BEST MILITARY WATCHES 2023

Are you looking for the best military watch for your wrist? We’ve reviewed the best military watches in 2023, and we can help you decide which tactical watch is the right choice for you.

Best Military Watches

Selecting the best military watch allows you to focus more on tactical maneuvering, protecting the world, fighting crime, and enjoying the great outdoors—so you don’t have to worry about protecting your watch or water resistance. There are countless military watches that will tell the time, sure, but how many will hold up to the harshest conditions and still pass the test of time? 

We reviewed and ranked the best military watches. We set out to find the best one by thoroughly researching five of the most popular models: Casio Pathfinder, G-Shock Rangeman, Garmin Tactix Delta, Suunto Traverse Alpha, and Timex Men’s T49905 Expedition Field Chronograph.

Our Approach:

Choosing the best military watch comes down to three things:

• Utility and toughness
• Battery life
• Features

In this military watch review, we’ll look at some of the top tactical watches for military, law enforcement, backpackers, and outdoor enthusiasts and share what makes them the right choice. We’ll explore the pricing details of each watch, along with pros, cons, and more. By the time you finish reading this review, you’ll know which tactical watch is best for you.

Our Top 5 Military Watches:

• Casio Pathfinder offers the best overall value because it offers the best features, is extremely durable, and has long-lasting battery life.
• G-Shock Rangeman is the best for toughness because it holds up under the most rugged conditions.
• Garmin Tactix Delta is best for GPS because it offers a solar charging face, meaning you don’t have to worry about the battery timing out.
• Suunto Traverse Alpha is best for hunting because it lets you store routes in your watch that can be accessed anytime.
• Timex Men’s T49905 Expedition Field Chronograph is best for everyday wear because it’s designed to pair well with any wardrobe while managing the toughest trails. 

Best for Overall Value: Casio Pathfinder

Casio Pathfinder is a watch we think you should check out. They are a good fit for outdoor enthusiasts, soldiers, and law enforcement professionals who need a tactical watch that keeps time, delivers the best features, and all while holding up under the toughest conditions. Not just watches for men, the Casio Pathfinder is worn by women and many in the military. This watch has great water resistance and other great features without the price tag of a Bell Ross.

Casio Pathfinder Features:

• Digital compass
• Altimeter
• Barometer
• Thermometer
• Low-temperature resistance (-10 C/14 F) 
• EL backlight
• World time (31 time zones, 48 cities)
• City code display
• Five daily alarms
• 1/100-second stopwatch
• Full auto-calendar (pre-programmed until 2099)
• Countdown timer
• 12/24-hour formats
• Battery power indicator
• Power-saving function
• Six months battery life (without further exposure to light)
• 51-mm stainless steel case diameter with mineral dial window
• Quartz movement with digital display
• Resin band with buckle closure
• Water resistance to 330 ft (100 m)
• Solar face that recharges the battery in sunlight

Casio Pathfinder Battery Life:

The battery of the Casio Pathfinder is six months on a full charge, assuming you never get out in the sun. The fact is this watch offers a solar face that recharges the battery in sunlight. This means as long as the sun stays shining, your battery won’t die.

Casio Pathfinder Durability:

The Casio Pathfinder is one of the best rugged military watch. To put it bluntly, you could take a hammer to this thing, drop it off the highest cliff, and go swimming with it, and it will still keep running like the Energizer Bunny. Like the G-Shock watches also made by Casio, this watch can take a likin’ and keep on tickin’.

Casio Pathfinder Price:

The Casio Pathfinder has a list price of $250. It may not have a Suunto core or be one of the better GPS watches but it has incredible water resistance making it one of the better tactical watches.

Pros

• Waterproof
• Solar-powered
• Tritium gas tubes
• Durable
• Feature-rich

Cons

• Alarm not loud
• Hard-to-read display in bright lights

Best for Toughness: G-Shock Rangeman

Casio G-Shock Rangeman one of the best tactical watches not only for looks but also for toughness. These watches are a good fit for rock climbers, soldiers, pilots, and law enforcement professionals who need a tough tactical watch. This military watch will hold up under the toughest conditions and its water resistance is amazing. A navy seal could take this thing scuba diving—a great tactical watch with good water resistance.

Casio G-Shock Rangeman Features:

• Shock-resistant 
• Low-temperature resistance (-20°C / -4°F) 
• mud-resistant
• Analog digital display
• Water Resistance (200 meters)
• Time-calibration
• Communication Standard Bluetooth® low energy
• GPS Navigation
• Activity logs (up to 20 logs)
• Track display 
• 60 sets of point data (time, date, longitude/latitude, altitude, atmospheric pressure, temperature), point icons
• Digital Compass
• Measures and displays direction
• Barometer
• Thermometer
• World Time
• Stopwatch
• 24-hour countdown timer
• Four daily alarms (with snooze)
• Mobile app 
• Solar-powered system 
• Continuous operation
• Auto power save in dark locations

Casio G-Shock Rangeman Battery Life:

The battery life of the Casio G-Shock Rangeman is 29 months with the power save option. Without GPS turned on, the watch can run for two months. With GPS and normal intermittent use, the battery holds a charge for 33 hours. With non-stop GPS, the battery will last for 20 hours. 

Like the Casio Pathfinder, this watch also has a built-in solar charging face so that it can stay charged indefinitely (so long as you keep regularly exposed to sunlight).

Casio G-Shock Rangeman Durability:

This watch is super strong. If you need a watch that can’t be matched for toughness, this watch is it. The Rangeman even outperforms the Casio Pathfinder in durability, toughness, and being water resistant. This watch is battlefield tough and one of the best tactical watches.

Casio G-Shock Rangeman Price:

The Casio G-Shock Rangeman has a list price of $850.

Pros

• Battlefield tough to government specifications
• Great for search and rescue missions
• One of the better military watches
• Great tactical watch
• Smartwatch
• Shock resistance
• Waterproof
• Solar-powered
• Feature-rich
• GPS (One of the best GPS watches)
• Bluetooth

Cons

• Big on the wrist

Best for GPS: Garmin Tactix Delta

Garmin Tactix Delta is one of the best military watches with several tactical watch features. This is a watch you will love if you want GPS. This is a tactical watch that can stay charged for up to 66 hours. This is more than twice the battery life of the Casio G-Shock Rangeman. They are a good fit for military personnel in the field or office. This watch even has a kill switch to prevent your data from being stolen, a watch that would impress even James Bond. We wouldn’t be surprised if people start calling this the James Bond Watch. It is definitely one of the best military watches for men. The stainless steel and fiber shell case seems impenetrable.

Garmin Tactix Delta Key Features:

• Power Sapphire lens
• Diamond-like Carbon coated steel
• Fiber-reinforced polymer with a metal rear cover
• Nylon and silicone strap
• Color display
• 120-day battery life with solar
• 32 GB memory
• Hydration alerts
• Women’s health tracking
• GPS
• Good case size
• Stainless steel components
• Compass
• altimeter barometer
• Gyroscope
• Accelerometer
• Accelerometer
• Thermometer
• Calendar
• Weather
• Assistance
• Stealth mode
• Night vision mode
• Dual grid coordinates
• Kill switch
• Distance traveled

Garmin Tactix Delta Battery Life:

The battery of the Garmin Tactix Delta is 120 months with the power save option. Without GPS turned on, the watch runs 24 days. With GPS and normal intermittent use, the battery holds a charge for 148 hours. With non-stop GPS, the battery will last for 66 hours. 

Like the Casio Pathfinder and G-Shock Rangeman, this watch also has a built-in solar charging face, meaning it can stay charged indefinitely so long as you keep regularly exposed to sunlight.

Garmin Tactix Delta Durability:

This watch is military watch grade that’s not Swiss made. If you need a tactical watch that can withstand some abuse, the Garmin may be for you. This watch may not have the tough exterior as the Casio watches, but it is one of the best tactical watches and will endure. This watch is made well.

Garmin Tactix Delta Price:

The Garmin Tactix Delta has a list price of $1,199.

Pros

• Long battery
• Nice case size
• Waterproof (Good water resistance)
• Good case size
• Solar-powered
• Feature-rich
• Heavy duty
• GPS
• Bluetooth
• Strong wristband (nylon)

Cons

• Takes time to learn the features

Best for Hunting: Suunto Traverse Alpha

Suunto Traverse Alpha has the Suunto core and is one of the military watch brands you will love if you like to hunt. With this shock resistant, military watch, you can program routes that can be accessed from wherever you happen to be, making it a great tactical watch for hunting. It is also a great military watch. This watch sets up waypoints by automatically following where a bullet goes after it is shot. This is a great feature for finding prey that has been shot down. These waypoints are automatically stored in the phone for future kills. 

If you want the best hunting watch that has the best hunting GPS feature, you may want to own the Suunto Traverse Alpha — it’s a killer watch.

Suunto Traverse Alpha Features:

• Repellent nylon band
• Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass
• Automatic shot detection technology to keep track of when and where you shoot, mapping the GPS coordinates (you can review your shots later)
• GPS Path tracking to find your way in and out of the woods or field
• Moon phase calendar to determine best hunting and fishing times
• Stainless steel bezel
• Black dial
• Water resistance
• Suunto core
• Good water resistance
• Altimeter barometer
• Handmade in Finland 
• One of the better field watches
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery 

Suunto Traverse Alpha Battery Life:

The battery of the Suunto Traverse Alpha in time mode is 14 days. Training mode with GPS takes the Suunto core up to 100 hours. Unlike the Casio Pathfinder, G-Shock Rangeman, and Garmin Tactix Delta, this watch does not have a built-in solar charging face, so it won’t stay charged indefinitely.

Suunto Traverse Alpha Durability:

This watch has decent water resistance and is durable from band to face making it a great everyday carry watch. The strap is made of a waterproof textile that makes it comfortable to wear in all weather conditions. The casing is made of composite material and the bezel is made of stainless steel. This thing is hardcore with a sleek design and Suunto core. It isn’t your typical military watch that is bulky, sitting high on your wrist. Wear this to the office or kill site; it doesn’t matter — it works with any attire. 

Garmin Tactix Delta Price:

The Suunto Traverse Alpha has a list price of $300. For the price, it is one of the best tactical watches that are water resistant and shock resistant.

Pros

• Digital display with Indiglo night light
• Great for search and rescue and military night vision use
• Navy seal, military and pilot approved
• Bullet tracking
• Heavy duty
• Water resistant
• Path tracking
• Water-resistant
• Tough enough
• GPS
• Stainless steel case
• Great field watches

Cons

• No solar charging

Best for Everyday Wear: Timex Men’s T49905 Expedition Field Chronograph

Timex Men’s T49905 Expedition Field Chronograph is a field watch you will love to wear regardless of what you wear. 

This tactical watch does not have many of the bells and whistles other watches in this review possess. That being said, it does have a chronograph, a high-quality leather band, and a design that works with suits as well as military uniforms. The price is also quite attractive for the budget shopper.

Timex Men’s T49905 Expedition Field Chronograph Features:

• Brown 20 millimeter genuine leather strap
• Black dial 
• Date window at 4 o’clock 
• Arabic numerals
• Chronograph measures to 1/20th second
• Black 43 millimeter brass case 
• Mineral glass crystal
• Indiglo light-up watch dial
• Water resistant to 100 meter
• Storm alarm

Timex Men’s T49905 Expedition Field Chronograph Battery Life:

The battery life of the Timex Men’s T49905 Expedition Field Chronograph is three years. At that time, you will need to replace the watch battery.

Timex Men’s T49905 Expedition Field Chronograph Durability:

The Timex Men’s T49905 Expedition Field Chronograph watch is the least durable of the watches mentioned in this review; however, it stands up nicely for those in the military. Military personnel and especially navy seals and pilots may prefer a watch better suited for the military with more features like solar powered faces and digital display. Many a pilot have worn these watches.

The watch strap is made of leather, making it comfortable to wear as leather molds to the wrist better than metals, nylons, and plastic bands. This leather is premium and holds up well, disguising usage over time. The black case is quite durable, though it can become scratched up if improperly handled. The glass face can become scratched and does create glare in bright sunlight. Overall the watch is solid and wears well, looks good, and pairs well with any attire. It looks a lot like a Swiss made watch, but it is not Swiss made.

Timex Men’s T49905 Expedition Field Chronograph Price:

The Timex Men’s T49905 Expedition Field Chronograph retails for $80. 

Pros

• Pairs with any attire
• Strong leather strap
• Waterproof
• Storm alarm
• Scratch resistant
• Durable black case
• Strong, durable band
• Three-year battery life
• Best value military watch
• Timex expedition model

Cons

• No GPS
• No solar power
• No sapphire crystal
• Not navy seals approved
• No rechargeable batteries
• Basic features with analog digital display

Summary

Military watches come in many styles, having a range of features and price points. The military watch brands we present in this review cover a range of budgets, design styles, uses, and technology. Selecting the right watch depends on your individual needs and wants.The best tactical watch on this list is the Casio Pathfinder. This military watch has numerous features that service people, law enforcement officials, hunters, backpackers, and outdoors people will appreciate. It’s water resistance is great given The Casio Pathfinder is priced much lower than many of the other watches on this list. This watch is also extremely durable, with a long battery and a built-in solar face to help keep it charged when you’re out in the sun, or perhaps running a marathon. Suffice it to say—It is a good military watch.

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