Recommendations for NATO Strap Military Style Watch?

There are sooo many. Hamilton is the obvious place to start. But you could try Timefactors, or even Baltany for something very cost effective. Good luck! 🤞

Will check it out - thanks.

Take a look at the Islander/Hemel Hawkeye if you are looking for a pilot watch. Here is mine. Actually wearing it today.

Rios1931 has some nice looking vintage canvas strap. Available as Nato and 2-piece. There are some muted color options.

Sorry, you want a pilot or a field watch? Because strictly speaking the Alpinist and Rangemaster are not pilot watches.

This might not be quite what you’re looking for but a rugged field type watch that’s affordable, could be a good description for the Boldr Venture line.

Laco and Stowa make original flieger-style watches for much cheaper than IWC.

Under the $200 range, I would look at the chinese market. You can find a lot of NH35-based automatics with popular pilot and field aesthetics. Some people would say homages but military-spec designs are fair-use so there's no copyright infringement or anything.

San Martin flieger A & B https://a.aliexpress.com/_Ez0UQIB

Baltany makes lots of retro military watches such as the D12, W10, etc. Excellent quality for the money.

https://a.aliexpress.com/_EuLxHUn

Why not get the Real Thing?!

CWC (Cabot Watch Company)

Inexpensive, big variety of quartz and automatic & they're authentic military issue......

Seiko has a few

Hamilton as well

Even bulova!

+1 for Laco.

I have two Vaer watches and really love them. Great microbrand in terms of simple good design. This is the field watch I would go for:

VAER | S5 Field Black: 10ATM, Sapphire Glass, 2x Straps (vaerwatches.com)

The Vaer is below the $200 mark.

If you want pilot I agree with others, Laco is your best bet for your budget. You can find used ones for about $200 I'm sure. But keep in mind they have many tiers, so you will also come across $2000 Laco pilot watches.

Lastly, since pilot watches are typically sterile dials, you could also go for an AliExpress special. They will not be as good, specifically with things like lume or movement, but they will look the part:

That is such a good call. 👍

Buy once cry once. IWC, they have tons of variants new or slightly used from 36mm-41mm. Vintage JLC would be my other choice.

I have a Mark 18 and it’s my most versatile piece by far, timeless.

There’s my “military” style field watches

Lots of options there, under $500 you’ve got your hamilton khaki mechanical, bulova military heritage, Seiko Srpg and Srph (they both come in different dial colors ) timex expedition, vicorinox swisss army heritage, CWC and marathon. $500 to $1000 i know you said you don’t like the gold Alpinist but maybe take a look at the black or new baby Alpinists? There also Vaer, formex field and the khaki Murph under $1000

That’s a nice looking watch!

Can’t go wrong with a Glycine Combat

Seriously, if you're looking for a sub $200 pilot/flieger styule watch, you can't beat San Martin for the money. Don't even think of it as a knock off brand. San Martin has had excellent quality control and their fit and finish has been excellent. They aren't very original in design a lot of the time, but the Flieger sector is all about a style that is mimicked across all brands, entry level or otherwise.

Gonna throw this out there as I have a lot of pilot watches… for that price it’s worth looking at escapement time on Ali express.

He makes the watches himself, blues the steel hands and the onion crown he makes is incredible for winding.

The only two things I don’t like are the gloss dial and the strap it comes with. But I put mine (I have both an A and B dial version) on a single pass nato or a rubber tropic strap.

Just make sure you buy from the original escapement time guy as other people on Ali express are trying to capitalise on his popularity. And as this isn’t his full time job he doesn’t produce thousands of these.

Edit: now with the link to the 40mm automatic (you can select A or B dial from the page) https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802715928246.html?pdp_npi=3%40dis%21USD%21US%20%24138.70%21US%20%24138.70%21%21%21%21%21%40211b801b16972696317895148ea457%2112000023253856907%21sh01%21US%210&spm=a2g0n.store_m_home.undefined_undefined.1005002902242998&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa

I don’t personally own it, but have always loved it from afar: Hamilton Pilot Pioneer

I've had a few field types over the years, this Citizen Ray Mears is about the only one I return to though. If it was good enough for him, it's good enough for me 😁

Maybe try and look into Laco, but not sure if they have a standard military NATO strap on one. Curious why you wouldn’t wear the alpinist?

The Longines spirit is a good start, the Oris big crown pilot is also a great choice. They’re priced at $2000+. So you can kinda dip your toes in to try it before dropping $4-5k on an IWC.

Also there the Hamilton Pioneer. If your wrist can pull it off, it’s a great choice.