Bertucci A-3P Watch Hands-On Review

The A-3P draws inspiration from vintage military field watches. The fiber-reinforced 42 mm polycarbonate case is built to last with a simple and classic design. Upon first taking the watch out of the package, I was impressed at how lightweight it is. The polycarbonate is light, tough, and has a slight matte finish on it that has avoided showing scratches and wear. Setting the time was easy — pull out the stainless steel crown, turn it, and push back in when you’ve reached the desired setting.

The Japanese quartz movement does run on a battery, but these movements can run for up to three years before requiring a new one. I’ve found that while automatic watches are great, they do run of out juice if not worn regularly (at least every other day). Changing a battery once every three years or so isn’t such a big deal if it means that the watch will be accurate and hold time every single day during that period.

The Bertucci's case is relatively plain looking with minimal decoration or flair. The steel caseback is lightly engraved with some specs and the Bertucci logo which is a nice touch. The easy-to-read face is the highlight of the watch, as it nicely balances out the simplicity of the case design.The sword-shaped hands are treated with Superluminova, a high quality glow-in-the-dark coating that’s typically seen on much more expensive watches. The face has both 12- and 24-hour indices, and small, triangles at each number also treated with the coating. The A-3P boats 100M of water resistance, thanks in part to the mineral glass crystal and stainless steel back. This is more than enough for daily tasks, showering, and swimming, so there's no need to worry about getting this watch wet.

The watch comes with two NATO style straps, one black and one olive drab green. These double layer nylon straps are built to last, featuring box stitching and stainless steel hardware. A 10-hole adjustment range accommodates a wide range of wrist sizes. The straps were quite stiff at first, but they’re getting softer and more comfortable with each wear.

One thing I’m not so sure about is the integrated lug bars. The A-3P utilizes a single piece case, which eliminates the need for traditional spring bars. While it makes the watch a bit more simple to use, there are a few downsides. The first issue is with long term durability. Since the lug bars are the same piece of polycarbonate as the case, the strap has to be threaded through each one. It works well, but if one were to break, it looks like you need to replace the whole watch and not just a single spring bar. Bertucci states that the watch can stand up to a lot of use and abuse, but the design choice still makes me a bit wary. The second issue is that you can only use one piece NATO style straps. Not a huge deal, as there are plenty of great straps out there in this style, but it does limit your selection.

Overall, the Bertucci A-3P is a solid watch with a spec sheet that’s even more impressive than its affordable price. It represents a great value for an everyday watch — not too expensive, rugged, waterproof, easy to wear, and stylish. The Bertucci A-3P Vintage Field Watch is available for around $125 in several configurations and strap options.

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Disclosure: The manufacturer of this product provided me with a sample to be considered for review at no cost. This does not affect my opinion of the product as stated in this review.