From military use on the battlefield to outdoor use, counterattactics.com offers you a complete guide to the military watch. Whether military, tactical, or sporty, you’re sure to find an accessory that incorporates full functionality and matches your needs and style.
Origin And History Of Military Watches
The army staffs very quickly understood the interest of having one hour just for the soldiers on the battlefield. The military must synchronize to program the attacks and fights.
It all starts with the use of pocket watches in military operations. They will be used for many centuries until the beginning of the 20th century. The soldiers then wore only a simple pocket watch. The negative side is the lack of freedom when it comes to checking the time. In addition, these watches are fragile and break easily in case of shock.
More practical, the wristwatch is gradually becoming more democratic. Invented in 1810 by the French Breguet, it was until now used by women or the aristocracy.
During the 1st World War, the soldiers gradually adopted the “bracelet-watch”. In the advertisement below, the French manufacturer LIP praises the merits of the wristwatch.
In the 1940s, many military watches appeared in the United States. During the Second World War, Hamilton became one of the main watch manufacturers thanks to orders from the American army. Nearly 1 million Hamilton watches were delivered between 1942 and 1945. In this context, the US-Army generalized the wearing of GI timepieces or “A-11 watch“. The latter is a symbol of the Allied victory.
The tactical watch was manufactured by Waltham with a distinctive black dial that offers clear, illuminated hands and numerals. The water resistance and steel case set it apart from other models. Later, Seiko military watches became popular for their ability to perform normally under the worst conditions.
Rolex watches, on the other hand, are characterized by having been created on behalf of the British Ministry of Defense and the Iranian Special Forces in 1970.
What are the strengths of military watches?
Due to their quality, tactical watches are adopted outside the military. They are now worn by outdoor enthusiasts all over the world. Between shock, pressure and water resistance, durability… Tac Store presents the strengths of this type of chronograph.
Resistance
The case of a military watch is very resistant to corrosion, shocks and extreme conditions, because it is made of the most robust materials. There are models combining plastic and steel for greater resistance to impact and water pressure.
During its very first use by the armed forces, a tactical military watch had to guarantee irreproachable longevity. With the evolution of technology, the autonomy of the battery can now reach 10 years. Some watches offer automatic charging modes such as solar cells or body movements.
Design
The military watch has an elegant style, a strong design and dark colors such as black, khaki blue, dark gray, camouflage color, or bronze. Indeed, for the military, the idea is to infiltrate everywhere while remaining discreet and camouflaged.
Glass
In most cases, sapphire crystal is found in military watches. It is used for better scratch resistance, it is sometimes combined with titanium for more strength. This makes it perfectly adaptable to real military conditions.
How to choose a tactical military watch?
To choose a tactical watch, you will have to check criteria such as autonomy, design or brightness.
Autonomy
Always choose models with a long service life. Today, the major manufacturers offer a battery that can even last almost 10 years.
The most advanced models are also equipped with “solar” technology. This is a very high-end and somewhat expensive tactical watch. However, it is worth it for the extra durability.
Design
The camouflage coating is a perfect choice for the military. However, matte black can also accentuate both discretion and elegance.
A bracelet made of leather or stainless steel fits perfectly with the selection criteria of users looking for a versatile portable accessory.
Brightness
The time should always be visible on your wrist at all times, especially in the evening. Therefore, it is better to choose models with excellent brightness.
In military models, we speak of watches with luminescent hands. As for the digitals, it is the numbers that are luminous.
What is the best brand for military watches?
With its range of G-Shock watches, the manufacturer Casio offers tactical watches with excellent value for money. G-Shock or Gravitational Shock, is a line of watches developed for military, professional or extreme sports use. It belongs to the CASIO parent company, which created it in 1983.
With G-Shock watches, Casio designs ultra-solid models. The screen is protected against scratches. The mechanism is resistant and is not damaged in the event of shocks, exposure to low temperatures or electric currents. The Casio G-Shock is very popular because it is a versatile tactical watch. Its design remains modern and discreet and it can be worn on any occasion. G-Shock watches also embed many Casio technologies: stopwatch, alarms, automatic calendar.
Advantages of analog watches or needle watches
In watchmaking terminology, analog display means the time display on the watch. An analog watch has three different hands, sometimes two. The main advantage of these models lies in their design.
Needle watches are the symbol of elegance and go perfectly with a chic outfit. Moreover, from a fashion point of view, it will be more obvious for major watch and jewelry manufacturers to personalize analog watches.
What are the strengths of a connected military watch?
The watch connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth. Monitoring and analyzing your performance remains essential if you want to progress physically. . The connected military watch meets these expectations perfectly by collecting data from different sensors throughout the day (heart rate, oxidation rate, etc.), then transmitting it to your smartphone and allowing in-depth analysis on a bigger screen.
Presentation of the options of a military watch
Today, these watches are loaded with features that allow them to locate you, analyze weather conditions, measure your physical performance, and more. In a nutshell, these military-inspired watches became tactical military timepieces.
Alarm
Military watches have powerful alarms. It is usually possible to configure several alarm clocks according to the days of the week.
Stopwatch
The chrono allows you to measure your sports performance to perfection.
Altimeter
The altimeter, popular with hikers, measures the barometric pressure p3 at the location of your choice, compares it to the reference pressure p0 (sea level pressure) and converts the pressure difference into an altitude difference.
GPS
The GPS allows you to follow your activities in terms of walking, cycling, etc. The GPS receiver of the connected watch is made up of an antenna, some electronic components and a battery.
It is always the satellite that communicates with your GPS watch and calculates its position relative to yours on earth, with unique precision.
Barometer
The barometer function in military watches is used to measure atmospheric pressure. The barometer will allow you to predict weather changes for the next few hours. This is a very useful option for those who practice outdoor sports.
Which bracelet to choose for a tactical watch?
The military needs both a material that is lighter and more discreet than metal, hard-wearing and inexpensive. This is the case of nylon, an example of an engineering material.
Therefore, the G10 nylon strap is recognized as the best strap for tactical military watches. However, you can opt for silicone or military canvas models.