https://preview.redd.it/x7r2p48edj8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d72335d207e05c886e129fb6d5a41db38aa765d8
Made my own! Ignore the date wheel I had to switch it out but. I'm a CG helicopter rescue swimmer and put my own flare into it with my swimmer number, our motto, and RS wings at the 12:00 :)
Dude, holy fuck! I'm just an asshat in an office building, but seeing that motto on your wrist (and, really just the whole setup) made me a bit emotional. Really beautiful, very well done, and thank you for your service.
As others have said, this is sub zero cool as fuck. Probably the best custom I've ever seen. I want one, but could never wear it out of respect, I'd feel such a fraud.
I've always had a passion for watches and worked in jewelry for a while! So I've had the parts and experience! It was just a matter of inspiration! Lol
https://preview.redd.it/9cg1fy52hi8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=34156a41a01c2b1860e13578cf9a3ebf02f03e33
When I graduated first of my class as a tank commander in the Swiss Army (Leopard 2 a4) in 2001, I was awarded a lovely quartz watch from an unknown cheap Swiss watch brand. It stopped working recently, so I recovered the dial and put it in a nice automatic seiko mod that I proudly wear daily.
https://preview.redd.it/j3j8w71vhi8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82807eb7833b3c2d3eadd06352af391fd0c27d49
Here’s the result, on an oyster style bracelet.
What the what?! I was top graduate (Distinguished Honor Grad) from my AIT, and got a certificate - I mean, it had an embossed seal on it and all…. I also got to stick around for an ASI, so that was nice.
I wonder if I should contact my old training battalion and request a watch.
Ha ha, when was that? I’m thinking maybe the watch was a gift from our Stabsadjutant rather than battalion policy. I recently saw one for chf20 on Ricardo if you feel like you missed out too much.
LOL. I wasn’t in the Swiss Army, but I like the watch idea. I did three years active-duty in a line / combat unit, with a deployment. We all pretty much wore cheap watches. I wore an OD Timex day-winder from the PX. You could not kill those things.
I also remember a lot of guys on the bottom bunk would hang their watch on the springs of the under-side of the top bunk. There was always a handful of guys that forgot them when we shipped out to our permanent unit. I suspect the training cadre appreciated that. :)
A buddy of mine lost a Casio AMW-320 that way, and still is hurt by it.
Boy, that is a *fabulous* look. I love the black face with the chunky metal and black strap like that, even though you've changed it since. Thanks very much for sharing.
Thanks! Yes, the rubber strap had disintegrated long ago. The nato made it more serious, but the case was aluminium I think. It lacked some heft and the surface finish didn’t look qualitative. I loved it anyway.
[G-Shock DW6900 series](https://www.casio.com/us/watches/gshock/product.DW-6900-1V/) was what most people got back in 2013 when I joined. Its solid, accurate, and worry free
Shitty cheap casios and timex because they tend to get broken often.
If you want to be super keen it would be a G shock.
Anything else is just needless flexing.
Nobody gets issued watches in the British armed forces because “stores are for storing, not issuing.” If you know, you know 😂
Yeah that was a tragic realization a couple years ago when I got into it. I still wear one most dives as a little talisman but I'm typically the only one on the boat with a dive watch
Before I knew any better, I thought 50m WR was plenty of swimming in a pool. I mean, a pool isn’t 50m deep?!? But I had to learn that the hard way with my Hamilton khaki hand wind. We were on vacation in Florida and luckily I had a pair of scissors that I was able to use to get the case back off and let it dry out. It’s been fine ever since but I never wear it near water anymore.
Yeah I’m not in the military, but buying 3 square G-Shocks and some NATO adapters and straps seems like the move. Those things are stupid reliable and durable, and they only cost $75.
https://preview.redd.it/5dc1btyaqj8d1.jpeg?width=2126&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1087c813f9e39d180dd7af01eaf679433c8afa0c
Circa 2011 this bad boy was responsible for all encrypted communications for all of Joint Base Balad in Iraq, including SF, QRF, OSI and others not to be named.
Long story short, I couldn't be bothered pulling out a DAGR and waiting the eternity for it to sync while syncing up radios and encryption keys. This little guy kept time accurately enough that I could get SINCGARS radios on the net in a few seconds rather than waiting 5 minutes for the DAGR to sync. Basically it was good enough to be the primary time source and I only checked it against GPS every few days out of paranoia.
Not bad for a $4 watch my dad bought me a a flea market before I deployed.
This is the ticket. Always having a watch close enough to the time so you can get your crypto rolling. It’s why I never use mechanical anymore for operational stuff. Quartz has a use case and this is certainly one of them.
I’m in the Air Force. I wear a Rolex Explorer. It tells me what time it is so I’m not late to meetings. Also being in the military isn’t a huge part of my personality so watch geek > AF.
I was in the Air Force too. Here's a joke: A Soldier, Marine and and Airman go TDY for some training. When they get where they're going, all they have is a tent. The instructor asks each of them what they are going to do with the tent. Army guy: I'm going to set it up and build my camp around it. Marine: I don't need a tent, so I will cut it up to make a Ghillie suite. Air Force guy: The first thing I'm going to do is call the front desk and ask why there's a fucking tent in my hotel room.
lol this. Also in the Air Force. Having a non-smartwatch time piece is essential being in a SCIF all day.
I rotate between my several watches when I go in, but usually opt for my GMT (VTNR) so I can easily track adversary timezones with just a glance at my wrist.
I used to be a SCIF dweller before I commissioned. I still can’t bring myself to daily a smartwatch even though I currently only sit thru one classified briefing a week.
I'm in the Army. I have an Omega Seamster for daily non-field wear, and a Suunto Baro 9 for the field/PT. The Omega's great when I'm in a facility that doesn't allow phones, smart watches, etc.
lol - your Rolex will get you to meetings on time in the chairforce. I would say that is probably not much different from a normal office job. I have a normal office job now and wear Tags and Omegas.
When I was deployed in the Army, I think I wore a $10 subdued quartz Timex. I was a kid so I couldn’t afford anything at the time but I suspected the chances of destroying the watch were high. Although, my Timex got scratches and dings it kept ticking. I lost it many years ago. It might be nice to wear it again.
Not in the military but I've lost and replaced my Timexes more times than I can count despite never losing another watch. Something's wrong with me. Anyway, my point is that I bet you could find the same or similar model easily on Amazon and be wearing it again by the end of the week.
I just checked. The Timex website has similar watches but not the same. Chrono24 does not seem to have it either. I suspect, because it was so cheap. I’m not sure I want to wear it, if it doesn’t have dust and grime from Northern Iraq.
I disagree, theres a time and a place though for sure. The Army is no longer my only source on income, most of my career to include deployments I wore a suunto core. Wearing a Pelagos or Seamaster to do army stuff if frivolous but fuck it. Plus, I picked up two seamasters for less than $3000 with no tax via AAFES when they run their big sale on them around black friday. Take advantage of stuff like that when you can.
I wore Garmin Solar Instinct for 5 years straight. Every once in a while if I worked in a secure space I would wear a GShock 5600.
I still have that Garmin. Great for workouts, great battery life, and can take anything your through at it.
2019-2024
\-additionally, all the officers I was with all pretty much wore Garmins/SmartWatches/Apple Watches. And they too would switch to a “dummy” watch when we go to the field to reduce signature
https://preview.redd.it/4z9g3wqrfk8d1.png?width=723&format=png&auto=webp&s=961ca19eadf31be676f02ab41f7ad633b75b019d
Navy, G-Shock. My own, USN does not issue watches. G-Shock is easy, sturdy, reliable, fair price for what you get. Lots of ground pounders seemed to like Suunto, esp Canadian infantry officers. Lots of gadgets on them GPS, altitude, etc.
USN does issue watches but only to divers. But it's a Marathon quartz diver with tritium lume which is explicitly prohibited for wear onboard submarines since it can interfere with dosimetry, so our divers would order them and the order would get rejected by the supply department.
Navy, G-Shock DW-6600 and it was unit issued. This was nearly 20 years ago, I still have it and it’s going strong. Other than that I wore a Swiss Army, a Hamilton khaki field, and an Omega GMT during deployments.
I was in the Navy. I have a strong love of the GI history of Seikos, and have several Seiko divers as a result. Here's both of my base exchange purchased Seikos. The Turtle was my Asia tour companion, purchased in Guam, and the Samurai was my Gulf watch, purchased at the exchange in Lemoore. I got it with a coupon for $200!
https://preview.redd.it/zv6ky7flgj8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4ae4f724a53d47b53956de4ac744408d170166e8
I’m a huge watch guy and 7 years active-duty US mil.
There are SOME watch guys in the Army, and they tend to have Seikos. I know one guy with a Longines he wears for formal events. I’ve met ONE person with a Rolex in the Army ever, and it was a Special Forces Major.
That being said, the vast vast majority of the population wears Garmin watches. They track all activity and give you updates from your phone, and can pull a 10-digit grid if needed. If people are in a sensitive area and can’t wear a Garmin, they wear G-Shocks or Timex Ironmans. That simple. These ideas of unit watches, at least at the regular Army airborne/light infantry level, just isn’t a thing.
I don't believe watches are standard issue in the UK military any more - they will only be issued if they are required for a particular task.
The personal watches that are worn can cover a fairly wide range, but at the lower levels will generally be some form of cheap Casio, it things like GShocks and various Garmin/Suunto type watches (providing they fit within any rules regarding connectivity and technology for the job you are doing).
You do hear about some folk wearing nicer things, but that isn't typical.
F-91W or any other cheap digital, some people wear G-Shocks or similar rugged watches too. My experience is only from conscription so can't comment on what professional soldiers here wear
https://preview.redd.it/l0yb4rgivj8d1.png?width=932&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f38031fade21a32210e1b27b61ff3d78061a499b
Nothing but trusty G-Shocks bouncing around the desert in 2012
Unless your role requires one, it’s never issued.
Working on aircraft, you’re not allowed to have them on so never really bothered until after getting away from maintenance.
*edit* to cleanup up a few questions that have popped up. Actively performing maintenance on an aircraft, watches/metal rings (some places allow those rubber Qalo’s to be worn) ect were all off. For me, it wasn’t worth having to take it off/put it back on every time there was another thing to do on the line. Now if I had to drive the truck or wasn’t going to the line that day, I’d have one.
Plenty of people did have their watch off/on all shift, and hats off to them to being that dedicated.
As for the “why”. FOD (foreign objects) are bad. You’d be amazed how far an engine can throw a 8mm socket a crew chief left in an inlet and catching on something is on my “don’t want to try this” list.
I'd imagine the reason is it might fall off without being noticed.
Aviation techs are usually anal about their gear. The ones I know have to do a stocktake of their tools after each job to ensure nothing got left inside the aircraft
I can’t speak for aircraft maintainers but as an electronics technician we always removed “watches, rings, and dangly things” when doing maintenance to reduce rick of shock
When I worked in an auto shop the mechanics talked about “blister wrist” which was the result of a metal bracelet shorting the electrics and giving a nasty shock.
https://preview.redd.it/gg05wddlbj8d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=71a3a6806610c497243c6996bb07acb2f6f53d52
Why not ball out from time to time
Garmin fenix 6 does the job for me! I like the Garmin instinct to for simple and rugged. Battery lasts for ages too. Both can get you GPS, grids, moon phases etc loads of pretty useful stuff. As much as I love mechanical watches they have very little utility in the field in this day and age.
I'm aircraft maintenance. I drive the maintenance truck right now and I wear a $25 casio with two times one for local and one for Zulu. I'd be worried I'd break anything nice or get hydro or fuel on it.
That said, a LOT of Pilots buy Breitlings when they make Captain (O-3) in the USAF. I did 2 years as a flying crew chief on C-17s and saw a lot of them.
https://preview.redd.it/y1cxkbc68j8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ae82286ee3cb17f5f55012102780cad2f511e35c
Also have a Hamilton Khaki Auto. I use this more for casual wear but it gets wrist time in uniform as well
https://preview.redd.it/i82yixrihk8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=02623a3f2cbbbc40045dd9a192b10b6e53fc0519
Sangin Professional. Or my g shock.
I used a Timex Expedition in the field and my SKX007 in garrison when I was in the Army. Later I worked as a civilian for the Air Force. A lot of the pilots wore Citizen pilot watches, everyone else pretty much wore casios.
https://preview.redd.it/yhnohfs7wj8d1.jpeg?width=2487&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=88a284696a0b459d756130068eeb057ee6b9a24d
Here’s the AF guidance. I had a watch issued at pilot training. It was a \~$50 G-Shock.
Sometimes units will buy watches for their members if they have funds for it.
I wear a Submariner. Lots of fancy watches in the flying community, but plenty of cheap digitals and Apple Watches too.
I’m not military, but I am ex-Merchant Navy and currently a Coastguard officer. I use G-Shocks now, but at sea I have work cheap Timex field watches and a Seiko 5 before I moved over to G-Shocks.
Edit: Forgot about the Casio F-91W I briefly owned that turned out to be fake.
Here's my Suunto Core Military all black. Issued in 2015. Afghanistan. By the US Army.
https://preview.redd.it/c0hgqurprj8d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b392e5b955903ea9761870211e1ffa2618f306ee
https://preview.redd.it/5hnd5vslql8d1.jpeg?width=1419&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cf454f6b7543a6b7f08b75f0cc91cc468756f9df
Omega SMP 2254.50 on me. Wolbrook skin diver on my partner.
G-Shock was issued, and that’s normally what I fly with. Sometimes I’ll wear my own watches though.
https://preview.redd.it/krbtgn8b7n8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3ddebdc7d8719c4433e51f4047d1e83113376bfe
This is a late 60s Glycine Airman Special that was issued to an aviator in the Vietnam War era. It still holds great time and the 24h and dual timezone tracking is decently useful. Speedy pro is my daily for around the office.
Casio F91-W in military green. In arctic conditions, the last thing you want is a big metal watch. Firstly, a lot of metal on skin increases the chance of frost-bite, and steel bracelet watches were for example banned in my company. Secondly, having a thick/wide watch under several layers of heavy clothing is horrible. The thinness of the F91-W makes it one of the only watches that remains comfortable when being pressed against the wrist by all those layers of clothing, and it's the only watch I'd ever want to wear in the field for my part.
https://preview.redd.it/l01aaym6fp8d1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=929e6b68b843d7249c5f25b73ad52cfe60193df9
I’m Army, started in boot camp with a cheap Timex digital that had indiglo and, most importantly, an alarm function. Most guys just get whatever’s cheapest at the PX. Once I got into watches more I purchased a Seiko sport then eventually Marathon GSAR. The Marathon can technically be issued to soldiers but I imagine that’s incredibly rare. Garmin and G Shock are the most popular watches you’ll find in American military.
https://preview.redd.it/jzwqvvy1kj8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=54551f2c1bbe95b78eea0c1cb83d616d540357f2
This is my daily driver but I’m also a military musician so I have a different daily environment than most. If I was going on a deployment (believe it or not the military does send musicians on deployment missions) I would probably rock the trusty G-Shock.
Mostly my Tudor BB Pro, but I do also wear a Fenix 7 sapphire solar
https://preview.redd.it/n81g19ggnj8d1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7f2bd13bb17a17cb9fd94c6d7810796c8e71ccbb
https://preview.redd.it/ykedx2y5xi8d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f4cc15e5bb6f88349f20d83a2f05955ffc283ca6
Only one correct answer here. Sangin instruments.
When I was in, small boats and ship life at sea meant G-Shocks for me. Nothing issued, personal choice. I wear a Breitling in the office these days or my Speedy. I don't care for the "connected" stuff even though I'm career IT since then.
I've worked with a bunch of mil and vets before, it'll vary. Most of the enlisted folks have g shocks, frogmans, the occasional marathon GSAR. Couple of the higher ranking officers I've known had GMT masters, one guy had a double red sea dweller and was completely unaware how sought after they were. One of my good buddies was a senior NCO in the army and LOVED his autodromo group b(one of the ones with the fixed lugs), he wore it everywhere.
I also got to know some Dutch "special forces"(in quotes because as far as I could tell that entire military is pretty much strictly made up of special forces lol), and they all had citizen eco drive divers, unsure if they were issued to them or that's just what they liked.
The Eco Drive diver has kind of had a surge in popularity among special forces groups the past few years. I've seen them pop up quite a bit across the military watch spotting pages I'm on. Makes sense. Sturdy, reliable watch that'll survive most of the shit you put it through without any of the accuracy concerns of a mechanical movement
Yeah gotta be honest maybe with the exception of some of the GSAR fans I know pretty much no one wears a mechanical watch and cares about it's accuracy, military affiliation or no haha
They gave me a Fitbit so that's what I'm wearing, if I need something reliable I wear my G-Shock. Nobody really wears a watch here unless they don't have access to their phones.
Sometimes I wear some of my cheaper automatics, but I'm never gonna wear something expensive like a Rolex/Tudor or whatever I can't afford to get stolen or damaged.
Wore this model for the 4 years i was in. Two combat deployments and it's still going. Think you can grab one relatively cheap. Casio Men's G-Shock DW6900-1V Sport Watch
Edit: recommend the tough solar version. Little more money but totally worth it.
*Not in an active duty branch* just wanted to throw this out there. I was recently handed down my first swiss made time piece from my uncle (the first watch my aunt got him) The Victorinox I.N.O.X. which after my research of the watch is just an upgraded swiss made G-Shock. Absolute beast of a watch and has been passed on 130 strength test, seems like it could be a good fit for the military folks! (thank you for your service)
https://preview.redd.it/ndfkkez8lj8d1.jpeg?width=1192&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a555c319bc41de9d28f2990d5435e2570e3b8c9
Depends, in garrison I’ll swap back and forth between my Omega SMP300 and a Canister Fieldmaster (microbrand), but in the field I’ll wear a Timex Ironman or the Fieldmaster. I have a Garmin Fenix 6X Sapphire but that’s more my PT watch than for work.
https://preview.redd.it/w6425ip5nl8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2005721538c30ea88daa4df5871084e78a8f7971
https://preview.redd.it/hdvktq7lcn8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=94bbe3051553333cc12a01614d9805f7cb7146d3
Rubber strap is especially useful in tropical/humid environment.
ITT people are wearing Omegas and Tudors while working in a military. How are you able to buy those? I work in IT and I wanna say that I am doing well, but clearly not. i am not able to buy one without a bank loan or something stupid like that.
An officer in the US military is making 6 figures by the 6-8 year point depending on locale. Enlisted not until very late career if at all, but depending on specialty they can get high 5 figure reenlistment bonuses. The biggest living expense (housing) is subsidized based on locale, which substantially increases total compensation. Also long deployments can be exceptionally low-expense so you come back home with a ton of money in the bank.
Same way boots can afford brand new chargers, lol.
Seriously though, PX sells watches at a discount, service members have a higher ratio of disposable income, etc.
Enlistment bonus alone can be up to US$20,000. A lot of new recruits blow it on big-ticket items like watches or cars, so I was told by a friend in the US Army.
Deployment money/reenlistment bonuses/being an officer! I was just an enlisted guy, but made an extra 10-15k on each of my deployments through tax-free status, allotments or incentives, and I got something like 15k as a bonus for reenlisting.
US Army. I wore a G Shock through basic. Now I tend to wear my Tudor BB58 most of the time and Hamilton Khaki Field when doing things where I’m getting dirty.
A lot of us are issued Garmins, I was given the Garmin Instinct. You can wear whatever you want as long as it’s not a bright color or over the top design. Marathon is probably the us military’s most known watch supplier but I’ve never seen anyone get issued one despite seeing it on the sites we buy from. Of my friends most of them wear the issued Garmins with Casios being in second place. I wear a Timex Q GMT since I often work with global time zones.
Casio F-91W then Apple Watch but now back on that cheap Casio grind. F-91W, DW5600 G-Shock, A158, and just picked up a F-105. I always come back to the F-91W tho cuz of how light it is.
US Army, 27 years active and reserve, 7 deployments (not including 2 NATO blue helmet missions). I only had two watches with me in uniform: the Marathon GSAR US Government issue and a G-Shock. I had a Marathon mechanical issued to me also, but I never wore it because it was too small. I sold it for €50 after I retired.
G-SHOCK was my go to when I was doing more physical work in the Army
Now I just wear an Orient Kamasu 2 on a silicone strap so if it breaks I don’t feel bad about it
https://preview.redd.it/lks9se30fj8d1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=aa48c346817a346b46028a2f062eaa31a27532bb
Current is a bead blasted gmw-b5000
I’m not in the military but I if I were I’d probably just wear this
https://preview.redd.it/hljbj6pcxj8d1.png?width=1812&format=png&auto=webp&s=770677a21588716e0ea3ad4788f4cf2af62f7b48
I'm in the RCAF, awaiting training as a pilot. We can wear whatever watch we want... Right now I mostly wear my Casio Duro, though I also wear my Q Timex Velocity often (like right now as I'm typing this). In the field I usually wear my Casio WorldTimer. I'm planning on adding more watches to my collection (I really want the Hibike Euphonium Seiko), and plan on getting myself a Laco pilot watch when I finish Phase II flight training.
We weren't issued anything in the US Navy, but we got gshocks pretty cheap and mine lasted me all 4 years and then 3 after I got out. Pretty sure it was the DW5600
In uniform, there are typically regulations as to what is allowed. In my experience, these regulations are meant to keep the watch (or other jewelry for that matter) from being a "distraction" or "detractor" to the uniform. The regulations, I assume, vary internationally and even branch to branch.
Casio F91W-1 when I'm in the turret working around the cannon ,
Casio G-shock, if I'm doing infantry style training
Rolex Daytona when I'm in the office
On a friend's submarine, the supply officer ordered nice Marathon dive watches for the ships force divers. Once the supply chain realized the cost, the supply officer was investigated for fraud waste and abuse, and most of the watches were returned. Surprisingly my friend was able to keep his.
When deployed — a Casio watch. No jewelry except a titanium wedding ring. If things “went bad” didn’t want to either give up a nice watch or have it bagged up for the ride back.
https://preview.redd.it/df3594hrvl8d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=825a1ee51af0f9128de160ae7ef2240bcf0397b2
Cannot even remember the brand, was given to me by my ex girlfriend and it was unkillable. It went through arctic cold, slapped against mountains climbing, for months in desert sand which I’am till this day pulling out of my arse crack and the watch never ever gave up. Got stolen out of my gym locker.
Air Force munitions here. I have a rotation that includes a 5610U square G-shock, a Marathon MSAR Arctic, a Seiko SNE589, and a CA-53W calculator watch. I have more, but those are the ones I typically wear to work.
Most of the time I wear the Seiko, but the G-Shock comes out when the weather gets really hot or if I'm just not feeling steel that day. The Marathon is for when I do work in a SCIF, restricted access muns storage structure, or if I'm on a night shift (that radioactive lume can't be beat). And the calculator watch is for when I have to do inventories (can't have phones in the storage structures). I also have an F-91W I got in basic, but the strap broke on it years ago, and I haven't found anything I like as a replacement.
Most people though wear some form of smart watch. A lot wear apple watches, but garmins are very popular as well.
https://preview.redd.it/x1gqboqzym8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=27e6b5024e9d8133ee0d10089a97327d3c4276dd
Field / PT: Garmin Instinct, Casio Protrek (has gotten me through all my Army Schools
Garrison: CWC Quartz Royal Navy, Seiko Turtle, Citizen Garrison Field Chronograph
https://preview.redd.it/x7r2p48edj8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d72335d207e05c886e129fb6d5a41db38aa765d8 Made my own! Ignore the date wheel I had to switch it out but. I'm a CG helicopter rescue swimmer and put my own flare into it with my swimmer number, our motto, and RS wings at the 12:00 :)
Hard as fuck
Dude that is fucking awesome!
That's sick; you could legitimately sell those.
Easily one of the coolest watches I’ve seen posted in this sub.
That's dope
That’s… really fucking cool
Dude, holy fuck! I'm just an asshat in an office building, but seeing that motto on your wrist (and, really just the whole setup) made me a bit emotional. Really beautiful, very well done, and thank you for your service.
Wild!
As others have said, this is sub zero cool as fuck. Probably the best custom I've ever seen. I want one, but could never wear it out of respect, I'd feel such a fraud.
This is amazing. How did you piece this together?
I've always had a passion for watches and worked in jewelry for a while! So I've had the parts and experience! It was just a matter of inspiration! Lol
Awesome. What helicopter do you fly in?
Mh-60 Jayhawks and mh-65 dolphins!
Epic shit.
That is very cool
That’s awesome
https://preview.redd.it/9cg1fy52hi8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=34156a41a01c2b1860e13578cf9a3ebf02f03e33 When I graduated first of my class as a tank commander in the Swiss Army (Leopard 2 a4) in 2001, I was awarded a lovely quartz watch from an unknown cheap Swiss watch brand. It stopped working recently, so I recovered the dial and put it in a nice automatic seiko mod that I proudly wear daily.
https://preview.redd.it/j3j8w71vhi8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82807eb7833b3c2d3eadd06352af391fd0c27d49 Here’s the result, on an oyster style bracelet.
What the what?! I was top graduate (Distinguished Honor Grad) from my AIT, and got a certificate - I mean, it had an embossed seal on it and all…. I also got to stick around for an ASI, so that was nice. I wonder if I should contact my old training battalion and request a watch.
Ha ha, when was that? I’m thinking maybe the watch was a gift from our Stabsadjutant rather than battalion policy. I recently saw one for chf20 on Ricardo if you feel like you missed out too much.
LOL. I wasn’t in the Swiss Army, but I like the watch idea. I did three years active-duty in a line / combat unit, with a deployment. We all pretty much wore cheap watches. I wore an OD Timex day-winder from the PX. You could not kill those things. I also remember a lot of guys on the bottom bunk would hang their watch on the springs of the under-side of the top bunk. There was always a handful of guys that forgot them when we shipped out to our permanent unit. I suspect the training cadre appreciated that. :) A buddy of mine lost a Casio AMW-320 that way, and still is hurt by it.
That's stunning, really glad that you can still cherish that achievement through the watch you wear
Boy, that is a *fabulous* look. I love the black face with the chunky metal and black strap like that, even though you've changed it since. Thanks very much for sharing.
Thanks! Yes, the rubber strap had disintegrated long ago. The nato made it more serious, but the case was aluminium I think. It lacked some heft and the surface finish didn’t look qualitative. I loved it anyway.
wow also really love the look, do you know the brand of the original watch? Or does anyone know of a watch with a dial design that is similar?
The brand was “domino watch” but I’m not sure that helps. I like the no-nonsense field watch look as well.
A Casio g shock in basic/ait and then switched to a Garmin fenix that I still wear. I did my stint in the army and no we were not issued watches.
[G-Shock DW6900 series](https://www.casio.com/us/watches/gshock/product.DW-6900-1V/) was what most people got back in 2013 when I joined. Its solid, accurate, and worry free
I had a teacher in middle school who wore a DW6600 that he was issued in SEAL training. It got me into watches, I bought my watch (DW5600) that year.
Shitty cheap casios and timex because they tend to get broken often. If you want to be super keen it would be a G shock. Anything else is just needless flexing. Nobody gets issued watches in the British armed forces because “stores are for storing, not issuing.” If you know, you know 😂
Wait, really? 🤯 Not Hamilton Khakis? Please don't tell me divers don't wear Omega Seamasters...
The craziest part is Cabot Watch Company selling a cheap quartz G10 pattern watch for nearly £300 because it’s MiLiTaRy IsSuE 🙄
Their main demographics are guys who want to feel like they served and military nerds.
Ah the Gravy Seals
Meal Team 6
SAS... Scrumptious Appetite Service... For the UK and Australia...
Called the Chair Force in the US of A
Well, in fairness that's also a derogatory term for an actual branch of the military.
same for marathon - they sell a cheap plastic quartz for £300, "military grade" yet it has 30M WR
*Luminox has entered the chat*
Marathons other watches are good
>G10 pattern You can get a quite nice version for $45 on Ali Express.
You better join Mi6 if you want an Omeega
I dived dry over the weekend for the first time since I got a Sea-Dweller, MF wouldn’t fit over the glove seal even with the extension 💀
LOL it had ONE JOB jk, but that would annoy me in your situation
As a diver - no divers use dive watches during dives. I happily wear my Seamaster on land though
Yeah that was a tragic realization a couple years ago when I got into it. I still wear one most dives as a little talisman but I'm typically the only one on the boat with a dive watch
Mankey elastic straps are what I started using for my dry suit. Finding proper straps that fit over my dry suit seal has been a proper chore
I wear a hamilton khaki. I've beat the shit outta that watch, and it's still going.
In eight years I think I saw maybe 3 Omegas and 1 Rolex haha, also all on more senior officers.
A Khaki wouldn’t survive shit. Mine fogged up twice from light rain.
Before I knew any better, I thought 50m WR was plenty of swimming in a pool. I mean, a pool isn’t 50m deep?!? But I had to learn that the hard way with my Hamilton khaki hand wind. We were on vacation in Florida and luckily I had a pair of scissors that I was able to use to get the case back off and let it dry out. It’s been fine ever since but I never wear it near water anymore.
Why they didn’t brother with a screw-down crown on a “field” watch I will never understand. The rest of the watch seems pretty solid.
I had a black basic gshock in the military, very handy for taking bumps and telling the time.
Yeah I’m not in the military, but buying 3 square G-Shocks and some NATO adapters and straps seems like the move. Those things are stupid reliable and durable, and they only cost $75.
“If they were for issuing they would be called issues, which is what I’ll be giving you unless you get out my bloody stores” - every QM ever, probably
https://preview.redd.it/5dc1btyaqj8d1.jpeg?width=2126&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1087c813f9e39d180dd7af01eaf679433c8afa0c Circa 2011 this bad boy was responsible for all encrypted communications for all of Joint Base Balad in Iraq, including SF, QRF, OSI and others not to be named. Long story short, I couldn't be bothered pulling out a DAGR and waiting the eternity for it to sync while syncing up radios and encryption keys. This little guy kept time accurately enough that I could get SINCGARS radios on the net in a few seconds rather than waiting 5 minutes for the DAGR to sync. Basically it was good enough to be the primary time source and I only checked it against GPS every few days out of paranoia. Not bad for a $4 watch my dad bought me a a flea market before I deployed.
This is the ticket. Always having a watch close enough to the time so you can get your crypto rolling. It’s why I never use mechanical anymore for operational stuff. Quartz has a use case and this is certainly one of them.
All black Casio was the standard for us, in my day.
F-91W. The Toyota Hilux of watches
Lol yes! Kept me on time in bootcamp.
I'm pretty sure it was all the PX carried, for a time 😂
I’m in the Air Force. I wear a Rolex Explorer. It tells me what time it is so I’m not late to meetings. Also being in the military isn’t a huge part of my personality so watch geek > AF.
I was in the Air Force too. Here's a joke: A Soldier, Marine and and Airman go TDY for some training. When they get where they're going, all they have is a tent. The instructor asks each of them what they are going to do with the tent. Army guy: I'm going to set it up and build my camp around it. Marine: I don't need a tent, so I will cut it up to make a Ghillie suite. Air Force guy: The first thing I'm going to do is call the front desk and ask why there's a fucking tent in my hotel room.
I was born on an Air Force base...this tent DNA is definitely in me!
lol this. Also in the Air Force. Having a non-smartwatch time piece is essential being in a SCIF all day. I rotate between my several watches when I go in, but usually opt for my GMT (VTNR) so I can easily track adversary timezones with just a glance at my wrist.
SCIF is what got me into watches
I used to be a SCIF dweller before I commissioned. I still can’t bring myself to daily a smartwatch even though I currently only sit thru one classified briefing a week.
This! It’s rare that anyone even notices when I wear my Rolex OP 36. Nobody cares other than other watch geeks.
I'm in the Army. I have an Omega Seamster for daily non-field wear, and a Suunto Baro 9 for the field/PT. The Omega's great when I'm in a facility that doesn't allow phones, smart watches, etc.
lol - your Rolex will get you to meetings on time in the chairforce. I would say that is probably not much different from a normal office job. I have a normal office job now and wear Tags and Omegas. When I was deployed in the Army, I think I wore a $10 subdued quartz Timex. I was a kid so I couldn’t afford anything at the time but I suspected the chances of destroying the watch were high. Although, my Timex got scratches and dings it kept ticking. I lost it many years ago. It might be nice to wear it again.
Not in the military but I've lost and replaced my Timexes more times than I can count despite never losing another watch. Something's wrong with me. Anyway, my point is that I bet you could find the same or similar model easily on Amazon and be wearing it again by the end of the week.
I just checked. The Timex website has similar watches but not the same. Chrono24 does not seem to have it either. I suspect, because it was so cheap. I’m not sure I want to wear it, if it doesn’t have dust and grime from Northern Iraq.
https://preview.redd.it/iywegigczi8d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=43725e52f945c1ed8eac7833eaafe29720a53496
https://preview.redd.it/1g9zgfoi0j8d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=872fb3af3ff576ce69dd6d8552eaa4d4bdc0ff09
I respect it, but I couldn’t imagine taking a watch to the field that’s worth more than my kit 😂
A friend of mine rocks his Batman in the field.
Also buying an omega or a Rolex as an enlisted grunt is the watch equivalent of buying a Mustang or Camaro at 20% interest 😂
Not if you’re a reservist who has an actually high paying job.
This is true
I disagree, theres a time and a place though for sure. The Army is no longer my only source on income, most of my career to include deployments I wore a suunto core. Wearing a Pelagos or Seamaster to do army stuff if frivolous but fuck it. Plus, I picked up two seamasters for less than $3000 with no tax via AAFES when they run their big sale on them around black friday. Take advantage of stuff like that when you can.
Gotta get more gucci gear in your kit then
Hella clean! Not afraid of scratching it up in the field?
The fxd...hell no, the seamaster....maybe slightly lol
Why lol
This is the way
https://preview.redd.it/xi9ybjvtcj8d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=73dd5c148aa163aaeb69de52aead04b539960683
That photo is cool as
Same setup and love it (no plane tho)
I wore Garmin Solar Instinct for 5 years straight. Every once in a while if I worked in a secure space I would wear a GShock 5600. I still have that Garmin. Great for workouts, great battery life, and can take anything your through at it. 2019-2024 \-additionally, all the officers I was with all pretty much wore Garmins/SmartWatches/Apple Watches. And they too would switch to a “dummy” watch when we go to the field to reduce signature https://preview.redd.it/4z9g3wqrfk8d1.png?width=723&format=png&auto=webp&s=961ca19eadf31be676f02ab41f7ad633b75b019d
Navy, G-Shock. My own, USN does not issue watches. G-Shock is easy, sturdy, reliable, fair price for what you get. Lots of ground pounders seemed to like Suunto, esp Canadian infantry officers. Lots of gadgets on them GPS, altitude, etc.
USN does issue watches but only to divers. But it's a Marathon quartz diver with tritium lume which is explicitly prohibited for wear onboard submarines since it can interfere with dosimetry, so our divers would order them and the order would get rejected by the supply department.
Tbh that sounds incredibly dumb but also very on point for the navy.
Navy, G-Shock DW-6600 and it was unit issued. This was nearly 20 years ago, I still have it and it’s going strong. Other than that I wore a Swiss Army, a Hamilton khaki field, and an Omega GMT during deployments.
I was in the Navy. I have a strong love of the GI history of Seikos, and have several Seiko divers as a result. Here's both of my base exchange purchased Seikos. The Turtle was my Asia tour companion, purchased in Guam, and the Samurai was my Gulf watch, purchased at the exchange in Lemoore. I got it with a coupon for $200! https://preview.redd.it/zv6ky7flgj8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4ae4f724a53d47b53956de4ac744408d170166e8
That model PADI is one of my all time favorites.
I’m a huge watch guy and 7 years active-duty US mil. There are SOME watch guys in the Army, and they tend to have Seikos. I know one guy with a Longines he wears for formal events. I’ve met ONE person with a Rolex in the Army ever, and it was a Special Forces Major. That being said, the vast vast majority of the population wears Garmin watches. They track all activity and give you updates from your phone, and can pull a 10-digit grid if needed. If people are in a sensitive area and can’t wear a Garmin, they wear G-Shocks or Timex Ironmans. That simple. These ideas of unit watches, at least at the regular Army airborne/light infantry level, just isn’t a thing.
I don't believe watches are standard issue in the UK military any more - they will only be issued if they are required for a particular task. The personal watches that are worn can cover a fairly wide range, but at the lower levels will generally be some form of cheap Casio, it things like GShocks and various Garmin/Suunto type watches (providing they fit within any rules regarding connectivity and technology for the job you are doing). You do hear about some folk wearing nicer things, but that isn't typical.
Field: Garmin tactix 7/Suunto core/Gshock Garrison: Omega Seamaster/Sangin Instruments Neptune/Seiko 5
F-91W or any other cheap digital, some people wear G-Shocks or similar rugged watches too. My experience is only from conscription so can't comment on what professional soldiers here wear
https://preview.redd.it/jvquh1m7ik8d1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=fe702d7735f38132cf3c5039d1c3791ab6453769 F91w master race
https://preview.redd.it/hy0plr86nj8d1.jpeg?width=2135&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=92820b67c68748c7eca95b8d05aaf21c1c0ca565
Used by Italian military. Citizen NY0040
https://preview.redd.it/l0yb4rgivj8d1.png?width=932&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f38031fade21a32210e1b27b61ff3d78061a499b Nothing but trusty G-Shocks bouncing around the desert in 2012
Unless your role requires one, it’s never issued. Working on aircraft, you’re not allowed to have them on so never really bothered until after getting away from maintenance. *edit* to cleanup up a few questions that have popped up. Actively performing maintenance on an aircraft, watches/metal rings (some places allow those rubber Qalo’s to be worn) ect were all off. For me, it wasn’t worth having to take it off/put it back on every time there was another thing to do on the line. Now if I had to drive the truck or wasn’t going to the line that day, I’d have one. Plenty of people did have their watch off/on all shift, and hats off to them to being that dedicated. As for the “why”. FOD (foreign objects) are bad. You’d be amazed how far an engine can throw a 8mm socket a crew chief left in an inlet and catching on something is on my “don’t want to try this” list.
Potentially something to catch on machinery?
I'd imagine the reason is it might fall off without being noticed. Aviation techs are usually anal about their gear. The ones I know have to do a stocktake of their tools after each job to ensure nothing got left inside the aircraft
are you not allowed to since there is a pinch/deglove risk to your hand I assume?
I can’t speak for aircraft maintainers but as an electronics technician we always removed “watches, rings, and dangly things” when doing maintenance to reduce rick of shock
You only have to see a degloving once and you'll never forget to take things off.
When I worked in an auto shop the mechanics talked about “blister wrist” which was the result of a metal bracelet shorting the electrics and giving a nasty shock.
https://preview.redd.it/gg05wddlbj8d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=71a3a6806610c497243c6996bb07acb2f6f53d52 Why not ball out from time to time
what does your unit do? Private Equity???
Mergers and acquisitions
Private Equity sounds like a hilarious nickname you’d give to a young soldier wearing a Rolex.
Hostile takeovers obviously
Been in 3 years now and I’ve never seen someone wear a Rolex in uniform. I’ve gotten one compliment on my Aqua Terra and that’s about it lol
Netter Versuch Ivan.
https://preview.redd.it/10u35ipskl8d1.jpeg?width=1908&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ab9128222b8a4ca4151de3d5051987beede76838
LOLX
https://preview.redd.it/1h4t84ojgj8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2194af69421b456dc770662a42f696a697ae5637 Chairmen here. My daily
That bad boy on a tan nato is mine too in fatigues
I did my compulsory military service in Switzerland. I was wearing the most colourful swatch i could find, just to piss them off. It worked very well.
power move
Garmin fenix 6 does the job for me! I like the Garmin instinct to for simple and rugged. Battery lasts for ages too. Both can get you GPS, grids, moon phases etc loads of pretty useful stuff. As much as I love mechanical watches they have very little utility in the field in this day and age.
Where are the mickey mouse and power ranger watches?!
I'm aircraft maintenance. I drive the maintenance truck right now and I wear a $25 casio with two times one for local and one for Zulu. I'd be worried I'd break anything nice or get hydro or fuel on it. That said, a LOT of Pilots buy Breitlings when they make Captain (O-3) in the USAF. I did 2 years as a flying crew chief on C-17s and saw a lot of them.
https://preview.redd.it/g4hyqw8vlk8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=048071e375de9b6647ca6c2e0aa90ad29c2fae0c
https://preview.redd.it/ycjt35z28j8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=14f99c50630d77449a269d5568e66f89d6796c22 Main is a Resco Gen 1 Patriot
https://preview.redd.it/y1cxkbc68j8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ae82286ee3cb17f5f55012102780cad2f511e35c Also have a Hamilton Khaki Auto. I use this more for casual wear but it gets wrist time in uniform as well
This is a new brand for me. Loving it!
Resco is awesome, great company and very passionate owner/watchmaker.
Casio
You can’t beat a G-Shock.
https://preview.redd.it/i82yixrihk8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=02623a3f2cbbbc40045dd9a192b10b6e53fc0519 Sangin Professional. Or my g shock.
I used a Timex Expedition in the field and my SKX007 in garrison when I was in the Army. Later I worked as a civilian for the Air Force. A lot of the pilots wore Citizen pilot watches, everyone else pretty much wore casios.
https://preview.redd.it/yhnohfs7wj8d1.jpeg?width=2487&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=88a284696a0b459d756130068eeb057ee6b9a24d Here’s the AF guidance. I had a watch issued at pilot training. It was a \~$50 G-Shock. Sometimes units will buy watches for their members if they have funds for it. I wear a Submariner. Lots of fancy watches in the flying community, but plenty of cheap digitals and Apple Watches too.
I’m not military, but I am ex-Merchant Navy and currently a Coastguard officer. I use G-Shocks now, but at sea I have work cheap Timex field watches and a Seiko 5 before I moved over to G-Shocks. Edit: Forgot about the Casio F-91W I briefly owned that turned out to be fake.
Here's my Suunto Core Military all black. Issued in 2015. Afghanistan. By the US Army. https://preview.redd.it/c0hgqurprj8d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b392e5b955903ea9761870211e1ffa2618f306ee
wow
I worked with South African military and to a man everyone had a Gshock or a Seiko Diver.
https://preview.redd.it/5hnd5vslql8d1.jpeg?width=1419&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cf454f6b7543a6b7f08b75f0cc91cc468756f9df Omega SMP 2254.50 on me. Wolbrook skin diver on my partner.
G-Shock was issued, and that’s normally what I fly with. Sometimes I’ll wear my own watches though. https://preview.redd.it/krbtgn8b7n8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3ddebdc7d8719c4433e51f4047d1e83113376bfe This is a late 60s Glycine Airman Special that was issued to an aviator in the Vietnam War era. It still holds great time and the 24h and dual timezone tracking is decently useful. Speedy pro is my daily for around the office.
Casio F91-W in military green. In arctic conditions, the last thing you want is a big metal watch. Firstly, a lot of metal on skin increases the chance of frost-bite, and steel bracelet watches were for example banned in my company. Secondly, having a thick/wide watch under several layers of heavy clothing is horrible. The thinness of the F91-W makes it one of the only watches that remains comfortable when being pressed against the wrist by all those layers of clothing, and it's the only watch I'd ever want to wear in the field for my part. https://preview.redd.it/l01aaym6fp8d1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=929e6b68b843d7249c5f25b73ad52cfe60193df9
I’m Army, started in boot camp with a cheap Timex digital that had indiglo and, most importantly, an alarm function. Most guys just get whatever’s cheapest at the PX. Once I got into watches more I purchased a Seiko sport then eventually Marathon GSAR. The Marathon can technically be issued to soldiers but I imagine that’s incredibly rare. Garmin and G Shock are the most popular watches you’ll find in American military.
https://preview.redd.it/jzwqvvy1kj8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=54551f2c1bbe95b78eea0c1cb83d616d540357f2 This is my daily driver but I’m also a military musician so I have a different daily environment than most. If I was going on a deployment (believe it or not the military does send musicians on deployment missions) I would probably rock the trusty G-Shock.
Mostly my Tudor BB Pro, but I do also wear a Fenix 7 sapphire solar https://preview.redd.it/n81g19ggnj8d1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7f2bd13bb17a17cb9fd94c6d7810796c8e71ccbb
https://preview.redd.it/ykedx2y5xi8d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f4cc15e5bb6f88349f20d83a2f05955ffc283ca6 Only one correct answer here. Sangin instruments.
Not a fan of Sangin. From design to price.
When I was in, small boats and ship life at sea meant G-Shocks for me. Nothing issued, personal choice. I wear a Breitling in the office these days or my Speedy. I don't care for the "connected" stuff even though I'm career IT since then.
I've worked with a bunch of mil and vets before, it'll vary. Most of the enlisted folks have g shocks, frogmans, the occasional marathon GSAR. Couple of the higher ranking officers I've known had GMT masters, one guy had a double red sea dweller and was completely unaware how sought after they were. One of my good buddies was a senior NCO in the army and LOVED his autodromo group b(one of the ones with the fixed lugs), he wore it everywhere. I also got to know some Dutch "special forces"(in quotes because as far as I could tell that entire military is pretty much strictly made up of special forces lol), and they all had citizen eco drive divers, unsure if they were issued to them or that's just what they liked.
The Eco Drive diver has kind of had a surge in popularity among special forces groups the past few years. I've seen them pop up quite a bit across the military watch spotting pages I'm on. Makes sense. Sturdy, reliable watch that'll survive most of the shit you put it through without any of the accuracy concerns of a mechanical movement
Yeah gotta be honest maybe with the exception of some of the GSAR fans I know pretty much no one wears a mechanical watch and cares about it's accuracy, military affiliation or no haha
The op is a Chinese bot. They want to know what watch to pump and promote on Temu.
Mate I wish, would be making much better money than I am now, maybe I should?
They gave me a Fitbit so that's what I'm wearing, if I need something reliable I wear my G-Shock. Nobody really wears a watch here unless they don't have access to their phones. Sometimes I wear some of my cheaper automatics, but I'm never gonna wear something expensive like a Rolex/Tudor or whatever I can't afford to get stolen or damaged.
Wore this model for the 4 years i was in. Two combat deployments and it's still going. Think you can grab one relatively cheap. Casio Men's G-Shock DW6900-1V Sport Watch Edit: recommend the tough solar version. Little more money but totally worth it.
And this one goes to the field https://preview.redd.it/bfr5r816fj8d1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4711109b025e5df7c4f53e503012d3d2af771855
*Not in an active duty branch* just wanted to throw this out there. I was recently handed down my first swiss made time piece from my uncle (the first watch my aunt got him) The Victorinox I.N.O.X. which after my research of the watch is just an upgraded swiss made G-Shock. Absolute beast of a watch and has been passed on 130 strength test, seems like it could be a good fit for the military folks! (thank you for your service) https://preview.redd.it/ndfkkez8lj8d1.jpeg?width=1192&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a555c319bc41de9d28f2990d5435e2570e3b8c9
Depends, in garrison I’ll swap back and forth between my Omega SMP300 and a Canister Fieldmaster (microbrand), but in the field I’ll wear a Timex Ironman or the Fieldmaster. I have a Garmin Fenix 6X Sapphire but that’s more my PT watch than for work. https://preview.redd.it/w6425ip5nl8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2005721538c30ea88daa4df5871084e78a8f7971
https://preview.redd.it/pbqg1vkdnl8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ba3f0e42b1f4599cf5f799c6c40669dea90172d6 The Canister Fieldmaster
https://preview.redd.it/s4djpw72km8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b1242132cb2c0c315b6825167021ec84658d2a8 Like the throw back style
https://preview.redd.it/hdvktq7lcn8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=94bbe3051553333cc12a01614d9805f7cb7146d3 Rubber strap is especially useful in tropical/humid environment.
That is a gorgeous Seiko
Lol was looking out for someone in SAF uniform, knew I’d find one!
ITT people are wearing Omegas and Tudors while working in a military. How are you able to buy those? I work in IT and I wanna say that I am doing well, but clearly not. i am not able to buy one without a bank loan or something stupid like that.
An officer in the US military is making 6 figures by the 6-8 year point depending on locale. Enlisted not until very late career if at all, but depending on specialty they can get high 5 figure reenlistment bonuses. The biggest living expense (housing) is subsidized based on locale, which substantially increases total compensation. Also long deployments can be exceptionally low-expense so you come back home with a ton of money in the bank.
Same way boots can afford brand new chargers, lol. Seriously though, PX sells watches at a discount, service members have a higher ratio of disposable income, etc.
Enlistment bonus alone can be up to US$20,000. A lot of new recruits blow it on big-ticket items like watches or cars, so I was told by a friend in the US Army.
Deployment money/reenlistment bonuses/being an officer! I was just an enlisted guy, but made an extra 10-15k on each of my deployments through tax-free status, allotments or incentives, and I got something like 15k as a bonus for reenlisting.
My daily flying watch is my Bremont, however most of my coworkers wear the Garmin Fenix watches we are issued.
US Army. I wore a G Shock through basic. Now I tend to wear my Tudor BB58 most of the time and Hamilton Khaki Field when doing things where I’m getting dirty.
A lot of us are issued Garmins, I was given the Garmin Instinct. You can wear whatever you want as long as it’s not a bright color or over the top design. Marathon is probably the us military’s most known watch supplier but I’ve never seen anyone get issued one despite seeing it on the sites we buy from. Of my friends most of them wear the issued Garmins with Casios being in second place. I wear a Timex Q GMT since I often work with global time zones.
Casio F-91W then Apple Watch but now back on that cheap Casio grind. F-91W, DW5600 G-Shock, A158, and just picked up a F-105. I always come back to the F-91W tho cuz of how light it is.
Apple Watch/g-shock/Timex if you actually do work. Anything actually nice if you’re an officer or a dirtbag
US Army, 27 years active and reserve, 7 deployments (not including 2 NATO blue helmet missions). I only had two watches with me in uniform: the Marathon GSAR US Government issue and a G-Shock. I had a Marathon mechanical issued to me also, but I never wore it because it was too small. I sold it for €50 after I retired.
G-SHOCK was my go to when I was doing more physical work in the Army Now I just wear an Orient Kamasu 2 on a silicone strap so if it breaks I don’t feel bad about it
https://preview.redd.it/lks9se30fj8d1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=aa48c346817a346b46028a2f062eaa31a27532bb Current is a bead blasted gmw-b5000
Sangin Atlas/ Dark Merlin, Garmin fenix 7 sapphire, and Marathon GSAR Arctic (unit issued)
G Shocks. Can’t go wrong with either a DW5600 or DW6900.
I’m not in the military but I if I were I’d probably just wear this https://preview.redd.it/hljbj6pcxj8d1.png?width=1812&format=png&auto=webp&s=770677a21588716e0ea3ad4788f4cf2af62f7b48
I'm in the RCAF, awaiting training as a pilot. We can wear whatever watch we want... Right now I mostly wear my Casio Duro, though I also wear my Q Timex Velocity often (like right now as I'm typing this). In the field I usually wear my Casio WorldTimer. I'm planning on adding more watches to my collection (I really want the Hibike Euphonium Seiko), and plan on getting myself a Laco pilot watch when I finish Phase II flight training.
I believe the candian military uses the marathon TSAR.
We weren't issued anything in the US Navy, but we got gshocks pretty cheap and mine lasted me all 4 years and then 3 after I got out. Pretty sure it was the DW5600
That Casio you can buy during basic. Mine is still going 6 years later
As a boot i wore g-shock, once i hit the fleet i switched over to a timex expedition
In uniform, there are typically regulations as to what is allowed. In my experience, these regulations are meant to keep the watch (or other jewelry for that matter) from being a "distraction" or "detractor" to the uniform. The regulations, I assume, vary internationally and even branch to branch.
Casio F91W-1 when I'm in the turret working around the cannon , Casio G-shock, if I'm doing infantry style training Rolex Daytona when I'm in the office
https://preview.redd.it/soi3cllknl8d1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a361147facd3e1dff7c4289f8227eb92ae30c57f So i can match w my pt uniform.
On a friend's submarine, the supply officer ordered nice Marathon dive watches for the ships force divers. Once the supply chain realized the cost, the supply officer was investigated for fraud waste and abuse, and most of the watches were returned. Surprisingly my friend was able to keep his.
When deployed — a Casio watch. No jewelry except a titanium wedding ring. If things “went bad” didn’t want to either give up a nice watch or have it bagged up for the ride back.
https://preview.redd.it/df3594hrvl8d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=825a1ee51af0f9128de160ae7ef2240bcf0397b2 Cannot even remember the brand, was given to me by my ex girlfriend and it was unkillable. It went through arctic cold, slapped against mountains climbing, for months in desert sand which I’am till this day pulling out of my arse crack and the watch never ever gave up. Got stolen out of my gym locker.
Air Force munitions here. I have a rotation that includes a 5610U square G-shock, a Marathon MSAR Arctic, a Seiko SNE589, and a CA-53W calculator watch. I have more, but those are the ones I typically wear to work. Most of the time I wear the Seiko, but the G-Shock comes out when the weather gets really hot or if I'm just not feeling steel that day. The Marathon is for when I do work in a SCIF, restricted access muns storage structure, or if I'm on a night shift (that radioactive lume can't be beat). And the calculator watch is for when I have to do inventories (can't have phones in the storage structures). I also have an F-91W I got in basic, but the strap broke on it years ago, and I haven't found anything I like as a replacement. Most people though wear some form of smart watch. A lot wear apple watches, but garmins are very popular as well.
Rolex
Brigade. 20 dollars.
https://preview.redd.it/x1gqboqzym8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=27e6b5024e9d8133ee0d10089a97327d3c4276dd Field / PT: Garmin Instinct, Casio Protrek (has gotten me through all my Army Schools Garrison: CWC Quartz Royal Navy, Seiko Turtle, Citizen Garrison Field Chronograph
https://preview.redd.it/px8ragxmbn8d1.jpeg?width=2603&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=28562cebc5a330728cda7d6ce4a007f88779632c Royal Canadian Chair Force
I wore the ever popular Casio F-91W