Hands-On With the Wayforth Voyager

by Don Evans

Wayforth Voyager

The Wayforth Voyager is a dual-time two-eye chronograph from the new brand Wayforth, which operates outside Canada. Launched initially on Kickstarter, these watches are now available directly from their website, and these are affordable chronograph, using the VK64 chronograph, what is interesting is on paper, this watch is similar to a lot of these types of chronographs on the market, using the same movement, but unlike a lot of them, Wayforth really concentrated on the small details, especially when it comes to the dial, and all for a price point of well under $400. This introductory model comes in 8 different colors and has a double dial, a domed sapphire crystal, a two-eye chronograph but also an inner rotating 12-hour bezel, all in a 41mm case. The current sale price is $325.

Wayforth Voyager

Specifications:

  • 41mm Stainless Steel Case
  • 11.8m thick W/O Crystal
  • 13mm Thick With Crystalย 
  • 48mm Lug To Lug
  • 20mm Lug Width
  • 82 Grams in Weight (Strap)
  • 157 Grams on Bracelet
  • Seiko VK64 MechaQuartz Movement
  • Domed Sapphire Crystal
  • 100m Water Resistance
  • Push Pull Crown
  • Leather Rally Strap

Current Sale Price of $325

Wayforth Voyager V104 Link

Wayforth Voyager

The Wayforth Voyager is 41mm, and without the crystal has a height of about 11.8mm, and while these days many do like a smaller watch, I do think this is a great size. The case is all stainless steel and there is a mix of brushed and polished finishes. The case sides are brushed, but the top has a polished bevel that runs right to the top of the lugs, giving the appearance of twisted lugs. I would call these half-twisted lugs, but it’s more the alternating finishes that give that appearance. The inner case is highly polished, and the bezel area surround has this polished bevel as well, with all pushers and crowns being highly polished. There’s a good amount of finishing work done on this watch case, something you don’t expect for a watch at this price.

Wayforth Voyager

Since the Wayfarer Voyager is a chronograph, let’s talk about all these functions. This is a VK64 mecha quartz chrono, where the chrono sweep hand has more of a mechanical sweep than a quartz tick, but this particular movement lacks a running seconds sub-dial, here you have a 60-minute subdial and a 24-hour sub-dial. The top right pusher activates and lapses and the bottom pusher will reset. The pushers feel solid and depressed as they should, and the push-pull crown is fine, though I would prefer if it screwed down. Still, it does state 100m of water resistance. But you will notice there is a crown on the other side of the case.

Wayforth Voyager

That crown is to rotate the inner 12-hour bezel. That is one of the unique features of the Wayforth Voyager. Yes, many use this VK64 movement for the two-eye chrono layout, but adding that 12-hour bezel and extra crown not only make this watch look visually different, but adds another function, a function I do think is nice to have, so you can easily track another timezone while it not being a full GMT watch, and more helpful than that 24-hour sub-dial. My only minor gripe is that the crown is about almost 2mm smaller than the time-setting crown, making it difficult for my fingers to easily rotate the inner bezel. It can be done, but takes me longer as I struggle with the smaller crown.

The dial is where things get special though. A lot is going on with this dial of the Wayforth Voyager, and yet, it still doesn’t feel cluttered, though the tachymeter bezel does make the overall watch feel a little busy. I love this dial though, as it is a double dial, or a sandwich dial, as there is a black dial underneath, and the taxi-cab yellow dial is cut out perfectly and laid on top, and the chapter ring, sub-dials, and the date wheel are coming from underneath. Wayforth did a great job with this, and the dial in my opinion is the showstopper of this affordable piece, and to top it all off, they went with very nicely detailed applied indices. The more you look at this dial, especially through that double-domed sapphire crystal, the more you appreciate something else.

Wayforth Voyager

When it comes to watches like this, I just don’t expect fantastic lume, especially compared to a dive watch or a field watch, as you can see, the indices are small, the hands relatively slim, and this is a rally-style watch, and most of them aren’t known for lume. And all that is to say, while this will not be lighting up your bedroom in the dark, there is BGW9 Superluminova used here, and even if not the brightest or longest lasting, it does look good in the dark.

Wayforth Voyager

I show throughout this review a black leather rally-style strap and a steel 5-link bracelet. Both are not included though with your purchase of the Wayforth Voyager. The leather strap is standard, and measures in at 120/75mm, so a little short for my 7 1/2 inch or 19.05cm wrists, yet I am still able to get the strap on and wear it, but I don’t have a lot of strap left over. It does fit though, at least on me. It’s a nice enough leather, and both sides are the same finished leather, no nubuck backing here, and it has quick-release pins.

Wayforth Voyager

The bracelet is available for purchase on their website and is currently on sale for $63. This is a 5-link bracelet, uses screws for holding the links together, and has a standard flip lock push button clasp. All of that is perfectly fine, but the bracelet is 100% satin brushed, with no highly polished accents in sight. And considering the case has a decent amount of high polish to it, especially that inner case wall between the lugs, it just looks off to me. If the bracelet had the two inner alternating links polished, it would look perfect to me.

Wayforth Voyager

That said, the bracelet of the Wayforth Voyager is larger than the leather strap, and should easily fit up to an 8 1/2-inch (21.59cm) wrist, and there are 3 micro-adjust holes in the clasp as well. It also adds about another 80 grams to the overall weight, yet it does feel nicely balanced with the bracelet and still not what I consider heavy. It does wrap right around my wrist as well, which is helped by the curved lugs and no protruding end links.

I have said this countless times and it bears repeating. In this crazy competitive world of watches, I would never want to start my brand. Every year there are more and more brands, and more watches available than ever before, at all different price points. The affordable market, especially under $500 is probably the most fierce as well, and the safe bet if you want to launch a new brand is to start with a dive watch. Wayforth chose to go another route though, and they went with more of a racing-style chronograph watch but added some of their twists, especially that double dial and that inner 12-hour bezel, and I commend them for doing something a little different. Overall, with the expectation of the bracelet finishing, I think they did a great job for their first model, all while keeping it relatively affordable.
Wayforth Voyager

Wayforth Voyager

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