10 of the Best Men’s Field Watches

Written by Lee King

What is a field watch?

The original field watch was adopted from a ladies watch into a tool German officers used to organize the movement of troops and artillery. As the watches popularity spread throughout the world’s military, a specific style began to represent the modern field watch.

The field watches case

To coin a phrase a field watch must take a licking and keep on ticking. The standard field watch case is made from stainless steel or titanium. And some come with a PVD coating. The case must be readable but not too bulky so you will see sizes ranging from 36-44mm.

The field watch dial, hands, and crystal

A field watch must be readable under low-light conditions. Most will have a high-contrast black dial with white numbering and lumed hands and number indices. A hacking second hand is another great feature found on field watches. These hands can be stopped to sync with another timepiece or time reference. You can see how this could come in handy in mind 19th-century warfare. Again for readability and ruggedness the crystal should be sapphire and glare-proof.

The field watch strap

Even though metal links would be more durable; they are harder and more expensive to replace. For the most part, you will see field watches come with either NAT0 canvas straps or leather straps.

10 OF THE BEST MENS FIELD WATCHES

Timex Expedition Mens Field Watch

The Timex Expedition Mens field Watch ($35) gives you all the classic features of a field watch in an affordable package. The case is a standard 40mm and is made out of brass. The crystal is mineral which can be expected at this price point. It is water resistant to 50 meters and comes with a double layer NATO style slip-thru strap with buckle closure.