A military watch is an essential timepiece for all types of tactical operations. Whether you are a military officer, a law enforcement professional, or a search and rescue diver, do not leave home without this important survival tool.
The 8 Best Military Watches
- Marathon GSAR Military Issue Diver’s Automatic Watch
- Casio G-Shock Rangerman GW-9400 Military Watch
- Casio GA100-1A1 Military Watch (Our Top Pick)
- Invicta Men’s Pro Diver Scuba Military Watch
- Isobrite ISO100 Ultra Bright Dive/Tactical T100 Tritium Watch
- Amazfit T-Rex Smartwatch
- Fanmis Men’s Military Multifunction Digital Watch
- Luminox Men’s 3051 EVO Navy SEAL Colormark Watch
Our Top Pick for the Best Military Watch
Our top pick for the best military watch is the Casio GA100-1A1 Military Watch. A seriously tough military watch, the Casio GA100-1A1 is designed for extreme outdoor conditions and high octane action.
Whether you are a military officer or a law enforcement professional, the Casio GA100-1A1 military watch is a precise time-keeping device that offers you great tactical features and it looks super stylish too.
Check the price on AmazonMulti-functional Timekeeping Devices
A military watch should always be a part of your tactical gear such as a tactical knife. It is one of the most multifunctional timekeeping devices. Not only does it keep an accurate record of the time, but a military watch also offers you loads of other features that are essential to your survival in the untamed wilderness, forest, and urban jungle.
How to Choose the Best Military Watch
Types of Watches
Military watches come in 3 types. Field watches, such as the Isobrite ISO100 Ultra Bright Dive/Tactical T100 Tritium Watch, have basic features and are ideal for general law enforcement or military use.
A navigator watch, such as the Casio G-Shock Rangerman GW-9400 Military Watch, has high-tech features that suit specialized tactical operations. Diving watches, such as the Marathon, Invicta, or Luminox watches, are designed for marine professionals.
Durability
A military watch should have water-resistant stainless steel or tough resin case and a bracelet or strap with a securely closing clasp, buckle, or button. The display window should be made from a shockproof and scratch-resistant material. Mineral glass is a good material but sapphire glass crystal is considered to be a highly superior material.
Analog or Digital Display
While many military watches have either an analog or digital display, some watches offer you both such as the Casio GA100-1A1 Military Watch.
Standard and Military time
A military watch may display the time in a standard 12-hour format or offer standard 12-hour and military 24-hour time modes.
World Clock
Having a world clock on your military watch is a great feature. Wherever you go in the world, you will have instant access to accurate global time at just the press of a button.
Compass
A compass is a vital tool for hiking in the wilderness, engaging in tactical desert operations, or search and rescue sea missions. It can help you to navigate your journey until you reach base camp or dry land.
Chronograph
The chronograph, or stopwatch, is usually displayed with 1 or 3 dials that have seconds, minutes, and hours. You can use the chronograph to calculate speed and distance.
Altimeter
An altimeter provides elevation data so that you can accurately monitor ascent and descent throughout your climb.
Barometer and Thermometer
A barometer can be used to predict weather changes by showing short-term trends in air pressure. A thermometer accurately records temperature shifts and is especially important in snowy terrain or in areas that experience rapidly changing weather patterns.
GPS
GPS provides a high level of on-demand satellite accuracy when compared to using a compass. However, if you do struggle to get a signal on your watch, especially at sea, you can default back to the compass to get safely back to civilization.
Smartphone Capabilities
Some high-tech military watches allow you to receive e-mails and texts. One of the downsides of using a smart tech watch is that you may have to calibrate the watch or download updates from the manufacturer’s website to keep the watch functioning properly.
Movement Mechanism
Military watches that utilize an internal mechanism such as a Swiss Ronda or Japanese quartz movement are known as the most precise and accurate timekeeping movements.
While there may be some hand-wound watches around, most military watches have an automatic or “self-winding”, movement that generates energy from the natural movement of your arm. If you stop wearing the watch for some time, you will have to wind it again.
Battery Type
Some watches may use a rechargeable lithium battery that can last up to 2 years, an extra powerful lithium battery Button cell that lasts up to 10 years such as the Isobrite ISO100 Ultra Bright Dive/Tactical T100 Tritium Watch.
Other watches, such as the Casio G-Shock Rangerman GW-9400 Military Watch, have a built-in solar battery which eliminates the nuisance of replacing batteries or resetting the time. Users never have to reset the time.
Screen Illumination
Backlit screens and illuminated hands and hours allow you to quickly read the screen at night time. If the screen is too bright, it may not be ideal for covert operations where you need to be invisible to the enemy.
8 Best Military Watches – Reviews
1. Marathon GSAR Military Issue Diver’s Automatic Watch
Proudly hand-made in Switzerland, the Marathon GSAR Military Issue Diver’s Automatic Watch has water resistance to 1,000-feet (300-meters) so it is specially designed for use by Search and Rescue (SAR) divers.
It has an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblem printed on the dial and a US MARINES insignia engraved on the side of the case. A Semper Fidelis logo and a NATO Stock Number 6645-21-558-0133 guarantees the watch’s authenticity.
The tough all-purpose military watch is built from 316L surgical grade stainless steel and the scratch-resistant sapphire glass crystal dial can be read even under direct sunlight.
Stylish and functional the watch has a durable Italian-made vanilla-scented vulcanized black rubber strap.
You can rely on the diver’s watch to provide an accurate timekeeping performance as it has an ETA 2824 25 jewel automatic self-winding movement. For extra versatility in the field, the dial displays both 12-hour standard time and 24-hour military time.
For exceptional illumination in low light conditions, the self-illuminating Tritium gas tubes produce a green glow that lasts up to 25 years.
Marathon offers a 2-year limited warranty on its excellent military watch.
Pros
- Excellent quality
- Great value for money
- Superb Swiss craftsmanship
- Highly accurate
- 25 jewel Swiss automatic self-winding movement
- Designed for search and rescue sea missions
- Water-resistant to 1,000-feet (300-meters)
- Self-illuminating gas tubes last up to 25 years
- 12-hour unidirectional bezel has MaraGlo luminescence
- Standard 12 hours and 24-hour military time
- Surgical grade stainless steel
- Scratch-resistant sapphire glass crystal dial can be read under direct sunlight
- Italian made vanilla-scented vulcanized black rubber straps
- Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblem
- US MARINES insignia
- Semper Fidelis logo
- Two-year limited warranty
Cons
- Expensive
- No chronograph
2. Casio G-Shock Rangerman GW-9400 Military Watch
Specially engineered for grueling outdoor conditions, the Casio G-Shock Rangerman GW-9400 Military Watch features a tough, rugged design and that famous G-Shock durability.
The mud-resistant stainless steel case is unscratchable, and the automatic backlit LCD digital dual-screen display is protected by a mineral crystal window. You will be able to keep the watch safely on your wrist as the black resin band has a securely closing buckle. It has an improved shockproof design to 10-meters and 660-feet (200-meters) water resistance.
The large function buttons are easy to locate on the stationary bezel and the digital dial displays both standard and military time. There is a special audible tone for each sensor mode to help you work smarter. For a special touch of style, the black face has red and grey accents.
Casio has included groundbreaking digital technology. It is triple-sensor (Altimeter/Barometer, Thermometer, and Compass) equipped and this accurate data can be accessed at just the press of a button.
As well as having a precise quartz movement, the multi-band atomic radio-controlled watch ensures that your watch’s time is accurate to the millisecond. It has an auto receive function (up to 6 times per day/up to 5 times per day for China), as well as a manual receive function. The built-in solar battery eliminates the nuisance of having to replace the battery or reset the time.
Highly versatile, Casio has added even more features. Sunrise and sunset data, 5 daily alarms (4 one-time alarms and 1 snooze alarm), a 1/10-second stopwatch, a countdown timer, a calendar, one-touch elapsed time measurement, and one-touch time recording.
The Casio Rangerman military watch comes with a CR2 lithium battery and it is covered by a 2-year warranty.
Pros
- High quality
- Very good value for money
- Designed for extreme weather conditions
- Tough solar-powered battery lasts for 10 years
- Shock resistant
- Water-resistant to 660-feet (200-meters)
- Highly accurate quartz movement
- Durable mud-resistant stainless steel case
- Resin strap has a securely closing buckle
- Dual-screen display
- Protective mineral crystal dial window
- Triple sensor (compass, altimeter, barometer, thermometer) equipped
- Sunrise and sunset data
- Multiband 6 atomic automatic and manual timekeeping
- Auto LED
- Five daily alarms
- Stopwatch and timer
- Calendar
- 12-hour and 24-hour military time
- Easy to use large function buttons
- Audible tones
- Two-year warranty
Cons
- Dial may fade from direct exposure to sunlight
- Display is not easy to read in low light
- Digital only
- No chronograph dials
3. Casio GA100-1A1 Military Watch
Highly functional and tough as nails, the Casio GA100-1A1 Military Watch is an excellent choice for rough tactical scenarios.
The GA100-1A1 features a revolutionary X-large black resin case design and a scratch-resistant mineral window. It has a shock and mud resistant construction and a great water-resistance to 660-feet (200-meters). The durable matte black resin band has a securely closing buckle.
You have a choice of analog or digital time and standard 12 hour and 24-hour military modes. The world time function includes 29 times zones (48 cities + UTC), daylight saving on/off button, and home city/world time swapping.
Extra smart features include a chronograph, dual-time-display, a 1/1000th-second stopwatch with a speed indicator, a compass, an auto-calendar (pre-programmed until the year 2099), an hourly time signal, 4 daily alarms (1 with a snooze function), and a countdown timer.
The case has an anti-magnetic structure and the large anti-skid buttons provide easy operation. If you have to work in low light conditions, the automatic LED light has an afterglow function.
A highly accurate timepiece, the watch uses an automatic quartz movement that provides precise +/- 15 seconds per month timekeeping and the CR1220 lithium battery has an approximate battery life of 2 years.
The display is not overly bright but the watch is designed for covert operations where a police officer or a soldier needs to maintain a concealed position.
The Casio G-Shock military watch is covered by a 2-year warranty.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Very affordable price
- Durable X-large black resin case
- Matte black resin band has securely closing buckle
- Scratch-resistant mineral face
- Shock and mud resistant
- 200-meter water resistance
- Easy to operate large anti-skid buttons
- Auto LED Light with afterglow
- Analog and digital time in 12/24-hour formats
- Accuracy: +/- 15 seconds per month
- Good 2-year battery life
- 1/1000th-second stopwatch with speed indicator
- Anti-magnetic structure
- Full auto-calendar (pre-programmed until the year 2099)
- 29 times zones (48 cities + UTC)
- Daylight saving on/off
- Home city/world time swapping
- Compass
- Countdown Timer
- Hourly time signal
- Four daily alarms
- Snooze function
- Lithium battery is included
- Two-year warranty
Cons
- Digital display is not very bright
- Bulky
- Only two chronograph dials
- Face is very reflective
4. Invicta Men’s Pro Diver Scuba Military Watch
A bold and striking watch, the Invicta Men’s Pro Diver Scuba Military Watch will make a statement wherever your outdoor adventures take you. It has a durable brushed black-ion-plated stainless steel case, a flame-fusion scratch-resistant crystal window, and a pull-push crown. The black stainless steel bracelet with a fold-over clasp has a safety button to keep the watch securely fastened on your wrist.
This sporty timepiece is equipped with a precise, Swiss quartz automatic movement, and is water-resistant up to 660-feet (200-meters).
User-friendly features include full chronograph functions with 3 subdials: 60 seconds, 30 minutes, and 12-hour, a date display, and a magnified date window.
For easy visibility in low light conditions, there are luminous dots for hour indexes, silver-tone luminous hands and the unidirectional bezel has luminous 5-second indexes.
The Invicta military watch comes with a lithium battery. Invicta offers a 1-year warranty on its stylish watch.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Good price
- Stylish design
- Precise Swiss-quartz automatic movement
- Great performance
- Scratch-resistant flame-fusion crystal
- Durable brushed black ion-plated stainless steel case
- Black stainless steel bracelet has a fold-over clasp with a safety button
- Water-resistant to 660-feet (200-meters)
- Chronograph functions with 60 second, 30 minutes, and 12-hour subdials
- Date function with magnified window
- Black dial with silver-tone hands and hour markers
- Unidirectional bezel has luminous 5-second indexes
- Pull-push crown
- Battery is included
- One-year warranty
Cons
- Not a lot of advanced features
- Not ideal for heavy-duty use
- No locking crown
5. Isobrite ISO100 Ultra Bright Dive/Tactical T100 Tritium Watch
Built like a tank and brighter than a glow-worm, the Isobrite ISO100 Ultra Bright Dive/Tactical T100 Tritium Watch offers you great visibility and an accurate timekeeping experience.
The black carbon-fiber-reinforced case and the silicone band is durable, yet lightweight which makes the watch comfortable to wear. It has an anti-reflective, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal dial window and an extra-large display that allows for greater visibility.
It displays both standard and military time, has a date display, and it is water-resistant up to 660-feet (200-meters). For accurate timekeeping, the watch has a high-quality Swiss Ronda 715Li movement and the lithium battery has incredible 10-year battery life.
The ultra-bright display has 2 tritium illumination markers on the unidirectional bezel, which provides a long-lasting glow that shines 4 times brighter than standard tritium watches and lasts for approximately 50 years.
Condensation can build up in the watch before 200-meters but it disappears 24-36 hours after use.
The Isobrite military watch comes with its own durable carrying case and a lithium battery. The watch is covered by a 2-year warranty.
Pros
- High quality
- Very good value for money
- Extremely lightweight and comfortable to wear
- Durable black carbon-fiber-reinforced case and silicone band
- Anti-reflective scratch-resistant sapphire crystal dial window
- Extra-large case
- 200-meters water resistance
- Precise Swiss movement
- 10-year battery life
- Ultra-bright display shines 4 times brighter than standard tritium watches
- Two tritium illumination markers on the unidirectional bezel
- Higher volume of tritium gas lasts up to 50-years
- Standard and military time
- Date display
- Sturdy carrying case
- Lithium battery is included
- Two-year warranty
Cons
- Expensive
- Has no advanced features
- No chronograph
- Condensation can build up in the watch face
- Might be too bright for covert operations
6. Amazfit T-Rex Smartwatch
The Amazfit T-Rex Smartwatch is loaded with high-tech features which makes it an excellent military watch.
Made tough, the military-certified T-Rex has a rugged polymer body. It is waterproof down to 50-meters; can withstand extremely cold conditions to -104F, extremely hot weather to 150F, and 240 hours in damp heat. The convex design reduces vibration and the outer bezel and metal screws made it extra sturdy. You will stay comfortable with the sweat-permeable silicone band.
You can access the time in any light as the ultra-bright 1.3-inch AMOLED color screen supports an always-on display at the flick of your wrist and goes into low power mode when not in use.
Large etched metal buttons allow you to quickly find your controls and you can touch and swipe the highly responsive Gorilla Glass 3 screen with anti-fingerprint coating.
The T-Rex has got your tactical operations covered, with its highly precise dual-satellite GPS/GLONASS positioning system. Amazfit has also optimized the signal reception to account for interference from the arm while you are wearing the watch. This design feature ensures that satellite searching is faster and positioning is more accurate, whether you are in the urban jungle or the wilderness.
The screen also displays the date, a countdown timer, and a compass.
Extra features include Huami’s BioTracker™ that performs high-precision heart rate monitoring 24 hours a day and 14 built-in professional sport modes. Stay connected with the smart Bluetooth feature that lets you receive emails, weather forecasts, call reminders, and app notifications from your smartphone.
It has a highly accurate quartz movement and an ultra-long lithium battery that lasts up to 20 days on a single charge. The Sony GPS chip keeps the watch’s power consumption low even with continuous GPS usage for 40 hours.
You can choose from 4 tactical designs: army green, camo green, black, and khaki, or a digital Sports version, and a rechargeable lithium battery is included. Amazfit offers a 1-year limited warranty.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Good price
- Military-certified rugged polymer construction
- Comfortable sweat-permeable silicone band
- Reinforced stainless steel housing
- Highly responsive Gorilla Glass 3 screen has an anti-fingerprint coating
- Convex design reduces vibration
- Sturdy outer bezel and metal screws
- Large etched metal buttons
- 1.3-inch AMOLED color screen that supports an always-on display
- Good water resistance to 50-meters
- Ideal for extremely hot and cold weather
- High-end Sony GPS chip
- Highly precise dual-satellite GPS/GLONASS positioning system
- Can receive emails, weather forecasts, call reminders, and app notifications
- Date, countdown timer, and compass
- Huami’s BioTracker™
- 14 built-in professional sport modes
- Highly accurate quartz movement
- Ultra-long lithium-polymer battery lasts up to 20 days on a single charge
- Sony GPS chip makes sure your power consumption remains low
- Available in army green, camo green, black, and khaki a digital Sports version
- Lithium battery is included
- One-year limited warranty
Cons
- Cannot be submerged in very deep water
- Synching with a smartphone is slow
- Watchband does not feel very strong
- No barometer, altimeter, or chronograph
- Might be a bit bulky for people with small wrists
- Watch may have too much tech for some people
7. Fanmis Men’s Military Multifunction Digital Watch
This stylish Fanmis Men’s Military Multifunction Digital Watch is a very good choice for law enforcement professionals.
Designed for challenging tactical scenarios, the field-style watch has a solid rubber silicone case, stainless steel back cover, and a durable mineral crystal window. The soft imported polyurethane band with a securely closing buckle is comfortable to wear.
The military sports watch is shock resistant and has a 5 ATM waterproof rating, so it is water-resistant up to 164 -feet (50-meters) but you cannot press any buttons in the water.
A multifunctional timepiece, the Fanmis displays standard 12-hour and military 24-hour modes, a calendar, an alarm mode, a stopwatch, and a timer.
The bright 7-color backlit blue screen and illuminated buttons around the bezel are visually appealing and give you excellent illumination in low light conditions.
You can rely on the Fanmis military watch for precise and accurate timekeeping as it has a digital electronic quartz movement and the CR2025 lithium battery lasts up to 3 years.
If mist or droplets are found inside the watch surface, please contact the manufacturer immediately for maintenance to prevent moisture corrosion of the internal components.
The Fanmis military watch comes with a blue or green backlit screen. FANMIS offers a 2-year warranty on its super cool watch.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Very affordable price
- Stylish minimalist design
- Solid rubber silicone case
- Stainless steel back cover
- Mineral crystal window
- Shock resistant
- Five ATM waterproof to 164-feet or 50-meters
- Comfortable soft polyurethane band has a securely closing buckle
- Highly accurate digital electronic quartz movement
- Three-year battery life
- Visually appealing attractive blue LED backlight
- Standard and military time
- Calendar
- Stopwatch and alarm
- Also available with a green backlit screen
- Two-year warranty
Cons
- Bulky
- Compass is only a decorative feature
- Cannot press any buttons underwater
- Cannot be used in extreme hot or cold temperature
- No chronograph
8. Luminox Men’s 3051 EVO Navy SEAL Colormark Watch
If you are a NAVY Seal, an air force pilot, or a marine professional, the Luminox Men’s 3051 EVO Navy SEAL Colormark Watch is a great choice for a military watch.
This rugged dive-style Swiss-made timepiece is constructed with a 44mm-diameter, 13-millimeter thick carbon-reinforced polyurethane case, and the dial window is made from tempered scratch-resistant mineral crystal. Lightweight and comfortable, the black polyurethane band with an embossed logo has a securely closing stainless steel buckle clasp.
The analog watch features self-powered Tritium long-term illumination and the display glows 100 times brighter than other luminous watches, which allows for quick and easy visibility.
The dial has large easy-to-read 12-hour numbers and eye-catching white Arabic numerals, while the smaller white numbers mark out the 24-hour military time. In addition, a handy date calendar rests at the 3 o’clock position, and the unidirectional ratcheting bezel has bright white minute indexes.
You can rely on this watch for accurate timekeeping as it has a precise Swiss quartz movement and a long-lasting lithium CR123A battery.
The Colormark is water-resistant to 660-feet (200-meters) so it is suitable for professional marine activity and serious surface water sports, but not for scuba diving.
The Luminox military watch comes with a lithium battery. Luminox offers a 2-year limited warranty on its fabulous watch.
Pros
- High quality
- Very good value for money
- Swiss-made
- Self-powered long-term Tritium illumination
- Glows 100 times brighter than other luminous watches
- Perfect for low-light or no-light situations
- Carbon-reinforced polyurethane case
- Tempered scratch-resistant mineral crystal dial window
- Carbon-reinforced unidirectional ratcheted bezel
- Durable polyurethane band with embossed logo and securely closing buckle closure
- Classic black dial
- Easy to read bright white markers
- Eye-catching white Arabic numerals
- Calendar rests at the 3 o’clock position
- Highly accurate Swiss quartz movement
- Long-lasting lithium battery is included
- Water resistant to 600-feet (200-meters)
- Lightweight and comfortable to wear
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Two-year warranty
Cons
- Not ideal for scuba diving
- No chronograph
- Replacing the strap can be hard as it is not a common band size
- Mineral crystal is not as strong as sapphire crystal
Our Top Pick for the Best Military Watch
Our top pick for the best military watch is the Casio GA100-1A1 Military Watch. A seriously tough military watch, the Casio GA100-1A1 is designed for extreme outdoor conditions and high octane action.
Whether you are a military officer or a law enforcement professional, the Casio GA100-1A1 military watch is a precise time-keeping device that offers you great tactical features and it looks super stylish too.
Check the price on Amazon
