Vero is a brand that has proven itself as a modern staple in the world of affordable, enthusiast watches. They haven’t been afraid to take risks in the past and I’ve always enjoyed the level of personality reflected in their pieces. It also helps that the watches are well under $1,000, with entertaining designs you don’t exactly see elsewhere. Now, Vero is announcing officially licensed timepieces with the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. It’s a set of four, in vibrant colors with an interesting case design and a Seiko Kinetic movement.
Upon first glance, these watches look a bit like Vero’s Workhorse Backcountry and Workhorse Canyon watches. But the overall design is simplified to something more along the lines of a modernized field watch. I almost think of these as a G-Shock-type watch combined with a Hamilton Khaki Field. The cases on these are all Cerakote over stainless steel with contrasting steel bumpers and colorways that correspond to specific divisions within the US Forest Service. They all look so high-contrast and Vero pairs these case colors beautifully with matching hook-and-loop style fabric straps.
All of the watches offer 120m of water resistance with screw-down crowns. They’re 39mm in diameter, 45.25mm lug to lug, and 12.5mm thick. Lug width is 18mm and while that’s pretty easy to personalize, I like the whole package when it comes to these watches. I’d be hesitant to put them on an aftermarket strap, even though I’m sure you could come up with a cool combo. Also, take note of the two crowns. The one at 9 o’clock rotates the inner bezel while the one at 3 o’clock deals with time setting. Oh, and the cool pusher? That’s to check the power reserve on the Seiko PX28A Kinetic movement—a quartz movement that basically re-charges itself with a rotor inside.
Vero US Forest Edition Watch Specifications
| Case Size | 39mm (diameter) × 45.25mm (lug-to-lug) × 12.5mm (thickness) |
| Water Resistance | 120m |
| Movement | Seiko PX28A Kinetic |
| Case Material | Cerakote over stainless steel |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Lug Width | 18mm |
| Price | $475 USD |
These look great to me and I’m also hoping that this whole Cerakote case coating trend might be something we see heavily throughout 2024. It’s encouraging to see brands—big and small—experiment with that. The variety of colorways, attractive pricing, durability, and connection to Vero’s larger catalog makes me think these will be very successful. To learn more about the Vero Forest Service editions watches, check out the brand’s official site.
Co-Founder & Senior Editor
Michael Peñate is an American writer, photographer, and podcaster based in Seattle, Washington. His work typically focuses on the passage of time and the tools we use to connect with that very journey. From aviation to music and travel, his interests span a multitude of disciplines that often intersect with the world of watches – and the obsessive culture behind collecting them.
They do look quite fun. I wish the crown operation was reversed though, as you’re going to use the rotating bezel crown much more often than the time setting one and if it was at 3, it would have been more convenient.