Praesidus Pathfinder 44 Bastogne Edition Watch Review

Since my first encounter with the brand back in 2022, Praesidus Watch has continued to expand its line of military-inspired watches. While the A11 and Type 44 are faithful military homages, Praesidus has since added more color to its catalog. When the brand reached out and offered to send me one of its newer models to review, I elected to go with the Praesidus Pathfinder 44 Bastogne Edition.

Rather than recreate a watch from the past, this watch takes on a modern look but still pays homage to the past by applying a unique piece of camouflage cloth to each dial. The cotton dial of each Bastogne edition is cotton cut from a WWII parachute. Keep reading to find out how it is in person.

Praesidus Pathfinder 44 - Bastogne Edition First Impressions

When I opened the box, the three-dimensionality of the metal hour markers was the biggest surprise. Other Praesidus models, had simple printed dials. The dial itself also has a lot of texture, by the nature of the canvas material.

Praesidus Pathfinder 44 - Bastogne Edition Details

A classic field watch case shape is used, with an exposed crown. It has a full matte, sandblasted finish.

The camouflage parachute dial sits behind a raised olive-green chapter ring. The aforementioned markers overlap both. At 6 o'clock, Praesidus included the iconic quote, “Surrender? NUTS!”—a defiant reply by Brig. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe, then commander of Bastogne, to the German demand for his and his troops’ surrender. 

The hands are brushed steel, with lume at the center.

The domed sapphire crystal is a good imitation of plexiglass, with improved scratch resistance.

Wearing the Praesidus Pathfinder 44 - Bastogne Edition

At 38mm wide and just under 13mm thick (with the crystal), the Pathfinder 44 will fit well on most wrists. Although it's not an authentic size, I found the size preferable to the brand's 32mm A-11 Combat.

As I found with the Sinn U1 Camoflage, camo can be tricky to use on a dial while maintaining good legibility. It's no surprise because hiding things is the whole point of camouflage. As a result, the Sinn's hands blended into the dial. Citizen got around this by using white hands and markers. With the Praesidus, contrast comes from the applied metal hour markers. they reflect light and also stand above the dial, making them easier to see. Because each Bastogne dial is unique, your legibility may vary.

Patina-style lume gives a creamy look in the daylight and provides legibility at night. I was surprised to find that the minute markers as well as the surrender text have lume too. That part fades quickly, but looks cool on a fresh charge!

Praesidus Pathfinder 44 - Bastogne Edition Strap

The Pathfinder 44 Bastogne Edition is available with black or brown leather straps. They come with a pre-worn look, which is appropriate to the look of the watch. A traditional-style ring buckle is applied, although it does have a hidden spring bar.

Because it has 20mm lugs, many of your favorite straps will fit as well. Here is a list of some of the straps that would fit and we think look great with this watch.
-Deployant Rubber
-Ribbed Rubber Pass-Through
-Ridge Rubber
-Tropical Rubber
-Premium Sailcloth
-Smooth Rubber
-Rubber and Sailcloth Hybrid Straps
-Slim Ridge Rubber
-Epsom Leather
-Elastic
-Seatbelt

Praesidus Pathfinder 44 - Bastogne Edition Movement

Praesidus uses several different movements to offer a variety of price points. The Pathfinder 44 sits towards the middle of the range and is powered by a Miyota 9039 automatic. It's not Swiss but is considered a higher-end movement. It's slimmer than others and offers a higher beat rate of 28,800 vph. It has 24 jewels and a power reserve of around 42 hours when fully wound. A non-date movement is installed, meaning that there is no phantom crown position.

The movement sits behind a sold caseback featuring information about the source of the dial material.

Conclusion

I appreciate that Praesidus offers watches for people looking for an authentic vintage military experience, but I was happy to see some other styles offered. The Pathfinder 44 Bastogne edition doesn't do anything ground-breaking, but it offers a fun and distinctive dial without straying from the brand DNA. At $550, there is a lot of competition in the microbrand watch space, but I haven't seen another brand that offers authentic military style and touches as Praesidus does. You can visit the Praesidus website here to learn more.

Specifications:

Name: Praesidus Pathfinder 44 - Bastogne Edition
Price: $550
Diameter: 38mm
Height: 45mm
Thickness: 12.9mm
Lug Width: 20mm
Movement: Miyota 9039 Automatic
Power Reserve: 42 hours
Water Resistance: 100m
Crystal: Double domed sapphire
Crown: Screw-down
Bezel: Fixed, stainless steel
Strap/Bracelet: Leather