Boutique watch company Raven is based in the state of Kansas in the American Midwest. aBlogtoWatch has covered some of the company’s affordable tool-style watches and has generally been impressed by the poise and pricing of these sensibly styled sports watches. Raven is not the type of company that will get you interested in watches in the first place. However, after you’ve become familiar with popular and classic sports watch styles and their features, then a product from a company like Raven starts to become appealing. The Raven Endeavour II is a great example of a somewhat generic watch design that has been detailed and priced so well that even mature enthusiasts should take notice. If I were to just skim past a picture of the Raven Endeavour II, I might not stop or suspect that it is particularly special. If you examine an Endeavour II timepiece in person, though, you will notice all the features the watch has and appreciate the overall high level of refinement in the construction, legibility, and finishing. As a “beater watch” I was particularly taken with the Endeavour II, and it continues to make me smile when I wear it.

Raven includes both this molded black rubber strap and a matching steel three-link bracelet (with Nodex micro-adjust deployant clasp) with the Endeavour II. I just happened to like it on the strap enough that I didn’t put it on the bracelet. In any event, I wanted to mention that the bracelet is part of the package since it isn’t pictured in this article, and many people will probably want to wear the watch on it. Style-wise, if you look at other Raven watches, founder Steven Laughlin really likes to create his own take on popular classic sport watch styles. Historic military and diver’s watches tend to be where he gets most of his inspiration. He isn’t alone in appreciating these styles, which is why they serve as a good base for his own creations. Accordingly, while Raven watches usually don’t immediately look like anything else (well, there are a few Tudor timepieces that might have something else to say about that), there is a sort of intended genericism to the design where the company’s logo is how you are intended to know where these products come from.

Let’s be clear that original-looking watches are also risky. A large part of the watch collector demographic really doesn’t want anything “new.” Rather, they want a fresh blend of ingredients they already like, packaged in a satisfying way that allows them to have something new or affordably priced in their collection. That’s where Raven excels because many of its watches seem to begin with an impressive list of features for the money. Raven then turns those specs into a watch that gives people what they want (as opposed to flirting with new ideas of design or horological practices). Another way of looking at that is that Raven is part of the watch collector community, while also spending a lot of time noticing the larger trends and designs that the watch community seems to be interested in. No, you can’t please everyone with a single watch design, but a product like the Endeavour II is really intended for a more mainstream versus niche appeal.

Raven launched the Endeavour II with four colorful dial options. A design like this could just as easily benefit from a traditional black or white dial, but the company decided to offer the Endeavour II’s dial in “pistachio” green, “emergency” yellow, orange, and the pictured “sky blue” hue. I think it is an interesting sign of the times that when Raven made this decision about the dial colors a few years ago, it never even occurred to the company to make a black-dial version. The watch itself is beefy and durable like the dive watches many people grew up to appreciate over the last twenty years or so. This watch is very comfortable on the wrist, thanks to the snug rubber strap and its modest 47mm long lug-to-lug distance, but the Endeavour II isn’t small. The 12mm thick steel case is 42mm wide and appears larger thanks to the broad size of the lugs and the more tonneau-style shape of the case. Water resistance is accordingly impressive at 500 meters, and the case also has an automatic helium release value (not that you’ll use it). Notice the 4 o’clock positioning of the crown as an ergonomic technique to make the watch more comfortable on the wrist.

Over the dial is a flat AR-coated sapphire crystal, and Raven uses a polished black ceramic insert for the unidirectional rotating diver’s style timing bezel. The bezel has luminous material applied to it, and overall the level of SuperLuminova on the dial and bezel (blue colored) is very impressive. It’s worth mentioning the rotating diver’s bezel is a bit tough to turn – refinement in bezel turning at lower price points can be challenging. At least the bezel doesn’t feel loose, so that is a plus.

Going back to the Endeavour II dial, it is pretty but not very original. The matte sky-blue dial has applied geometric hour markers and is very easy to read. The dial is also fully symmetrical, with the date window being placed at the 6 o’clock position. Indeed, the hour and minute hands are proportionally a bit too thin for the width of the hour markers, but in practice, it doesn’t really matter much, and the standout legibility and overall pretty shapes, colors, and textures on the dial make the Endeavour II dial mostly very lovely to look at.

Inside the Endeavour II case is a Japanese Miyota caliber 9015 automatic movement. This 4Hz, roughly two-day power reserve automatic mechanism is affordable and performs decently. It would have been nice to have a slightly more interesting movement, but this watch isn’t about nuanced horology as much as it is about having a decent-looking mainstream-style tool watch priced well with specs for enthusiast interests. Even little things like having drilled lugs (with holes on the outside to make it easier to change straps with a tool) are intended to meet experienced watch collectors’ demands.

The friendly, durable, and timeless looks of the Raven Endeavour II make it an easy-to-wear timepiece for many occasions. This type of watch can make a great gift for “non-watch people” but can equally serve as a comfortable “beater” watch for enthusiasts so who want something simple and dependable for a variety of active duty tasks (or just for swimming in the pool). With 500 meters of water resistance and a host of durability features, the Raven Endeavour II is equipped to be a serious adventure watch, but it can also serve well as a down-to-earth “weekend watch” for those who want something simple and satisfying. Price for the Raven Endeavour II watch is $620 USD. Learn more at the Raven website.

Necessary Information:
>Brand: Raven
>Model: Endeavour II
>Price: $620 USD
>Size: 42mm wide, 12mm thick, 47mm long lug-to-lug distance
>When reviewer would personally wear it: As an easy-to-wear and enjoyable daily sports watch or weekend beater watch. This is a versatile and conservatively handsome timepiece.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Serious watch enthusiasts who want an affordable and competent sports watch, or newer enthusiasts seeking value and a timeless diver’s-watch style.
>Best characteristic of watch: Highly competent from all angles and certainly designed with mature watch enthusiasts in mind. Comfortable to wear, legible, and friend-looking on the wrist. Good all-around watch without much to distinguish it.
>Worst characteristic of watch: Lacks distinctive personality for those who want a more nuanced emotional or artistic experience with their timepieces. Hands are just a bit proportionally too thin, but that is a very minor issue.