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10 Best Military Watches

A good watch is an essential part of your every day carry, and if you’re consistently in demanding situations, then a military watch is going to be your best option.

They’re designed for the most demanding of conditions and are sure to meet any challenge you to find yourself in.

Designers and (unfortunately) marketers know this, so there’s no shortage of “military” watches on the market.

Some live up to the label, some don’t.

So we’ve put together the 10 best military watches you can buy right now.

But first, let’s talk about a few considerations.

Jump to our top 3 choices below: 

#1 – Casio G-Shock Men’s Analog-Digital Watch

#2 – Luminox 3581 Navy SEAL Chronograph Sports Watch

#3 – Casio G-Shock Rangeman Multi-Band 6 Atomic Timekeeping

What to Consider When Shopping For a Military Watch

There are a few key considerations to make when shopping for a military watch, even within the items on our list.

They include:

Ruggedness

The reason you’re buying a military watch is because of the high demands you’re going to put on it.

So you want something that can withstand harsh activity, repeated blunt force impacts, and vibrations.

No number of tactical features are going to make a watch worth the money if it breaks the first time something happens to it.

The most delicate part of a watch is going to be the face.

Materials that are resistant to shatter are going to scratch easily, where materials that are resistant to scratching may shatter more easily.

Look for something that has a solid bezel around the face, to protect it from impact, and a scratch resistant face.

Water Resistance

You’ll want something that can sustain a minimum of being submersed 50 ft. underwater.

Even if you aren’t around water, that extra protection means that that body and display of the watch are sealed against other possible damaging materials, like dust, sand, sawdust, metal shavings, and more.

Clarity

If you need a military watch, chances are you need something that you can read quickly without interrupting whatever you’re doing.

You should buy a watch that is easy to read the time, regardless of whether its day or night.

That means a clear, obvious display, and either a built-in light or glow in the dark function.

The main trade-off here is going to be between digital and analog displays.

Digital displays may read more obviously, but if it’s dark, the need to engage the LED light can make them less convenient.

On the other hand, an analog display will be more easily visible, but not as precise or immediate in the time.

Some of the choices for military watches include both analog and digital displays but can be cluttered as a result.

Ease of Use

Whatever watch you buy should be easy to use.

That means that programming and resetting time can be done quickly and simply.

You’ll also probably want a countdown and/or stopwatch functions for careful measurements.

Again you’re going to see the difference between digital and analog.

Digital watches allow for of these functions, and perform them more precisely, but may be hard to program.

Analog watches will often include a chronograph and/or tachymeter, which don’t require programming but might not be as precise.

#1 – Casio G-Shock Men’s Analog-Digital Watch

gshock mens analog digital military watch
Image: DicksSportingGoods.com
  • Model # GA1100-9G
  • Water resistance: 660 Ft. / 200 Meters
  • Stopwatch: Yes
  • LED Light or Luminescent Display: Both
  • Shatter resistant: No
  • Scratch Resistant: Yes

The G-Shock includes both analog and digital display, showing date, hour, minute, and second, as well as a world time display.

The face is made of spherical mineral glass.

The case, band, and bezel are all made of black resin and the band fastens with a tang clasp.

It includes a digital compass, thermometer, a 1/100-second stopwatch as well as countdown timer.

It also has the capability for 5 Daily alarms, hourly chime, and a full auto-calendar,

The battery on average lasts 5-6 years but could be longer or shorter depending on the intensity of use.

It’s water resistant and shock resistant.

The glass face is scratch resistant, but unfortunately not shatter resistant.

This particular watch is a favorite of both active duty and retired military, for a wide variety of reasons.

Where To Buy: Click Here to buy the Casio G-Shock Men’s Analog-Digital Watch on the official Dicks Sporting Goods website.

#2 – Luminox 3581 Navy SEAL Chronograph Sports Watch

luminox 3581 navy seal watch
Image: BassPro.com
  • Model # 3581.BO.
  • Water resistance: 660 Ft. / 200 Meters
  • Stopwatch: Yes
  • LED Light or Luminescent Display: Luminescent Display.
  • Shatter resistant: Tempered but not fully resistant.
  • Scratch Resistant: Yes

As you can imagine, this watch is a favorite among active duty Navy SEALs.

The Luminox 3581 Navy SEAL Chronograph features a polyurethane band and a proprietary carbon fiber compound for the body and bezel, and a stainless steel back.

It’s a fully analog watch, displaying time in hours, minutes, and seconds.

It also includes an analog stopwatch and displays the date.

Night vision glow tubes are set around the face.

The combination of carbon and tempered crystal in the watch’s construction makes it extremely durable.

It’s both shock and water resistant.

Despite the strength, it is still not shatter resistant.

The battery life is guaranteed to 50 months.

Where To Buy: Click Here to buy the Luminox 3581 Navy SEAL Chronograph Sports Watch on the official Bass Pro Shops’ website.

Related Article7 Watches Navy SEALs Wear

#3 – Casio G-Shock Rangeman Multi-Band 6 Atomic Timekeeping

casio gshock rangeman
Image: DicksSportingGoods.com
  • Model # GW9400-1
  • Water resistance: 660 Ft. / 200 Meters
  • Stopwatch: Yes
  • LED Light or Luminescent Display: LED Light
  • Shatter resistant: No
  • Scratch Resistant: Yes

The G-Shock Rangeman is an all resin construction with a stainless steel back and mineral face.

The display is fully digital and includes hour, minute, and second.

It can display GMT and a second time zone, which is a useful feature for special ops forces like Army Rangers, Marine Force Recon, and even Delta Force operators.

It features a perpetual calendar as well as a month, date, and day display.

Additionally, it can display sunrise and sunset times and includes a thermometer, altitude indicator, barometer, and compass.

The base battery should last up to two years on its own power, but the G-Shock Rangeman is also solar-powered and displays the amount of solar power stored.

The watch is water resistant, scratch resistant, and shock resistant, but not shatter-resistant.

Where To Buy: Click Here to buy the Casio G-Shock Rangeman Multi-Band 6 Atomic Timekeeping on the official Dicks Sporting Goods website.

#4 – Seiko Automatic Black Dial Black Rubber Men’s Watch

automatic black dial black rubber mens watch
Image: Sears.com
  • Model # SKX007J1
  • Water resistance: 660 Ft. / 200 Meters
  • Stopwatch: No
  • LED Light or Lumiscent Display: Luminescent Display
  • Shatter resistant: No
  • Scratch Resistant: Yes

The Seiko Automatic Black Dial Black Rubber Men’s Watch features a polished stainless steel body, coated stainless steel bezel, and rubber band with a tang clasp.

It’s a fully analog watch and displays the time in hours, minutes, and seconds.

It also features a calendar that displays the day of the week and date.

It does not have any stopwatch or timer functions.

This watch has a power reserve of up to 40 hours.

The stainless steel and rubber construction make it a strong, and durable watch, and it is water resistant up to 20 meters.

Where To Buy: Click Here to buy the Seiko Automatic Black Dial Black Rubber Men’s Watch on the official Sears website.

#5 – Casio G-Shock Gravitymaster Alarm World Time Black Dial Men’s Watch

casio g shock gravitymaster military watch
Image: JomaShop.com
  • Model # GA1100-1A1
  • Water resistance: 660 Ft. / 200 Meters
  • Stopwatch: Yes
  • LED Light or Luminescent Display: Both
  • Shatter resistant: No
  • Scratch Resistant: Yes

The G-Shock Gravity Master features a resin case and bezel and a resin strap with a tang clasp.

The watch also features a scratch resistant spherical face made of mineral crystal.

It includes both analog and digital displays, which is why it’s a favorite watch among military pilots.

These provide hour, minute, second, time display, available in both 12 and 24-hour display for the digital display.

It also shows world time, and the month, date, and day.

It also has a stopwatch, countdown timer, and up to 5 Daily Alarms.

It also has a digital compass and thermometer.

The resin construction makes it extremely durable, and it is shock and water resistant.

The face is scratch resistant but not shatter resistant.

The battery life is on average five to six years but can be anywhere from 2 to 15 years.

Where To Buy: Click Here to buy the Casio G-Shock Gravitymaster Alarm World Time Black Dial Men’s Watch on the official JomaShop website.

#6 – Luminox Pacific Diver – 3121.BO

pacific diver 3121 bo
Image: Luminox.com
  • Model # BO
  • Water resistance: 660 Feet / 200 Meters
  • Stopwatch: No
  • LED Light or Luminescent Display: Luminescent Display.
  • Shatter resistant: No
  • Scratch Resistant: Yes

The Luminox Pacific Diver has a stainless steel case and back, with a carbon fiber bezel, for extra durability.

As you can imagine, this particular watch is a favorite among Navy and Army divers.

It is a fully analog watch, with hour, minute, and second displays, and well as a date calendar.

It does not have a stopwatch or any other timer features.

It is water resistant up to 200 meters or 20 atmospheres worth of pressure, making an extremely tightly constructed watch.

The battery life is 50 months, and with no extra features, it’s sure to last at least that long.

Where To Buy: Click Here to buy the Luminox Pacific Diver on the official Luminox website.

#7 – Swiss Military Hawk Silver Dial Black Canvas Men’s Watch

swiss military hawk silver
Image: JomaShop.com
  • Model # 27301
  • Water resistance: 660 Ft. / 200 Meters
  • Stopwatch: Yes
  • LED Light or Luminescent Display: Luminescent Display.
  • Shatter resistant: No
  • Scratch Resistant: Yes

The Swiss Military Hawk features an all stainless steel case, with a black canvas band and a sapphire crystal face.

The display is all analog but includes a chronometer and tachymeter for stopwatch like functionality.

The display shows time in hours, minutes, and seconds. It also displays the date.

The combination of canvas and steel make this an extremely rugged watch, though the canvas band may wear down.

It is waterproof and scratch resistant, but not shatterproof.

The battery life is approximately 24 months from the time of assembly or last replacement.

Where To Buy: Click Here to buy the Swiss Military Hawk Silver Dial Black Canvas Men’s Watch on the official JomaShop website.

#8 – Invicta U.S. Army Chronograph Quartz Men’s Watch

us army chronograph quartz tactical watch
Image: JomaShop.com
  • Model # 31848
  • Water resistance: 330 Ft. / 100 Meters
  • Stopwatch: Yes
  • LED Light or Luminescent Display: Luminescent Display.
  • Shatter resistant: No
  • Scratch Resistant: Yes

The Invicta U.S. Army Chronograph has a stainless steel case, flame fusion crystal face, and a black silicone band.

The display is fully analog, with a 12 hour and 24-hour display, as well as minutes, and seconds.

It also features a chronograph, for stopwatch functionality.

It’s not as intensely waterproofed as other options on this list, but still waterproof up to 330 feet.

The face is scratch resistant.

The watch is also shock resistant.

The battery in the watch may last from 12 to 36 months.

Where To Buy: Click Here to buy the Invicta U.S. Army Chronograph Quartz Men’s Watch on the official JomaShop website.

#9 – Victorinox I.N.O.X. Carbon Black Dial Black Paracord Men’s Watch

victorinox inox carbon black military watch
Image: JomaShop.com
  • Model # 241776
  • Water resistance: 660 Ft. / 200 Meters
  • Stopwatch: No
  • LED Light or Luminescent Display: Luminescent Display.
  • Shatter resistant: No
  • Scratch Resistant: Yes

The I.N.O.X. features a carbon composite case and bezel, with a scratch resistant sapphire face.

The strap is a durable black paracord with a slip-through clasp.

The display is all analog and displays time in both 12 and 24 hours.

It also displays minutes, seconds, and the current date.

The combination of paracord and carbon construction makes it an incredibly lightweight and durable watch.

The sapphire crystal face is extremely resistant to scratches.

The watch is waterproof up to 660 feet.

Victorinox watch batteries last on average 5 years, and the watch includes an end-of-life warning display.

Where To Buy: Click Here to buy the Victorinox I.N.O.X. Carbon Black Dial Black Paracord Men’s Watch on the official JomaShop website.

#10 – Best Military Watch Under $50 – G-Shock Military Men’s Watch

g shock military mens watch
Image: JomaShop.com
  • Model #: GD100-1B
  • Water Resistance: 200 meters / 660 ft.
  • Stopwatch: Yes
  • Luminescent Auto LED Light
  • Shatter Resistant: No
  • Scratch Resistant: Yes

I realize that many of these watches are insanely expensive.  With that said, when shopping for a military watch, you shouldn’t be skimping on price.

However, not everyone can obviously afford these watches.

So, is there a decent military watch that’s under $50?

The G-Shock Men’s Military Watch is the answer to that question. 

While not actually under $50, it currently retails at $59.99, and is a suitable watch for those looking for a military watch that is reliable.

Is it the best watch on this page? Not by a long shot…

With that said, it will get the job done!

Where to Buy: Click Here to buy the Casio G-Shock Military Men’s Watch on the official JomaShop website.

In Conclusion

There are many excellent options for military watches.

You will be best served by something that is precise, rugged, and durable, which all of the options on our list are.

In fact, they’ve been specifically for those reasons.

The rest of the decision is up to.

You no doubt have preferences with regard to digital and analog, (or a combination of the two), and you’ve got a number of excellent options there as well.

The features also come into play, and whether you want something with an incredible list of complex features, or just a simple watch, there are several options there as well.

Choose the one that’s most exciting to you.

 
Kevin R.
Latest posts by Kevin R. (see all)
Best Military Watch

Best Military Watch

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If you're in the market for a military / tactical watch, you need to see this. These 10 watches are worn by active duty military, and are perfect for everyday carry (EDC), or for multiple other uses.
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