This Cult-Favorite Affordable Brand Just Launched Its Toughest Tool Watch Ever

Texas-based watchmaker Jack Mason celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, but if you’re a watch enthusiast, the brand probably didn’t pop up on your radar until 2022.

That’s when the brand launched its now-besteller, the Strat-o-timer GMT. Not only was it one of the first watches on the market to house Miyota’s new Cal. 9075 movement, which was the first affordable automatic “true” GMT movement available to third parties, but it also marked Jack Mason’s transition from a fashion brand to one committed to making high-spec’d mechanical watches for enthusiastes.

We’ve seen sports watches and dress watches during Jack Mason’s renaissance over the past three years, and now we’re getting our first true, dedicated tool watch in the Pursuit Pro. I spent some time with a prototype of the watch, and it’s every bit the rugged, purpose-built banger Jack Mason claims it to be.

Tough enough

Photo by Johnny Brayson for Gear Patrol

Outside of their similar names, Pursuit Pro shares some commonalities with the Pursuit Pilot that debuted earlier this year. They share the same basic dial design and handset (though there are differences), and they’re both powered by the same automatic movement: the Swiss-made La Joux-Perret Cal. G101, which has a robust 68-hour power reserve and is protected against magnetic interference by an iron cage around the movement in both watches.

But that’s pretty much where the similarities end. When it comes to the dial, the Pursuit Pro amplifies the already impressive lume of the Pursuit Pilot by using solid blocks of ceramic Lumicast lume for the Arabic indices as well as their corresponding hour markers, which have also increased in size here. If there’s one thing this watch excels at, it’s legibility. You will never, in any environment, have even a whisper of trouble reading the time.

Photo by Johnny Brayson for Gear Patrol

The stainless steel case has also been beefed up from the Pursuit Pilot, measuring 42mm across the bezel. I still found the watch plenty wearable, as the midcase measures just 40mm across and the watch has short, gently curved lugs that hugged my 6.5-inch wrist nicely. It’s relatively thin, too, at 12.5mm, which feels just robust enough for this type of watch. Any thicker and it might get unwieldy, any thinner and it will start to feel dainty.

Aiding the fit greatly is the Pursuit Pro’s strap, which I found particularly interesting. When I first unboxed the watch, I took one look at the strap and assumed I would hate it. It’s made of fairly thick black nylon and is secured with velcro in a hook-and-loop setup. My initial impression was that it opted for tactical, “tough guy” looks over actual comfort, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Photo by Johnny Brayson for Gear Patrol

The strap is softer and more flexible than it looks, and the velcro system allowed me to dial in the perfect fit. The watch always felt very secure and comfortable on the wrist, which is important for the types of active adventures Jack Mason says the watch was designed for.

Coming back to the case, it’s mostly brushed with a polished chamfer and honestly looks more handsome than it needs to. Maybe a beadblasted case would fit the aesthetic better, but I like the more classic tool-watch finish the brand opted for. It dresses up the watch just enough to let it pass for an everyday watch.

As I alluded to, the lume on the dial is quite insane, and offers a mix of blue- and green-emission luminescence. What I haven’t mentioned is that the bezel is also fully lumed, in both colors. Every little mark on the bezel glows like a torch, making the watch feel even more purpose-built. The bezel’s action is snappy and precise, and I liked the toolish aesthetic of the matte, radially brushed ceramic insert.

Photo by Johnny Brayson for Gear Patrol

The red accents on the bezel are an excellent touch, too, though I would have preferred to see them repeated on the dial and seconds hand in place of the orange used. Lastly, the bezel’s countdown arrangement keeps the watch from feeling like just another dive watch, which I appreciate, though I still think the watch the Pursuit Pro most reminds me of is a fan-favorite military diver: Tudor’s Pelagos FXD.

Pricing and availability

As I was merely testing a prototype watch that didn’t belong to me, I didn’t really push the Pursuit Pro to its limits. But boy, did I want to. This is a watch that really begs to be worn in daring or even dangerous situations.

From its tactical-yet-attractive design to its “mission-ready” features — the lume, bezel and strap stand out to me — to its surprising comfort and wearability, this is a tool watch that actually manages to feel as useful as the brand that made it intended.

Jack Mason has moved a bit upmarket with its pivot toward enthusiast watches and increasing reliance on Swiss-made mechanical movements, but the brand still represents a great bargain.

The Pursuit Pro, which is available in a forest-green and tan “Hunter” version in addition to the black “Shadow” that I tested, is priced at $1,399. It’s not exactly a cheap watch, but Jack Mason could certainly get away with charging more for it, given the impressive build quality and how great this thing looks and feels in the metal.

Jack Mason

Jack Mason Pursuit Pro

Specs

Case Size	42mm
Movement	La Joux-Perret Cal. G101 automatic
Water Resistance	200m

• $1,399 at Jack Mason

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