Military Watches: What Soldiers Actually Wear (and the Best Ones to Buy)

Featured image: Giordano Tonelli, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Real military watches range from the 1945 British “Dirty Dozen” and the US GG-W-113 and MIL-W-46374 field watches to the Casio G-Shock, Marathon General Purpose Quartz and, today, GPS watches such as the Garmin tactix 8.

Best Military Watches at a Glance

• Best budget: Casio G-Shock DW-5600UE-1 (about $55 to $60) or Timex Expedition Scout 40 (under $50).
• Best value automatic: Seiko 5 Sports Field watch, SRPG series (roughly $275 to $295).
• Best heritage field watch: Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm, H69439931 (about $595).
• Closest to real issue: Marathon General Purpose Quartz, GPQ (about $350 for the MaraGlo version, about $450 for tritium).
• Best tactical dive watch: Luminox Navy SEAL 3500 series (about $595 for the Navy SEAL Foundation edition).
• Best GPS watch: Garmin Instinct 3 Solar 45mm (about $399).
• Best no-compromise tactical: Garmin tactix 8 (from about $1,299).

Prices are approximate US retail from the sources listed below and move with sales and size or strap options.

What Soldiers Actually Wore: A Short History of Issued Watches

Militaries have always bought watches the way they buy boots: to a written specification, from whichever maker could deliver the most. The result is a long list of plain, black or white dialed watches that look very similar. Here is what is documented, and where the stories get fuzzy.

WWII: the A-11 and the “Dirty Dozen”

The US Army Air Forces’ “A-11” was a specification number, not a brand. According to the National WWII Museum, the spec called for a hacking movement (the second hand stops when you pull the crown, so crews can synchronize watches), a sweep second hand and a black dial with white numerals. Examples dated 1944 and 1945 carry the names of makers such as Bulova, Elgin and Waltham.

Hamilton’s wartime story was different. According to JCK, Hamilton stopped civilian production and built hundreds of thousands of wristwatches for the US military and its allies, plus thousands of marine chronometers for the Navy.

The British equivalent is the set of watches collectors call the “Dirty Dozen,” marked “W.W.W.” with the Broad Arrow. Worn & Wound lists the twelve makers as Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Lemania, Longines, Omega, Record, Timor and Vertex. The watches were delivered between May and December 1945, roughly 150,000 in total, with a 35 to 38mm case, a black dial with luminous markings and a 15-jewel movement. That is the template modern “military” dials still copy.

Vietnam era: GG-W-113, MIL-W-46374 and the Seiko story

American ground troops of this period were issued two closely related designs. The GG-W-113 was a hand-wound, hacking, 17-jewel watch made by Benrus, Hamilton and others. The MIL-W-46374 was a cheaper “disposable” alternative that omitted hacking. According to Worn & Wound, the MIL-W-46374 specification dates from 1964, was revised many times, and ran through the era of tritium paint to quartz. Sources disagree on the exact dates for the GG-W-113; The Time Bum shows examples from 1969 (Benrus) and 1979 (Hamilton).

The Seiko story is more surprising. According to Watches of Espionage, recon teams in MACV-SOG were issued Seikos in the late 1960s, procured through the Counter Insurgency Support Office for reportedly around $6 to $8 each. Three references are generally agreed: 6619-8060 (about 1967), 6119-8100 (about 1968) and 7005-8030 (about 1970). The same source says there is plenty of misinformation here; for example, a SOG veteran dismisses the rumor that a Seiko was a reward for capturing a prisoner.

Quartz era: Marathon and the G-Shock

When quartz arrived, the field watch became a durable, battery-powered tool. By the 1980s and 1990s, Worn & Wound notes the MIL-W-46374 revisions D to F included quartz types from Hamilton, Stocker & Yale and Marathon. Once Stocker & Yale stopped making military watches, Marathon was the only maker of government-issue pieces, according to the same source. Marathon itself says its General Purpose line goes back to field watches it supplied to Allied forces in 1941 and has a direct lineage to the GG-W-113 spec.

The G-Shock became a soldier’s watch largely through personal purchase. Watches of Espionage reports that only four references have a US stock number: DW-5600E-1V, DW-6600-1V, DW-6900-1V and DW-9052-1V. The DW-9052-1V was issued to new Navy divers and SEAL candidates until 2018. Many units simply bought G-Shocks outside the system. We cover one famous example in our piece on the Casio worn in American Sniper.

Luminox and the Navy SEALs

Luminox says its original Navy SEAL watch, the 3001, was “developed in partnership with the U.S. Navy SEALs in 1992,” and today supports the Navy SEAL Foundation. Luminox does not claim the watch is standard government issue, and we found no independent confirmation that it is. The safe description is a watch built with SEAL input and sold to the public, not a standard-issue item. Our Luminox hub covers the brand’s models.

GPS watches: Garmin tactix

Garmin’s tactix line is marketed to military users and, according to Tom’s Guide, the tactix 8 is tested to US military standards for thermal, shock and water resistance. We found no source confirming that any military issues Garmin watches. Treat them as popular personal-purchase kit, not issued equipment. See our Garmin hub for more.

The Best Military Watches to Buy

Casio G-Shock DW-5600UE-1 (about $55 to $60)

This is the basic square G-Shock. Casio lists 200m water resistance, shock resistance, a 48.9 by 42.8 by 13.4mm case and a CR2016 battery rated at roughly five years. It suits anyone who wants a watch they never think about. The trade-off is plastic construction and no solar charging.

Timex Expedition Scout 40 (under $50)

A 40mm brass-cased quartz field watch with Indiglo backlighting, 50m water resistance and a slip-through nylon strap on 20mm lugs, according to reviews at IZ Review. It is for a first field watch or a beater. The trade-off is only 50m of water resistance and a brass case that is less durable than steel over the long term.

Seiko 5 Sports Field watch, SRPG series (roughly $275 to $295)

According to Gear Patrol, this is a 39.4mm automatic with Seiko’s 4R36 movement, hacking and hand-winding, a 41-hour power reserve and 100m of water resistance. It is the most capable automatic here for the money. The trade-offs are a 13mm thickness, and the reviewer found it wears larger than ideal.

Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm, H69439931 (about $595)

The nearest thing to the watches Hamilton made for the US military in the 1960s and 1970s. It has a 38mm steel case, a manual-wind H-50 movement with an 80-hour power reserve and 50m of water resistance. It is for people who want heritage and a mechanical movement. The trade-off is that 50m is modest compared with a G-Shock. See our Hamilton hub for more.

Marathon General Purpose Quartz, GPQ (about $350 to $450)

Marathon lists a 34mm fibreshell case with a 16mm lug width, a sapphire crystal and 3 ATM water resistance. The $350 version uses MaraGlo paint, and the $450 version uses tritium tubes and is listed as built to MIL-PRF-46374G, so it is the closest buyable match to actual government issue. The trade-offs are the small size and the short 3 ATM rating.

Luminox Navy SEAL 3500 series (about $595 for the Foundation edition)

A 45mm Carbonox-cased diver rated to 200m, with tritium tubes Luminox says glow for up to 25 years. The Navy SEAL Foundation edition lists at $595. It is for people who want an always-readable dive watch with real SEAL branding. The trade-off is size and a price that buys a lot of other watches.

Garmin Instinct 3 Solar 45mm (about $399)

Garmin’s rugged GPS watch has a MIL-STD 810 rating and a built-in flashlight. The 45mm Solar costs about $399, the 45mm AMOLED $449 and the 50mm AMOLED $499, according to TechRadar. It is the best choice if you want GPS and training data without paying tactix money. Our Instinct 3 guide covers the versions.

Garmin tactix 8 (from about $1,299)

Tom’s Guide lists $1,299 for the 47mm AMOLED and $1,399 for the 51mm models. It adds Stealth Mode, Night Vision Mode, a Kill Switch that deletes stored data, rucking mode and an Applied Ballistics solver, with a titanium bezel and sapphire crystal. It is for those who will use those features. The trade-off is the price, and for most buyers the Instinct 3 does the useful 80 percent.

Military Watch Comparison Table

Watch	Approx. price (USD)	Case	Water resistance	Power	Best for
Casio G-Shock DW-5600UE-1	$55 to $60	48.9 x 42.8mm	200m	Battery (about 5 years)	Toughness on a budget
Timex Expedition Scout 40	Under $50	40mm brass	50m	Quartz	First field watch
Seiko 5 Sports Field (SRPG)	$275 to $295	39.4mm	100m	Automatic, 41 hours	Value automatic
Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical	About $595	38mm steel	50m	Manual wind, 80 hours	Heritage look
Marathon GPQ	$350 to $450	34mm	3 ATM	Quartz	Closest to issue
Luminox Navy SEAL 3500	About $595	45mm Carbonox	200m	Quartz	Constant lume
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar	About $399	45mm	100m	Solar	GPS on a budget
Garmin tactix 8	From $1,299	47 or 51mm	10 ATM	Rechargeable, up to 29 days	Tactical features

How to Choose a Military Watch

Legibility. Issued watches use a plain high-contrast dial, usually white on black, with large numerals and a minute track. If you can read it half-asleep, it is right.

Lume. Painted lume (Super-LumiNova or Marathon’s MaraGlo) needs light to charge and fades through the night. Tritium tubes glow on their own. Worn & Wound notes US MIL-W-46374 watches from the mid-1970s carried a radiation symbol and “H3” mark for tritium paint. Tritium also loses brightness over time, because its half-life is about 12 years.

12 or 24 hours. Military time is useful for logs and radio, and some field watches add a second ring of numerals from 13 to 24. A 24-hour ring is a preference, not a requirement.

Water resistance. For rain and splashes, 50m is enough, but for swimming and dives buy 100m or 200m. Our guide to water resistance ratings explains what the numbers mean.

Straps. Field watches suit a NATO strap. The Time Bum measured vintage GG-W-113 watches at about 17.7mm lug width, so an 18mm NATO fits snugly. Modern watches such as the Timex Scout take 20mm.

GPS and battery. If you navigate, track runs or ruck, pick a GPS watch, and choose solar if you don’t want to charge it. Choose a plain quartz or mechanical watch if you want something that never needs a cable. For work watches, also see our guide to watches for law enforcement officers.

FAQ

What watches do soldiers actually wear?

It depends on the era and the force. Historically the issue watch was a plain field watch such as the A-11, W.W.W. or GG-W-113, while today many troops buy their own G-Shocks, Garmins, Marathons and Luminoxes.

What is the “Dirty Dozen” watch?

It is the name collectors give to the W.W.W. wristwatches built for the British Ministry of Defence in 1945 by twelve makers, including Omega, IWC, Longines and Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Do Navy SEALs wear Luminox?

Luminox says its original Navy SEAL watch was developed in partnership with the SEALs in 1992 and that it supports the Navy SEAL Foundation. We found no independent evidence that it is standard issue, so say “developed with SEAL input,” not “issued.”

Are G-Shocks issued to the US military?

Only some. According to Watches of Espionage, four references (DW-5600E-1V, DW-6600-1V, DW-6900-1V and DW-9052-1V) have US stock numbers, and many units buy other G-Shocks outside the system.

What is the best cheap military watch?

The Casio G-Shock DW-5600UE-1 at about $55 to $60 is the toughest cheap option, with 200m water resistance and a battery rated at around five years. The Timex Expedition Scout 40 under $50 is the cheapest field watch.

Sources

• Worn & Wound: Military Watches of the World, “The Dirty Dozen”
• The Time Bum: Vintage Vietnam War Era U.S. Military Field Watches
• Watches of Espionage: The History of Casio G-Shocks and the US Military
• Watches of Espionage: Vietnam MACV-SOG Seikos, Setting the Record Straight
• Luminox: Navy SEAL, The Evolution of an Icon
• Tom’s Guide: Garmin Tactix 8