Military Watches

Mission Timers: Five Modern Watches with MIL-SPEC Origins

Like Jeeps, GPS, and the Internet, some of today’s popular wristwatch models started out as military projects. Here are five modern timepieces whose ancestors were made-to-order for soldiers, sailors, and airmen.

Read the article

May 5, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

Perpetual Pilots: IWC Launches Perpetual Calendars in Big Pilot’s Watch and Top Gun “Mojave Desert” Collections

As it does most years, IWC used its time in the watch trade-fair spotlight in 2021 to refresh one of its six major collections. At the recently concluded Watches & Wonders virtual event, the company expanded its ever-popular Big Pilot’s Watch series with the release of the first 43-mm, blue-dialed Big Pilot models as the...

Read the article

Apr 28, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

FEATURE

Field Ready: The Complicated Story of the Simple Field Watch

How the field watch journeyed from saving lives in the hellish trenches of World War I to decorating the wrists of fashionably rugged-looking civilians a century later is a rather befuddling tale. In this feature from the WatchTime archives, correspondent Allen Farmelo takes us through it.

Read the article

Apr 23, 2021 by Allen Farmelo

WATCH REVIEW

Borrowed Time: Panerai Submersible Marina Militare Carbotech – 47MM

The Submersible Marina Militare Carbotech is at the technical vanguard of Panerai’s re-branded Submersible collection. We found this rugged timepiece, engineered for combat diving, makes a sharp statement on dry land as well.

Read the article

Apr 19, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

The History Channelers: Inside the Longines Heritage Collection

The vintage-look trend continues apace, and one watch brand has devoted an entire family within its portfolio to resurrecting timepieces from its long and creative history. In this feature from the WatchTime archives, we explore the origins, inspirations, and varied offerings of Longines’s ever-expanding Heritage Collection.

Read the article

Apr 12, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

FEATURE

Flying Ace: Tracing the History of the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch

IWC's Big Pilot’s Watch became an instant classic when it was re-released in 2002. But its history stretches much further back in time. In this feature from the WatchTime archives, we explore the Big Pilot and its many evolutions over the decades.

Read the article

Mar 8, 2021 by Jens Koch

Introducing the Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Origins LE100

Throughout 2020, Montblanc launched new releases from all of its various watch collections in rapid-fire fashion — from a limited-edition Heritage Pulsograph and an expansion of its Star Legacy line to an updated smartwatch and a growing blue focus in its 1858 collection, among many others. Heading into the new year, the brand needed a...

Read the article

Mar 4, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

Luminox Rounds Out its Bear Grylls Survival Collection with New AIR Series GMT Watch

Luminox began its partnership with survival specialist and “Man vs. Wild” TV star Bear Grylls in 2020 and has subsequently launched the Luminox X Bear Grylls Survival Series of tough, outdoor adventure-oriented watches. So far, we’ve seen a “LAND” chronograph, a “SEA” dive watch, and a compass-equipped “MASTER” model. This year, Luminox completes the series...

Read the article

Feb 21, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

Hands-On: Benrus Type I Limited-Edition Reissue

Benrus, an American watch manufacturer founded in 1921, is probably best known by enthusiasts these days for the now-rare and highly collectible field watches it produced for the U.S. military back in the 1970s and ’80s. Relaunched in 2020 after a long hiatus from watchmaking, Benrus already looks to be embracing that aspect of its...

Read the article

Feb 19, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

Military History: Testing the Sinn Model 158

With Model 158, Sinn has revived a little-known facet of its history: the Bundeswehr Chronograph. Presented in a refreshed, limited edition, how well does this retro chronograph perform? Sinn is known for making watches for police and military forces. The EZM 1, for example, was the first mission timer Sinn designed in 1997 for special...

Read the article

Jan 19, 2021 by Jens Koch

Tutima Glashütte Expands Grand Flieger Airport Series with Four New Models, Two Colorways

This past fall, Glashütte-based Tutima revitalized its Grand Flieger Airport series, unveiling four new models in two new colorways. The expansion, which includes two new Grand Flieger Airport Chronographs and an additional two Grand Flieger Airport Automatics, breathes new life into the 1940s-pilot-watch-inspired collection, promising to bring “traditional reliability and legibility with a new bidirectional...

Read the article

Jan 18, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

FEATURE

Windmill in a Storm: The Turbulent Timekeeping History of Mühle Glashütte

German watchmaker Mühle Glashütte turned 150 years old in 2019, looking back on five generations of family stewardship through turbulent times for both Germany and the watch industry. In this feature from the WatchTime archives, we explore the company's history of time measurement, from instruments to wristwatches.

Read the article

Jan 5, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

Bulova Partners with Veterans Watchmaker Initiative for VWI Edition Hack Watch

Bulova has added to its historically inspired collections the new Special VWI Edition Hack Watch, which is being launched in partnership with the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative (VWI). A modern re-edition of the 1960s MIL-W-3818A (pictured below, via MyBulova.com) — the last official military-issued watch produced by Bulova— it joins the family of Hack watches that Bulova...

Read the article

Dec 6, 2020 by Caleb Anderson

TIMEPIECE TIMELINE

The Evolution of the Men’s Wristwatch: A Decade-by-Decade Guide

World War I coincided with the breakthrough of the wristwatch. New and trailblazing designs followed in each subsequent decade. From the WatchTime archives, here are our highlights, from the beginning of the 20th Century to the present day.

Read the article

Dec 4, 2020 by Ruediger Bucher

Christopher Ward Teams Up with Worn & Wound for Limited-Edition C65 Sandstorm and Sandstorm Blackout Chronometers

Christopher Ward continues to pump out news in this busy autumn for the watch industry, today unveiling the new C65 Sandstorm and Sandstorm Blackout Chronometers, produced in collaboration with Worn & Wound’s Windup Watch Shop. The two models boast a completely new design resulting from extensive collaboration between the retailer and the British watchmaker, with...

Read the article

Nov 17, 2020 by Caleb Anderson

Bremont Extends its Armed Forces Collection with New Broadsword Bronze Editions

Bremont this week unveiled the latest additions to its growing Armed Forces collection, rolling out three new bronze-cased variations of its Broadsword watch. The Broadsword Bronze models, which use the original steel Broadsword as their design foundation and pair the trendy metal with three distinct dial colors, are the British watchmaker’s first step into bronze...

Read the article

Nov 2, 2020 by Caleb Anderson

Jet Black: IWC Launches Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition “SFTI”

IWC extended its partnership with the U.S. Naval Aviation community in 2018 with the development of its first “Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor” watch, which was awarded exclusively to graduates of the Navy Fighter Weapons School “Top Gun” program. Today, the Schaffhausen-based brand unveils a version of the “SFTI” for the rest of us — with...

Read the article

Oct 15, 2020 by Mark Bernardo

A French Navy Design Resurfaces: Introducing the Longines Heritage Military Marine Nationale

Longines has dipped into its archives to revive a watch design, once exclusive to the French Royal Navy crews, borrowing the warm colors, subdued subdial, and counterweight second hands from a vintage classic. The Longines Heritage Military Marine Nationale is the latest edition to join the brand's Heritage collection, following an array of updates to its aviation and military-inspired references.

Read the article

Sep 5, 2020 by Corey Vlahos

FEATURE

Vintage Eye for the Modern Guy: Timor Heritage Field

Field watches are one of my favorite categories of timepieces. Purpose built, utilitarian, and aggressively no-frills, these watches were designed for specific jobs, and have a long and storied history of facing down each. The last time we covered a field watch in this series was over a year ago, when we examined the Weiss...

Read the article

Mar 15, 2020 by Caleb Anderson

Boots on the Ground: G-Shock Partners with U.K.’s Ministry of Defence for New Mudmaster

G-Shock has long been known as the watch of choice for many modern military units and individual military personnel around the world. Earlier this month, the Casio-owned brand expanded this role in a new, formal capacity, announcing its partnership with the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence to become an official watch supplier of the British Armed Forces.

Read the article

Mar 4, 2020 by Caleb Anderson

1
2
3
…
8
»