If you’ve been reading my stuff, you know the Rolex Explorer 36mm (ref 14270) is one of my favorite watches of all time. However, due to my innate ability to be a stingy bastard, I am unwilling to spend the money. Instead, best believe I will spend the rest of my watch journey buying more affordable alternatives and homages. The Traska Summiteer 36 is no doubt one of the better, if not the best explorer homage/alternative out there. Now it’s let me clarify what I mean by best,. Because there are better watches in my top 10 Rolex Explorer alternative article. However, a better watch does not equal a better alternative.
When I look at the Rolex Explorer 14270, it’s a quiet luxury. It doesn’t wow you with case finishing, patented technology, or a fancy-looking dial. The 14270 is literally a three-hander, black dial, boring ass watch that costs a lot more than it’s visual reflection. But that’s what I love about the Explorer; it’s simplicity and robustness makes it a perfect companion. It doesn’t scream “Hey look at what he is wearing”, but it will be there for you as you navigate life’s challenges. See, it makes you philosophical. The appreciation I have for the Rolex Explorer is one of the reasons why we all love the watch hobby. It’s not meant to make any sense, but instead a raw reflection of your desires.
I believe there is a philosophy when crafting a Rolex Explorer homage/alternative, and that is to recreate the warmth and companionship of the little 36mm three-hander. The feeling will never be replicated by anyone else, and I will always stand by that. However, the Traska Summiteer, for USD$625, comes pretty damn close.
The Story of Traska
Yes, Traska is a microbrand, but they’ve been around for almost 6 years now, and here’s how the story goes. In 2018, Jon Mack outdid himself by taking his 1966 Bulova Snorkel into the sunny Vietnamese ocean. Jon would be pleased to find out that the vintage Bulova did not erode into the saltwater. However, the dial flooded and it was pronounced KIA on the spot.
Beholding a grudge to the ocean, Jon decided to honor the vintage Bulova with a modern iteration that could handle saltwater. That grudge eventually became what we now know as the Traska Freediver. There were no grudges. But, there was a Kickstarter campaign which was fully funded with $61,064 pledged, surpassing the initial goal of $25,000. The rest they say, is history.
Since then, Traska launched the Summiteer, Commuter, Seafarer, and most recently, the Venturer. So next time you want to start up a successful watch brand, go ruin a vintage Bulova.
How did the Traska Summiteer come about?
It’s no secret that the Summiteer pays homage to the Rolex Explorer 36. I mean, summiteer; Sir Edmund Hillary summiting Everest, pretty obvious play-on-words unless I am gravely mistaken. First introduced in 2019, the Gen 1 Summiteer featured a 38mm case and based on pictures, was a fairly generic-looking field watch. Truthfully it looked a little unfinished. It wasn’t until Gen 2 where the Summiteer started to adopt it’s own personality and take on better built quality. The Traska Summiteer Gen 2 introduced a box sapphire, convex case sides, and a more fitting crown. The 3rd generation saw a decrease in dial size, and eventually case size as well, introducing the 36mm variant.
The Traska Summiteer Gen 4 is on review today, which really is their best iteration yet. And for me, the closest I’ve ever felt to having the Rolex Explorer 14270.
Traska Summiteer Dimensions
Case size: 36.5mm
Lug to lug: 44mm
Thickness: 8.75mm (10.55m including crystal)
Lug width: 20mm
Case: 316L Stainless steel, mixture of polished and brushed finish
Dial: Recessed black dial with matte finish
Crystal: Box domed sapphire crystal (AR-coating underside)
Movement: Miyota 9039
Water Resistant: 10 ATM / 100M
Strap: Stainless Steel Bracelet (tapers from 20mm to 16mm)
Case & Bezel
Don’t let the highly polished case of the Traska Summiteer scare you off, it’s not going to be a scratch magnet. The case on the Summiteer is treated with Traska’s proprietary hardening treatment. Instead of what you’ll find on a regular 316L steel, which measures around 200HV on the Vickers hardness scale. The Traska Summiteer 36 has a rating of 1200HV, making it almost 6 times more scratch-resistant than your everyday stainless steel. That being said, I would’ve preferred the case sides to be brushed, adding to the everyday nature of the Summiteer. That being said, the polishing does make it that much more exciting to look at, and plays nicely with the light as well.
The rest of the case is brushed, and this applies to the bezel as well, thank god. A polished bezel would’ve ruined the Summiteer for me. The case itself is extremely slender; the lugs are very much an extension of the case. The case is really just a slender slab, which I absolutely love, it’s simple. Drilled lugs are always a nice touch, and the caseback is relatively sterile with a few texts about the Miyota 9039 and the specifications.
Usually I don’t pay too much attention to the crown, but the one on the Summiteer actually fits the watch perfectly. If anything, it elevates the watch and completes the package. The chamfered polish and the level of finishing is evident when you catch a glimpse of light dancing around it. The laser-etched crown is done to a high standard. Although I will say operating the crown is a little difficult, the threading is long and it’s not to easies to unwind.
Dial & Hands
If the case of the Traska Summiteer 36 was Dwayne Wade, then the dial is LeBron James. The case sets the alley-oop, and the dial slams it home. At a glance, it’s your typical 3-6-9 explorer dial, but the Summiteer is also easily distinguishable with it’s own unique characteristics. The two concentric that make up the inner and outer dial almost provides a sector dial feeling. Additionally, the inner dial is embossed, establishing a 3D effect that makes the interaction between the inner and outer dial all the more interesting.
The indices on the Summiteer are raised 3D lume plots. A white minute-track surrounds the edge of the dial, which is topped off with a square marker at the 3, 6, 9, and 12. The diamond-cut hour and minute hands are highly polished and sharp, the seconds-hand is completed with an arrow-tip. The logo symbol and text, along with the Automatic at the 6 o o’clock is perfectly placed, subtle with their own presence.
The Traska Summiteer does one thing extremely well. It takes everything I love about the Rolex Explorer 36mm, and manages to squeeze it into a package that they can proudly call their own. The Traska Sumiteer is a true homage, with it’s own uniqueness and character, but you can tell immediately what it’s inspired by.
Bracelet
Now I can’t review the bracelet, because mine did not come with a bracelet (I bought this used). I don’t doubt the bracelet follows the same standard as the rest of the watch. From their site, it has the same proprietary case hardening technology, tapers from 20 to 16mm, and is extremely comfortable with articulating links. Better yet, it even has a on-the-fly micro adjustment system.
I don’t know about you, but any explorer-styled watch or homage NEEDS to be on a grey NATO strap. For me, the whole idea of an adventure or exploring watch must involve a NATO. It doesn’t matter how great the bracelet is, but it absolutely deserves to sit on a fabric NATO. And I’ve gotta say, the Traska Summiteer 36mm on a grey NATO feels just like home.
Comfort & Wearability
Just look at the following dimensions: 36mm case diameter, 8.75mm thin (without sapphire), and 44mm lug-to-lug. If you have skinny 6 inch wrists like myself, and you prioritize comfort and wearability? The Traska Summiteer is unbeatable comfort-wise. I’ve had lots of comfortable watches in the past, but nothing even comes remotely close to the Summiteer on a NATO strap.
Personally, the Traska Summiteer will forever sit on the grey NATO strap; it’s not supposed to be on a bracelet. I’ve been wearing this to the office in a suit, to a bar, to clubs, for a walk in the park, everywhere you can think of. The Summiteer has never looked out of place. In fact, it’s one of the only watches that I have never thought about how it would suit my outfit. It pairs perfectly with just about any colors. It’s got form, and it’s got function. What more to ask for a $625 watch?
Feel free to throw it on any imaginable straps, it’s a complete strap monster.
Should you buy the Traska Summiteer 36?
Have you been looking for a Rolex Explorer homage? Do you not want to spend close to $10k on a simple black dial three-hander that is only expensive because it has Rolex written on it? Are you looking for a mid-size everyday timepiece for around $600? If yes, absolutely buy the Summiteer 36. If no? Buy the watch anyways, and get a feel for smaller-sized adventure-style watches.
The Summiteer is not an exciting watch. You should not expect to be blown away by it, and don’t be afraid of feeling underwhelmed either. The Summiteer, much like the Explorer, is a quintessential everyday watch. It’s where the term Go Anywhere Do Anything (GADA) comes from. So treat it as such.
Traska Summiteer: Closing Thoughts
Aesthetics: Rolex Explorer 36mm homage with it’s own unique identity, what’s more to say really? It’s pretty damn close to being the perfect homage.
Comfort: 36mm case diameter and ONLY 8.75mm thin, it’s the most comfortable watch I have ever owned.
Price: If you’re OK with purchasing from a microbrand, at $625, it’s a steal.
