now that I think about it - the older I get the more I like smaller watches. I have a 7.75” wrist, so I’ve always sided with larger cases. In my 20’s and 30’s I was a fan of Navitimer and Panerai models. As I reached my 40s and was in a position to buy a few luxury pieces, most were 40mm. Now I find myself living 38mm pieces…even though that’s the smallest I can go without looking silly in my wrist. For example, I love the classic Explorer, but at 36mm, it’s a no go. 
 

Fun topic - love reading the comments!
 

Cheers!

That's nice!  I appreciate the perspective.  Your two-tone is stunning!  Love that color combo.

They are both beautiful.  I tried on the two-tone large, and it definitely spoke to me.  The tank is an amazing piece as well.  Stunning pair you have!

Beautiful!  Congrats on the purchase.  Tudor has such great stuff, and the Pelagos is no exception.  Let us know your thoughts as you spend more time with it!  It's definitely on my radar as I consider my next purchase.

Lief, great post, and I love your line of thinking.  As a 30 yr vet of both the DoD and Intel Community, my humble recco is to aim low right now.  I assume you are headed to some form of basic training, followed by a specialized combat training course. The very last thing you want to do is surrender your $4K luxury field watch to some basic training quartermaster who's going to shove it in a ziplock bag with a whole bunch of other crap and toss it thoughtlessly onto a metal shelf with 200 other people's stuff.  Then, consider that you Army folk like to jump out of perfectly good airplanes and stuff like that.  So...that said, right now you need a Jocko-inspired GShock or Timex Triathlon...something that will literally take a beating and not break the bank if the wind takes it as you dive out the side of a C-130.  

Now - let's advance the clock a year or so. You've settled at your base. You have a routine that you have a little more control over.  Then it's time to invest.  I love the field watch idea.  So here's my recco - for day to day when you're at work - the Hamilton Field Murph.  It's beautiful.  Rugged.  A total strap monster...and looks great on a NATO.  AND, it's under $1K.  Now you have about $3500 to play with.  You head to Theo and Harris and pick up a vintage Omega or something super cool to wear in your dress uniform during special occasions.  And when it's time to jump out of an airplane or eat snakes...you still have your Gshock/Timex...which are super cool in their own right.

Cheers, and thank you for choosing to serve. No greater honor.

Firstly, congratulations!  There’s nothing worse than working in a toxic environment. I hope this new move brings you much more daily joy. 
 

The 1016 is a great grail - and to that end, the Ranger is a no-brainer. You’ll be super happy with that purchase!
 

As another consideration, a sleeper in my collection is my Hamilton Field Murph. Now, I’d normally recommend alternatives in the same price range (the Field Murph is ~1/3 the price of the Ranger?). It’s not the build quality of the Tudor, but certainly punches way above its weight (And price tag). And it’s an absolute strap monster. 

Nice pairing!  ColaReb makes such great stuff.