Field watches: What's your philosophy?

I've got a Hamilton manual wind so I ticked B

But I will definitely get a Tudor Ranger at some point so I aspire to C!

Thinking about it have a Citizen eco drive field watch so also a member of A!

I guess C would fit the Tudor.

Attainable & dependable all day long. Hamilton Khaki Field. I'll be getting one this year.

I totally get where the feeling of aspiration is coming from! Just gotta wrap my head around the idea of hiking with a relatively expensive watch! 💸

All of the above. I have field watches in all categories. Having a small wrist I’ve discovered that, aside from vintage, field watches are usually the modern watch category that my wrist can accommodate and a worthwhile exploration into micro brands.

• 36mm Rolex Explorer Two-Tone

• 38mm Weiss Std. Issue Field Green Los Angeles Dial

• 38mm Zelos Aurora Ti Field Aventurine

• 38mm Boldr Venture ‘Singularity’

• 38mm Halios Universa Slate Grey

I own a Hamilton Mechanical Field and love it. The watch is under the radar, solid movement and an insane power reserve. I purchased the new 36mm Explorer I and wound up giving that to my daughter because she fell in love with it after I wore in less than 90 days. Mind you, she is not a watch nerd. I also own a Rolex Explorer II and will never part with it. Well, I'm sure my son will have it in my most senior age. I digress. The mid tier Field Watch sector has so many great mechanical and quartz options. IMO the Explorer and Ranger pieces are Field Watch designs at next level build. I jsut consider them luxury pieces. Not Patek level, but just amazing pieces. I don't have words for them in this discussion other than: the same but very different

I've recently bought a Pelagos so the Ranger won't be any time soon! I'm now a huge Tudor fan. The Ranger has some detractors amongst our crowd but I really like it. It is relatively expensive but compared to the Explorer offers amazing value I reckon.

I'm finding that field watches are my comfort, go to watch. They match who I think I am the most. So I want some style and uniqueness, but contained in a practical, comfortable package. So it's higher end mocrobrands. Formex field, circula pro trail, and Rze for when I want a "beater" of sorts.

I also feel Tudor is around the C range. Something about Tudor name makes me feel it's more on the luxury side of the spectrum for field watches.

As a fellow skinny-wrist, I also love watches with "mid" size proportions! Nothing else makes a watch more desirable than a great fit IMO.

I wanted to put a pic of the Ranger in place of the Explorer to represent the price segment. But I felt there's something about the Explorer that better captures the idea of luxury for what is essentially an outdoor beater watch genre.

There's so many great choices for mid-tier field watches but Hamilton is has become the most definitive field watch brand for me.

I have multiple field watches, and my favorite of them is the Seiko SRPG29 (blue dial on a bracelet). For right around $200, it’s hard to beat.

So true on the Explorer I! When you wear it you feel heft and build quality that can't be explained. The indices and dial are beautiful. The Ranger is super cool no doubt. I like the dail but it's not the same fit and finish. The Seiko Alpinist kind of lives between the Hamilton (kind of the perfect field waych choice IMO) and the Ranger or Explorer step up

I didn't see E, all of the above!

The grail Field Watch for me is either the Hamilton 38mm "Murph" or the classic green/gold Alpinist (which has a kinda "dressy" vibe).

Currently own a white-on-black Timex Expedition Scout and an SSK803

Love Field Watches! 😎

I feel like the GADA watch is the more civilian-oriented successor to the field watch. Built tough yet presentable enough to wear to occasions. That pushes the price point of the genre upmarket as a result.

Yikes, I do remember reading something about the Hamilton movement issues with frequent winding. I hope it's fixed!

Kinda like bragging, "Look how expensive my beater watch is!" But still being careful not to get it scratched. 🤣

True, an Explorer could be a valid beater for someone who collects other watches 10x the price. It's all relative after all!

If you ask me, and I know you didn't, but I feel cat A fits cat B. But B doesn't fit A. For this reason I choose B.

I have no idea what you mean and at the same time I think I can see what you mean 🤯

I have a Bulova Hack, which I'd guess comes under "B". I think the whole point of a field watch is that it's functional, rather than dressy.

I certainly prefer the dependable and attainable category, and I like the simple aesthetics of a field watch, but I also prefer them to be durable and not “throw-away”. I think what I’m really describing are GADAs.

What is the middle picture? The square watch?

Call me crazy but for me the definition of a field watch is something you can just grab and take most places, so I don't want to be overly worried about something happening to it.

It's a Bell & Ross styled case with an nh35 movement and a BR 01 styled dial that I built.

I tried the cheap field watch option but recently upgraded to the Tudor Ranger.

The cheap watches I owned were a G-Shock I rarely wore and a Seiko kinetic that was fine for $125 but that I desperately wanted to upgrade.

Before choosing the Ranger, I considered a lot of watches from affordable (Boldr), classic (Hamilton), outside the box (Longines Spirit), luxury (IWC Mark XX- another pilot/field watch hybrid) just to name a few. I ultimately chose the Ranger because I love the look and specs (screw down crown in particular) and it wears like a dream on my wrist.

For me, I wear a field watch a lot because I am in the Army Reserve and also love hiking and outdoor activities. The Ranger is also a strap monster and can go with any casual outfit. I thought it was at the high end for a field watch, but I went for it.

do the murph. Just got mine and won't regret it!