“Field watches” – A small but very good segment

Text: Filip Ericsson

The watch market is as we know divided into different segments, some more established than others. One small niche is the so called “field watches”, a genre that arose during the First World War and which thereby constitutes perhaps the oldest segment of them all. Eqotime tells the story and lists a bunch of lovely field watches on the market today. 

So what then is a “field watch”, a field watch? As is customary when it comes to watch segments the definition can appear somewhat fluid, but there certainly are some clear indicators to hold on to. The field watch was born to serve in war and began to be mass produced for the trenches of the First World War. Therefore they were first and foremost to be simple, rugged and easy to read.  

In peacetime, right up to our own day, their qualities have therefore come to be of use for somewhat more pleasant, civilian outdoor activities such as hiking, hunting and fishing, particularly in the USA which was early out with field watches around the time of the First World War.  

The watch type in developed form of course also came to serve in the Second World War and now an industrial large scale had been developed precisely for the purpose. The twelve Swiss brands that were procured by the British Ministry of Defence towards the end of the war, “The dirty dozen”, are probably the most famous historical field watches which today are of course sought after collector's watches.  

The definition of a field watch is thus rather vague and to say the least opens up for interpretation. You could narrow it down and claim that a field watch must be used or have been used by a military power, or loosen the whole thing and hold that all watches with the mentioned qualities are field watches, as long as they are not at the same time diver's or pilot's watches and so on. Or? 

The fact is that pilot's watches and field watches in particular frequently cross each other's paths. IWC's beloved Mark series, which in most people's eyes is the archetype of a pilot's watch, actually began its course as a field watch in Dirty dozen garb and thereafter as the Mark XI in 1948. Only after that has it begun to be defined as a pilot's watch.  

For pilot's and field watches do in fact share many qualities such as markedly easy to read dials, often large crowns that can be handled with gloves as well as a distinct design language that very much resembles one another.  

Even outright luxury watches can be considered to belong to the segment. The Rolex GMT Master and Panerai Luminor do after all belong among the favourites among CIA operatives in far-off lands. They can thereby, on good grounds, hardly be denied being defined as field watches. At the same time you can claim that a proper such watch is at its best with “disappear on the wrist” qualities which at least the admittedly lumpish Luminor hardly possesses! 

The idea with a field watch is further that it shall accompany its wearer through tough chores in rough terrain, and then you should reasonably not have to be afraid that it gets scratched or dirty. A Rolex GMT Master, hand on heart, need therefore not apply, however brilliant it may be. 

With all this as background, a few pronounced field watches are listed below, all with some form of military background and in thoroughly reasonable price classes.  

Benrus DTU-2A/P

American Benrus, founded in New York in 1921, is best known for its military wristwatches during the Second World War and the Vietnam War. They delivered a large number of field watches to the American troops and a Benrus also became known among enthusiasts as Steve McQueen's wristwatch in the car chase flick Bullit from 1968.  

Even though quartz watches under the Benrus flag continued to be manufactured into modern times the brand fell into oblivion after the heyday of the 60s, but was gladly enough revived by American investors in 2020. Today they produce humanely priced sports and field watches in retro style which are assembled in the USA and which are mainly motorised by mechanical movements from Swiss ETA.   

And here the pronounced field watch with the convoluted name DTU-2A/P comes into the picture. The reawakened Benrus chose first and foremost to go for a retro-dripping copy of the field watch that was delivered to the American military in 1964, for service in Vietnam.  

The new copy shares the clear, distinctly executed dial from the original but has grown to a more modern 39.5mm in diameter. The case is of blasted steel, ideal for the purpose one might think. Inside ticks a simple but renowned Sellita Caliber SW200 from Switzerland. The water resistance is to the equivalent of 50 metres and the crystal is classic acrylic.  

Thanks to the down-to-earth specifications the price can be kept low: 595 dollars is asked in the brand's online shop. 

What is appealing about Benrus' new field watch is the combination of classic form, modern function, an attractive price and the historical significance that it holds. The Steve McQueen connection and that it is manufactured in the USA in the classic way are a couple of extra bonuses. Time to buy! 

CWC British Military G10

CWC – Cabot Watch Company – was founded in Great Britain in 1972. The focus lay right from the start entirely on military timekeepers and they quickly became a significant supplier to the British armed forces. Field watches as well as diver's and pilot's watches were ordered for the various British service branches. 

The mechanical field watch W10 with its special tonneau shape was manufactured until 1980 when the quartz watch G10 took over. It was delivered to the British defence forces until 2008 with over 200 000 examples manufactured.  

The G10 is still manufactured but for the civilian market. Production takes place today in Switzerland and inside sits a quartz movement from ETA. The unassuming watch should thus last until the end of time. 

The case measures a mere 36.5m in diameter and 10mm in height. The water resistance is to the equivalent of 50 metres while the crystal is acrylic.  

An interesting function is that as an owner you should easily be able to change the battery yourself. On the back of the case there is namely a small round hatch that can easily be unscrewed with an ordinary screwdriver, and there the battery sits. Ingenious! 

The CWC G10 is undeniably a simple watch that exists solely to measure time for its wearer in the most exact, reliable and economical way possible, and to do it quietly and discreetly like a butler in Buckinghamshire. The price is 279 British pounds. A steal in other words – if you can live with the plexiglass. 

For the one who wishes for a mechanical movement there is also the CWC G22, the same watch but with an automatic Sellita SW200 movement. It is slightly larger at 38.5mm in diameter and 11mm in height. The price is 415 British pounds. That too a bargain!

Hamilton Khaki Field 38mm 

American Hamilton, founded in Pennsylvania in 1892, is probably best known precisely for its field watches. They took part in the First as well as the Second World War and just like many other companies in the American manufacturing industry the entire production of Hamilton products during the Second World War went to the troops abroad. Over half a million Hamilton watches for military use were delivered during the war.  

Manufacturing in the USA ceased in 1969 and eventually the company was swallowed by the Swiss Swatch Group. Today all manufacturing takes place in Switzerland. However they never forgot their past and the field watches still constitute the very heart of Hamilton's brand and production. 

The Hamilton Khaki, the brand's popular field watch, thereby holds grand genes. In the early 60s the American Department of Defense set up new guidelines for the wristwatches for military personnel: “MIL-W-3818B”. And Hamilton was one of the manufacturers that provided watches according to this standard.  

The specifications consisted of a screwed case back, oversized crown, drilled lugs and a black dial with a 24-hour scale in white as well as good luminous qualities. The movement was to be hand-wound with 17 jewels, hacking function, 36 hours power reserve and a precision of +/- 30 seconds per day.  

Several specifications beyond 3818 came and went over the years and militarily procured Hamilton watches were delivered right into the 1990s.  

The Hamilton Khaki that is produced today is strongly inspired by the 60s MIL-W-3818B that served during the Vietnam War. The model is sold in countless variants but today we focus on the most orthodox one: steel case at 38mm, black dial and Nato strap. 

The neat case has a blasted surface, a little unusual and fitting for the watch's hard-wearing character. Just as with the original the dial has the classic 24h scale with the same simple, clear typeface. The crystal is sapphire and the water resistance is to 50 metres. 

Inside ticks a modern unit from ETA, the movement producer which is after all a group sibling to Hamilton within the Swatch Group. That refers to the company's well received base movement Powermatic 80 which is based on the ETA Caliber 2801-2 and which at Hamilton has been named Caliber H-50. The movement is in Hamilton garb manually wound and has a power reserve of a full 80 hours. Much reliability and precision for the money in other words.  

Today you can choose between green, white, silver and blue dial, alongside the classic black. The case is offered in steel, titanium or bronze, with 38 or 42mm in diameter. Black PVD treated versions also exist. Straps in leather, Nato or composite are offered, alternatively steel or titanium bracelet respectively.  

Much to choose from in other words and the prices are extremely competitive. A 38mm version in steel with a Nato strap lands at around 7000 kronor. A refreshing offer! 

Timex MK1 Mechanical 

A week or so ago I worked from home one day, and during a little coffee break I got stuck in front of an episode of the old cult series MacGyver from 1985. In that particular episode the all-American hero was to steal diamonds from a criminal casino owner and just as he was busy fiddling with a burglar alarm I noticed the dark green watch on his wrist. 

It looked awfully field-like and when I had googled for a couple of seconds I learned that it was a Timex Camper Watch. Its successor, MK1 as it is called today, immediately found a place in this article. It is quite simply hard to imagine a more fitting field watch for the inventive intelligence operative and on top of that a more charming such! 

Timex is an American brand founded as early as 1854 (under the name Waterbury Clock Company) and right from the start the focus lay on affordable, mass produced watches. In 1969 the name was officially changed to Timex.  

Like several other US brands Timex too has a military component in its history. When the American military established the specification for new military wristwatches according to “Mil-Spec W-46374B” at the beginning of the 1980s, the brand created the Timex MK1.  

It was a simple watch in plastic with a sealed case back so that it would be discarded when the movement broke. Only a hundred or so watches were delivered however, all during 1982, and instead they created a civilian variant called the Timex Camper which for its part became a great success during the remaining part of the 1980s. 

In 2016 the model was revived and regained the name MK1. Since then many variants have come and gone, in various case sizes and with a case in plastic, steel or aluminium.  

The Timex that is listed here is the MK1 Mechanical, a slightly more luxurious variant with a brushed steel case, mechanical movement and dark green dial, a model that complemented the quartz watches from 2020 onwards.  

The movement is manually wound and reportedly a Chinese Seagull movement. That sounds worse than it is as these movements have copied Swiss constructions and are considered reliable as well as relatively exact. 

The case diameter measures a retro-dripping 36mm while the height stops at a very manageable 10.5mm. The water resistance is to 50 metres and the crystal old fashioned acrylic. Cheap but easy to scratch.  

With the beautifully rounded case in brushed steel, its artfully domed acrylic crystal and hyper-classic dial with its elegantly dark green shade, all complemented by the charm of a hand-wound movement, Timex's simple field watch appears surprisingly desirable. For 1999 kronor at Care of Carl, Sweden's official Timex shop, a phenomenal bargain undoubtedly emerges! 

Timor Heritage Field WWW 

Of the twelve Swiss brands that were selected by the British Ministry of Defence to produce field watches for the British troops during the Second World War, only two have made a new version in retro style: Timor and Vertex. Since Timor's contribution is the most faithful to the original and according to the article's author the most attractive alternative it is that one that gets to adorn the list of the best field watches. 

Timor was a brand that had in principle fallen asleep and was revived by British investors in 2015, and which then moved operations to Newcastle in northern England.  

In 2020 the Timor Heritage Field WWW came out, a true remake of the 1940s Dirty Dozen watch. The case has exactly the same diameter as the original at a mere 36.5mm, and with a modest height of 11mm Timor has undeniably created an elegant little field watch.   

A blasted steel case, 50 metres water resistance, modern sapphire crystal as well as the possibility of choosing between an orthodox, manual Sellita movement (SW216) or an automatic such (SW260) complete the package. According to Timor's online shop prices start at around 11 000 kronor.  

More field watches

Beyond the five pronounced and affordable field watches that are listed above there are of course many more that can be defined as precisely field watches, many in higher price classes as well as models that simultaneously fall under the pilot's watch segment. The Sinn 856, Longines Spirit and Rolex Air King are a few examples.  

If the wristwatch you have chosen is used as a field watch and functions contentedly as such, regardless of price or intended area of use, then it is a field watch. Budget and personal taste set the limits!