One thing I forgot to mention in the negatives is the lack 24 hour markers. I realize there's not enough real estate on the dial to accommodate, so it's hard to fault SWC for such a clean dial. But what do you think about a field watch without a 24 hour dial?
24-hour markers make only sense to me on a proper 24-hour dial or if a 12-hour dial has an am/pm indicator. I do not need a 12-hour dial telling me that, for example, 3:00pm is 15:00.
SWC make fantastic watches for sure from all that I've seen on this and other channels. Definitely going to keep my eye on them to pick up one of their watches in the future, that AR coating is incredible for sure, lovely watches
Yes, I think this watch was a smart business move to get enthusiasts introduced to the brand…priced right, so you can see what they have to offer. This piece is a darling in the watch community. Rock. Solid.
Not too small for larger wrists, too, though! Great measurements! This lume is brighter than any other watch I've handled, and staying power was the longest too. So, stronger than my Aragon Hiro 3D.
I ordered one of these at Christmas. I’m loving it. It’s my first “real” watch. I’ve been wearing an Apple Watch for a few years and a sunnto before that. I’ve always wanted a field watch but just couldn’t find one that had the look I wanted for every day wear. This one almost nails it perfectly. I was worried about the size being too small for my 7 3/4” wrist but it wears a lot larger especially on a 22mm nato modded to fit the 20mm lugs.
Glad to see that received one for review. Hope you can check out the Bunker one day. That’s my favorite of the 2. I own the Bunker actually. Great review man. You have a great announcer voice. Should capitalize on it. 👌😁
Yeah, Steve was going to send me the Bunker next, but he ended up buying it! I'll reach out to SWC and see if they'll send a different one over. I feel like I'll like the Bunker better as well, mainly due to size and addition of 24 hour markers. But can't deny the comfort level of this watch! Stellar. Thanks for the compliments, AJ!
Fun review. Cool watch. As for the fashion show, I feel the original strap looks best, with that green tropical coming in a very close second (really makes it POP).
Thanks! Yes, the original nylon straps are THE perfect match for this watch head, in my humble opinion. Not just for looks, but for the wearing experience, too. The green tropical does have a good look to it. I like the green nylon/canvas looking one with the brown leather at the lugs. Gave it a nice weathered field watch look.
@@WatchWitt actually also liked that one with the brown leather, just that the green tropical really worked well with the yellow seconds hand. I enjoy your passion.
Hey curious, what app did you use to time the watch over that period? I bought an app that serves as a time grapher and it seems to be fairly accurate, but it isn't meant for quartz pieces.
Watch Tracker by Tom Kerrigan. You basically set your watch to the atomic clock, then "mark" it once a day (or your preference) and it calculates +/- seconds per day. You pretty much want to log a week or so, in different scenarios...worn, watch box, etc.
That's awesome! This is my favorite SWC watch out of the 3 I've reviewed. They're ALL good, but this one hit a sweet spot for me. I'd love for you to share your experience here once you've worn it a bit...
I love it! Yeah, I wore this 24 hours a day for over 10 days. No fatigue and no regrets leaving my other watches behind. I love that I was able to pull off this 38mm with 8" wrist, too.
Great review as always my man👊I was blown away by Ark being my 1st dealings with SWC watches. Amazing torch. Forget needing flashlight when you have this🔦🔦🔦🔦. You can't beat this watch for price and all the dial colors available plus switch made! The Roamers are an amazing Family and watchbrand. FYI, Bunker not coming to you Witt I'm buying it🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣Keep up amazing content👌💯. Your my favorite Maryland Watch Review👍👍👍👍
Thanks, Steve! Yes, I'm completely impressed with the company as well. I'll try to get a Bunker or Hyper-G in for review from them. Great family company!
So much good stuff & value for your hard earned $$$ I really like what SWC has been doing i don't think they've made a bad or even mediocre watch yet. Apart from that velcro strap......velcro should be banned someone needs to find a way to uninvent that stuff! 😂
Yes…many yearn for quality and tons of specs for under $200 USD, and this SWC ARK delivers! Man, I’m trying to win you over on the Velcro! I even put in a macro shot of the strap! Actually, even in the macro shot the strap doesn’t appear as soft as it actually is…was hard to film. There’s also a little sparkle in the fabric that only the sun seems to highlight, and I was never able to catch it on video.
Well thankfully the only time you have to rip that Velcro is a little after three years when you need to take the watch off to change the battery! Ha! 😂
Thanks for the review; but the Ark watch lume is mediocre at best. Bought mine after another reviewer raved about the lume. I'm a sucker for lume, so I went ahead and ordered one. Well, my old Seiko does a lot better. Maybe it's the available surface on the hands, but 1 hour after going to bed it's already way more faint than my old Prospex. I agree with everything else you said, it's an amazing watch which wears well anytime and anywhere. But if you're a lume fanatic, the Ark will be a meh for you at night. The AR coating is indeed amazing, but 16 layers or not, you'll still see reflections. It's so thin and light I cannot take it off my hand. Well, except for the night. At night it's the old Seiko or my T3 Ball.
Wow. What color variation did you order? I’m wondering if there’s a difference in brightness, like there likely is in the patina version. There’s no way we’re each talking about the same watch!
Huh. I’m floored. Because this is the strongest lume I’ve come across! The lume shot of the black/red on their website looks a little lackluster as well. I’ll add a note in my description that points out my lume experience is ONLY with the black/yellow variation. Thanks for bringing this up!
Yes, they’re VERY popular. Follow them on Instagram, or sign up for their mailing list on their website. They announce restocks there…but always sell out quickly.
One thing I forgot to mention in the negatives is the lack 24 hour markers. I realize there's not enough real estate on the dial to accommodate, so it's hard to fault SWC for such a clean dial. But what do you think about a field watch without a 24 hour dial?
24-hour markers make only sense to me on a proper 24-hour dial or if a 12-hour dial has an am/pm indicator. I do not need a 12-hour dial telling me that, for example, 3:00pm is 15:00.
@@chronocommander007 Great stance, and that makes this dial that much more of a win! Ha!
@@WatchWitt It is a very nice looking watch. Because I'm a tool watch guy I wish it had a timing bezel. Nothing's ever perfect, gah! 🤪
Haha! That’s how so many watches get made, I’ll bet….guys on a mission for the perfect watch…guess I’ll just have to build it myself!
I like the simple dial. If I need to know 24 hour time I just add 12. And if I don’t know if it’s am or pm I’ve got bigger problems 😂
SWC make fantastic watches for sure from all that I've seen on this and other channels. Definitely going to keep my eye on them to pick up one of their watches in the future, that AR coating is incredible for sure, lovely watches
Yes, I think this watch was a smart business move to get enthusiasts introduced to the brand…priced right, so you can see what they have to offer. This piece is a darling in the watch community. Rock. Solid.
Great review. The Ark is a great watch. So light weight and comfy.
Thanks, Hector! Absolutely. I doubt there's a more comfortable watch that is THIS durable, too!
Love it! I dig this smaller daimeter watches! Great catch. What is lume compared to Aragon Hero 3D?
Not too small for larger wrists, too, though! Great measurements! This lume is brighter than any other watch I've handled, and staying power was the longest too. So, stronger than my Aragon Hiro 3D.
I ordered one of these at Christmas. I’m loving it. It’s my first “real” watch. I’ve been wearing an Apple Watch for a few years and a sunnto before that. I’ve always wanted a field watch but just couldn’t find one that had the look I wanted for every day wear. This one almost nails it perfectly. I was worried about the size being too small for my 7 3/4” wrist but it wears a lot larger especially on a 22mm nato modded to fit the 20mm lugs.
Yes! It definitely seems to wear a little larger. I wore this with a dress shirt and tie, and pretty sure I pulled it off. So versatile.
Great review. Good looking watch. Thanks mate
Thanks, James! This is a workhorse that you don’t even know is there!
Bold claim at the start, but you're so right! Comfort is key, it doesn't matter price, spec or looks, if it doesn't wear right it will never get worn
It REALLY opened my eyes to what an "everyday" watch could be!
Wow, that’s an awesome watch. Thanks for the Excellent review.
One of the best all around quartz field watches you'll find!
I just purchased it, thanks
Awesome...glad it was IN STOCK...they're sold out a lot! Come back and let me know if you love it!
Glad to see that received one for review. Hope you can check out the Bunker one day. That’s my favorite of the 2. I own the Bunker actually. Great review man. You have a great announcer voice. Should capitalize on it. 👌😁
Yeah, Steve was going to send me the Bunker next, but he ended up buying it! I'll reach out to SWC and see if they'll send a different one over. I feel like I'll like the Bunker better as well, mainly due to size and addition of 24 hour markers. But can't deny the comfort level of this watch! Stellar. Thanks for the compliments, AJ!
Fun review. Cool watch. As for the fashion show, I feel the original strap looks best, with that green tropical coming in a very close second (really makes it POP).
Thanks! Yes, the original nylon straps are THE perfect match for this watch head, in my humble opinion. Not just for looks, but for the wearing experience, too. The green tropical does have a good look to it. I like the green nylon/canvas looking one with the brown leather at the lugs. Gave it a nice weathered field watch look.
@@WatchWitt actually also liked that one with the brown leather, just that the green tropical really worked well with the yellow seconds hand. I enjoy your passion.
Thanks for the compliment! It’s all about having fun checking out a variety of watches!!!
Good review of a very attractive watch mate 👍👍
Thanks Simon…this thing is a solid workhorse!
Love my SWC Ark!
Such a KILLER watch! I think the latest restock is already sold out again...
Hey curious, what app did you use to time the watch over that period? I bought an app that serves as a time grapher and it seems to be fairly accurate, but it isn't meant for quartz pieces.
Watch Tracker by Tom Kerrigan. You basically set your watch to the atomic clock, then "mark" it once a day (or your preference) and it calculates +/- seconds per day. You pretty much want to log a week or so, in different scenarios...worn, watch box, etc.
Great review. I just ordered one
That's awesome! This is my favorite SWC watch out of the 3 I've reviewed. They're ALL good, but this one hit a sweet spot for me. I'd love for you to share your experience here once you've worn it a bit...
Spot on! I love mine and it gets so much wrist time I feel bad for my others haha.
I love it! Yeah, I wore this 24 hours a day for over 10 days. No fatigue and no regrets leaving my other watches behind. I love that I was able to pull off this 38mm with 8" wrist, too.
How do you recharge the lume? Or ensure its the brightest?
Just wear it outdoors...sunlight charges it. Or, you can shine a flashlight on it, a UV light will give simulate the sun best.
Great review as always my man👊I was blown away by Ark being my 1st dealings with SWC watches. Amazing torch. Forget needing flashlight when you have this🔦🔦🔦🔦. You can't beat this watch for price and all the dial colors available plus switch made! The Roamers are an amazing Family and watchbrand. FYI, Bunker not coming to you Witt I'm buying it🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣Keep up amazing content👌💯. Your my favorite Maryland Watch Review👍👍👍👍
Thanks, Steve! Yes, I'm completely impressed with the company as well. I'll try to get a Bunker or Hyper-G in for review from them. Great family company!
So much good stuff & value for your hard earned $$$ I really like what SWC has been doing i don't think they've made a bad or even mediocre watch yet. Apart from that velcro strap......velcro should be banned someone needs to find a way to uninvent that stuff! 😂
Yes…many yearn for quality and tons of specs for under $200 USD, and this SWC ARK delivers! Man, I’m trying to win you over on the Velcro! I even put in a macro shot of the strap! Actually, even in the macro shot the strap doesn’t appear as soft as it actually is…was hard to film. There’s also a little sparkle in the fabric that only the sun seems to highlight, and I was never able to catch it on video.
@@WatchWitt haha you will never win me over on velcro!! 😂 I'm fine with the strap fabric the stretchy stuff etc etc is all good but velcro just NO! 😁
Well thankfully the only time you have to rip that Velcro is a little after three years when you need to take the watch off to change the battery! Ha! 😂
Thanks for the review; but the Ark watch lume is mediocre at best. Bought mine after another reviewer raved about the lume. I'm a sucker for lume, so I went ahead and ordered one. Well, my old Seiko does a lot better. Maybe it's the available surface on the hands, but 1 hour after going to bed it's already way more faint than my old Prospex.
I agree with everything else you said, it's an amazing watch which wears well anytime and anywhere. But if you're a lume fanatic, the Ark will be a meh for you at night.
The AR coating is indeed amazing, but 16 layers or not, you'll still see reflections. It's so thin and light I cannot take it off my hand. Well, except for the night. At night it's the old Seiko or my T3 Ball.
Wow. What color variation did you order? I’m wondering if there’s a difference in brightness, like there likely is in the patina version. There’s no way we’re each talking about the same watch!
@@WatchWitt I'm with the Black/Red, not the Patina.
Maybe the Green would have been a better choice, but I cannot compare.
Huh. I’m floored. Because this is the strongest lume I’ve come across! The lume shot of the black/red on their website looks a little lackluster as well. I’ll add a note in my description that points out my lume experience is ONLY with the black/yellow variation. Thanks for bringing this up!
I want this but its out of stock
Yes, they’re VERY popular. Follow them on Instagram, or sign up for their mailing list on their website. They announce restocks there…but always sell out quickly.
1st Witt👍👍👍👍👊
Second! Haha!
@@WatchWitt I was 1st like😜
Cheapest is $225 now
Figured it couldn't stay at $200 forever....one of their best selling watches. Absolutely still worth it at $225.