While the RZE Urbanist may have been designed for adventures in the concrete jungle, I recently had the opportunity to test it out in the wilds of Quebec’s Upper Laurentians. Needless to say, this little titanium beast proved a capable companion.
The solar-powered RZE Urbanist was launched earlier this year in five different colourways, but we’ll focus on the Medallion Yellow iteration for the purposes of this article.
Check out the RZE Valour 38 Date
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Key Features of the RZE Urbanist
The Urbanist is RZE’s reinterpretation of the classic field watch in a 36mm package. It features the highly recognizable, angular design language that has come to characterize the brand’s time pieces. Like all RZE’s watches, the Urbanist is fashioned in brushed titanium. It measures 42mm lug to lug and 11mm in height, including its beveled sapphire crystal, and the watch comes on an 18mm fabric NATO strap.
The big difference here is the solar-powered Miyota movement, which requires as little as ten seconds of charging. Under the bright October sun, charging was no issue here, and the Urbanist functioned as the true ‘grab-and-go’ it was designed to be.
The watch weighs an astonishing 31 grams and, given its size, practically disappears on wrist—until you look down. The white, 3D-embossed numerals and baton hands–both outlined in black–jump off the sand textured dial and provide excellent legibility. There is also an additional 24-hour scale printed on the interior of the dial. All elements have also been treated with a generous helping of Super-LumiNova for low-lighting situations and after dark operations.
With its custom DLC-coated, screw down crown and case back, the Urbanist is also rated for 100m of water resistance. And while its Grade 2 titanium construction already makes for a tough customer, the case has been treated with the brand’s proprietary UltraHex™ coating—increasing the hardness up to ~1200Hv on the Vickers’ scale and making it 8 times more resistant scratches and corrosion than stainless steel.
SPECS
| Case | Grade 2 Titanium /w UltraHex™ 36mm Diameter 42mm Lug to Lug 11mm Thick 18mm Lug Width Screw Down Crown & Case Back 100m Water Resistance |
| Dial & Crystal | Sapphire Crystal /w AR Sand-textured Dial Raised Markers Baton Handset Super-LumiNova |
| Movement | Solar-powered Miyota 2070 4 Months Operation on Full Charge 10-year Service Interval |
| Strap | Fabric NATO Strap |
RZE Urbanist Solar-powered Field Watch
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Final Thoughts
I spent a three-day weekend with the RZE Urbanist, hiking and exploring along the reservoir bed of Lac du Grand Poisson Blanc. However, if your only intent is to prowl the savage subway system of your home city, or brave the stop and go of a freeway commute, I am sure that you will be equally well-served. RZE have pledged to stand behind their solar calibre for life. This, coupled with the brand’s RE-VERIFIED program and its carbon neutral shipping, make purchasing an RZE worry free.
Pricing & Availability
The RZE Urbanist is available directly from the brand website for only $259USD.
About the author
Brent Robillard is a writer, educator, craftsman, and watch enthusiast. He is the author of four novels. You can follow him on Instagram.
Off The Cuff articles are full-length, hands-on reviews of the watch in question and represent the opinion of the author only. All photos are original, unless specified otherwise. If you would like to have your watch reviewed on this site, contact us here.
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