The third watch Nixon sent me to review is the Stinger 44, one of its diver-style watches. It has a more traditional design but still has some distinctive Nixon touches. Six colorways are available, but I chose the Silver / Jade / White variant. I thought that this would be a fun watch to check out, just as summer is starting.
To learn more about the Nixon brand, my review of the Supremacy provides background on my watch-collecting journey.
Nixon Stinger 44 First Impressions
In person, the Stinger appealed to my dive-watch proclivity, as I had hoped it would. The color is attractive, and I like the contrast of the orange second hand. The indices are raised more than expected, giving it a bit of cool dimensionality.
Nixon Stinger 44 Details
Despite being solar-powered, the dial has a satin finish. It has minimal text and is surrounded by a slightly raised white chapter ring with black hour and minute markings. The triangular cutout for the twelve o'clock marker is a fun touch.
The glossy black bezel insert is curved, with reverse markings in a countdown orientation.
The chunky case is fully brushed and features large crown guards. A Nixon logo is engraved in the crown, and filled with paint in the dial's jade color. A non-screw-down crown and "only" 100m of water resistance leave the Stinger short of a true dive watch. It does at least have a unidirectional bezel with a lume pip and a lumed second hand.
Wearing the Nixon Stinger 44
While the 44mm case is large, the lugs are fairly short and downward curved (the lug-to-lug measurement is 47.4mm). As a result, the watch looks big, but you don't need to have a massive wrist to pull it off.
It's also only 12mm thick, including the slightly domed crystal, making it sit well on the wrist.
The 120-click bezel is easy to grip and turn. While it's not the smoothest operation, it's more precise (and better aligned) than some Seiko watches costing much more than the Stinger.
The Stinger's legibility is quite good. Applied indices are filled white with black surrounds, as are the hands. The hour hand has a tombstone shape at the end, making it easy to distinguish. The orange second hand has a lume-filled triangle, with a Nixon logo counterweight.
The hands and bezel pip have blue lune, while the hour markers are green. It's a fun touch, but unfortunately, the more critical lume on the hands isn't as bright as the markers'.
Nixon Stinger 44 Bracelet and Replacement Straps
The Stinger 44 includes a 5-link stainless steel bracelet with a stamped clasp and a twin-trigger, single-fold deployant buckle. Like the Nixon Drifter, the bracelet has quick-release spring bars.
Hook and Loop Elastic
At the end of the article, you can view more photos and purchase straps. Here is a list of straps that would look great with this watch. You can also view our Guide to Choosing a Watch Strap.
-Deployant Rubber
-Deployant Sailcloth
-CTS
-Ribbed FKM pass-through
-Hook and Loop Single Pass
-Ridge Rubber
-Tropical Rubber
-Premium Sailcloth
-Smooth Rubber
-Rubber and Sailcloth Hybrid Straps
-Vented Rubber
-Waffle Rubber
-Elastic
Nixon Stinger 44 Movement
A Miyota 2170 quartz movement powers the Stinger. It features solar charging that provides up to 4 months of life without sunlight, making it a great watch for beach and outdoor use. Being a Miyota, it should be reliable and provide enough torque for the Stinger to have properly sized hands.
A solid caseback protects it, complete with a catchy phrase (something you'll find on all Nixon watches).
Nixon Stinger 44 Conclusion
Overall, the Stinger 44 has an attractive appearance and build quality that watch collectors will appreciate. Considering it's likely to be used as a surf watch, I would have liked to see a screw-down crown for peace of mind, but 100m of water resistance should be plenty for most people. For $325, other watches can be bought with better specs, but like the other Nixons I've reviewed, they wouldn't have Nixon's styling touches.
Nixon Stinger 44 Specifications
Name: Nixon Stinger 44 Silver / Jade / White
Reference Number: A1402-5235-00
MSRP: $325
Diameter: 44mm
Height: 47.4mm
Thickness: 12mm
Lug Width: 20mm
Movement: Miyota 2170
Battery Life (solar): 4 months
Water Resistance: 100m
Crystal: Domed hardened mineral
Crown: Push-pull
Bezel: Uni-directional, 120 clicks
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Shop Other Straps for the Nixon Stinger 44
Pro Diver
Deployant Sailcloth
Deployant FKM Rubber
Tropical FKM Rubber
Hook and Loop Single Pass
Ribbed FKM Rubber Pass-Through
