I wanted to talk a bit about the Peregrine. A lot of thinking went into it, but it is probably the most underrated model in our lineup. I think it deserves a bit more credit.
PEREGRINE V1
After the success of our maiden model the Tugela, I really started to explore the movement options available. There are only a handful of movement companies to choose from, especially in the affordable watch-collecting segment. Many have online catalogues showing all the details, specs, and drawings for their movements. I recommend exploring these catalogues yourself to learn what’s out there. I’ll leave a list of links below.
I became really excited about movements with power reserve indicators. There was something about a mechanical movement that showed at a glance how much longer it was going to tick.
I especially loved watches that presented them subtly, as a bar under the dial, like some sort of loading indicator (see Nomos, Panerai, and Junghans).
Could we do something like that with an affordable movement, like the Miyota 9130? The 9130 power reserve indicator hand post sat at the 12h position, which was frustratingly where the logo needed to go.
I became really excited about movements with power reserve indicators. There was something about a mechanical movement that showed at a glance how much longer it was going to tick.
I especially loved watches that presented them subtly, as a bar under the dial, like some sort of loading indicator (see Nomos, Panerai, and Junghans).
Could we do something like that with an affordable movement, like the Miyota 9130? The 9130 power reserve indicator hand post sat at the 12h position, which was frustratingly where the logo needed to go.
What if we displayed the power reserve inside the logo!? Eurika! I instandlty fell in love with the idea, and started to design everything around this. Because of the size of the disk behind the dial, it was obviously going to be a big watch (44mm). From previous research I thought a ‘Flieger’ style design would work well, as these watches were traditionally quite big, around 45-50mm.
Unfortunately though, the case also needed to be quite thick. To accomodate the date disk under the dial we added a 1.60mm spacer between the movement and dial. This also meant using the date complication was out of the question, leading to a ‘ghost’ date position on the crown.
While the Peregrine V1 is still well-loved by those who own it, the above three factors were often seen as negatives by the wider watch community.
PEREGRINE V2
Years later I started to have another play with a redesign. We had just come off the success of the Aoraki, our 39mm field watch, and I loved how the brushed case of that watch turned out. It still had the tapered sides (a key element of the Draken design language) and the flat sapphire crystal was excellent for outdoor legibility (domed sapphires attract more reflection).
And so, I set about designing the Peregrine with a case similar to the Aoraki. The Aoraki already had a ‘Flieger’ version as an option, so it made sense to make the Peregrine V2 bigger than that, yet smaller than the original 44mm watch. The poower reserve indicator was subtle but important part of the Peregrine story, and I really wanted to bring it back. What if we rotated the movement 180° so the indicator was at the bottom? That would work!
It would mean we’d need to do a custom date wheel as the default would be upside down at 12h. To keep the symmetry, I moved it down to 6h. The power reserve indicator was by default points inwards towards the centre, but it didn’t have to. Flipping the hand over meant the depleted section of the arc would be on the left and ‘full’ would be on the right.
The biggest side effect to rotating the crown which I havent mentioned thusfar, is the crown would be on the left. We’ve never done a ‘destro’ style watch, so I saw this as an interesting point of difference, especially when comparing it to the hundreds of other pilot-style watches out in the market. It also makes the Peregrine even more werable as a tool watch, reducing the chance for chaffing on the back of your left hand when doing physical activity.
As for the dial design, we would have to lose the ‘6’ Arabic, which led to me adding the ’12’ back on instead of the triangle dots from V1.
I still loved the idea of a ‘Flieger’ Type-A dial with the triangle dots reference, so I created another dial version inspired by the old WWII pilots watch worn by Luftwaffe airmen. I used the same font from our Kruger chronograph model from 2022, thereby creating a more coheseive collection. You can see the similarty below.
Another deliberate design decision was to leave the borders of the hands on the Peregrine unpainted. This ties the brush finish of the case with the brush finish of the hands, a consideration we took when designing the Aoraki.
Comparing the Peregrine to the Aoraki ‘Flieger’ below, one might say that the two watches below look the same. There are several obvious visual differences, however. Where the Aoraki serves as a great grab-and-go field watch, the Peregrine is a more serious tool watch.
It’s Miyota 9-series movement provides more accurate timekeeping. We’ve noticed an average of +7s/d on the watches we send out.
The Peregrine’s applied lume-filled indices provide a much brighter glow than the Aoraki’s painted indices. Plus you get a luminous date and a power reserve indicator that is discreet yet functional. Lastly, there is the bracelet. Silky smooth finished in brushed 316L stainless steel, tapering down from 22mm to 18mm. The clasp is a big improvement over previous models too, with a reassuring ‘click’ and easy-to-use release buttons.
We recently added the Peregrine DLC to the line-up. DLC (Diamond-like Carbon) provides enhanced scratch resistance while giving the watch a completely new stealth appearance.
Check out the Peregrine now for a great rugged pilot-style tool watch.
Thanks for reading.
Kia kaha.
Mike