Feature: The Best Bargain Military Watches

Understated, effortlessly cool, highly legible and able to withstand a beating—if not an actual bullet—military watches were around before any other kind of wristwatch if some accounts are to be believed. Girard-Perregaux is said to have supplied what may be the very first examples to the German Imperial Navy in 1880, after an enterprising officer reportedly complained that using his pocket watch was difficult when timing a bombardment.

After showing his superiors the pocket watch he had ingeniously strapped to his wrist, a request was subsequently made to Girard-Perregaux that they make a batch of something similar, albeit in a little less DIY fashion. The Swiss brand responded and the humble wristwatch was born.

They came of age in World War I and became a vital bit of kit in World War II, going on to have their own look, typified by the famous “Dirty Dozen” watches supplied to British soldiers in the 1940s.

These are now climbing in price on the pre-owned watches market, but contemporary, budget models of military watches look every bit as good—if not better—than the models they seek to emulate. Check out these four beauties, all coming in at well under £1,000.

Hamilton Khaki Field Watch H69459530

For decades Hamilton! was a US-based company, moving from its home in Pennsylvania to Switzerland in the 1970s and eventually becoming part of the Swatch Group. Its military watches were essential to American GIs during World War II and it provided the US Army with over a million timepieces. Hamilton also provided a general issue military watch to soldiers during the Vietnam War, with over half a million said to have made their way into battle.

Anyone who has been on holiday to Vietnam will have seen rickety old market stalls selling battered versions of these that were allegedly once worn by American soldiers, but there’s no doubt a good percentage of them are just modern versions that have been purposely scratched up to look authentic and slapped with a higher price tag. Don’t be fooled!

That Vietnam field watch was a 33mm time-only watch with a 24-hour inner scale beneath the regular 12-hour markers. At 38mm, this is a slightly larger version of that model and is one of Hamilton’s best-sellers, coming in a very cool bronze case as well as steel, and on a NATO strap. The RRP for this is £720.

Luminox Atacama Field Automatic

This model from Luminox offers a very modern take on the field watch, with the brand’s pioneering energy-independent light-tube markers guaranteeing 24/7 readability for up to 25 years.

When it comes to nocturnal legibility, Luminox are probably the best in the business, hence why their watches are used by elite special forces like the US Navy Seals, among many others around the world. No doubt there are plenty of people out there who quite fancy the idea of wearing the watch brand that helped take out Osama Bin Laden.

This particular watch takes its name from a desert in Chile but it's durable enough to wear anywhere, with 200m water resistance and a screw-in crown with double security gasket to prevent leakage.

Unlike standard field watches it also has a day-date window and a concentric dial with both a 60-minute and 24-hour scale. A super-tough ‘webbing’ olive green strap tops off the military look and it’s powered by a dependable Swiss-made Sellita automatic movement.

Bulova Hack Watch 98A255

Inspired by Bulova’s military watches of the 1930s and 1940s, the Hack Watch, from the brand’s Archive series, is similar in design to Hamilton’s Khaki Field Watch and has been updated to feature an automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve. Within its 38mm grey stainless-steel case you’ll find a classic black dial with luminescent hands and standard 12-hour markers over a red inner 24-hour scale.

Like Hamilton, Bulova was founded in the US, but its headquarters remain there today, despite being bought by the Japanese Citizen Watch Co. This means it gets to use reliable Japanese movements, such as the Miyota 82S0 calibre powering this model. The hacking feature—important for soldiers in the field—allows the second hand to be stopped when setting the time so you can synchronise it with your comrades in arms.

For this watch, which sells at retail for under £300, Bulova has decided to ditch the classic fabric NATO strap and opted for a supremely comfortable, dappled green leather version. It definitely gives the watch a little extra finesse without ruining the military appearance.

CWC Mellor 72

Founded in 1972, CWC may be familiar to those with a penchant for authentic military watches but they're still very much under the radar. The company has supplied the British Armed Forces for more than 30 years, providing watches to its navy, army and airforce.

Swiss-made and built according to rigid Ministry of Defence specifications, they come in both mechanical and quartz versions. For less than £500 you get a classic military design in a 38mm steel case, with luminous hands and markers plus a Hesalite, rather than sapphire, crystal.

Like the Bulova it also has a hacking feature that enables you to set the watch so that you and your fellow troop members—or laser quest buddies, as the case may be—are in sync. It's a resilient, no-frills piece that will provide years of service, whether you're a sniper or a software engineer.

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