Watches are an integral part of many everyday carry setups. Beyond their primary use of telling time, they’re also a reflection the wearer’s personality and style. These watches have rich historical appeal as they were made for and worn in the field by infantry, Special Forces, and WWII pilots. Nowadays, military style watches are popular amongst the EDC community for their features, legibility, durability, and aesthetic. They go hand in hand with tactical gear you might already be carrying, but can easily be dressed down due to their timeless designs. In this guide, we’ll show you our recommendations for good looking, rugged watches that won’t break the bank.
3 Styles to Look For
Field Watches: The Field Watch is usually presented with a slim case, with large, easy to read indices. The thinness keeps the watch from snagging on other gear and will easily tuck under a shirt sleeve. Commonly seen with 12 and 24 hour numeral markings, these watches make telling military time an effortless task.
Pilot Watches (Flieger): The signature mark of a Flieger is the triangle at the 12 o'clock mark. These pilot watches have large faces and are reminiscent of WWII aircraft gauges that they are inspired by. Also known as “observation watches,” these timepieces make it easy to keep track of time elapsed whether you’re in the air or on the ground.
Heavy-Duty Digital: When you need a timer, calendar, stop watch, alarms, and more on your wrist, there are few better options than a heavy duty digital watch. Shockproof, waterproof, and nearly bombproof, these watches are seen in the field in modern military applications.
Now that we’ve got you acquainted with these common types of military watches, here are six of our favorite examples — all coming in at under $100 (at the time of writing):
This list was most recently updated on April 24th, 2021.
With its high-legibility 24 hour watch face with black dial and white arabic legends, the Timex Expedition Scout is one of the community’s favorite picks in this category. Aside from the classic field watch styling, Timex’s Indiglo technology plays a large part in this watch’s popularity. With a light press on the crown of the watch, an electro-luminescent panel built into the watch face offers a backlight that makes reading the watch in the dark an easy task to accomplish. And of course the watch hands themselves have some luminescence as well for at-a-glance reading for some time after things go dark.
If you are a fan of automatic mechanical watch movements, the Seiko 5 SNK805 offers classic field watch styling with an entirely analog movement that has offered great value for money for decades now. Seiko 5 refers to the five basic functions provided by the watch: automatic winding that will reserve power as you wear the watch throughout the day, a day and date complication, water resistance, a protected crown, and a durable case. This particular model of the watch also features legends that emphasize the minutes instead of the hours, a skeleton back which lets you look at the internals while it ticks away, and outdoor-friendly green styling and canvas strap.
The Citizen Avion brings classic military styling to your wrist along with the company’s Eco-Drive technology that charges the internal battery with solar power without disrupting the overall aesthetic of the watch. This keeps the internal quartz Caliber J810 movement ticking for far longer than its peers, and it reduces the times you have to open up the case to change batteries out. The watch itself features 24 hour and minutes legends, and a date complication too. The dark grey dial contrasts well with the orange hands and index markers, and the brown leather strap gives you a touch of class that matches with any ensemble whether casual or more dress-oriented.
When it comes to rough and ready EDC watches, nothing beats the durability of a G-SHOCK. Their overbuilt cases are highly impact resistant and their internals are also tested against severe shock and other extreme conditions ensuring that they will keep on working pretty much no matter what. Their GA-700UC series was built with military users in mind, with color schemes that match service uniforms too. And at its heart you get the combination analog and digital design that gives you access to multiple time zones and other functions including an alarm mode.
When it comes to military style field watches, larger isn’t always better, and smaller cases allow for easy movement and fewer chances of snagging on equipment when you’re on the move. With its 35mm diameter case the INFANTRY analog watch sticks to that classic styling, and its a strong contender in this category with a Japanese quartz movement, a watch face that features 24 hour time, and an anti-scratch mineral crystal built in.
The Timex Command Digital features a large and highly legible digital readout that features a 100 hour chronograph, 24 hour countdown timer, 24 hour time, and even a hydration alarm to help you stay ready throughout the day. It’s available in three camo stylings which help you blend in especially if you’re in uniform, and you can get it in black, navy, and olive drab. Its internal quartz movement is contained in a rectangular 54mm resin case that’s shock-resistant to ISO standards, and water resistant to 100 meters.
The design of the Mil-Tec Aviator harkens back to the highly-legible German fleiger watches of the last century, with a retro design that’s easy to read at a glance. But unlike those watches of yesteryear, the Mil-Tec aviator features a Japanese quartz movement that will keep time more accurately than a vintage timepiece, and its price point means it’s available for far less.
If you like pilot-style watch faces for their high legibility but you prefer a stainless steel band, the Orient Flight is the choice for you. Its 42mm stainless steel case diameter fits most hands well, and the safety release clasp helps keep the watch on your wrists even if you lead a more active lifestyle. The internal quartz movement is contained in a case that features 50 meter water resistance and a fixed bezel. A date complication is also included for your convenience.
The Timex MK1 is part of their archive series, and its styling is based on the military watches the company developed during the Vietnam War era. This model features a chronograph function built into its quartz movement which gives you a stopwatch on hand without having to fumble through any smartphone menus. The top button starts the process, the bottom button allows you to split; press the top again to stop and then the bottom to reset the function and you’ll see all of the needles move to the top. The small seconds hand makes for a quieter movement compared to most Timex watches as well. And of course you get the Indiglo technology built in which sets Timex watches apart from the competition in the dark.
The Bertucci A-3P’s design is based on classic American field watches, but what truly makes them special in this category is the inclusion of Swiss Super Luminous material on the hands and markers that last longer than more-affordable options. The crown of the watch is also ergonomically-placed at the four o’clock position for wrist comfort and long term wear, and the fiber-reinforced polycarbonate unibody case helps insulate the quartz movement inside from damage during hard use.
We’ve just barely scratched the surface of all the military style watches out there. Do you have an affordable favorite for everyday wear, or has your smartphone made the wristwatch obsolete? We’d love to hear what’s on your wrist in the comments below!
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