Great Looks, Frustrating Design
The PDW Titanium Watchband Compass is functionally sound and looks excellent, but its compatibility with the PDW Ti-FXDS strap it is pictured and advertised with is, in my experience, a significant design flaw.
I purchased both the compass and the Ti-FXDS strap, intending to use them together with my Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT. Aesthetically, the combination is excellent. Unfortunately, actually installing and removing the compass is another story.
Although the compass technically slides onto the strap, it will not pass over the Velcro section. Getting it into position requires manipulating and forcing the strap through the compass in a way that, after repeated attempts, has caused small tears in the strap material. That is particularly frustrating because I like to swap NATO straps regularly. Installing, removing, or repositioning the compass becomes such a laborious process that I find myself reluctant to use it at all, for fear of further damaging an otherwise perfectly good strap. Forget about making adjustments once the compass is in place.
I contacted PDW for assistance and was advised to “consider shifting it backwards” to avoid the Velcro. That suggestion did not address the fundamental problem: the difficulty of installing and removing the compass on the very strap PDW advertises it with.
It is unfortunate because the compass itself looks great, serves its intended purpose, and pairs beautifully with the Tudor FXD GMT. However, a well-designed accessory should be practical to use without risking damage to the strap it is intended to complement.
My recommendation: PDW needs to address the fit and installation process, particularly with the Ti-FXDS strap. Until then, this is an accessory I like in principle but hesitate to use in practice. The appearance and functionality are there; the usability is not.
This raises a basic question: was the compass actually tested for installation and removal on the Ti-FXDS strap, or on other NATO straps with Velcro closures, before PDW recommended this combination? If so, the difficulty of fitting the compass without stressing or damaging the strap should have been apparent. If not, that is a disappointing oversight in the product design and marketing.
