G-Shocks, Other Digital: The New, True Field Watches, Or Just A Different Use Case?
Ok, probably a clickbait-y title, though maybe it's just the result of a brain underpowered from staying out too late (or inherent design limitations).* But some of these thoughts have been rattling around in said brain for a bit, and hopefully by posting I can stop the rattling.
Anyway, I had a nice day walking out and about town wearing my G-Shock (pictured above). Hardly a situation calling for rugged field watch specs. But when slapping on a no-fuss, super accurate (by mechanical standards) watch, I also had in my (underpowered) head some random thoughts triggeted in part by a new video from the This Watch, That Watch YouTube channel which I recommend as really insightful, with a nice dollop of dry humor and thoughtful cynicism. The discussion was about how field watches were maybe the last real tool watch genre that hasn't become super luxurious, a la precious metal Submariners.
The author (presenter?) did note that G-Shocks, Garmins, etc probably better fulfill the original intention of a field watch. And just from what I've seen/heard from various posts, videos etc, service members tend to favor G-Shocks. But I know there are also watchmakers who still make genuine field or similar use case watches in analog. I've started taking a liking to Marathon as an example, and the Pilot's Navigator in particular, especially with the high accuracy quartz. There's also the example of Muhle, which created the S.A.R. Rescue Timer specifically for search and rescue professionals with a mechanical movement; I'm assuming the SAR org could have turned to a vendor specifically for a digital watch if they thought it was more functional.
So can anyone think of actual military or rescue/ emergency services use cases which make analog displays more useful? Or, for that matter, mechanical over quartz? Side note: for military personnel who need to operate undetected in the dark, how would one balance low light legibility against the need to not light up like a Christmas tree?
*So as an example of how far my watchaholism has advanced, I was at a club last night amongst the young and the restless, and one of the things that caught my eye the most was... what watch guys were wearing. In particular, I saw a gold chrono with an integrated black rubber strap and was trying to figure out what it was; not a Royal Oak variant, I'm pretty sure, but couldn't get further in the guessing game. Maurice Lacroix Aikon variant maybe? Ships passing in the night....
Fell down the watch rabbit hole just recently - before, almost never thought about them, now can't go a day without reading or viewing something about watches.
That's a lot of text and I am ready for bed. Just F-91W it.
That's a lot of text and I am ready for bed. Just F-91W it.
I know, I also suffer from logorrhea...
Analog mechanical watches, mostly divers, are still very much in use in the military, especially when double wristing. There are two main reasons: not requiring an external power source, and becoming a backup compass if things get squirrelly.
A third, nearly extinct reason, is to flex. Back in the day, cool guys in special operations that graduate their finishing school would commemorate with a Rolex and a combat knife (can't remember the brand). My understanding is that tradition has been abandoned due to cost.
Fourth is to trade with locals for information. The watch they would wear could tell you who they previously worked with and how important they might be. Casios were regular units, Seikos or Invictas were typically recon, Rolex was special operations, and a fake Rolex meant CIA (we were actually told to write "appears to be" on capture bags because of this).
I'm sure there are others, but those are what came to mind.
Edit: about low light visibility, my #vostok is perfect for that.
Smartwatches make for horrible field watches because of the recharging issue. a week camping and they will look for a tree to plug into. Any Timex with indiglo is perfect.
The cheap-end of Casio, G-Shock, and Timex are by far and away the most used watches by active duty military. There are a few reasons, tough, dead accurate time, an alarm and stopwatch, and often multiple times zones. And we only need one watch that does it all.
The most important reason though? They're cheap, and we don't get paid much.
Some folks later in their career would get a nice Hammy or Omega when the job is less physically demanding and the pay scale has gone up with rank.
I only really got into this hobby after leaving active duty. That's when I was able to afford to 😂.
It some ways, it's just old and new ways of making a product to fill the same use case. The new ways have their advantages, but the old still works pretty well and has its own charms. A lot of "old ways" of doing things are still totally viable, even if it's more or less agreed that it's not entirely optimal, and some of them honestly are just still optimal, speaking more generally now.
Analog mechanical watches, mostly divers, are still very much in use in the military, especially when double wristing. There are two main reasons: not requiring an external power source, and becoming a backup compass if things get squirrelly.
A third, nearly extinct reason, is to flex. Back in the day, cool guys in special operations that graduate their finishing school would commemorate with a Rolex and a combat knife (can't remember the brand). My understanding is that tradition has been abandoned due to cost.
Fourth is to trade with locals for information. The watch they would wear could tell you who they previously worked with and how important they might be. Casios were regular units, Seikos or Invictas were typically recon, Rolex was special operations, and a fake Rolex meant CIA (we were actually told to write "appears to be" on capture bags because of this).
I'm sure there are others, but those are what came to mind.
Edit: about low light visibility, my #vostok is perfect for that.
I'm incredulous that they still use mechanicals... quartz analog I do understand, but why mechanical? Those batteries last for years and if you need to be sure, just have it replaced every time you have the water resistance checked. Solar-powered watches could also help.
It's even more incredible that MN use a Tudor. Tudor! Thousands of euros for a watch! What am I missing? Or is it corruption?
I'm incredulous that they still use mechanicals... quartz analog I do understand, but why mechanical? Those batteries last for years and if you need to be sure, just have it replaced every time you have the water resistance checked. Solar-powered watches could also help.
It's even more incredible that MN use a Tudor. Tudor! Thousands of euros for a watch! What am I missing? Or is it corruption?
Mechanical watches are mostly a backup. There's a general mistrust of anything electronic. Things tend to fail at the worst possible moment, and usually it's more than one thing at a time. It's rare but some actually prefer mechanical watches. Here's my buddy rocking an Invicta Grand Diver.
As for Tudor, they didn't used to be so expensive. Even Rolex used to be under $1000 and available at the shoppettes on bases. But Tudor took input from special operations when they designed their Submariner.
Mechanical watches are mostly a backup. There's a general mistrust of anything electronic. Things tend to fail at the worst possible moment, and usually it's more than one thing at a time. It's rare but some actually prefer mechanical watches. Here's my buddy rocking an Invicta Grand Diver.
As for Tudor, they didn't used to be so expensive. Even Rolex used to be under $1000 and available at the shoppettes on bases. But Tudor took input from special operations when they designed their Submariner.
I know about the past, but I'm talking about the present. I meant the Pelagos FXD.