Military watches, for obvious reasons, are some of the most interesting timepieces to study and collect: they have serious history behind them, they’re robust and well made, and their utilitarian, straightforward nature ironically often leads to naturally attractive designs.
Prices on vintage, issued military watches very much runs the gamut — you can pay $200 for a WWII-era, American-made A-11, or you can pay $200,000 for a Rolex “Milsub” issued to the Royal Navy in the 1970s. Because of this, we’ve decided to focus this guide on timepieces that’ll run you less than $5,000. A further constraint, however, is that we’ve elected to focus on pieces 34mm and larger, as watches like the A-11, cool as they are, are quite small even for the small-wristed among us (think ~32mm).
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Of course, keep in mind that vintage issued watches such as these are going to need service more frequently than modern watches with modern movements in them that use synthetic oils, automatic winding, etc, so factor those costs into your purchasing decision. Still, there’s nothing cooler than the knowledge that someone long ago wore your watch into a dangerous place in order to blow shit up.
(…or wore it in the mess hall while he spooned rice and beans onto plates for 12 hours a day, but the mystery is part of the attraction.)
Mr Jones WatchesCWC G10
One of the best bargains in (fairly) modern military watches, the Cabot Watch Company G10 was produced in huge quantities for British military personnel, and is in fact still being produced today in slightly updated form. The originals were made between 1980 and the early 2000s and feature a 36mm steel case with a quartz movement, battery hatch, a matte black tritium dial, fixed spring bars, and an acrylic crystal. Though they’ve appreciated somewhat in price over the past few years, you can find them all day long for under $500.
