To All Military and Special Forces Member.What Watches do you use and why.

[Konz81]

I want to buy a good military/dive watch.Did some research and all kind of military/dive watches just say that they are the best.I thinks thats bull.So i want to know from the guys who use and need these watches every day,what watch you use and why.

[Crusader]

Methinks the answer depends to some extent on who's paying for the watch ... the more government funding is available, the higher one can go in quality and price (see the special antimagnetic Ocean 2000 for German special forces).

The more purchase is at the personal or unit level, the higher the "replaceability" factor figures.

Just my two bezants' worth ...

[Janne]

I was an officer in a Swedish Special Forces unit, (see my profile), for 2 years.
I wore an Omega Constellation f300. I still have it, had it restored by Omega a couple of years back.
IMO you do not need these "Superman" watches. A WR of 30-50 meters, a bit of lume and you are fine. Most important for me was the accurancy.
Most of my colleagues had Rolexes, Tudors, Omegas.
IMHO those "tactical" watches are all show and no action.

[ecalzo]

Methinks the answer depends to some extent on who's paying for the watch ... the more government funding is available, the higher one can go in quality and price (see the special antimagnetic Ocean 2000 for German special forces).

The more purchase is at the personal or unit level, the higher the "replaceability" factor figures.

Just my two bezants' worth ...

i agree.....
i think that most of the special forces employers wears G-Shock
or Timex or Marathon or Luminox..

[Crusader]

i think that most of the special forces employers wears G-Shock or Timex or Marathon or Luminox..

D'accord on the G-Shock, Timex and Suunto ... not sure about Marathon and Luminox. At the end of the day, in terms of ruggedness and functionailty, incidentally) quartz digital > quartz analog > mechanical

Unfortunately, we don't only need to know which watches are worn, but for which reasons (affordability/replaceability; functions like timers, second timezone etc.; quick readability ...)

[d3gfx]

I never had a problem with my Issued Stocker & Yale, or the Casio, and Seiko's I used in the field, I guess it would depend on the information you need to Continue the Mission..

For me, I had to have accuracy, some Dependable Lume (which Casio failed)
and a watch that could take harsh environments, but let me tell you....the Jungle is NO place for a watch for extended periods of time.

I would go for the new Sunnto's (sp) and Marathon's I have heard from fellow WIS are a "must have".

I guess what it comes down to is your Mission, your Budget, and can you STOP at just ONE ? ?

[Wardo]

I would go for the new Sunnto's (sp) and Marathon's I have heard from fellow WIS are a "must have".

To what "new Suuntos" are you referring?

[atxtj]

I wore a luminox 3001 for the last four years I was in the army. It was beaten on regularly while being abused in the turret of an M1A1. I know people lately have had reliability issues with them but mine never failed me, and the lume is great when pulling watch. Here's a few pics I snapped, you can see it's been "loved". I'll never get rid of this watch, its been through too much stuff with me!

[Doug507]

By far and away, G-Shock and Ironman are the most common. For US forces, nothing even comes close to these. Suuntos are gaining favor, but they really suck up batteries f-a-s-t.

Some of us dinosaurs remember when Seiko divers ruled. *sigh*

[atxtj]

By far and away, G-Shock and Ironman are the most common. For US forces, nothing even comes close to these.

This is absolutely correct. And it brings up an interesting point. The vast majority of soldiers are not what I would consider WIS people. They have a watch because they have to be able to tell time, and in a combat MOS, you don't always have access to a wall clock or cell phone. The people that I knew that were into watches never wore anything they didn't mind seeing destroyed into the field. I know I didn't, it just had to work, cool WIS features be damned! I.e. I would not wear my Marathon on a tank. I don't know about the SF guys, this is just an average tankers opinion.