Zelos Thresher WorldTimer Watch Review

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Zelos Thresher WorldTimer

The Zelos Thresher Worldtimer is all new and there 6 different versions. Unfortunately, at the time of publication, the Damascus case with carbon lumed dial is sold out, as they were limited to 250 pieces. There are 5 titanium versions available, and launch pricing is good until September 14, 2024. So we are going to deviate from the normal review pattern here, as I will discuss and go over the Damascus, but I will also show and discuss the titanium versions a little and beyond the case and carbon dial, a lot of my opinions on this piece would apply to both, though there are a few different dial options and of course a bracelet on the titanium model.

The original Thresher GMT was released in 2020,  and while the overall case design remains the same, everything else is different. The size is now 41mm, it’s much slimmer, and the bezel and dial have been completely redone, and the crown is now placed at the 4 o’clock position. These new Thresher models now use the Miyota 9075 GMT movement as well.

Specifications-

• Diameter 41mm
• Lug to Lug Length 47mm
• Lug Width 20mm
• Thickness 11.5mm without crystal, 12.7mm with crystal
• Weight 100.2 Grams
• Case Damascus Steel
• Bezel 48 Click Bi-directional bezel with Sapphire insert
• Movement Miyota 9075 ‘True’ GMT with custom rotor 
• Water Resistance 200m with screw-down crown
• Crystal 2mm thick Vintage style domed Sapphire crystal with inner AR coating
• Lume  Lumicast Superluminova C3 / BGW9
• Bracelet FKM strap with Damascus buckle

Price: Damascus $849, Titanium starting at $629

https://zeloswatches.com/collections/thresher

Now I should be clear, I do not have the titanium version in hand, nor have I seen one in hand, so I can not comment on the finish or weight, but I will point out some of the new features of the overall lineup that apply to the titanium and this Damascus version.

The Damascus case Zelos Thresher WolrdTimer has a Damascus steel case, crown, bezel, and strap buckle. Damascus steel is a pattern welded steel these days, and this one I assume uses austenitic steels and not high carbon steels like you would find on knife blades. I do not have a lot of experience with this steel when it comes to watch case material, but I will say I found it to be pretty scratch-resistant, something I was concerned about initially. Remember this is not a surface pattern, the pattern goes through the entire case.

The Zelos Thresher WorldTimer only shares a few things with the original model, where the overall case design is the same, but as I said the crown has been moved to the 4 o’clock position but that is about it. The case is much slimmer, coming in at 11.5mm without the crystal, and 41mm versus the original 42mm. The bezel grip and insert are completely different as is the entire dial layout. This is a GMT though, but now uses the Miyota 9075 “true” GMT movement, with an independent jumping hour hand.

This new model uses a World Time bezel with all the timezone cities listed, and even the original model did not have your standard 24-hour bezel insert, as that one was more of a dive. bezel.  In this new example, your 24-hour time is located in the chapter ring, and in my opinion, it is a little hard to read, It is small text and on this carbon dial example, the coloring of the carbon dial with the blue text, doesn’t highlight it as much as I would like it to. The majority of the titanium models have a dual-colored chapter ring, which seems to highlight this area much more.

The Damascus Zelos Thresher WorldTimer has a marbled carbon fiber dial that is mixed with lume, and it is quite an interesting dial, much like the Damascus case, all of these dials will have a different and unique pattern. The coloring is black, grey, and blue, and from most angles kinda looks like Navy camo. I quite like the look despite the fact I find the 24-hour scale to be on the small side.

I was going to say the dial text is kept to an absolute minimum, but the reality is, there is no dial text. There is the Zelos logo and a date on the dial, and that’s it. This allows you to really appreciate the look of this carbon dial or some of the other unique dial colors and materials on the titanium versions and does make it much easier to tell time at a glance. I can’t remember the last time I saw a dial with just the logo and absolutely nothing else.

The titanium Zelos Thresher WorldTimer models., of which there are 5, do have some unique dial materials as well, at least on 2 of them. There is a mother-of-pearl version which is gorgeous looking and an aventurine dial as well, the other 3 are more standard dial materials but look great as well, with dusk(grey/black), chalk (silver/white), and a beautiful blood red burgundy. All the titanium models come with solid titanium H-link bracelets with the new Zelos clasp with quick and toolless extension clasp.

The bezel grip, even though this is not a dive watch is great, and honestly would be perfect if Zelos ever decided to a Thresher Diver, as in this case with the 4 o’clock crown and this bezel would be perfect for a diver. The bezel is pretty thick, so it stands prominently off the thin mid case, and I like that look a lot, though with this world timer bezel insert, is a 48-click bezel.

Like with all of these Miyota 9075 GMT movements, setting the time is pulling out the crown to the second position, but push it back to the first position, and you can move just the hour hand, which is also how you will set the date as these movements do not have a traditional quick set date feature.

The Zelos Thresher WoldTimer Damascus has a rubber strap in place of a bracelet, as I am not sure if I have ever seen a Damascus steel bracelet on a watch, and if one exists I bet it would have been cost-prohibitive for this model, to hit that $849 price. What we do get is a new rubber strap, with perfectly fitted ends, that is just over 2mm thick (2.2mm) which allows this FKM strap to wrap around the wrist and be extremely comfortable. This is not a stiff strap at all.

This new strap does have a Damascus buckle, and there is more than enough room to fit my 7 1/2-inch (19.05cm) wrist this is one of the most comfortable watches that I have worn in quite some time. The one issue I do have is the texture of this strap. It has a very fine pebble texture to it, and while it looks great, it does seem to pick up more lint and dirt than your standard FKM rubber, though it does clean off easily, unlike silicone straps.

 

What about the lume you ask? Well, all Zelos Thresher WorldTimer models have Lumicast indices, or numerals in this case, which are solid blocks of a lume/plastic compound. The lume is not a few top layers but goes through the entire numeral block. I believe Vertex watches were one of the first to use this technology, and I have reviewed a Boldr watch with it as well. These lume blocks glow like a flashlight, and not only look amazing, but they last for hours and hours.

The Damascus version takes things one step further by having lume mixed in with the carbon fiber of the dial, with lume streaking all through it. When the dial is fully charged, this looks insane, and combined with the bezel lume, this is one of the most lumped-up watches on the market. Unfortunately, the carbon lume does not last more than a few minutes, so it is a bit gimmicky, but you should be able to tell the time of this piece well into the night.

There is no doubt that the Zelos Thresher WolrldTimer is a hit new release, which is not surprising as Zelos has quite the loyal and fervent fan base, and the Damascus version is already sold out, and I am betting most if not all of the titanium models will sell out before the launch pricing is over, which is usually the case.

For the Damascus model, I love the carbon dial, and the steel pattern is very beautiful, and quite subdued until you actually get close, and this new rubber strap is fantastic to wear. The thinner case with the thick bezel, and that top hat sapphire, creates quite a beautiful aesthetic. I imagine the titanium versions look just as good, and they have the scratch-resistant hard coating, and I’m sure very lightweight and easy to wear.

For more info, visit the Zelos Website