As its latest new release for 2023, RZE has unveiled a new quartet of models within its Endeavour collection of titanium dive watches. Building upon the core design of the original Endeavour, but adding both a date display and a completely redesigned clasp that now features an integrated micro-adjustment extension system, the new RZE Endeavour models also showcase textured dials, with each one inspired by a different famous glacier from around the world. Realistically speaking, the new RZE Endeavour Glacier collection is certainly more evolutionary than revolutionary; however, this is ultimately a very positive thing since the brand’s original series of affordable titanium dive watches was pretty much spot-on in terms of its design, features, and all-around value proposition.

I previously chose to feature the original RZE Endeavour diver in my column Actually Affordable as one of my top picks for budget-friendly titanium watches, and if you want to read my full thoughts on the first generation of the Endeavour, you can find it right here. While I felt that the original model was already a highly compelling option within the affordable titanium sports watch space, I wasn’t all that blown away by the clasp on the bracelet, and while the original series opted for a simple time-only format, the new quartet of glacier-inspired models also offer the added utility of a date display (with a color-matched calendar disc). Additionally, rather than replacing the previous no-date models, the new Endeavour Glacier watches are simply being added to the lineup, and RZE is also bringing back the original no-date series with the same updated clasp that is making its debut appearance on the new glacier-inspired Endeavour watches.

From an external perspective, the new RZE Endeavour Glacier models are virtually identical to the no-date watches from the previous generation, which means that they feature the same angular case that measures 40mm in diameter by 12.5mm-thick, with drilled 20mm lugs and an overall lug-to-lug profile of approximately 46mm. Just like all of the watches in RZE’s current catalog, the new Endeavour Glacier models feature cases and bracelets that are made entirely from titanium, which has been given the brand’s proprietary UltraHex coating to bring their surface hardness up to 1,200Hv (approximately 8 times the hardness of traditional 316L stainless steel), while simultaneously providing them with a pale gray color and a soft matte finish. My personal experience with RZE’s UltraHex titanium has largely been very positive, and after wearing one of the original Endeavor watches for an extended period of time, the only visible signs of wear were on the inner surface of the bracelet, where one UltraHex-finished surface comes into contact with another.

Just like the original generation of RZE Endeavour watches, a flat sapphire crystal (with anti-reflective coating on the inner surface) is fitted to the top side of the watch, and surrounding the crystal is the same single-piece titanium bezel that features an engraved 60-minute scale with a luminous inverted triangle at the zero marker. The signed screw-down winding crown and solid screw-down titanium caseback have also been carried over from the previous generation, as has the Endeavour collection’s 200 meters of water resistance, and if you were to be blindfolded with the two watches in your hands (once separated from their bracelets), the new RZE Endeavour Glacier watches would feel completely identical to one of the no-date models from the previous generation.

Now, where the new RZE Endeavour Glacier watches differ most from their no-date counterparts is in regard to their dials and movements. The core design and layout of the dial have largely been maintained, but rather than featuring an index at the 3 o’clock location, the new Glacier series models feature a rectangular date window with a metallic frame that matches the finish on the hands and hour markers. Just like with the previous generation, the new Endeavour Glacier models feature applied, baton-shaped hour markers with a trio of luminous centrally-mounted hands for displaying the time. Additionally, like the no-date models, the new Glacier collection watches feature green-glowing C3 Swiss Super-LumiNova paired with blue-glowing BGW9 on the seconds hand, bezel marker, and the small blocks that sit at the edge of the markers for the cardinal points, which further help to create a clear orientation of the time in dark settings.

The new RZE Endeavour Glacier collection consists of four different dial variations, with each one inspired by a different famous glacier. The “Yulong” model is the version featured here, which showcases a vibrant teal color inspired by the lush forests and the icy slopes of the southernmost snow-covered mountain in the Northern Hemisphere (about 15 miles north of Lijiang, China). Joining the “Yulong” model are the “Ross Ice” (a silvery white dial inspired by the largest ice shelf in Antarctica), the “Vatnajökull” (a pale blue dial that gets its name from Europe’s largest glacier, which is located in Iceland), and the “Blaueis” (a deep navy blue dial that pays tribute to the northernmost glacier in the Berchtesgaden Alps of Germany, and which is listed as being the EU exclusive version). Aside from their colors and (matching calendar discs), the overall design and layout are shared among the four different dials, with all of them showcasing the same wavy glacier-inspired texture throughout their surfaces.

Since the new RZE Endeavour Glacier models are all date-displaying watches, they are powered by a different caliber than the original no-date generation, which means that rather than being powered by the Seiko NH38A, the new Glacier series receives the NH35A automatic movement. Aside from the fact that the NH35A has a date complication, the two movements are otherwise the same, and the Seiko NH35A runs at a frequency of 21,600vph (3 Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 41 hours. As one of the most common self-winding movements within the industry, the NH35A is very much a known quantity that offers a proven design and is trusted by countless different brands. With that in mind, the Seiko NH35A movements used to power the RZE Endeavour Glacier watches are fitted with calendar discs that match their dials, which helps create a cohesive overall aesthetic, and is a detail that is missing on many other watches at significantly higher price points.

Fitted to the lugs of the new RZE Endeavour Glacier series is a full UltraHex-finished titanium bracelet that offers an H-link design and tapers from 20mm at the lugs down to 16mm where it connects to the clasp. Featuring solid end-links paired with single-sided screws for the removable links, the core design of the bracelet has largely been carried over from the previous generation, although it now includes two notable updates. In addition to the end links now featuring integrated quick-release springbars to permit tool-free strap changes, the clasp has also been completely redesigned to feature a double push-button release with a very slick integrated micro-adjustment extension system.

Releasing the Endeavour’s clasp extension is done by pressing down the small spring-loaded lever on the inside, and tightening it can be achieved by simply pushing the end of the bracelet back into the clasp. RZE’s extension system offers five incremental positions that permit approximately one link’s worth of total adjustment, and even when fully open, no part of the extension hangs past the edge of the clasp. While some built-in extension systems offer greater ranges of adjustability, the amount offered by the RZE Endeavour’s clasp is far more than enough for everyday life, and the overall profile of the clasp remains quite compact, which is a particularly nice detail, given that added bulk is often the single greatest drawback of many other types of clasp extensions. Additionally, the original no-date RZE Endeavour watches will also now come with this new style of clasp, meaning that will be a standard feature across the entire collection.

Despite featuring more intricate dials and more complicated movements, the new RZE Endeavour Glacier watches cost the exact same as their no-date counterparts, and all four dial variants are accompanied by an official retail price of $449 USD when purchased on a rubber strap, or $549 USD should buyers opt for the full-titanium bracelet. Additionally, at the time of launch, the new generation of RZE Endeavour watches is currently available at a $50 pre-order discount for both the new date-displaying Glacier series and updated no-date models. Offering dials that give slight Grand Seiko vibes paired with utilitarian hardened titanium cases and bracelets that scratch a similar itch for those seeking something like a Tudor Pelagos (but for a fraction of the price), the new new RZE Endeavour Glacier series represents a highly attractive update to what was already a very compelling value proposition. For more information on the RZE Endeavour Glacier Collection of titanium dive watches, please visit the brand’s website.