MICRO-MONDAYS: The Audric Strider is a stylish diver with hefty wrist presence for under $600 (if you’re quick)
Fergus NashAudric launched their first watch in 2020, deep in the throes of the global pandemic. The SeaBorne stood out from the crowd of Kickstarter-funded dive watches due to its multicoloured flair, attention to detail and impressive bang for its buck. For their second watch, the Audric Strider, the brand has now pulled out all the stops to take their detail-oriented approach even further.
The case
The case of the Audric Strider is pretty unique, pulling many aspects seemingly out of thin air. The clean-cut angles and blocky lug tips are fairly evocative of the brutalist shapes many dive watches are going for these days with looks that are masculine, chunky and aggressive. With such a strong silhouette, it feels like the watch was destined for hard labour beneath the sea, and the brand’s proprietary HexaDori anti-scratch coating – applied to both the case and bracelet – ensure that it’s got the durability to match its rugged looks. The other unique feature most apparent on the case is the dodecagonal flare around the bezel, which doesn’t immediately catch the eye because of the circular brushed section surrounding the dial, but does add a nice visual complexity to the polished steel light-play.
It’s definitely a chunky watch by design and by dimension with a 42mm diameter, but not outside of the realm of average wearability with a 48mm lug-to-lug measurement and a surprising thickness of only 11.5mm. The sharp downturns of the lugs help it wear better with the bracelet too, making sure that the watch can fit snugly on the wrist even though it’s fairly heavy. The screw-down crown preserves the watch’s 200m water resistance, although the lack of guards does seem a little contentious as the crown sits on one of the bezel’s 12 points, leaving a small gap below its grip when tightened down.
The dial
Audric’s approach to the Strider dial is a little more refined. Available in a black, blue, grey, cream and, inevitably, green, the hobnail-studded pattern provides an industrial vibe that interacts well with the other design features. At its core, the Strider may have the specifications and architecture of a dive watch, but it carries itself much more like a military-inspired field watch. Although a field watch is typically slimmer and simpler, the stencil-type Arabic numerals at 12, 6, and 9 are quite suggestive of military origins, as are the semi-skeletonised broadsword hands. The fixed chapter ring has a 60 minute counter with intervals at each of the hour markers, which keeps the dial a little less cluttered and truly rules it out of dive watch status. You may notice some photos show the prototype’s name “Stroller” on the dial, however the name Strider does seem much more fitting.
The bracelet
The brushed bracelet is a terrific fit for the watch, with the outer links given polished bevels for added interest. The SeaBorne bracelet, while it still suited the watch, felt a little more formulaic. The Audric Strider’s bracelet feels much more bespoke, especially with the push-button clasp that has a deep etching of the brand name and logo. The screwed links also make sizing at home supremely easy.
The movement
Depending on availability, the watch will either come with an ETA 2824 or a Sellita SW200 movement. As the Sellita SW200 is a direct clone of the ETA 2824, there’s not much comparison that can be made other than personal biases towards either of the Swiss brands, especially after the SW200 has proven to be reliable for well over a decade now. Both movements have a beat rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour and a rough power reserve of 38 hours, and will be decorated for viewing through the sapphire caseback.
The Audric Strider pricing and availability:
The Audric Strider will be launched on Kickstarter soon at a price of $549 USD, 35% lower than the final RRP of $849 USD. Read more about the watch and sign up for Kickstarter notifications at Audric’s website here.
| Case Material | Stainless Steel |
| Case Dimensions | 42mm x 48mm x 11.5mm |
| Water-Resistance | 200m |
| Dial | Black, blue, grey, cream, green |
| Straps | Steel bracelet |
| Movement | ETA 2824 / Sellita SW200 |
| Power Reserve | 38 hours |
| Complications | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Price | $549 USD Early Bird / $849 USD RRP |