The New Straum Expedition: Built For Those Who Crave Adventure
Are you looking for a watch representing the overwhelmingly beautiful scenes of Norwegian nature? Straum has you covered with the Jan Mayen line. But what if you want a watch to actually wear on an adventure or expedition to experience Norwegian nature firsthand? That’s where the new Straum Expedition comes in. The new Expedition is the first model to mark the division of Straum’s collection into two categories. One is the Inspired By series, which translates the textures, colors, and spirit of Norwegian landscapes into remarkable dial designs. The other is the new Built For series, purpose-driven watches focused on practical performance during your adventures, legibility, durability, comfort, and reliability. These aspects take priority over decoration, as we’ll see in the new Straum Expedition.
As most of you will know, we love Straum here at Fratello. We created multiple limited editions with the Norwegian brand, and we are very proud of them. I am one of the lucky owners of the steel Jan Mayen LE with the red dial inspired by the Beerenberg volcano. I love that piece for its modern design, which immediately stands out in a room full of integrated-bracelet sports watches. The new Straum Expedition, which kicks off the Built For series, immediately shows a far more utilitarian approach to design. The focus is less about winning you over with aesthetics and more about impressing you with practical design solutions, comfort, and sturdiness. As a result, the Straum Expedition is ready for adventure.
The details of the new Straum Expedition
Let’s first go over the specs and details. The new Expedition series consists of three models, each featuring a 38.2mm hardened Grade 5 titanium case with an 11mm profile and a 45.7mm lug-to-lug. Furthermore, the case features a 100m water resistance rating, a bead-blasted finish, and drilled lug holes. It flows gracefully into the integrated 24.8mm-wide rubber bracelet. The connecting link has the same shape as the center link of the Jan Mayen bracelet.
You will likely also recognize the general shape of the Jan Mayen case. However, for the Expedition, Straum redesigned the bezel and dial, resulting in a very different watch. On the right side of the case, you will find the oversized titanium screw-down crown protected by crown guards. Thanks to its substantial size and knurling, you can operate the crown with cold or gloved hands. The new bezel features a stepped design, giving the watch a sleek overall profile. I like that the new case design links to the Jan Mayen in its overall shape and form, solidifying the brand’s identity. Importantly, though, the watch also looks distinct thanks to the new dial and bezel.
Three new dial variations
Speaking of the dial, Straum introduces three new ones. The first two options are Midnight Blue and Titanium Gray. Both dials have a grainy titanium base, and the former gets a blue lacquer finish. The dials feature white cast BGW9 Grade A Super-LumiNova indexes and numerals.
As you can see, they include large Arabic numerals at 3, 6, 9, and 12 and rectangular markers for the remaining hours. Between the hour markers, you will find a dotted luminous minute track, and on the inside of the indexes, Straum added a 24-hour scale. The date window sits right above the numeral at 6 o’clock, while a full minute track inhabits the sloping rehaut. Lastly, the upper half displays the Straum logo, and the lower half features the model name in bright orange.
The third model, which we had in for review, boasts a white full-lume dial with black PVD-coated applied indexes and a black dotted minute track. The black rehaut contrasts with the dial and features the additional full 60-minute track. The 13–24-hour track is also executed in black to contrast the crisp white backdrop.
Both the gray- and white-dial versions feature matte black PVD-coated hands filled with lume. The tip of the lollipop seconds hand is in Berlac fluor orange, corresponding with the model name and the orange date numerals. The blue-dial version is slightly different, with nickel-plated minute and hour hands and a black PVD lollipop seconds hand with an orange tip.
The design challenges Straum faced
Overall, this new dial design is a huge step away from the ones we have seen for the Jan Mayen. It immediately shows the Expedition’s purpose-driven character. At first glance, the date window’s location seems unfortunate. The orange numerals immediately stand out against the black background, making the date instantly visible. As you can see, to make the date window fit the design, the large 6 numeral is lowered and placed into a cutout in the rehaut. The difficulty of a date window is, of course, where the caliber allows you to integrate it into the design.
I understand the challenge the Straum team faced, and they solved it as homogeneously as possible while still giving the data plenty of standout power. But I am not the biggest fan of this execution because it distracts from a very symmetrical design. Style-wise, the dial reminds me of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Polaris series, which has a similar design. Another watch that comes to mind is the Rolex Explorer, which features large numerals in the same style. While not necessarily original, those are not bad visual references overall.
The bracelet used for the Straum Frozen Metal Titanium
A bracelet or one of eight FKM rubber straps
The new Straum Expedition comes with either an integrated titanium bracelet or an FKM rubber strap, available in black, white, beige, gray, yellow, dark blue, dark green, and purple. We received the full-lume-dial model on the dark green strap. As a result, I didn’t get a chance to check out the Grade 5 titanium bracelet. But the bracelet is the same one Straum used for the recently introduced Frozen Metal Titanium.
I did have a chance to check that one out, and it is a super well-designed and well-executed bracelet. It tapers nicely from 24.8mm at the case to 18mm at the clasp. The bracelet is bead-blasted with polished accents for some visual contrast. Furthermore, the two 130% links hide the toolless micro-adjustable clasp operated with tiny buttons. Lastly, it features a push-button quick release, making it easy to switch things up.
The shaped FKM rubber straps taper just like the bracelet. Each has a titanium buckle and features cut-to-size positions on the short side to ensure a nice fit. These straps also fit 14.5–21cm wrists, covering a broad range of sizes. As mentioned, the strap connects to the case via an end link. The latter attaches to the case with a spring bar and to the strap with a button-operated quick-release system, just like the bracelet.
The movement and wearing experience
Hiding behind the titanium case back is the La Joux-Perret G100 caliber. This 24-jewel automatic movement operates at 28,800 vph and offers a 68-hour power reserve. The caliber is regulated in-house by Straum to offer an accuracy of ±7 seconds per day.
It is sure to be a reliable powertrain for these new Straum watches and anyone taking them on expeditions. Though I only wore the Straum Expedition in daily life around The Hague, the first thing that stood out was how well it fit my wrist. The case isn’t just nicely designed, as I would expect from Straum, but it’s also surprisingly slim and comfortable.
On top of that, the lightweight titanium material immediately gives the impression that this is the perfect expedition watch. It is easy to wear and feels super sturdy. Once again, Straum has gone the extra mile, ensuring the watches are a perfect pick for your adventures, whether in urban environments or the actual wilderness.
The profile and comfort reminded me of the brilliant Laventure Marine Type 3, one of my favorite watches of last year. That immediately added a nice dimension to the wearing experience. The Straum Expedition is super comfortable, and that is so important in making watches stand out nowadays.
The new Straum Expedition in perspective
After wearing the watch for a few days, the Straum Expedition started to make more and more sense. Initially, I was a little confused by the design because it is such a big step away from the Jan Mayen. Before I read the info on the new Expedition, it seemed like a strange step away from the sleek, minimalist design of the Jan Mayen. I also wasn’t sure about the aesthetic. Was it distinct enough from the many other microbrand explorer’s/adventurer’s watches? Reading about the split in the Straum collection, however, immediately explained the new design and its purpose, and it made sense.
After that, seeing the watches up close helped me notice the great detail and care that went into their development. The engineering and production quality are also several steps above many other brands’ watches. This is a testament to the great dedication of Straum’s founders, Lasse Roxrud Farstad and Øystein Helle Husby, to creating watches that immediately stand out for their fit and adventurous purpose. After wearing the Expedition, I could easily see myself using it on any outdoor adventure, wherever on the planet. It simply is that good.
Is this the perfect adventurer’s watch?
I have to admit that the Straum Expedition is an impressive new release, but I didn’t find it perfect. First, I could not come to grips with the date window. I think its placement is odd, and the bright orange numerals make it constantly stick out. That’s unfortunate, especially since the rest of the design is nicely balanced and symmetrical. Other than that, the dial design has to speak to you. This is highly personal, of course. While I like the design, I don’t love it. Also, I would wear the watch on a titanium bracelet. I didn’t have a chance to do so, but the bracelet contributes massively to the wearing experience with my Jan Mayen.
Additionally, I found that while the full-lume dial is fun, it’s not my preferred dial variant. I like the look of the gray-dial version on the rubber strap better, and I think the blue-dial version would look really nice on the bracelet. Despite these criticisms, though, I was definitely impressed by the new Straum Expedition. With this new series, the Norwegian brand has created a line of adventure-ready watches that many fans will love. Importantly, they also show the great attention to detail the team at Straum put into developing them.
Finding its footing in a crowded segment
This trio of watches is a welcome next step for Straum. Each one costs €2,100 on a rubber strap and €2,360 on the titanium bracelet, with both prices excluding taxes. If you include VAT in Europe, you are looking at just shy of €3,000. At that price point, the Straum Expedition competes with watches like the Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Extreme GMT and Formex Essence 39 on the lower end and the Longines Spirit Titanium and even the Tudor Ranger on the higher end. Admittedly, that’s some tough competition.
That said, compared to the first two, I think the Straum Expedition looks better and offers a lightweight, more comfortable, and easier-to-wear titanium option. Compared to the second pair, I think the Straum Expedition is the better watch for real adventurers. The Longines Spirit and Tudor Ranger are more luxury-oriented offerings, whereas the Straum is a proper expedition watch that I would prefer for that purpose. Overall, I do think that Straum offers something extra compared to its competitors, and it is a job well done with the Expedition. I also can’t wait to see where the new Built For series goes from here. The new Expedition is a great first step in the right direction.
