9 best military watches

Name: POLAR Grit X - Rugged Outdoor Watch with GPS, Compass, Altimeter and Military-Level Durability for Hiking
Brand: Polar
Price: 415.90 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.3 (250 reviews)

Military watches are a distinct category of wristwatches that have been designed and built to meet the rigorous requirements of military personnel. These watches are highly regarded for their durability, functionality, and rugged design. Here's an overview of key features and characteristics associated with military watches:

Durability: Military watches are built to withstand harsh conditions and are often constructed with robust materials like stainless steel, titanium, or high-impact plastics.They are designed to resist shock, water, and other external forces.
Water Resistance: Many military watches are water-resistant or even waterproof, allowing them to be used in wet and aquatic environments without damage. Water resistance is usually indicated in meters (e.g., 100 meters, 200 meters), indicating the depth they can withstand.
Legibility: Military watches prioritize readability with large, clear, and highly visible dials. This is especially important in low-light or high-stress situations. Luminescent markers and hands are commonly used for night-time visibility.
Accuracy: Accuracy is paramount in military operations, and many military watches are equipped with reliable quartz or automatic movements. Some are designed to meet strict accuracy standards and are often certified as chronometers.
Functionality: Military watches may include various features and complications, such as chronographs, compasses, altimeters, barometers, and more, depending on the intended use. These additional functions can be valuable for military personnel in the field.
Strap: The strap of military watches is typically made from sturdy materials like nylon, rubber, or metal, ensuring they can withstand wear and tear in challenging environments. NATO-style straps are a common choice for their reliability.
Tritium or Super-LumiNova: Military watches often use tritium or Super-LumiNova for luminous markings and hands. These materials provide long-lasting and consistent illumination in low-light conditions.
Shock Resistance: These watches are designed to absorb shocks and vibrations, which is essential for military personnel in combat or physically demanding situations.
Screw-Down Crowns: Many military watches feature screw-down crowns to enhance water resistance and protect the movement from dust and debris.
Anti-Glare Crystal: A sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating is commonly used to reduce glare and improve visibility.
Tactical Design: Military watches often feature a tactical and utilitarian design with subdued colors like black, green, or gray. They may also have military time (24-hour) markings on the dial.
Historical Significance: Some military watches have gained historical significance, like the iconic Rolex Submariner, which was used by the British Royal Navy.
Brands: Various watch manufacturers produce military watches, including Casio G-Shock, Luminox, Timex, Seiko, and Hamilton, to name a few. Many of these brands have a long history of supplying watches to military organizations.

Military watches are not only favored by military personnel but are also popular among outdoor enthusiasts, adventurers, and those who appreciate rugged and reliable timepieces. These watches combine both style and substance, making them a sought-after accessory for those who value durability and functionality in their wristwear.

Below you can find our editor's choice of the best military watches on the market

Suunto Core All Black Military Men's Outdoor Sports Watch - SS014279010

Suunto

Based on 8 reviews Check latest price

Product description

The weather was clear for days as your expedition ascended 10,000 feet, but then the barometric pressure started to change and your Storm Alarm went off. Thanks to the Suunto Core Altimeter Watch, you set up your high altitude camp ahead of the big storm and are in your sleeping bag sipping hot cocoa before it hits. Bravo.

Building on the success of the venerable Suunto Vector, the Suunto Core keeps you informed of conditions while you hike, bike, or camp, making it a terrific companion for outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes. What can the Suunto Core do for you? For starters, it can sense an approaching squall even when the sky looks clear. This intelligent Storm Alarm--one of several intelligent features designed to keep you safe and secure--is activated by a rapid drop in air pressure over a three-hour period. Once the Core senses the change, the Storm Alarm sounds and flashes, letting you know that something unpleasant is fast approaching. The built-in altimeter, meanwhile, displays your current elevation, shows how much you've climbed or descended, and records your entire session for later analysis. Accurate to within 30,000 feet, the altimeter is an extremely valuable tool for mountaineering, backcountry skiing, and wilderness travel. Add in such additional features as a barometer, a digital thermometer, a weather trend indicator, and a digital compass and you have a terrific wrist-top computer for almost all your outdoor needs.

The altimeter contributes to your excursion in several ways. If you're standing on or near an obvious geographic feature, such as a ridge, trail, or creek, the altimeter can alert you to your current elevation and help you find your position on a topographic map. Similarly, if you plan on climbing a slope to a certain elevation and then traversing, the Core can help you stay on course. And as a bonus, the Suunto Core includes a unique start-from-zero function, so you don't have to enter a reference altitude. Instead, with the single push of a button, the altimeter will begin tracking your ascent and descent.

The Core also includes a barometer, which measures and records air pressure to help you predict changing conditions--from sunny skies to hair-bending electrical storms. The barometer helps you decide whether to bring a soft shell or rain shell jacket when the skies look ominous, or even when to high-tail it back to the car. In general, low pressure brings inclement weather, while high pressure brings stability and clear skies. If you've arrived at camp and notice the pressure starting to plunge, it's probably a good idea to secure the tent and crawl in. Likewise, if you were on a climb, it would be prudent to find shelter and retreat. Even at home, the Suunto Core barometer can look beyond office walls, skyscrapers, and nearby hills to help you plan for upcoming activities.

If you want a weather forecast that extends out a few hours, you can turn to the built-in weather trend indicator. The indicator shows the barometric history for the last three and six hours, helping you predict the weather with amazing accuracy. What's more, the watch doesn't give you a regional forecast posted earlier in the day, but rather the most current information about the weather directly overhead. And no outdoor watch is worth its salt without a digital compass, a great tool for keeping track of your direction while skiing, hiking, or exploring a new city. You can set and follow a bearing with a traditional rotating bezel, or simply point the top of the watch toward your intended destination and lock it in.

Additional features include several traditional watch functions, including dual times, a date display, and an alarm; predicted times for sunrise and sunset to help you maximize your daylight hours; an automatic Alti/Baro mode that senses movement or lack thereof and switches between the altimeter and barometer accordingly; a depth meter that provides accurate water depth readings to 30 feet; and the ability to function in English, German, French, and Spanish. Available in such colors as all black, aluminum black, light black, black orange, aluminum brown, light green, black yellow, and steel , the Suunto Core carries a two-year warranty.

Specifications:

The Suunto Core watch includes an altimeter, barometer, compass, and weather indicator.

The watch is compatible with several different straps (sold separately).

Finish: All black
Real-time vertical cumulative value: Yes
Temperature compensation: Yes
Total ascent/descent: Yes
User-removable logbook files: Yes
Automatic Alti/Baro switch: Yes
Automatic 7-day Alti/Baro memory: Yes
Resolution: 1 meter
Recording intervals: 1 second, 5 second, 30 seconds, 60 seconds
Altitude range: 1,600 to 29,500 feet
Difference measurement: Yes
Log graph: Yes
Logbook function: Yes
Countdown timer: Yes
Stopwatch: Yes
Guided calibration: Yes
Heading in degrees: Yes
Declination setting: Yes
Cardinal directions: Yes
Bearing tracking: Yes
North-South indicator: North indicator
Languages: English, German, French, and Spanish
Depth meter: Yes, to 30 feet
Rotating bezel: Yes
Time: 12/24 hours
Sunrise/sunset times: Yes
Calendar clock: Yes
Dual time: Yes
Daily alarms: 1
Alarm snooze: Yes
Weather memory: 7 days
Weather alarm: Yes
Trend indicator and graph: Yes
Temperature range: -5 to 140 degrees F
Sea level pressure: Yes
Barometer range: 300 to 1,100 mbar
Low battery warning: Yes
Water resistance: 100 feet
Backlight option: Yes
Weight: 2.26 ounces
Warranty: 2 years

About Suunto

Suunto was founded in 1936 by outdoors man and a keen orienteering enthusiast, Tuomas Vohlonen, who had long been bothered by a problem: the inaccuracy of traditional dry compasses and their lack of steady needle operation. Being an engineer with an inventive turn of mind, he discovered and patented the production method for a much steadier needle, better readings, and a new level of accuracy.

By 1950 the company was exporting compasses to over 50 countries around the world, including Canada and the United States. In 1952, Helsinki was hosting the Olympic Games, and the torches carried to light the Olympic flame were Suunto products. The next step was improving the stability and accuracy of marine compasses. The first marine compass, the Suunto K-12, was launched onto the market in 1953. In 1957, Suunto started manufacturing hypsometers, which measure the height of trees.

In the 1960s, the compass range grew further and Suunto introduced its first diving compass--initiated by the divers themselves. A British sports diver attached a Suunto compass to his wrist and found that the device also worked underwater. Thanks to his feedback and initiatives, the new business category was found. Suunto's exports and business grew steadily and Suunto then focused on combining its strength in precision mechanics with new skills in electronics. Accuracy, reliability, and ruggedness have been Suunto's key values from the very beginning of the company history.

Today, Suunto is a leading designer and manufacturer of sports instruments for training, diving, mountaineering, hiking, skiing, sailing, and golf. True to its roots, Suunto is today the world's biggest compass manufacturer. Prized for their design, accuracy and dependability, Suunto sports instruments combine the aesthetics and functionality of watches with sport-specific computers that help athletes at all levels analyze and improve performance. Headquartered in Vantaa, Finland, Suunto employs more than 500 people worldwide and distributes its products to nearly 60 countries. The company is a subsidiary of Helsinki-based Amer Sports Corporation with the sister brands Wilson, Salomon, Atomic, Precor, and Mavic.

An altimeter tracks your vertical movement, a barometer tells the Trend in air pressure, and a compass points the way
Suunto core tracks both the weather and the sun for you; Operating temperature: 20° C to +60° C / 5° F to +140° F; Storage temperature: 30° C to +60° C / 22° F to +140° F
A weather Trend graph and storm alarm along with preset sunrise/sunset times for over 400 locations help you stay safe and plan your activities
With stylish designs in more than a handful of variations, you are sure to find just the right Suunto core for your style
Wrist top computer watch with altimeter, barometer, compass and weather indicator
Altimeter displays current elevation, shows ascent or descent and records session
Intelligent storm alarm senses drops in air pressure and notifies you of approaching storms

User questions & answers

Question:	what size wrist does the standard black rubber strap fit
Answer:	My wrist is ~8.5", maybe a little more. The Vector band fits my wrist on the last hole. There is not enough band left to fit into the sleeve intended to secure the end of the band. The Core band is about 3/4" longer.
Question:	My watch is in another language how do i get it to english? i believe it's in german
Answer:	Push the 2 left buttons and upper and lower right buttons at the same time, puts the watch in sleep mode then push right center button and wait for it to turn on, it’ll say language, scroll with right upper and lower buttons
Question:	Does this track distance
Answer:	As far as I know, no, A B C, altimeter, barometric, compass. I was debating on this watch vs. a GPS watch, but I wouldn't use the GPS watch as much. I hope this helps
Question:	Has anyone had problems with Suunto not honoring warranties for those who purchased the Suunto core from amazon.com
Answer:	I have been researching the Suunto Core All Black to find the best price for purchase. One of the key features needed is an alarm clock, but I could not find any definitive information as to whether it had one or not. Even the Suunto website and manual was not very cut and dry with an answer. I contacted Suunto customer service and asked about this function (pf which they responded in the affirmative), but I also asked the comment made here stating Amazon purchases are not honored via warranty. Suunto stated this is COMPLETELY FALSE! Amazon IS an authorized reseller. You need only keep your receipt. Finally have this issue/question clearly and easily resolved after so many guesses since 2013!

Product features

Designed to be your reliable companion wherever you go

The essence of the great outdoors is distilled into Suunto Core. Combining an altimeter, barometer and a compass with weather information, it will bring out the explorer in you.

Altimeter

Determine your current elevation, track your ascent or descent and gauge your overall progress on a climb – ideal for mountaineers, skiers and wilderness travelers.

Barometer

Forecast sudden alterations in the weather by keeping a close eye on the air pressure trend. Get heads up on possible storm – and take the necessary precautions to help make your journey safe and successful.

Compass

Navigate and pinpoint locations to safely find your way through wilderness and in whiteout conditions.

Sunrise / Sunset

Never run out of daylight. Sunrise and sunset times available for over 400 locations worldwide .

About Suunto

Suunto was born in 1936 when Finnish orienteer and engineer Tuomas Vohlonen invented the mass production method for the liquid-filled compass. Since then, Suunto has been at the forefront of design and innovation for sports watches, dive computers and sports instruments used by adventurers all over the globe. From the highest mountains to the deepest oceans, Suunto physically and mentally equips outdoor adventurers to conquer new territory.