Vaer · Microbrand · United States

Vaer DS4 Solar Hiker 38mm

Limited · 2025 · limited to 500 · Field, Diver

Vaer x Topo Designs x Worn & Wound DS4 Solar Hiker 38mm, green, on a Topo hook-and-loop strap
Photo: Vaer
  • Vaer x Topo Designs x Worn & Wound DS4 Solar Hiker 38mm, black-coated case, on a Topo hook-and-loop strap
From $349 to $449
  • Epson VS22
  • 38 mm
  • Sapphire crystal
  • 200 m water resistance

Movement

Caliber
Epson VS22
Type
Solar quartz
Tier
Entry
Complications
Hours, Minutes, Seconds
Frequency
n/a
Power reserve
n/a
Hacking
n/a
Accuracy (factory)
-20 / +20 s/month

Case

Diameter
38 mm
Lug to lug
46 mm
Thickness
—
Lug width
20 mm
Material
Steel (316L)
Hardening
—
Water resistance
200 m
Crown
Screw-down
Case back
—
Bezel
12-hour (second time zone) on the ceramic insert, 60-minute scale on the steel inner ring, ceramic insert, lumed

Crystal & dial

Crystal
Sapphire
Shape
Flat
Anti-reflective
Yes (side not stated)
Lume
Super-LumiNova C3 on dial (15 layers) and hands

Bracelet & clasp

Style
Oyster
Links per row
3
Solid end links
Yes
Solid links
—
Link attachment
Screws
Taper
20 → 16 mm
Quick release
Yes
Half links
—
Clasp
—
Micro-adjust
Tool (pin holes), 4 positions
Diver extension
—

Straps

Strap 1
Other, Two Topo Designs single-pass hook-and-loop straps in different colours, included (fitted with spring bars)
Strap 2
Silicone, quick release, Vaer black silicone "Ocean" strap, one of the free third-strap choices (khaki quick-release nylon or khaki single-pass nylon are the others)

Weight

Head only
—
On bracelet
—
On strap
—

Prices

VariantConfigurationTypePriceUSDAs ofSource
GreenTopo straps + silicone or nylon strapMsrp349 USD$3492026-10-21link
GreenTopo straps + Premium steel braceletMsrp439 USD$4392026-10-21link
BlackTopo straps + silicone or nylon strapMsrp349 USD$3492026-10-21link
BlackTopo straps + Premium black PVD steel braceletMsrp449 USD$4492026-10-21link

Variants

NameReferenceDialBezel
GreenDS4-TPG38dark green (sunburst)Green ceramic insert
BlackDS4-TPB38black (sunburst)Black ceramic insert

About this entry

84% of key specs known. Missing: thickness, weight, hardening.

First edition (November 2025) of the Solar Hiker, a field-style solar watch in the 38mm DS4 dive case made by Vaer with Topo Designs (straps, carrying case) and Worn & Wound; the 2026 edition moved to a 39mm case and is a separate model. Limited to 500 pieces: 300 Green and 200 Black (Windup Watch Shop listing; Worn & Wound says the pieces were split between Windup, Topo Designs and Vaer). Brand: 38mm, 20mm lugs, 20 ATM, 316L steel, locking screw-down crown, single flat sapphire with AR coating (side not stated), 15 layers of C3 on the dial and C3 on the hands, Hong Kong assembly, Epson VS22, 6 months' reserve from 6 hours of light, "-10/+20 sec/month timing tolerance". No date window (product photos), although the VS22 has one. Lug-to-lug: Vaer says 46mm, Worn & Wound 45mm; Vaer kept. Thickness is left blank because the sources disagree: Vaer's spec list says "12.7mm Thickness" (crystal not mentioned), the same page's sizing text says 10.6mm, and Worn & Wound gives 11.35mm including the flat sapphire. Bezel: "ceramic and steel" with a lume pip; Worn & Wound describes an outer second-time-zone hour scale and an inner 60-minute counter, with dots at 15/30/45/60 as sunrise and sunset cues. Whether and how the bezel rotates is not stated, so no bezel type is recorded. The Green has a brushed and polished steel case; the Black has a black-coated case (Worn & Wound: "black DLC-coated"; Vaer's strap and bracelet SKUs for it are PVD), recorded here only because it applies to one variant. Ships with two Topo hook-and-loop straps, a Topo carrying pouch and a third strap of the buyer's choice (black silicone, khaki nylon, khaki single-pass, all free) or the Premium Steel Bracelet: +USD 90 on the Green, +USD 100 for the black PVD version on the Black. Bracelet recorded is the Premium Steel Bracelet: screw links, solid custom-fit end links, quick-release pins, 20-16mm, milled clasp (brand page description), four spring-bar micro-adjust positions (Vaer FAQ). Launch price USD 349 (Worn & Wound). Both colourways were sold out at Vaer and Windup Watch Shop on 2026-10-21. The "case weight of 70.6 grams" in the sizing text is the D5 39mm figure repeated across Vaer's pages and is not used. No hardening figure is published.

Last verified: 2026-10-21. Edit or correct this entry.

Sources