Nautica N14536 NST Chronograph Review: Mongolian Field Test

Nautica N14536 NST Chronograph

Here at Parka Review we tend to bang on and on about winter clothing 24/7 – hey, it’s our job.  It’s worth stopping for a moment to consider the type of people who buy the products we review, though.  Out here in the Mongolian wilderness our coats, scarves, gloves and hats are bought by regular folk just trying to keep warm through the winter, but out there in the wider world the typical Canada Goose, Columbia and Mountain Hardwear customer tends to be… well, a little more active than most.  They’re not just looking for warm clothing but camping stoves, climbing gear and tough, sturdy wristwatches designed for more than counting down the hours until you can leave the office.

Here in the store we carry a small stock of wristwatches.  Our watch department may be limited, but that’s only because we’re picky about the products we sell.  The Mongolian steppe is a treacherous environment, and we’ll only sell watches that can ford rivers, scale mountains, survive the icy winter cold and the worst Gobi sandstorms without missing a beat.

Here, then, is our review of the Nautica N14536 NST Chronograph…

Specs and Features

• Case material: stainless steel
• Band material: resin
• Movement: Japanese quartz
• Water resistant to 330 feet (100 meters)
• Scratch resistant face
• Chronograph
• Tachymeter scale
• Luminous hour markers and hands

Field Test

Impressions

Well, the first thing that struck me as I slipped the Nautica on my wrist was how much it resembles the Breitling Chronomatic 49.   At $5,000 the Chronomatic is a little out of my price range, so it was nice to wear a  timepiece with a similar look for less than $100.

The second thing that struck me was the size of the face.  I’m afraid I’ve been cursed with slim, dainty wrists, so I usually look for a smaller watch so as not to dwarf them, and the Nautica certainly did that with aplomb.  It took a little getting used to, but as I grew to love the watch the size of the face began to grow on me.  If you’re a fan of chunky watches you can’t go wrong.

Everything about the watch still looks as good as new, apart from a slight nick on the resin strap caused by the schoolboy error of slipping the watch into a bag in the same compartment as an open Leatherman knife. Anyway… after 4 months on my wrist the watch still looks surprisingly new.  Considering the trials I’ve put it through, including a Gobi Desert dust storm that sandblasted every inch of me for 48 hours, I’d have expected at least a little light scratching to the face.  None whatsoever.

Mechanically, of course, the watch hasn’t skipped a beat.  After four months in extremes of temperature between +25 and -40 Celsius the watch is still accurate.

All in all I adore the Nautica.  It’s just a great looking, accurate, hard working and good value chronograph.  At just $96 it looks to be in the same league as any $1,000+ timepiece, and it’s difficult to offer a stronger recommendation than that.

Anyway… don’t trust me – check out the customer reviews.