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Watches and the Warfighter
The uniform is uniform, but the watch remains an expressive blend of utility and aesthetic style unique to that military professional. Not exclusive to, but prevalent within the Special Operations community is the facilitation of relationships through common interests. The first SOF Truth states: “humans are more important than hardware”. For the Special Operations professional, people—not equipment, make the critical difference. Ironically, many of us are bonding over hardware…our watches.
Bulova Marine Star Heritage: Quartz Precision with a Smooth Sweep
Quartz movements get a bad rap from mechanical purists—and I’ll never get it. The ticking second hand can apparently leave you feeling cold, especially when you’re used to the smooth sweep of an automatic. But for me, that’s always been a bit unfair. The real question isn’t whether quartz can match mechanicals—it’s whether it should have to. Bulova’s HPQ (High-Performance Quartz) Precisionist movement is out to prove that quartz doesn’t just get the job done.
These New Orient Star Layered Skeleton Colors Are Flashy—in a Way That Actually Works
Orient Star’s been around nearly as long as Orient itself, but unless you’ve really dug into their catalog, it’s easy to miss just how far they’ve stretched over the years. The sub-brand’s usually the more polished sibling—slightly dressier, slightly more experimental—and this year, with its 75th anniversary humming in the background, they’re dialing up some seasonal flair with two new versions of the Layered Skeleton.
Timex 1995 Intrepid Reissue: The Affordable Sailing Watch You Didn’t Know You Needed
Timex, as usual, is still on a roll, bringing back some of its best hits from the past few decades. The brand’s recent reissues—like the Marlin and Q Timex—have become cult favorites, but now, Timex is going deep into the archives for something a bit more unexpected: the 1995 Intrepid Reissue. This isn’t just any retro throwback; it’s a nod to a time when sports watches were as much about functionality as they were about style. Designed for sailing and water sports enthusiasts, the Intrepid is back with a 46mm case, a highly legible white dial, and a history that’s a little more interesting than your average watch revival.
ProTek Watches: Designed to Perform and Built for Life’s Challenges
With rugged watches, durability and functionality are not just a plus but also a must. ProTek is one of those brands that have tried to satisfy this demand with a range of reliable, performance-driven timepieces intended for those who need more from their gear. Be it across unforgiving landscapes, in emergency responses, or simply an active lifestyle, ProTek provides a cogent mix of utility and design.
Longines: Bring Back the HAQ
The grab-and-go quartz watch is a trope in this hobby. Similar to the line of thinking that “I have to have a chronograph, and a dive watch, and a dress watch,” the grab-and-go quartz is there to fill a niche, one which relegates the quartz watch to one of last resort. It’s a grudging admission of the functional superiority of the movement type, but doesn’t give it the dignity of something you would choose, if you had time.
