Purpose built military watches have ushered in some of todayâs most recognizable designs and features. There arenât many contracts handed out these days to engage public vendors in the creation of bespoke military products. Donât take that to mean there arenât perfectly capable military watches being built, because there are. There are plenty are available to the public, and some of them have some pretty cool tie ins to historic models.Â
What makes a great military watch? Beyond the obvious ability to persevere through the harshest of environments, a few simple strengths are key. First, doing as much as possible with as little as possible. These are watches that generally have a laser like focus on a singular function, and need to do it with as little distraction as possible.Â
Next, a great military watch should have excellent visibility in any surroundings, and be highly legible in the process. Lume is especially vital here as it helps in low light situations, and doesnât always require internal energy to charge.Â
Lastly, these are watches that need to be readily and easily serviceable. Whether itâs changing a battery or replacing the mainspring, these watches need to remain in operating order with little time and energy. We think each of the below watches meet the above criteria, and a few even boast actual military watch heritage.
Bremont Broadsword
Weâve reviewed this watch in detail and found it worthy of the term military watch. Her Majestyâs Armed Forces agrees, and youâll find their seal on the backside. This is a watch that draws heavily on the so called âDirty Dozenâ military watches, bringing their brutal simplicity into a modern spec timepiece. As a Bremont, you can be sure it can take a beating as well.
Casio G-Shock
Itâs no secret that G-Shocks have appeared on many a war weathered wrist, and itâs not hard to imagine why. These are watches literally made to withstand huge amounts of shock, and they package a ton of useful features into a simple and cheap case thanks to the battery powered movement. Easy to fix, but also easy to replace.Â
Omega Seamaster
The original Seamaster 300 was used in an official capacity by the British Ministry of Defense in the late â60s, replacing the Rolex Submariner for a time. Thatâs some high praise for this simple dive watch, which remains very much a part of the Omega family today. We love this version not just for the history, but for itâs black case and dateless dial.
Blancpain Fifty-Fathoms
The Fifty-Fathoms is the original dive watch hailing from 1952, and was in part designed by a French secret service agent. It would go on to service the French Navy and other dive forces in the coming decades. Today, Blancpain produces a variety of Fifty-Fathoms watches, including several that recall the iconic look of the original.
Rolex Submariner
Perhaps the most famous of military watches is the Rolex Submariner. Vintage MilSub watches are a full story for another day, suffice to say they are legendary in collector circles. The dual reference 5513/5517 were issued to the British Ministry of Defense in 1957, before being replaced by the Seamaster 300 in 1967 (see above). They are unique for their âcircle Tâ denoting the presence of tritium on the dial (lume), their bezels with full minute markers, and their fixed springbars, which means they only work with NATO straps. Todayâs reference 114060 is about as close as youâll get to the original in a modern watch.
