Watch suggestions?

F

Fieldtestornothing

Joined
May 23, 2006
Messages
680
Hey guys I need some help picking a watch.

I am X army and work as a Federal Agent in a 'Reconaissance' role. Which puts me sleeping under the stars in the bush almost 4 months a year in all weather and terrain conditions. It is also really tuff on my gear. I go through all but the best equipment quickly. I need to replace my watch. I went through a Sunto G3 and a LumiNox in the last 4 years and they were as I was told a standard in reliability.

I require:

100% reliability
100% water proofness
Somewhat of a low profile
Usable under low-no light
Somewhat low cost: Under 200bucks preferably
The less weight the better

Can you guys give me some suggestions I am totally at a loss?
 
G-shock, tracer, luminox night ops (its steel cased instead of plastic), marathon to name a few....
 
You could get two Timex Expeditions for $40 apiece, and put one on each wrist. (Just make sure you get them exactly synchronized, or you'll die of exhaustion, looking from one to the other to figure out what time it really is.)

Kidding aside, mine have lasted me all right--under less harsh use than yours, probably. You can use them in low light; they come with sweep second hands (useful in taking pulses and respiration measurements, in a first-aid situation). They come with alarms you can turn on and off (helpful if you want to catch some sleep in the field and wake up at a given time). And for that price you really can carry a backup, in case you crack one in a fall, or whatever.
 
I broke a titanium Citizen twice, both in the same way, when exiting a C-141. Both times, I lucked out and the watch stayed in my sleeve. After that, I always wore the G-shock. It's cheap, strong as hell, good for like -100 meters, the blue light is easy to see at night, yet doesn't stand out a whole lot. The G-shock is my vote for the greatest field watch ever.
 
I have an analog g-shock I wear for work and skiing...it is tough as nails but the glow in the dark hands are pretty weak. My Citizen 2100 beats the hell out of it for low light performance but it's heavy and flashy!

The g-shock does have a good backlight but I prefer big glowing hands personally.
 
Get a G Shock. The new ones are solar powered & sync up at night via radio to some central place in Colorado. This is the 3rd one I have had in 20? years. The others work but they got ratty from surf fishing and the band sweated out. They have a back light that only goes on when you push the button. My nephew dropped his from an apartment building 10-15 floors up. Watch worked fine. IMHO it's the best outside watch, I've never used any of the other brands so I can't compare to anything else.
 
Great suggestions! Sounds like I'm going to be looking at a G Shock. Any models prefered? Where is the cheapest place to purchase?
 
I personally really like a good analogue field watch with a moving bezel/timer. I currently have a seiko automatic that works really well and was purchased for $150. It is waterproof to 100m (I tested it to 30 m) and a good leather strap. It does lose a couple minutes over two weeks if you don't wear it at night (I don't as my wife complains), but it doesn't loose time if it is worn. This is one of those models where the natural movements of your arms self winds it. A really great watch!
 
One of the timex expeditions has a digital compass included,could be useful. Also Victorinox makes one with a digital compass @ around 5or6 hundred bucks.
 
A Seiko diver with the 7S26 movement. They are inexpensive, bulletproof and an automatic. Quartz is nice, but when you're in the bush and the battery dies....

Scroll down the page here to "1996-present" to get an idea of the model numbers.
 
I finally got my Marathon GSAR; a little out of your price range, but it's my "end-of-the-world" watch...meets all my needs and I love it:D

For a few in your price range I've used:

Citizen Eco-Drive

Seiko 5

Luminox

My son is now using my Citizen Eco-Drive (same model shown); he's 9 and is extremely hard on anything he touches! It's still working which amazes me.

I definitely prefer analog watches for simplicity, however I do have a G-Shock (solar) on my work bag...it also accompanies me on any field trips or deployments as it's my backup watch and my wake-up alarm; plus I use it for timing my physical fitness runs.

I do like the tritium on the Luminox and Marathon watches; I do a lot of stuff in low light and it really helps.

ROCK6
 
I have a G-Shock G5600 that rocks.
It's light and not bulky like some watches.
It does well as an everyday watch and is def. low profile.
It kinda looks retro but adjusts its time every night by the nuclear clock in Colorado. :-)
Oh, and it's solar powered. The charge lasts many months so you'll never need
batteries even if you are in the dark for 6 months in the arctic.
 
Heres a watch I came across, its made by cammenga, makers of the us military lensatic compass

watchbig.jpg
 
+1 on the Citizen Eco Drive. They never need batteries or winding. The G-shocks are also really durable and a little cheaper.
 
I have to vote for the Timex Expedition as well. I have worn one for years and years with no issues at all with it. I only recently switched to a Victorinox Officers watch because I collect Victorinox SAK's, so my family thought the watch would be a great gift (which it is, but it has NO light! :( ).
The Timex has moved to my EDC bag, and still keep great time.
 
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