The STRIDER is the second Swiss made offering from AUDRIC Watches and will be launching soon on Kickstarter. If the name AUDRIC sounds familiar, it might be because TBWS did a full review of their first watch, the SeaBorne, in 2020. The STRIDER, however, brings a higher level of refinement as well as an impressive checklist of features at a very compelling price (especially for early adopters). I was able to spend a few days with this sports watch, which arrived in a dial color called Copper Cream. The design is rather striking and features a twelve-sided bezel sitting atop a hexagonal case with beefy lugs that are, at once, chamfered and beveled before they swing downward at an abrupt angle. The bracelet is very high quality with its own chamfers along with a nicely machined clasp.
Although my sample is considered a prototype, production watches will be virtually identical. Well, there is one thing that will change and you may have noticed that the “STROLLER” name on the dial and case back differs from the new name (which sounds more like a symbol of an active lifestyle, rather than a baby buggy).
The Case and Movement
The stainless steel case offers a fascinating display of folded geometric shapes that make the case look thicker than it really is. In a departure from other watches that use octagonal bezels, the STRIDER uses a dodecagon and positions the corners in a north-south and east-west configuration, which enhances the angular effect. The corners of the north-south arrangement slightly overlap the bracelet’s end links while the east-west array merges perfectly with the sides of the case.
The top of the bezel is brushed but the lower portion is polished with scallops that follow the twelve sides. As mentioned above, the lugs are visually interesting and cleverly formed to frame the watch on the wrist.
The entire case back is polished and provides a sapphire crystal for viewing the movement. The screw-down crown is excellent; easily gripped, generously sized and flawless in operation. (It also has a color-coordinated band that matches the dial.)
One automatic movement is being offered and it will either be the ETA 2824-2 (depending on availability) or the Sellita SW200-1. In either case, the movement will be Elabore grade with Incabloc shock protection, rhodium plating, blue screws and a signed rotor.
The Dial and Hands
The dial is strikingly textured with a pattern of small pyramid shapes known as Clous de Paris or, as translated, “hobnail”. This type of pattern is often associated with luxury timepieces including those from storied brands like Breguet, Patek Philippe, Jaquet Droz and others. (If you own any rubber watch straps, there is a good chance that at least one of them is embossed with such a pattern.)
The dial indices are all applied and include Explorer influenced numerals at 6, 9 and 12 with a date window in the 3 position. I could find no flaw in the dial finishing and found the chapter ring to be in perfect alignment.
The rhodium-plated sword hands are skeletonized and exactly the right length for this dial as is the seconds hand which stretches all the way to the inner edge of the chapter ring. If you are looking for blazing illumination then you are in for a treat. C3X1 is currently the brightest grade of Super LumiNova and it is thickly administered to all applied markers, all three hands as well as the logo on the crown. It was easily visible at 5:00 AM after a night in a dark room.
The Bracelet
The bracelet is finely brushed with polished chamfers surrounding the outer links. The overall construction exudes quality and includes a fully milled, folding clasp with very secure engagement. One of the impressive things about this bracelet is the way that the solid end links merge with the case. In order to do this, the end links have to match three different surface angles on the lugs (including one polished surface) and that’s precisely what they do. The only thing I would like to see is a quick-adjust clasp, which is becoming more common and is incredibly useful, especially in warmer climates where wrist swelling is an issue. In spite of that, there are three micro adjustments and I was able to get a perfect fit. Removing links was an easy process due to generously sized screws.
On The Wrist
For a 42mm watch, the STRIDER wears like a dream. At 11.5mm, the case is reasonably thin and the down sweep of those lugs helped to position it on my smallish wrist perfectly. The bracelet looks great, does not rattle and is very well built. The Copper Cream dial of this version is a visual delight, I think due to the way it projects shadows. At a particular moment, I see the pyramids of the hobnail design. At another moment, I see shadows forming an array of triangles. In direct sunlight, a ghost of the seconds hand follows it around the dial. This is a watch that is constantly inviting you to glance at the dial and rewarding you every time.
Final Thoughts
The STRIDER is a very high quality wristwatch with the kind of attention to detail that is fully appreciated by seeing it and wearing it. I keep thinking about the bracelet, which is so well integrated with the case. Seiko doesn’t even do that with the pricey SPB14x series. (That bracelet looks like it was meant for another watch entirely.) One last thing I should mention is that all watches will have an anti-scratch coating applied to the case and bracelet.
In case you are curious, the man behind the brand is Akshay Solomon and he is easily reached via DM on the AUDRIC Instagram page as well as Facebook. I have found him to be polite, humble and lightning fast to respond to inquiries.
The Kickstarter campaign is expected to launch in March of this year and supporters will have their choice of five different colors. In addition to the Copper Cream, the blue dial looks especially inviting.
AUDRIC STRIDER Specs:
42mm 316L Stainless Steel Case
48mm Lug to Lug Distance
22mm Lug Width
11.5mm Case Thickness
200m Water Resistance
Flat Sapphire Crystal
316L Stainless Steel Bracelet
Anti-Scratch Coating on Case and Bracelet
ETA 2824-2 or Sellita SW200-1 Automatic Movement, Elabore Grade
The initial price will be $549 and the retail price is expected to be $849. You can follow this launch by signing up at AUDRIC’s STRIDER page.
Mark retired in 2018 after 37 years in the financial services industry. He “Discovered” watches in 2015 after seeing a photo of a Steinhart OVM1 in a car forum. Ever since then he’s filled two watch boxes (and is trying to decide between buying a third one or thinning the herd). His additional pastimes include hiking, working on cars, exploring and photographing abandoned military bases.