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REACTOR Titan: A Bulletproof Watch for Adventurous Travelers

By Mike Richard Dec 19, 2019 5:28 PM

Modern Nomad is a weekly column dedicated to mobile gear, must-see world destinations, tips for life on the road, and traveling better through technology.

Life on the road can be tough, especially for adventure travelers who put their gear through its paces on a daily basis. Whether kite-surfing in Maui, diving in Maldives, or rock-climbing an Icelandic glacier, their gear needs to withstand anything they throw at it. Enter California-based REACTOR — manufacturers of “the best built performance sport watches … period.” Every REACTOR watch is infused with their self-described REACTOR DNA to ensure uncompromising durability. Their latest Titan Watch is no exception, designed to meet the rigorous standards of military and law enforcement personnel.

Related: The Manual’s Watches Archives

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The exterior case is solid forged in marine-grade stainless steel to maximize durability and corrosion resistance. Like a fine Swiss watch, the caseback is similarly forged to guarantee a solid, watertight seal even after battery replacement. The entire case is then wrapped in a tough nitromid polymer frequently used in firearm manufacturing. As springbars are typically the weak point in watch construction, REACTOR eliminated them in favor of solid threaded screwbars, which increase strength by more than 500%. Lastly, the nylon band is precisely wrapped in silicone and nearly unbreakable.

Near-bulletproof durability aside, the Titan also features unique Never Dark technology. This patented feature is the world’s “first technology to combine the intense brightness of Superluminova with the multi-year longevity of tritium, providing optimal illumination under all lighting conditions.” This is useful during the thirty-minute period after nightfall when humans struggle to gain their night vision. In short: the Titan’s face is visible under any condition or time of day. In the event the watch remains in the dark for hours, the tritium tubes on the dial, timing bezels, and watch hands will remain precisely lit for years. Yes, you read that correctly: years.

These features make the Titan among the world’s toughest watches for adventure travelers. It’s a steal at $500, especially since it’s likely the last sport watch you’ll ever need to buy.

Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He’s kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South… Read Full Bio

5 Tips If You’re Traveling With Cigars: I Learned No. 2 the Hard Way

Wood, Hardwood, Accessories

Traveling with cigars can be challenging if you’re not prepared. The lack of preparation can lead to your favorite cigars getting smashed from inadequate storage, or they can peel because they weren’t kept at the proper temperature, among other issues. Sometimes you do all the right things, and still come away shaking your head.

I’ve been smoking cigars for two decades now, and it’s not beneath me to admit that I’ve made plenty of cigar travel mistakes in that span, and as recently as two weeks ago. You live, you learn, and hope you don’t waste a stogie on the next trip. My most recent cigar travel mistake is what inspired me to share these tips. Sure, there are plenty of articles out there offering similar advice. But this list comes from a cigar smoker and writer who has visited six countries and about a dozen states in the last year alone. And in that time, mistakes were made, and lessons were learned.

The art of adventure packing: packing light but effective

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If you are like me, you grew up with stories of adventure. Whether you were fans of fictional adventure like Indiana Jones and Alan Quartermain, or you loved the true-life accounts of Ernest Shackleton and David Livingstone, there is a deep pull to venture into the unknown. The desire to abandon the Mon-Fri 9-5 in search of something deeper. You could spend your time thinking about hopping a boat and sailing the seven seas like the pirates of old. You could look up at the elusive peak of a mountain and believe it begs to be summited. You could stare into the depths of a jungle and wonder what treasures it hides beneath its canopy. No matter what kind of adventurer you are, you need to be prepared for whatever the world throws at you. I have climbed Salkantay Peak and explored the jungles of Peru. I have scanned the plains of Africa in search of a giant cat (the prospect of which was much more comforting than the actual sighting and wondering if I was far enough away). And I have disappeared into the secluded areas of Svalbard. One thing that remained constant was the need for the right pack.

Here is what I learned when packing for my adventures.

Savannah Beyond the Postcard

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Savannah is one of those cities that seems almost too easy to like. The live oaks are dramatic. The Spanish moss does exactly what it is supposed to do. The brick sidewalks buckle in all the right places. The houses look like they were designed by people who understood proportion, shade, and the value of a proper front step. Even the light seems to arrive with better manners than it does in most places.

I have a built-in advantage when it comes to Savannah. We have family there, so we have been back several times, not just once for the checklist version of the city. I have also done a photography workshop there, which is a terrific way to learn any city. You get up early, stay out late, and pay attention to alleys, doorways, ironwork, reflections, and the way a city changes when the tourists are still asleep.