I trade watches back and forth with my good buddy, Tim Johnson. We loan each other watches to test and evaluate, and the subject for today is just that. Tim wanted me to try out the Signum Cuda Titanium, a dive watch with a fully lumed dial. Well, I’ve had the watch for a bit, and have formed my long-term opinions on it. Does this (barra)Cuda have teeth, or is it just a flounder?
Who is Signum, & What is the Cuda Titanium?
Signum Watches is a fairly new microbrand. They were founded in 2020 by Kyle Schut, who also owns the Stratton Watch Company. Stratton is very much racing inspired, with a lot of 1960s & 70’s styled racing chronographs. Signum is a harder company to describe however.
Signum mostly makes dive watches, but they’ve recently released a few chronographs and a field watch. From my understanding, Signum is meant to be a very distinct brand. Signum is the Latin word for “sign”, so I think that the goal was to stand out. They offer a lot of vibrant colors, different designs, and a myriad of materials for their watches.
The Cuda is a pretty traditional dive watch. It’s got 200m water resistance, a uni-directional timing bezel, and big indices for legibility. However, the Cuda that I’ve got uses a titanium case rather than steel, and has a fully luminescent painted dial. Like the goal of the brand, this model of Cuda is trying to stand out. Price directly from Signum is $449, and the watch comes with a titanium bracelet. Now, I’ve not got the bracelet, as Tim wanted me to try the watch on a strap, so I won’t be speaking to the quality of that.
Signum does not directly state where the watch is made, but with reading between the lines, it appears to be Hong Kong.
What are the dimensions for the Cuda?
Note: I’ve compressed a lot of the photos here to allow for fasting webpage loading. If you’d like to see the photos in their full-form, check out the Imgur link here.
Dimensions and Colorway
The Cuda is not a small watch, but it’s not massive either. All of the following dimensions were measured by me.
- Case size: 42.23mm
- Case size including the crown: 45.67mm
- Lug width: 22.07mm
- Lug to lug: 50.14mm
- Thickness (including crystal): 13.96mm
- Weight on my rubber strap: 106g
- Weight of the watch without a strap: 79g
Signum offers the titanium Cuda in three colors (white dial, green dial, and orange dial). You also have four bezel options, with either black or blue for the color, and either a “plain” or “shark tooth” pattern. This specific Cuda is the orange dial, with the black shark tooth bezel.
What’s the movement powering the Cuda?
Movement
The Cuda uses the very popular Seiko NH35 automatic mechanical watch movement. This is an affordable and ubiquitous movement, and shows up in a lot of watches.
Generally speaking, the NH35 is a basic, but durable movement. It’s a standard 3-hander (hours/minutes/seconds), and has a date complication. When it comes to a dive watch, this is generally what I prefer for a complication. Simple, yet effective.
Setting the date and time is pretty easy on the Cuda.
The NH35 is a bit unique, despite being extremely popular. On an automatic watch, there is a swinging rotor disk, and the momentum from that moving “charges” the mainspring for the watch, which powers the watch. For a more detailed explanation, check out this article. For most automatic watches, the swinging rotor only moves in one direction, but the NH35 allows it to move both ways. This makes the movement a little more shock resistant, and can allow it to provide full power to the mainspring faster. Power reserve on the NH35 is advertised at 41 hours, but if you’re wearing the watch daily, it shouldn’t stop running.
Now, the NH35 may be durable, but it’s not necessarily the most accurate movement. Seiko advertises a -20 to +40 seconds per day range. The Cuda runs better than that, (12-15 seconds fast per day), but knowing that the NH35 won’t necessarily be chronometer accurate is important.
The real appeal of the Cuda is the dial, and the case.
Dial & Crystal
Tim sent me the Cuda, as he wanted me to try out an orange watch. Well, the Cuda is certainly orange.
The dial is very brightly orange. It has a porous look, which I chock up to the lume paint in the dial. It gives a slightly vintage look, but without the issues that come with buying vintage watches.
Our secondary color is white, which pops in great contrast against the orange. The indices are nice and raised, using circles, oblong “eggs”, and a triangles for the hours. Sword hands are used for the hour and minutes, while a “stoplight” is used for seconds. The indices and hands use shiny stainless for their outlines and borders, aside from the second hand, which is dark orange. Now, it’s not a wholly original set of hands and indices, but we’ll get to that later.
To maintain some symmetry, the date is at the 6 o’clock position on the Cuda. I dig this, and wish I had more watches with the date at this location. It’s a clean look, and very legible.
A stainless chapter ring is present on the dial. Some chapter rings really eat into the size of the dial (like on the Seiko Arnie), but here, it is unobtrusive and doesn’t shrink the dial much.
Capping the watch is a simple domed sapphire crystal. It doesn’t appear to have any anti-reflective coating, but the glare from the crystal isn’t too bad.
Legibility is fantastic, certainly a quality that I appreciate. The nighttime legibility is even better though.
Lume
Tim bought this watch because of the fully lumed look, and for the titanium case. He wanted me to really try out the lume though, and it’s easily the coolest part of the watch.
The dial, indices, hands, date wheel, and bezel are all fully lumed. Signum uses SuperLuminova, which is some of the best lume paint in the watch industry. We get a nice, vibrant set of colors, and it’s long lasting too.
On the dial, we’ve got a nice orange glow. The hands, indices and bezel glow blue. The date wheel is also blue, albeit that on the specific Cuda that I’ve got, it’s more green-ish, which provides even more contrast.
This is all-night lume. It’s incredibly bright, and can easily last 8-10 hours after a good UV light charge. Aside from digital watches with backlights, the Cuda has the best nighttime lume for any watch I’ve owned or tested. It’s nearly too bright, but I’d take that over the alternative.
How’s the case and bezel on the Cuda? The titanium material is an interesting choice, but does it pan out well?
Case
The Cuda has a grade 2 titanium case. This specific grade of titanium is touted as being corrosion resistant, and lighter weight than steel. Well, it certainly is lighter than steel, and it seems to be handling wear well now.
The case itself is brushed titanium, and there’s no high polishing to be had. The brushing is not super matte, but it is fairly matte-grey in color. For me, the color contrasts great against the rest of the color on the watch, which gives a sharp look. However, the case itself is not sharp, and has been finished in such a way to be comfortable on the wrist.
Being a dive watch, the Cuda uses a screw down crown. It’s nicely serrated, and has the Cuda logo engraved onto it. It’s got no crown guards, which leads to a more classic look.
The case has a few slight bevels on them and they sweep down to create the lugs. An element that I really like is that the case itself is flat on the portion between the lugs, which makes swapping between straps really easy.
While the case itself is titanium, the caseback is stainless steel. It has a neat engraving of a barracuda on it, and some information about the watch itself. With the screwed down crown and caseback, we’re getting 200m of water resistance on the Cuda.
Overall, I like the case shape and construction of the Cuda. It’s finished quite well, and is comfy on the wrist. What’s the bezel like on the Cuda?
Bezel
Signum sells this version of the Cuda with a few bezel options. On this specific one, Tim went for the fully lumed bezel with a black insert, and I can really see why. It’s a 120-click bezel too, which generally lends to a smoother feel.
The bezel itself is made from the same titanium as the case, and has a similar set of coin-edge serrations as the crown. It’s easy to grasp and rotate, and has a nice ratcheting feel. It does have a little bit of play to it, which with this being a used and worn watch, is probably from regular wear and tear.
On the insert, there are “shark tooth” triangles, and lines that connect them. Each tooth denotes a 5 minute marker. At each 90 degree position, we’ve got a 15 minute time interval, aside from at 12 o’clock. All of the white on the insert is lumed, and the black is not.
As a whole, I think that the bezel looks cool. The lume is bright and strong, and the bezel action (even with the little bit of play) is good. However, the bezel is not one that I love.
I really want a legible, usable bezel. I’m not going diving with the watch, but I am using that bezel to time actions. It could be timing the pasta on the stove, or seeing how long a wait at a restaurant is. However, with the bezel the way that it currently is, I need to use the chapter ring, along with the bezel for proper accurate timing. It’s not the biggest pain, but it requires a little more brainpower when using the bezel.
How well does the Cuda work with strap swapping?
Strapping Up & Fitment
Getting it out of the way (again), the Cuda ships with a titanium bracelet. Tim didn’t send over the bracelet, as he knew that I prefer straps. As such, I won’t be touching on the build quality of the bracelet itself, as I have no experience with it.
For my time with the Cuda, it has lived on soft, FKM rubber straps. None of them are OEM from Signum, but they paired really well with the Cuda. The Cuda has a 22mm lug width, which is very, very common. As such, you can make pretty much any style of strap work on this watch. Whether it be an FKM Tropic strap, or a NATO, or a Marine Nationale, it’s comfy on this watch.
The case shape between the lugs really aids in swapping straps, as there are no clearance issues like on some watches. For me, I found the watch comfortable, and easy to wear.
I’ve got 7.5″ wrists, and as such, can pull off wearing a larger watch easier than most folks. The Cuda looks appropriately sized on my wrist, while not being too big or small. I’d rather a watch wear smaller than bigger, but the Cuda wears about what I’d expect for the dimensions.
I borrowed the Cuda for about 5 months, and wore it for a few adventures. How well did it do in regular wear?
EDC
The Cuda is a fairly big watch, but I never found it to be cumbersome. I wore it a fair bit in my regular life, which meant trips to the gym, working on home projects, shooting, and while out hiking.
Despite the large dimensions, I never found myself bumping the Cuda into door frames, walls, or other objects. I’m pretty conscious about not swinging my arms about, but on some larger watches, it is easy to bump into things. It is thick enough that when needing to reach into tight spots, I had to pull it off.
With the Seiko movement, I was not worried to wear the watch while shooting. Some folks are really concerned about recoil sending shocks to the watch. While that does happen, it’s not nearly as much of a concern as people think, but having the durable NH35 does give a little more peace of mind.
The Cuda was a comfortable watch when hiking. It was quickly legible in a pinch, and sweat didn’t cause any issues with the case. The height of the watch is advantage here, as I found that it didn’t pool sweat quite as much as some of my thinner watches.
While not my normal cup of tea, the Cuda was fun to EDC for a bit. How durable was it?
Durability & Wear
Well, I had no durability or water resistance issues with the Cuda during my time with it. I did wear it normally, and didn’t abuse it. However, I didn’t baby it either. Dings and dents will happen over time, but I wanted to try something a little more extreme.
The watch got sweat, gun oil, and fresh snow-runoff on it. During a hike in August 2024, we also used it as bait for ducks.
One of my favorite short hikes in the area has a lake atop of it. That lake generally has a lot of ducks, and ducks like shiny things. We had the idea of putting the Cuda on a rock in the lake, and seeing if it would attract ducks. Well, it did.
The ducks got near the watch, but they weren’t fast enough to get it.
I do truthfully think that the ducks would have tried to grab the watch, if given the chance. It was a fun way to take some photos, and to play with the ducks. We gave them some snacks afterwards, so they were treated well for their time.
The Cuda is a fun watch, but it’s not one without a few gripes.
Complaints
Overall, I enjoyed the Cuda. However, I do have a few gripes with it.
Firstly, there’s the dial design. Sure, we’ve got great colors and a lumed dial. However, the dial is directly copying the popular Seiko divers, but they’ve moved the location of the datewheel. Is there something wrong with this? No, not really. However, once I noticed it, I started to look at the watch in a different light. It went from being unique (that “sign” in the Signum name), to being a Seiko homage.
I also have some gripes with the movement. The NH35 is not inherently a bad movement, but it is entry level. The $300-$500 dive watch market is incredibly competitive, and a lot of the competition are packing better movements in their watches. The Islander Port Jeff that I reviewed in 2023 had a better movement (Miyota 9015), and was in that same price bracket. Now, you’re paying for the lume and the titanium with the Cuda, not the movement here.
I’ve talked about the bezel, and I really do not like that specific pattern on it. I’d probably go with a more traditional bezel, as it would aid in quicker legibility.
Well, what are the Pros and Cons of the Signum Cuda Titanium Full Lume?
Pros
I think that there are quite a few pros for the Cuda.
- Excellent lume, better than most of the big brands.
- The orange color is extremely vibrant.
- Titanium case is made well, and has no sharp edges.
- Watch features an attractive dial and handset.
- Case shape is conducive for easy strap swaps.
- 22mm lugs are standardized, which makes choosing new straps quite easy
- Movement is durable.
The Cuda is a cool watch, but it’s not a “spec monster” like a lot of microbrands try to put out. It’s big selling points (at least to me) are the lume, and the titanium material. I don’t know if they are enough to swing me to wanting to buy one though.
Cons
For me, there are quite a few cons to the Cuda.
- Design of the dial is unoriginal.
- Seiko NH35 leaves a lot to be desired for accuracy & the general feeling of value.
- The specific bezel insert is not the easiest to use for doing precise elapsed time.
- The value proposition is questionable.
Like I stated above, you’re buying the Cuda because you like the lume and the case material. The unoriginal dial mated to a basic movement are the “cost” for the lume and titanium. Would I prefer to see a more unique dial and a better movement? For sure. Would that make the watch cost more money? Yeah, but I think I’d be totally fine with that.
What’s my verdict?
The Verdict
The Signum Cuda Titanium Full Lume is a dive watch in a sea of similar dive watches. The market is incredibly competitive, and I don’t really know if this Signum does enough to stand out from the competition. Sure, the lume is fantastic, but is that enough to sway you to buy?
I’d rather have a watch with a more unique design. In this price range, you’ve got the giants of Seiko and Citizen who sell divers, but then all of the other microbrands. There’s Islander, Helm, San Martin, Zelos, and a lot more. Heck, the other watches from Signum appeal more to me, as they’re generally less expensive than the Titanium Cuda, and have more original designs. This watch is made well, and if you have one, I wouldn’t be unhappy. But for $450, I’d rather go for something else.
At the core of it, it comes down to the lume. Either you’re buying it for that, or you’re not. For me, it’s not worth the price of entry. Tim did get me to enjoy a vibrant watch though, so I’ll take that as a win.
I’ve got a video review of the Cuda too:
Additional Reading, Thanks & Patreon Link
If you liked this review, check out some more of my watch articles:
- Timex Expedition Scout 40 Review – In The Field [2023]
- Casio AE-1200 Review – The Casio Royale [2023]
- Invicta Pro Diver Quartz Review – Rolex-ish [2023]
- Islander Watch Port Jefferson Review [2023]
- My Top 5 Budget Casio Watches [2024]
- Casio DW5600E-1V – A Classic G-Shock [2024]
- Glycine Combat Sub 42 Review – A Field Diver [2024]
- How To Buy Vintage Watches Online [2024]
- Islander Port Jefferson GMT Review [2024]
- Markwell “datematic” Review [2024]
- Seiko Arnie (SNJ025) Review [2025]
Big thanks to my man Tim Johnson for loaning me this watch to test and evaluate. Tim runs a great YouTube channel, and has very thoughtful and thorough reviews.
If you’d like to support me on Patreon, I’ve got the link for that here. Nearly everything that I do on Primer Peak is paid for out of my own pocket, and my content is not shilled or driven by manufacturers or companies. If you decide to donate, I’d really appreciate it, as it would allow for me to continue to bring you quality work.
If you made it this far, enjoy a photo of a rainbow trout that I saw during that August hike.
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