Draken had a failed kickstarter campaign for the Peregrine in September. A couple of months later – in the middle of November 2017 – it’s going to be given another go. I’ve been able to spend some time with the Draken Peregrine, so read on to see how good a deal it’ll be when it hits that crowd funding site. Please note this is a prototype.
The specs
- Dimensions: 44mm diameter x 14.5mm height x 52mm lug to lug
- Weight: 112g
- Water resistance rating: 100m / 10ATM
- Movement: Miyota 9130
- Accuracy: +6.8 sec/day
- Lug width: 22mm
- Warranty: 2 years
- Price: Kickstarter starting at NZD$420 / £225, RRP NZD$700 / £375
- Available from: https://drakenwatches.com/ (Kickstarter link not available at time of publishing)
The case
The case is bead-blasted which is a simple, matte affair. The 44mm diameter is fairly usual for an aviation themed watch, think of the traditional B-Uhr’s and the like. The height is definitely on the tall side though at 14.5mm, and this is because of the power reserve behind the logo… but more on that later.
Whilst the shape is technically a standard barrel; there’s a slight tuck in on the underside (the top is wider than the bottom) which provides a flowering shape. It also makes it easier to wear thanks to the smaller base.
The screw-in crown is a little too wide for my liking – it sticks out a bit too much. Ideally it could do with being about three quarters of the depth in my eyes. It’s very well executed though, with excellent knurled grip. The Draken logo is intricately engraved, and it’s also full of lume which is a very cool plus.
The screw-in caseback is fairly standard, with a central exhibition window and surrounding details deeply engraved around it.
The Peregrine is loaded with a double domed sapphire crystal – which provides good visibility at the tightest of angles. It also has an effective anti-reflective coating on the underside, which gives a blue flash when the light hits it just right.
The dial
The main feature that’s stood out to me is the concealed power reserve indicator behind the logo. It has a dual colour scheme, that of white to signify charge and red to show depleted. The wheel (if you can call it that?) is located behind a cut-out in shape of the Draken logo which has a polished metal surround. It has the Draken text applied below – however, I would have liked it to be deeper, thicker and a better quality application.
The Peregrine is loaded with great applied hour markers. There’s a triangle and two dots to signify 12, which is a textbook aviation feature; lumed numerals printed at 3, 6 and 9; and batons everywhere else. All other applied items to the logo are very deep and well made.
The BGW9 lume strength is average on the dial – not mind blowing but probably what you’d expect at a watch of this price.
The hands are big and bold, very legible – traditional aviation themed hands. There’s a splash of colour thanks to the blue stick seconds hand and Peregrine in the bottom half, as well as subtle blue arrows in each corner.
The strap
The strap comes in at 22mm wide at the lugs which is a suitable size to match the case – it gives good balance whilst on the wrist. It’s a pleasant oaky brown colour with lighter stitching. It’s good quality, soft and supple leather.
The tang buckle is the same bead blasted finish as the case. It has the Draken logo deeply engraved on the top bar.
The movement
The movement powering the Draken Peregrine is the Miyota 9130. It’s basically the same as the 9015 (which we all know very well by now) – but with a power reserve indicator at 12. The specs are more or less the same: high beat rate of 28.8k bph, 40 hours power reserve, 26 jewels.
The accuracy is coming in at a very reasonable +6.8 sec/day – anything within 10 seconds a day is great for a non-COSC movement.
Whilst the looks of the movement itself is fairly plain and industrial, the rotor brings in a refreshing piece of customisation. It’s the standard shape, but has a black covering and a lumed logo – another cool element.
Final comments
The Kickstarter pledges starting at NZD$420 / £225 is a very tempting proposition indeed. The Draken Peregrine is very well constructed, and whilst it’s a very traditional aviation timepiece, there’s a few little touches here and there that make it stand out. These include the extra lume – in the crown, rotor and power reserve, and of course the concealed power reserve indicator itself. Really, the only negative I’ve found is the light / thin application of the logo (which I see quite a lot so Draken aren’t alone in this).
I’ve actually heard from Mike Blythe of Draken, and he plans to make those adjustments to the watch – I feel they will make a great amount of difference (crown width and logo application). He’s not increasing the price of the watch either to cover the adjustments, so that’s pretty great, and I look forward to seeing the pictures of the revised timepiece.
The RRP of NZD$700 / £375 is less of a good deal, so if it takes your fancy then be ready to pledge when it returns to Kickstarter in mid November 2017.
