Our Best Military Watches

Gearing up for your next expedition? You might want to take one of our best military watches along.

1. Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Bronze

Stay ready for action in style with this antique-y version of the Khaki Field Mechanical, the original soldier's watch.

Right from the 38mm bronze case and brown leather NATO strap to the high-contrast matte black dial and antique lume accents, every element of the watch says "vintage" loud and clear. The watch will look even more retro over time as it develops a unique patina with use and environmental exposure.

Under the hood, you'll find the hand-wound H-50 movement from Hamilton hidden by a titanium caseback. It assures an impressive power reserve of 80 hours.

2. Elliot Brown Arne Field

Elliot Brown’s no-nonsense take on military watches marches into action with the Arne Field. It was years in the making, and it is built to last.

The Arne takes its name from a Dorset nature reserve and comes with a smoky fume dial with embossed texture. The matte metallic Roman numerals stand proud against the dial’s darkened edges, a small detail which increases readability. 

Topped with a weathered patina, the Arne looks like it’s already lived a life or two. Finished off with a dark brown German (removable) leather cuff strap, the Arne leans fully into its vintage military roots. 

3. DOXA Army

The Doxa Army marks the comeback of a military dive watch from the '60s. Although this one can be polarising, those who are familiar with DOXA's design are sure to be obsessed with it.

The blocky indices and hands filled with Super-LumiNova stand in high contrast to the beige-coloured dial. Surrounding the whole setup and adding more visual interest is a bronze bezel with a green insert on a 42.5mm stainless steel case.

Your other option is a stainless steel bezel with a black insert available with a Beads of Rice bracelet or a black rubber strap. But if you ask us, the bronze-bezelled version with the hunter green strap is the most striking and luxurious of them all.

4. Hamilton Khaki Field Titanium Auto

If you want a well-built contemporary watch with military influences at an affordable price, getting a Khaki Field is a no-brainer. We highly recommend picking up a titanium trooper from this series. On the surface, it looks like a standard field watch, but if you take a closer look, you'll see a few details that elevate this timepiece to the next level visually. The syringe-shaped hands and the azurage-finish ring behind the printed Arabic numerals are a case in point.

Powering this lightweight, versatile, and low-maintenance pick is Hamilton's 80-hour ETA-based automatic H-10 movement.

You have a choice of three colourways: a blue or green-dialled piece with a silver bracelet and an all-black option. Each of these models is available in two case sizes: 38mm and 42mm (displayed here).

5. G-SHOCK GMB2100BD-1A

This practical, luxurious, fully metallic CasiOak in its grey-on-grey form makes a good "stealth mode" watch. It's a chunky timepiece at 49.6mm, so it's not for everyone, but it certainly has the "it" factor.

The watch is water-resistant up to 200m and features the usual high-tech G-Shock components, including Tough Solar, Bluetooth connectivity, and a world-time function. Worried about legibility in low light? An LED backlight ensures you have nothing to worry about.

If you love the specs and are not afraid of high shine, you can also try the stainless steel or the rose gold version of this watch.

6. Baltic Aquascaphe GMT Orange - Blue Tropic Strap

Baltic's Aquascaphe always make for great choices, with its GMT offerings extending potential practicality for military men. This caller GMT will be the perfect equipment for individuals who may need to track and sync up with several timezones. 

The 39mm case has a bidirectional rotating two-toned bezel and a scratch-resistant sapphire inlay. Beating underneath is a 42-hour SOPROD C125 GMT movement hidden by an opaque caseback engraved with time zone information.

Our choice here is Baltic's take on the classic Pepsi bezel case with a traditional deep blue but a change from red to an orange-red tone. 

7. Serica 6190 Field Chronometer Denali

Serica reimagines the military watch for today with the sharp, streamlined 6190 Field Chronometer.

On the dial, you’ll find big, bold Arabic numerals at the key positions, with clean circular markers everywhere else, a layout that’s functional as it is fresh.

With Supe LumiNova on the indexes and sword hands, the Denali stays legible day or night. And with a COSC-certified Soprod movement delivering 42 hours of power and shock resistance, it’s just as reliable as it is refined.

Come visit our Watch Discovery Studio on Collins Street, Melbourne, to try these watches on in person. It might make it easier to pick the perfect model for youself.