

Titanium

Titanium is a very light and strong metal used in aircraft parts and various extreme machine applications. It has a grey blue color compared to steel and feels so light the watch almost feels like its made of plastic. Titanium is hard to machine but very resistant to scratches on the case and the brushed finish I have has lasted well over time. Titanium is also hypoallergenic.

Movement

The Swiss Movement is the ever popular Ronda 715 movement. Its a battery powered quartz movement that should last 3 to 5 years. Its as accurate as you would expect for a quartz watch with an accuracy of +/- maybe a second or so in a day . You get a warning when the battery is low as the seconds hand jumps 2 seconds at a time.

Its a hacking seconds which means the seconds stop when the crown is out as you set the time meaning you can ‘synchronize watches’ and be precise with your time setting. With a small screw driver you can replace the battery yourself if you need to but you will break the waterproof seal on the back so would need to take extreme care when putting the case back on so I would recommend sending the watch off to an authorized dealer to get a service. I’ve had it serviced by a dealer in the UK in Bournemouth via the post and also by a dealer in NEW York in the USA by post and in both cases it was quick, professional and inexpensive.

The movement itself will take a lot of abuse. Its also the ‘swiss made’ version not the ‘swiss parts’ cheaper version. Should you accidentally trash the watch the movement can be purchased for under $20 too.

Tritium

All military spec watched have numerals that are readable in low light conditions. This is also a pre requisite for a watch to be known as a Dive Watch as well. Most watches use some kind of glow in the dark substance that charges itself from daylight exposure and the slowly releases a faint glow at night for a few hours ( and for some up to 8 or 9 hours with the newer Superluminova we see on high end watches).

Traser do the readability VERY differently. The Traser watches have very tiny clear tubes by all the numerals and set in the hands on the face and at the ZERO marker on the bezel. These tubes contains tritium which is radioactive ( don’t worry its so weak the radioactivity doesn’t penetrate through the glass tubes).

The tritium lasts for about 10 years and permanently stimulates the luminescent paint so the watch permanently glows much much brighter than standard watches all through the night even when your watch as been stored in the dark.

The top 12 position is also orange instead of glowing green meaning you can orientate which way the watch is up quickly if you are putting it on in the dark.

Bezel

The watch has a bezel that turns in only one direction on the watch so that you can use it as a dive watch to time dives. The crown is easy to unscrew to adjust the time and date. The case itself is 43mm which is large and yet somehow this watch doesn’t feel as big and bulky as watches of an equivalent size like the Rolex Sea Dweller.

The sapphire crystal glass is very resistant to scratches.

Gripes

It says a lot that this is one of the watches I wear the most. If I was to have a few little moans it would be that the bezel has always been very stiff to move, making it hard to use when diving with gloves on. I’m also not sure the date window is necessary given the sort of use it gets.

Given how wear resistant the crystal is I would also have made the crystal slightly proud of the bezel to protect the paint and lettering on the bezel from small scuffs.

Verdict

The Traser Titanium Commander watch is a 200M rated unidirectional bezel quartz watch that uses tritium tubes to give exceptional readability at night. Popular with various armed forces since the 1990s this bomb proof watch will put up with a large amount of abuse and keep ticking. With a cost effective service and battery change support network the lightweight titanium case is hypoallergenic and resists scratches and looks just as good in the field as it does under a dress shirt.

Specs

Model number	Traser P 6506
Part Number	P6506.430.32.02
Item Shape	Round
Dial window material type	Synthetic sapphire
Display Type	ANALOG
Clasp	Buckle
Case material	Titanium
Case diameter	43
Case Thickness	11
Band Material	Nylon
Band length	Men’s Standard
Band width	22
Band Color	Black
Dial color	Black
Bezel material	Titanium
Bezel function	Unidirectional
Calendar	Date
Special features	Nato Strap
Movement	Swiss quartz
Water resistant depth	200 Meters

About Traser

Development and introduction of the first self-illuminated watch by mb-microtec, the P6500 Type 6, and its supply to the US Army. The main driver was the US Army’s request to develop a functional instrument according to their MIL-W-46374F military specifications. This culminated in the birth of the brand “traser”.