[t minus]

Hey everyone, hope your Tuesday is going great. So here we have some watches that I own from which to choose. Which one of these do you think is the BEST and WHY?

:think:

1. Marathon JSAR

2. Seiko SNK803

3. Luminox RECON

4. Timex Expedition

5. Citizen AW1361

 

[filthyj24]

The Citizen. If you're actually using it "out in the field" eco drive is the way to go.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

 

[t minus]

The Citizen. If you're actually using it "out in the field" eco drive is the way to go.

Alright, we have one vote for the Citizen. Please remember to cast your vote at the top of the page in the poll.

 

[Carl.1]

I want to vote...but, the best? Now if you said which is the best of these I would say the Seiko with its proven reliable movement and simplicity, it will not let you down.

 

[OvrSteer]

Very tough call.

The Luminox has too much going on with it to make it easy to read.

The Seiko is too small.

The JSAR is probably too large, and even if you can drive a tank over it I just can't do $700-1100 for a 3-hand quartz.

The Timex is actually a nice watch, but in any price-no-object comparison it's going to lose. The JSAR is much, MUCH better even if it's not particularly cost-effective.

I have to say that the Citizen edges out the others and it's not even sure whether it wants to be a field watch or a pilot watch... but the Timex is a close second and might win depending on what your comfort level is for replacing a watch that gets lost or damaged.

 

[wtma]

Gotta go with the SNK, I own one since 10 years ago. It was my only watch for 5 years, worn it every single day. It’s still running accurately today; no service, no battery change, no maintenance, no nothing. A true beater.

 

[brandon\]

Vote for the "BEST" field watch

Field Watch. No Hamilton. Does not compute.





Just kidding. I voted for the Luminox. That particular one has a sapphire crystal. And I had a Recon that I absolutely beat the hell out of and it never skipped a beat - heavy landscaping, regular yard and house work, built/laid a patio, built a deck, planted trees, laid rock, laid sod, installed lawn edging, car repairs, etc... It was a fantastic watch. And I'm a huge fan of tritium.

If you win the Luminox quality control lottery, you get a nice and solid watch.

Here it is when I sold it. The only sign of wear was the paint wearing off the edges of the crown.

And if you go with the SNK, they have the same diameter crystal as the Monster - so you can install a nice thick sapphire crystal.

 

[no-fi]

Re: Vote for the "BEST" field watch

Field Watch. No Hamilton. Does not compute.

Ha, that's exactly what I thought when I opened this thread.

I voted for the Citizen. Solar grab and go is a definite plus. Although I do agree with OvrSteer's comments on its identity crisis...

 

[HoustonReal]

It might be interesting to actually have a comparison of traditional field watches, instead of a rough mix of military themed watches.

Man’s Guide to Field Watches

Field watches don't usually have diver bezels, and their dials are 1-12, with an inner 13-24. Typically, they are also smaller in diameter. Check out LL Bean or Wenger Field Watches. How about the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical?

The Marathon JSAR is a diver. Marathon's field watches are the General Purpose models.

Similarly, the Luminox 38mm Captain's Field Watch is their most traditional representation, NOT the Luminox RECON.

Timex has some classic military field watches as well, including one for J. Crew and the Timex Expedition Scout.

The Citizen AW1361 is more of a Flieger Type B, than a field watch. The same with the Seiko SNK803. For a Seiko 5, I'd be going with the SNZG15, and the closest Citizen Eco-Drive would be the BM8180-03E

 

[Fluffyfreak505]

Of these 4, my vote goes to the Timex.

 

[t minus]

So far my Citizen is in the lead!

 

[TJ Boogie]

Marathon's a Mil-Spec is a law enforcement fave up here, and was (and perhaps still is?) issued to US soldiers. I'm going with that. They're all great picks, I bet you could take any of the above outdoors and put it through the ringer, and be quite content with performance.

 

[t minus]

Marathon's a Mil-Spec is a law enforcement fave up here, and was (and perhaps still is?) issued to US soldiers. I'm going with that. They're all great picks, I bet you could take any of the above outdoors and put it through the ringer, and be quite content with performance.

Agreed, the Marathon is definitely a resilient piece. It has taken some hits and is still ok.

 

[fastfras]

It might be interesting to actually have a comparison of traditional field watches, instead of a rough mix of military themed watches.

Man’s Guide to Field Watches

Field watches don't usually have diver bezels, and their dials are 1-12, with an inner 13-24. Typically, they are also smaller in diameter. Check out LL Bean or Wenger Field Watches. How about the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical?

The Marathon JSAR is a diver. Marathon's field watches are the General Purpose models.

Similarly, the Luminox 38mm Captain's Field Watch is their most traditional representation, NOT the Luminox RECON.

Timex has some classic military field watches as well, including one for J. Crew and the Timex Expedition Scout.

The Citizen AW1361 is more of a Flieger Type B, than a field watch. The same with the Seiko SNK803. For a Seiko 5, I'd be going with the SNZG15, and the closest Citizen Eco-Drive would be the BM8180-03E


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At least these have the appearance of field watches. Excellent post HR, thanks for the pics, love canvas straps on these watches.

 

[ConfusedOne]

I cannot vote in this poll with good faith knowing the Hamilton Khaki Field is missing from the list...





















but I did anyway for the Marathon JSAR

 

[X2-Elijah]

Nope, sorry. This is the best field watch:

 

[tokeisukeii]

Had the Recon and scratched the bezel on its first day out. Don't even remember doing it. Sold it a week later. Very disappointed.

Sent from my SCV33 using Tapatalk

 

[PYLTN]

I voted for the SNK803. I am biased in that I own one - wearing it now in fact - but also because I think they are just awesome watches. Great size, love the aesthetics of the dial, hands and case, incredible value for money.

 

[Negakinu]

A field watch, to me, is basically an outdoors watch that is easy to read, has 24hour markings, is reliable, rugged, has a larger crown and is light and unobtrusive. No dive bezels, no busy pilot dials, no added complications (although the date is more common). When I look at the watches in the poll, none of them really look like watches I'd call field watches.

Also, there's a difference now between the aesthetics of a field watch and a watch that is reliable to take with you in the field/combat/exploration/whatever. I guess a solar G-Shock would make for an excellent field watch, if you're not talking about "field watch" as a design.

 

[chirs1211]

Sorry can't vote on this either too many good field watches missing, and mixing a 37mm Seiko field with a JSAR diver and asking someone to choose the best field watch is strange.
Out of the 2 actual field watches here i'd go citizen but there are so much better out there.

Chris