April 13th, 2026

Blasting into Monday with the ultimate Kobold, the tactical Seal! Very few of these were made which makes this one of the rarest Kobold watches. This is cool for sure but it’s this handset that makes this watch for me. I am a fan of Kobold Seal watches. My favorite Kobold models to be exact. I owned two others before this one, and I can say that the hands on this tactical Seal make this the Seal for me. The surprise for me is that I am keeping it on the bracelet. Later down the road I might swap out the bracelet but for now the bracelet remains. The matte blasted finish is absolutely killer.

I don’t know why, but I am on a DLC kick lately. I am happy that I was able to get the stainless steel version with the notched caseback. My SeL Xos will be DLC but it’s in grade 5 titanium. This Seal has a simple dial where the Xos will have a busier dial. The Hive is all about balance. My goal for the Hive is the MK1, the Xos, my 1:1 SeL, the Chronoswiss and the Kobold. Next year I will add another SeL. Then the Hive will be complete. The chase for Hive members is over. The flipping and selling for the Hive is over. It’s such a great feeling.

I will still be bringing watches in to review. I was thinking about this too. I am going to put a package together at the end of the year and do a giveaway. There will be watches, straps and some other goodies thrown in there. I want to ask you this? Should I do little giveaways for each of the 12 days leading up to X-mas or one big giveaway? Let me know in the comments below which you prefer!

Kobold Seal Tactical Specifications:

• Movement: Automatic, Swiss made
• Caliber: ETA 2824-2
• Case Material: Black DLC stainless steel
• Diameter: 43.5mm
• Thickness: 17mm
• Lug-to-Lug: 52mm
• Weight: 251 grams/ 8.9 ounces
• Dial: Deep Black
• Bezel: Uni-directional rotating
• Crystal: Scratch-resistant domed sapphire
• Band: Black DLC steel bracelet
• Buckle: Flip lock with wetsuit extension
• Lug-Width: 22mm
• Crown: Screw-down
• Caseback: Solid with Seal engraving
• Water Resistant up to 300m/1,000ft

April 20th, 2026

A badass watch that is equipped with a secret weapon aka the SAS! What is the SAS you ask? Well let me explain that to you. The shock absorption system is patented, specialized shock-resistance technology integrated into the case of this watches what it does is it acts as a back-up, a secondary protective system designed specifically to protect the automatic-winding movement against extremely strong shocks, acting in tandem with the standard Incabloc shock system which integrated directly into the movement.

I love that way of thinking and engineering. This is an excellent example of a true tool watch. So when I people what separates X brand watches from just being a dress watch, this engineering that is in this Seal watch is what separates it from just being a dress watch. Just because a brand markets a watch as a tool watch doesn’t mean it has the engineering to back that claim. Same thing goes for the watch community who label dress watches as tool watches. A label doesn’t mean dick without the engineering to back it up.

What makes the SAS different is how it’s part of the case integration. Traditional shock absorbers are integrated into the movement, but the SAS is built directly into the watch case, which adds another layer of protection. Kobold makes watches for adventure so they designed the SAS specifically for the high-impact environments experienced by professional divers, tactical operators and outdoor adventurers.

I love how the SAS was designed to protect the movement during extreme impacts. There’s something that takes my love of this watch to the next level though. Kobold equipped the Seal tactical with a soft iron inner case, which not only adds another layer of shock resistance but adds a layer of protection against magnetism! These are examples of engineering that makes a watch something that I gravitate towards.

🚨Remember kids, all watches are timing tools but not all watches are tool watches! 🚨

April 27th, 2026

Last week I talked about the strengths of the Kobold Seal, I want to highlight two areas where it could have been improved. Unfortunately, SeL ruined all other rotating bezels. The Kobold Seal has a bezel like Rolex, Tudor and countless other brands with the click spring style of bezel. I honestly would prefer a fixed bezel. 60 click bezels always feel wonky to me anyway. The other area for improvement on this watch is the crown. A slightly larger crown would improve operating the crown and more threads on the crown system would help the overall function.

Obviously those areas aren’t dealbreakers for me and they don’t affect my overall appreciation of this watch. Every watch has areas that can be improved upon in our own preference based opinions. I think Rolex bezels aren’t good in terms of function, alignment and fit but there are countless Rolex owners that don’t see an issue with them. SeL has an incredible bezel and if I know that I have a day where I need a precision bezel, then I am reaching for the SeL. If I need a bezel that I can use casually, the Kobold Seal gets the job done.

The classic Kobold lugs are flawless and are one of my favorite details on Kobold’s watches. I love their aesthetics and I love the functional aspects aka the drilled holes with sold screw bars. The compact chunky case is absolutely perfect. The functional side of the case and no I am not talking about the crown side of the case. I am referring to the 9H side with the gas escapement valve.

Aesthetically, I like the 10H positioning of the valve. The solid caseback with the Seal engraving is the icing on the cake. The bracelet is a nice throwback to my early days with microbrands 20+ years ago. It’s fitting because Kobold was one of the very first microbrands. Kobold one of the earliest and most influential examples of a modern microbrand. Founded in 1998, it was a pioneer in utilizing the direct-to-consumer internet sales model and outsourcing, which are the core hallmarks of today’s watch microbrands.

May 4th, 2026

Moody moist mossy mornings series has commenced! The Kobold Seal is one of my favorite tool watches of all time. I love that Gerd R Lang, Helmut Sinn, and Sir Ranulph Fiennes all helped shape Kobold. Three individuals who are experts in what they do. The world’s greatest living explorer input into Kobold watches was invaluable. The man who was the first to complete a north-south surface circumnavigation of the world. He knows firsthand how important gear is and how important reliable engineering is.

The matte black dial is so damn beautiful. Matte black dials are so my jam. I don’t like glossy dials, I don’t like MOP dials, I dont like sunburst dials….there are a few dial colors I like but they have to be matte. The clean dial makes legibility optimal. The lume allows that legibility just as good in dark/low lighting environments. It’s the hands though, this glorious handset. Reminds me of the hands on the Kobold Cousteau that I owned. I have never seen a Seal let alone a rare tactical Seal with this handset. The whole reason why I wanted this watch. The small details of color on this dial add just enough to give some depth of detail. The red, grey and white all work together so well. Hell, even the date window works well. When a date window is done like this, I actually don’t mind them at all.

The bracelet is still on this watch. I am actually loving this bracelet because of two reasons. The first reason is because it is a throwback to those late 90’s/early 2000’s microbrand watches. Obviously Kobold was one of the first microbrands in the watch industry so it makes sense why this bracelet gives me those microbrand vibes of yesteryear. The other reason why I like this bracelet is how the bracelet is aging. Most bracelets lack character, but this one not only has character but is also aging like a fine wine. It has character like custom straps.

May 11th, 2026

Monday battles; wristed with the Kobold Tactical Seal! A tool watch that made it onto my top 5 favorite tool watches of all times list. Kobold is an iconic brand because it was one of the very first microbrands. Kobold helped paved the way for so many brands. Kobold has had some badass ambassadors. Sir Ranulph Fiennes is my personal favorite of their ambassadors. It’s hard to compete with the world’s greatest living explorer.

Another thing that I appreciate about Kobold is how many movies they have been in. This has nothing to do with anything but it’s just a cool thing to see. The Tactical Seal has the engineering to back up its badassery so the movie thing is just an added bonus of coolness.

I like Kobold’s recent social media posts. Yesterday’s was a particularly good one. Check it out if you haven’t. Kobold has had its fair share of ups and downs but I have to say that I hope that they can make a successful comeback. I have been a fan since day one. I have tried/owned several of their awesome models, but the Seal is my favorite, particularly this model.

Why do I love this model so much?!? The Seal is an iconic Kobold model and with its SAS engineering it makes me appreciate it as a tool watch. From an aesthetic standpoint, the handset, the markers, the bezel and the case….all work together so damn well. We all know that SeL is the ultimate tool watch in terms of engineering. Kobold and UTS are two brands that are at the top of the category right below SeL. I am grateful that I was able to add this Seal to the hive.