With Towson's latest release, the CR250 Field Series, our founding master watchmaker passes down the torch to the next generation of American watchmakers and collectors.
A field watch that encompasses both classical and contemporary watchmaking. Using our traditional approach in a youthful horological category to make a usable daily companion for the everyday. The balanced design between past and present tells the story of change for the TWC brand and American watchmaking as a whole. The “Recruit vs Cadet” is Hartwig Balke’s last dance as the managing designer and watchmaker for a TWC reference model. His development of these entry-level field watches marks his final gift to all of us. The new release materializes his vision for the legacy of TWC going forward, in which the same handmade specialized approach to the craft is made accessible to all admirers of independent American watchmaking.
A Towson Watch is produced from the ground up. Every component manufactured is specifically and exclusively made for its respective reference model in the TWC collections. We design everything in-house and only choose the best to make what we need. With the Chesapeake Collection, Towson’s traditionally-minded approach has gradually adopted contemporary principles throughout the past decade. Featuring timepieces inspired by the industrial heritage, military backbone and innovation that has occurred in the region. American classics such as the Pride II, Martin M-130 and now the RECRUIT vs CADET were born from the experimental collection that has allowed our watchmakers to step away from the ordinary. Through the design process of each reference, Towson Watch Company developed an appropriate balance of utility, playfulness and formality that could be deployed in each horological category.
The new release shares these principles, having a versatile design with an accessible price point that allows more aspiring collectors and business professionals to experience what this company has to offer. Capable of being used as an everyday tool despite sharing the same delicate qualities and formal style as former Towson Watch references. The field watch is a time-measuring instrument and it was designed as such. All functions were deliberately kept on the dial to provide seasonal timekeeping in the field. The principles of clear readability and practical utility have been adopted by the new watchmakers in the TWC workshops during Hartwig’s prototyping of the CR250 Field Series. They have assembled each of the 250 RECRUIT vs CADET timepieces made for this series.
With our newest release coming November, nothing has changed in terms of how it’s made. The case is made in collaboration with the same renowned metalsmiths in Germany whom we’ve worked with for 20 years. The Swiss movement components are assembled in-house by the apprentices of master horologists that can calibrate COSC-grade accuracy. The decoration is still applied by our finest artisans. The only difference, any collector or enthusiast of independent mechanical watchmaking can now obtain what we have to offer. A timepiece that caters to sports-oriented collectors, enthusiasts, and professionals that seek high-grade premier watchmaking with intrinsic value. Every component comes together to produce a premium handcrafted feel. This is not a mass-produced consumer item. Each timepiece is built by true watchmakers here in America at the TWC workshop.
A notable feature of the “Recruit vs Cadet” involves the stainless steel case and its raw display of craftsmanship that went into its making. When handling the instrument, one senses the handmade qualities. While modestly spoken from afar, the detailing reveals the intrinsic reasons for why we love fine watches when looking down at the wrist. The contemporary high-contrast palette is complemented with clean finishes on the case. The automatic movement boasts blued steel screws and engraved rhodium surfaces. Admired through the sapphire crystal exhibition caseback. Dimensional and strategically brushed surfaces are part of what makes a handmade watch so unique. When handling one, the delicate treatment of the raw materials is experienced, translating into a deeper appreciation for what went into its making. Characteristics like this allow the field watch to retain that classic design and premium feel Towson Watch owners are familiar with.
The RECRUIT vs CADET is our founder’s proud swan-song. Hartwig Balke designed this series to pass down his unique approach to the new generation of TWC horologists and collectors. Exposing more enthusiasts and everyday wearers to the operation and offerings developed here in Maryland over the past two decades. Providing an introduction to the TWC Collections. A timepiece made accessible to military recruits and cadets as well as new collectors and professionals alike. Any successful seasoned professional can wear this watch as it was made for anyone who desires that premium American watch to wear everyday. The mere fact of owning a Towson Watch says enough about one’s distinctive taste and values.
