Every once in a while a small brand comes along and punches way above its weight. Straum, a Norwegian microbrand that’s barely four years old, just did exactly that with a new version of its Jan Mayen sports watch called the Stormy Seas. And if you’ve been around watches long enough to remember when “affordable” actually meant something, this one is going to stop you in your tracks.
The story starts, like most good watch stories do, with a near-death experience at sea.
In 2022, Rob Nudds – co-host of the popular Real Time Show podcast – joined the Straum Explorers Club on a trip to the remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen. Things went sideways fast. Their boat got hammered by a Force 9 gale in the middle of the Arctic Ocean. Waves were breaking over the deck, the horizon disappeared, and the only thing standing between the crew and the freezing water were bright orange immersion survival suits. They made it back, obviously, but the memory of that angry gray-blue ocean stuck with Rob. Two years later, that memory became a watch dial.
Image credit: Straum
Look at the Stormy Seas straight on and you’ll swear you’re staring at a churning North Atlantic under a low sky. The dial is a deep, ominous gray-blue that darkens toward the edges thanks to a multi-layer fumé finish. Over that sits the wild part: a blazing fluorescent orange seconds hand that Straum jokingly calls the “lightsaber.” It’s not lumed in the normal sense – there’s no Super-LumiNova on it – but hit it with UV light and the thing practically ignites. In normal daylight it already looks like it’s glowing. On the wrist it moves across that moody dial like a rescue flare cutting through bad weather. It’s dramatic as hell, and it works.
Everything else about the watch is pure Jan Mayen DNA, which is a very good thing. The case is Grade 5 titanium, bead-blasted with a few polished edges that catch the light without turning it into a mirror. At 38.7 mm wide, 11.5 mm thick, and only 45.7 mm lug to lug, it wears like it was made for guys who actually use their watches instead of babying them. One hundred meters of water resistance and a screw-down crown mean you can take it in the water without thinking twice – something the Straum crew does on a regular basis.
Straum’s founders aren’t just watch guys; they’re industrial designers and legitimate adventurers. That shows up in the details most brands would never bother with. Take the strap: it’s FKM rubber (the good stuff that doesn’t turn into a sweaty mess after ten minutes), and it uses Straum’s own quick-release system called the Straum Coupling. Push two buttons on the underside of the case and the spring bars pop free. No tools, no scratched lugs, no swearing. The rubber strap also has a raised center channel for ventilation and a clever curved tail that tucks the excess length against your wrist so it never flaps around like a loose dog leash.
Image credit: Straum
Inside beats the Swiss La Joux-Perret G101 automatic movement. No date window to mess up the dial, a smooth sweep seconds hand, and a very useful 68-hour power reserve. You can throw it on Friday afternoon and it’ll still be running Monday morning. Turn it over and there’s a sapphire display back with a little Geneva striping on the movement – nothing crazy, but enough to remind you this isn’t some fashion watch.
Here’s the part that makes old-school watch guys grin: the Stormy Seas costs exactly $2,500. Same price as every other rubber-strap Jan Mayen Titanium model. For that money you’re getting a titanium case, a Swiss automatic movement with nearly three days of power reserve, a dial that looks like it belongs on something five figures, and a backstory most luxury brands would kill to have. Put it next to certain “heritage” dive watches that cost twice as much with half the personality and you start wondering who’s really getting ripped off.
Pre-orders are open right now on Straum’s website, but the window slams shut on November 20 at noon Eastern time. After that it’s gone – Straum only makes these collab pieces in limited runs, and once they’re spoken for you’ll be chasing them on the secondary market for more money.
Image credit: Straum
If you’ve ever wanted a serious tool watch that can take a beating, looks different from everything else on the planet, and still slides under a shirt cuff without looking like a hockey puck, the Jan Mayen Stormy Seas might be the sweetest deal in watches this year. A Norwegian microbrand just took a terrifying day in the Arctic, turned it into one of the best dials on the market, stuck a lightsaber on it for good measure, and priced it like they’re trying to put the big boys out of business.
Sometimes the little guys really do build them better.
