What is the best watch for the military in hot weather?

Get the G for basic training. Get the Sinn after graduation.

Marathon would be a solid choice, particularly the SSNav. It has an ETA high accuracy quartz movement, and tritium tubes for lume.

Put it on a breathable nylon strap the the DEFSTAN Marathon sells, and you're set.

I wear mine on an Erika's Original MN, as I find them to be the most comfortable type of strap.

I’ve been considering marathon for a bit, how much did you get yours for? They seem a bit more expensive than what I imagined they’d be in Singapore ( ~ S$700 for quartz )

I paid about that in in CAD, which isn't cheap, but it's not a basic quartz movement either.

Marathon is one of those brands where you are paying a premium for the name, and the reputation for quality that goes with it. Similar to how a Sinn 556 with a basic Sellita movement costs far more than many other Sellita powered watches.

I see, that’s pretty cool! Why do you like the SSNav over the rest?

I have a GSAR, and a standard Nav as well... I like them all.

Both look good!

I'd recommend the Casio Pro Trek PRG340 for most use cases. For analog, the Casio Duro on nylon is perfect, or the Citizen Promaster Diver with a rubber strap for eco-drive. If you need an automatic, a basic Seiko 5KX or Orient diver will do.

Hey JX,

Good luck with military training, I’m echoing Kristian’s suggestion. Marathon is a great brand with the history of building tough, no nonsense watches. They’re definitely not cheap but they seem to run a few sales every so often so I think you can get yours below MSRP.

Thanks Riz for the well wishes, yes after some thought I am more open to owning one and I js checked out gnomon where the prices are actually lower than expected

Love the pro trek!

I would go for a Glycine combat sub. Great watch for the price

Bertucci watches would be on my list. Solid end links and tough, most are quite cheap as well.

I have the older version, it's the one I use most for the field.

As another Marathon fan, I also recommend the SSNAV or the GSAR, in quartz or automatic depending on which you want. The SSNAV will slide under sleeves and gloves a lot more easily than the aggressive bezel and height of the GSAR. They are kind of expensive, so that's a valid consideration. They just have a specific design philosophy that not many companies have, and I happen to really like it.

Bertucci is pretty affordable and can take a beating if you like their designs.

A lot of this kind of rides on whether you go mechanical or quartz. In general, I'd say mechanical will be fine, but there are some specializations in the military that would be particularly hard on them, like engineers that will use a lot of power tools and heavy equipment.

At the end of the day, I'd say just about anything from a recognizable brand with a common, affordable movement, 100m+ of water resistance, and a case that isn't heavily polished will serve you pretty well. Those are the kinds of specs I'd be looking for. Probably a sapphire crystal too, but some people would disagree with me on that. Definitely not anything on an integrated bracelet.

Casio F-91W for basic, if a watch is even allowed.

Then after that, I'd second @madminuteman on the Protrek, vastly more useful and easier to read than most G Shocks, IMO.

Elliot Brown Holton Pro

Wolbrook/Douglas Skindiver II Professional

And the oddball, or I'm just a watch guy, who happens to do oddly tactical things at times:

Lorier and Orient, YMMV of course.