Vaer D5 and D4

Devolution of the Vaer Diver Family

I wasn’t planning on writing about Vaer watches, really. I had other things on my mind, but I just stumbled into a Vaer rabbit hole recently. I have been watching Vaer’s development on the back burner for several years but never took the plunge to learn more. What I have decided is that Vaer divers have become less interesting over time. Each of us has our own perspective on the brand, like any brand, and we come to it for different reasons. This is not a review — you can get those other places. Its more about my broad observance of the Vaer landscape.

I decided a few months back to re-look at American watch brands and to try to support them wherever I could. I like the idea of manufacture or assembly here in the U.S. understanding that it usually means higher prices. It is interesting to see how Vaer offers both overseas and domestic assembled watches, each with different features and targets them to different buying segments. The D5 and D4 lines are assembled in the US.

So many new styles of Vaer watches have come along since 2016, I have a lot of catching up to do. I got my first Vaer, a C3 36mm Korean quartz, towards the end of 2021, but that’s as far into the brand as I went. I just did the first battery change this year. That made me stop and think how long it had been. I came to Vaer from a field watch angle, but was not particularly interested in what I saw in 2021.

Frankly, I thought Vaer watches were sort of boring. Sorry. I could appreciate the value of the tool specs, but I needed more romance. The C3 Korean provided some military history I could connect to. I have never been a surfer. The older I get the less boating, sailing, swimming, fishing, camping I do. My wife was never interested in any of those pursuits. I did get scuba certified 40 years ago, but that was it. I’m not even in the Army anymore.

Tools

Vaer is foremost a tool watch maker. I like the idea of tool watches, but I rarely put them through their paces, as it were. Like probably 90% of the people who buy divers, I don’t need a diver. I want a diver. I want the romance of a diver. Land-locked tool watches, are probably more useful to me for chores and hobbies, rather than work. But for non-diver toolishness, I tend to look for military influences to watches I like. I also like retro looks. A C3 Dirty Dozen is high on my next Vaer list. If I really needed a tool watch, I might have looked deeper into Vaer. Also, I’m not really a proponent of the “everyday watch”, either, unless it is a functional tool for work. I like the idea of different watches for different occasions or activities.

Vaer has had so many styles come and go and still has a huge array of offerings. Frankly its been a little hard to sort things out. I sort of forgot about the brand because I was probably looking at lower priced watches and not looking for tool watches especially. As I recall, the cost of the D5 divers when released was out of the price range I normally was looking at. Things have changed pretty quickly recently. I have been obsessed with sorting out their diver offerings over the years.

Then D4s came out, then DS4s, G7s, DS5s and I was lost. Then I started looking at the field varieties; C3, C5, S5, etc. Every time I went back, I was confused even more. The Korean went solar, too, and I never knew. Now G5 GMTs, R1 chronos!

Divers

What I want to talk about is trying to decide which Vaer divers were for me. I am focusing on the D5 and D4. I am not going to cover the D7(Swiss), G5(GMT) models, or the DS4 and D2(quartz) lines. Its not easy with so many choices. Not only has there been a lot of choices, those choices keep changing! A lot has changed since the first D5s were released in 2020. The founders at Vaer have had to take into consideration the wants of customers, the changing supply chains, industry trends, the economy and their own aspirations. Vaer has offered a huge variety of divers over the years and I wasn’t really paying attention.

By the time I was ready to put up the big bucks for a D5, the ones I had seen before were discontinued! I also have developed a new interest in solar. Since I wasn’t an early Vaer diver buyer, I never considered the pre-order and sell out dynamics that ave affected the brand. I wasn’t keeping track of which models sold out, when the next batch was coming, or the upgrades and new models. I did see the “sold out” type on many images on the site. The reality of a micro brand growing into an established brand means changing the way the business operates. Vaer has been very transparent over the years regarding all the factors that have determined styles, operations and availability.

I read that Vaer’s desire to be taken more seriously by the watch enthusiast community helped lead to the idea of producing automatic divers. They were known as a tool/field watch company delivering useful quartz watches. They knew many watch enthusiasts did not take a watch seriously unless it was an automatic. They made their first auto field watches in 2019, the A5, then went for an auto diver in 2020. They knew that to be take more seriously, they had to move upscale into the battlefield that was the lower end of the auto diver market being fought by micro brands. Since then, they have fought the battles, and have stepped back some to put more energy into the solar quartz arena. More on that later.

The D5s

I did not get in on the initial order/purchase of the first D5 wave, or even the second or third wave for that matter. I did not attempt to get a D5 until 2024. Another issue was that hey were also out of the price range I operated in. I usually try to wait and get a preowned watch rather than get a watch on first release. So, for various reasons I was four years or so behind on the D5 splash. To me the best D5s were the first ones; the 39mm Pacific, the Tropic, the Arctic and the Atlantic. My most favorite were, and still are, the ones with tan lume. The size, the vintage vibe, the specs were just right. There was more to attract me than a generic quartz tool watch. The 39mm case and lugs had a unique shape reminiscent of old Omegas.

To a lot of people the D5 Tropic was a revelation in the market. Some cite the Jaeger LeCoultre Deep Sea Alarm for this dial inspiration. Nobody was doing anything like that. It was great. The Pacific was a little Seamaster-like and flew under the radar, but it stuck in my mind over the years. Many disregarded it because of the tan lume, which seems irritate many. The Arctic, originally had the same lume problem, and was a D7 (Swiss built), but was more appealing to many because if its classic Milsub simplicity. The Atlantic appealed to many because it had white lume but still some vintage detailing and a date at 6 o’clock like the Tropic. They all used the same bezel layout, that looks like a Milsub’s. The bezel insert has remained a unifying visual trait of Vaer divers. Maybe that is one area where they could have added some variety?

As for the hand styles, all the D5s originally had two pencil hands and the arrow second hand. These were retained on the Tropic and Atlantic. Pretty quickly the Pacific and Arctic got the sword arrow hand to give it the Seamaster 300 look.

Confusion

Frankly, it is really not clear, or easy to retrace when each dial style was available or with which watch — D5, D7, D4 because things changed a lot. I’m sure I’m not the only one confused by all the releases from 2020 through 2024. I think as many people got what was available as those who pre-ordered. If I was to take a stab at it I would say, originally, the D5 was offered in Tropic, Pacific Tan and Atlantic White, while the D7 was first offered in Arctic Tan or Atlantic white. Phew!

Later, I believe, there was a Pacific White(rare), and Arctic White available as a D5 or D7. The Tropic was always white and never available as a D7. The Arctic did make it to the D4 with mixed silver marking bezel and tan dial lume. There was a D4 Atlantic and then the D4 Meridian black w/white later.

With the D4 came the first navy blue diver; a navy and gilt Meridian. A D5 Tactical with PVD case appeared in 2023, I think, for a short time. Of course it had the Meridian dial layout. It does have a different appeal and makes for a very different watch.

Diver sizes

One of the great things about Vaer for a long time has been the fact that they made 36mm tool watches. Most were 40mm, but it was great to be able to get smaller watches. When the divers started coming with the D5, 39mm was the size first available; a nice size in my opinion. Most divers fall into the 42-45mm unless they are reinterpretations of vintage designs. The D5 cases were 39mm but the bezel was 40mm. Lug-to-lug was 46mm. When the solar D4s came out later, they were 38mm, then some D4s and D5s became available in 42mm. A diver was Vaer’s first 42mm watch. I suppose it was inevitable that once they got into the diver market, there would be requests for something bigger than 39-40mm. At some point, some, if not all, D5s were then offered in 42mm as well as 39mm.

Meridian

As of this writing most of the original D5 and D4 models are no longer available. Going to the Vaer site, only the D5 Tropic is available. They all made way for the Vaer “standard style” called Meridian. The D5 Meridian in Black or Navy is still listed but as “Sold Out”. The 42mm versions of the Meridan have a date window. Also listed but “Sold Out” are various “new” Pacific multi-colored D5.

I find this to be a sad end to the original D5s. The D5s have devolved into the most uninteresting dial design, the Meridian. It is also the remaining style of D4. I believe the Meridian style first appeared as a D4 solar, then became available as a D5 auto. I happen to own one of the latest D5s, a 39mm Meridian black with date window at 6 o’clock. Although it is a very nice watch, I plan to sell it because lacks the soul of the original Tropic, Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic styles. The new generation colorful D5 Pacifics also, do not interest me though they have been very popular and address current trends. Along the way, too, the coin-edge bezel appears on various D4, D5 and DS watches.

My take on the Meridian standardization is down to two main factors: manufacturing costs and a Vaer identity. I think it became more difficult to sustain manufacturing for so many styles of dial across different sizes and lines. 2022 was a rough year for supply chains the world over. Vaer had to remain profitable. A secondary influence are the motivations for either auto or solar and sustainability. The identity thing was more complex. The core Vaer customer group is tool watch people, not retro reinterpretation people. A younger demographic than me, for sure, but the tool core is resistant to the tan lume/Fauxtina style and or reliance on homage design. The Meridian dial design allows Vaer to keep some classic cues while establishing its own more modern look. Retro design and Fauxtina are exactly the things I still want! Besides, I thought Vaer had successfully created a unique balance even though they had relied on some classic looks.

Moving on

I have tried to piece together the demise of the Vaer D5s and D4s over the years, after the fact, by searching for statements from past press releases and interviews, etc. I get that companies need to keep moving forward with new products or they risk becoming a dead brand. But moving on to new things means leaving old things behind. I have written about this topic in other posts; we tend to identify a brand with a certain time frame of product. Then things change and the brand morphs into something new and we find ourselves wishing they still made so and so…I think Vaer may have lost something by concentrating on the Meridian.

The D4 Solar

From quartz to automatic, to solar quartz, Vaer has shown that it can change to move the business from micro brand to established brand. The nature of a business means growth, leveling off, and declining at different times in many different sequences. Is “change or die” the same as “grow or die”? I don’t know, but to survive a business has to adjust to the times, and time does not stand still. The D4 was a stand for environmental sustainability. It also highlights a major conflict within the watch enthusiast community: mechanical or quartz?

Released in 2021 the D4 started a new direction for the Vaer diver. The differences between the D5 an D4 are the movement – from auto to solar, the case size changed to 38mm initially(for the movement?), the bezel insert was aluminum, until the D4 Meridian black comes along with a black ceramic bezel like the D5. Domed sapphire are same as D5, lume was initially less than D5 but later became equal. The lug-to-lug on the 38mm case is 45mm. I really like that size. Again, its hard to find divers like this in 38mm.

The first D4 dial choices were the Arctic, Atlantic and New Meridian Blue. I have seen images of various D4s with a lollipop second hand or the arrow head second hand. I think the Meridian always had the lollipop while some of the older Arctic and Atlantic D4s had the arrow head. All current Vaer divers use the lollipop.

The date option would come later on some. Later the D4, like the D5, would be available in 42mm as well as 38mm and still later with a matte ceramic bezel insert. Another thing I have seen is people measuring the 39mm bezel of a D4 and calling it a 39mm when the case is 38mm. Since the D5 case is 39mm (with a 40mm bezel) this can be confusing. As far as I know, there is no 39mm case solar diver.

I really like the look of the original D4 Navy/gilt 38mm much more than the black. It doesn’t seem as generic. I’m not really interested in the 42mm versions or the matte ceramic bezel inserts. What has happened over time is that the D4 has grown smaller and moved up into the higher price bracket with the D5s by getting ceramic bezel and more lume. The DS line has become the standard Vaer diver that is still a tool watch with less costly features and overseas assembly.

Vaer has thrown its hat into the solar quartz ring at the expense of the automatic. No sooner had Vaer established itself in the auto diver market with the D5, they decided the future is in the D4 solar. With the choice of battery quartz, solar quartz and automatic movements, Vaer customers can make their own cost/performance/sustainability balance. Of course, offering more types of products usually means selling and making less of each type being sold, which changes the cost/profit equation for each type.

Vaer still offers automatics but realizes they cost more to make and sell and that customers need more price points. The D4 is less expensive that the D5. The movement is less expensive than the auto and they initially used aluminum bezel inserts instead of ceramic. Besides going solar, Vaer also introduced the DS type (i.e. DS5, DS4) which is the lower priced option with less lume, flat crystal, and lower cost overseas assembly, and in the case of the DS5, a less expensive auto movement.

Most importantly the D4 represents Vaer’s belief that the Solar quartz watch provides customers with the best value/performance and is the most environmentally sustainable type of watch. Traditional mechanical watch aficionados will resist this of course, but there are higher material, manufacturing and repair costs for autos. I am not prepared to present the carbon footprint comparisons for each watch made, but as a watch collector, I feel the pain of both managing the logistics of quartz batteries and the availability and cost of mechanical repair. I can also admit, that once familiar with the charging routine, a solar quartz watch is the most care-free type of watch.

Cost, cost, cost

Vaer divers are not without faults. In the end they are a value brand, not a luxury brand. They could be a lot better and a lot more expensive. Vaer has created a nice balance of classic watch and modern watch all in a tool package at lots of price points. Their product line can be ever-changing and a bit confusing, but I can’t think of another company of this sizer that has offered such a range of products?

Besides styling, the straps and bracelets of Vaer have taken some heat. Their early/basic two-piece nylon and rubber offerings were practical but homely. Their bracelets have come up short for several reasons among the bracelet fraternity. As usual, this mostly down to cost and Vaer is a value brand, after all. I only know their 3-link styles. I could not get the newer Premium Nodex bracelet to fit my wrist because of a lack of micro adjust. Even their Tropical has hole spacing that is not just right for my wrist size. I find the older Standard bracelet more to my liking. Even so, on my D5 and D4, I find it awkward to get the quick-release bracelets connected and seated correctly. I suppose it is just me needing to do it more often. If push came to shove, I am more of a strap guy than a bracelet guy anyway. It is all no matter since the lug width is 20mm; there are thousands of choices out there.

Closing thoughts

I’m a fan of Vaer divers. They have offered a wide variety at several price points that other brands are just not doing. I like that I can get American assembled products. Also there is a authentic feeling to Vaer divers. They remain tool watches without going too far into luxury or trendy fashion. They maintain a simplicity and have common traits across all lines that is reassuring to customers. They are trusted values.

Because of this simplicity and workman like aesthetic, they can seem a little generic. Economic forces have reduced the D5 and D4 models into a streamlined “standard” Meridian style that has had to move upscale a bit to remain profitable. As the D5 and D4 lines have been reduced, the DS lines have grown to offer more sizes and features in lower price tiers and give more people the opportunity to get a Vaer. The DS watches are probably more in my price range, but they have become more boring.

I am sad to see the unique vintage-inspired styles fade away because I think they gave Vaer some classic flair and nostalgia that may attract a wider customer base. I still like the idea of a watch with tool specs that has some vintage flair or even homage leanings. I think Vaer can do both modern and reinterpretation designs. Maybe the watch community has had enough of reinterpretations, but I haven’t. I like the busy dials, the domed crystal, sword hands and tan lume.

If I look at all Vaer’s products as a whole, field and dive, none are really cutting edge modern, new designs? They all have classic design cues. So, by going with the Meridian, they are not really moving too much further forward. Its still derivative but not as interesting as the Pacific, Arctic, Tropic and Atlantic. Could Vaer have shied away from the homage track for fear of being dismissed as another copycat brand?

I would say the new colorful D5 Pacific (Anacapa, Malibu, Rincon) is Vaer’s boldest, contemporary design so far. It just doesn’t work for me. It still uses components of the other D5s. All Vaers are a mix of old and new, not wholly original designs.

The wide use of solar quartz movements is a brave and I think necessary step. Too bad the enthusiast community is not more interested. As interesting as automatic mechanical movements can be, solar quartz is more environmentally sustainable and a good value. I like the idea of a watch that looks vintage but uses solar! I love my D4 Arctic with tan lume, even with its quartz tic, tic. I like the idea of a high-quality solar quartz watch that can be repaired.

Another thing I wonder about is if, like me, other customers have been confused over the years by the constant changing of models? Is it possible to keep styles around longer and limit the changes and still be able to gain customers? After a company reaches a certain size does it need to keep lines longer? The watch industry seems to be one limited run after another. I might even go as far to say that a second batch might not even be the same as the initial release batch. Are companies giving us too many options? With Vaer divers, if you blink, there is another variant the next time you look! Do we really want constant turnover? Is it sustainable?