I have to admit, when I first saw the Trintec
Zulu-7 Pro on Kickstarter back in April, I was skeptical. Other
instrument watches by Bell & Ross, Christopher Ward, and Trintec
itself drew inspiration from cockpit gauges, but the Zulu-7 went the
whole hog. It looks for all the world like someone unbolted a cockpit
clock and strapped it to their wrist. That's a bold move, but does it
work?
First of all, we have that
gargantuan case. Measuring over 47mm wide, 56mm from lug to lug, and
17.5mm thick, it dwarfs most other watches. It could eat a 46mm Bell
& Ross BR-01 for lunch. Where similar watches use fastener heads in
the corners to suggest a dashboard origin, the Zulu-7 actually
incorporates rounded flanges that protrude from the square central body.
If you look at the real instruments in the promotional pictures, you
can see that they did not stray far from the original object.
I would describe the case as
brick-like, but that would be unfair. To be sure, the watch is thick,
square, and heavy (175g), but it is not at all unwearable. The
lugs are thick, straight, and angled slightly downward to provide some
contour. There are no hard corners or sharp edges to dig into your
wrist. A knurled, 9.5mm, screw-down crown occupies the 3 o'clock
position. It is oversized, but then again, so is the case.
The
24mm dive style synthetic rubber strap does a good job of balancing out
the chunky case. It is secured with 3mm screw bars. It is certainly
secure, but you will need to break out your screwdrivers to separate
them, and your usual 1.6mm Panerai tools won't do. I found 2.4mm was a
perfect fit. Cinched to its tightest setting, the strap was quite
comfortable, even on my relatively small (6.5") wrist. A brushed case is
offered, but I opted for the matte black PVD. After all, it's a big
case, and black is slimming. On
the flip side, a display window showcases the Miyota 9015 automatic
inside. You know the drill: 24 jewels, 42-hour power reserve, and a
smooth 28.8k bph sweep. It's a quality movement that should provide
years of trouble free service.
The dial is matte black with large
numbers, index, and skeleton hands, all printed with a generous helping
of SuperLuminova. It has a black-on-white date window at 4 o'clock and
an orange tipped second hand for a bit of color. It is all business and
exactly what you would expect from an instrument watch.
The
bezel is huge, even considering the size of the case, occupying
approximately one-third of its height when viewed in profile;
however, Trintec has made good use of this space. It wears a fat coin
edge and towers over the flat sapphire crystal below, offering an extra
measure of protection. The markers on its inward sloping face are cast
and painted with a lume pip at top center. It is unidirectional,
traveling 120 steps with firm, mechanical clicks and no back play.
For a pilot's watch, there are a
number of nautical touches like that unidirectional timing bezel,
diver's strap, and 200 meter water resistance. It even comes with a
nylon Zulu strap if you order by November 1. In many ways, it reminds me
of my cherished Citizen EcoZilla. It has the same monstrous size,
sunken dial, and a similarly over-the-top aesthetic. It is not at all subtle, yet in spite of myself, I like it. As
I said at the beginning, I wasn't sure what the make of the Zulu-7.
Trintec's unflinchingly literal interpretation of an instrument watch
had the potential to be a dramatic success or a cartoonish failure. I
was prepared to hate it, but instead, I have come to admire its
single-minded commitment to the concept.
Is it crazy to wear a watch like
this? Yeah, a little. But it is crazy fun too. The Zulu-7 will look
great on a thick ammo strap or heavy canvas and it has the specs to back
up its rugged looks. Sitting as tall as it does you can expect it will
take some knocks (when you wear a watch this big, the world is your
doorframe) and look all the richer for it. Let the gawkers think it has
seen some heavy action.
The Trintec Zulu-7 Pro is available direct for $699.95.
Pro: Outrageous
Con: Outrageous
Sum: Not for everyone, but great fun. The Time Bum approves.
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