The Affordable Field Watch We All Needed: Timex Expedition Field Post Solar Review

I’ve spent more time than I care to admit hunting for a classically sized field watch that actually holds up in real-world use. Not “field-inspired.” Not “modern reinterpretation.” Just a simple, compact watch that checks the three basic boxes: military styling, solid water resistance, and a screw-down crown. You’d think that would be easy to find. It’s not. Until I found the Timex Expedition Field Post Solar 36mm during a recent recording of the Two Broke Watch Snobs podcast.

The Timex Expedition was always there

And really, it’s fitting that this watch comes from the Timex Expedition line. For a lot of us, that name means something special. It was probably one of the first watches we ever owned. Maybe a resin digital you wore to school, or a beat-up analog with INDIGLO you fished out of a junk drawer years later. The Expedition line has always been Timex doing what Timex does best: no-nonsense, everyday watches with just enough charm to feel like gear, not jewelry. They’re honest watches. Durable, affordable, and easy to find. The kind of thing that earns loyalty without ever demanding it. So when this Field Post Solar landed, it already came with a little built-in goodwill. And maybe that’s part of why it stuck.

Nothing else quite did it

The Seiko Alpinist is a beautiful watch, especially the updated 2025 models, which I still see myself owning someday. But for this specific itch I was trying to scratch, the Alpinist always felt a little too refined. Too polished. It’s got cathedral hands, gold-tone accents, and a case that leans more “mountain gentleman” than “no-frills field tool.” The Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical was closer to the mark (TBWS tested one a while back). I’ve got nothing but respect for what it brings to the table. But it didn’t check all the boxes for me. No screw-down crown, low water resistance, and the sizing felt just slightly off on my wrist. Still, part of me wonders if I gave it enough of a shot. Maybe it deserved a few more days in rotation.

I even dipped into the AliExpress underworld. Rdunae, Militado, all those homage-but-maybe-original field watches that almost get you there. Some had the specs. Some had the style. None had both. And even when they did, something always felt off. Case finishing that looked okay in the product shots but showed its edges in person. Crowns that claimed to screw down but felt like threading a stripped bolt. It was all too much work for a watch that still wouldn’t feel right.

Then this Timex snuck in

Enter the Timex Expedition Field Post Solar 36mm. A watch I probably scrolled past a dozen times before giving it a real look. I’m glad I did.

This one feels like it was built for people who’ve been asking for exactly this and gave up. The 36mm case wears lean and low, but it doesn’t feel dainty. It’s 12mm thick with a brushed, bead-blasted stainless finish that looks ready for scratches. Lug-to-lug, it sits compact at around 44mm, and the geometry keeps it centered and flat on the wrist. It disappears under sleeves, never feels top-heavy, and never once needed adjusting during the day. The crown threads in without drama. Not buttery smooth, but far from crunchy. It’s functional, which is all I was really asking for.

Straight from the spec sheet playbook

The dial leans classic too. Black with full Arabic numerals, no nonsense, no fluff. It follows the layout of the MIL-W-46374 military spec almost to the letter, the kind of field watch template that’s been issued, worn, and trusted for decades. It doesn’t try to modernize field watch design, and I respect that. Legibility is spot on, especially under the slightly domed sapphire crystal with AR, and there’s just a touch of distortion at the edge. Enough to keep it from feeling sterile. But the lume is bad. Technically it’s there, but even after a strong charge, it fades fast. After two minutes it’s a ghost, and in low light, you might as well be staring at a blank dial. On a watch this purpose-built, it feels like the one corner that was genuinely cut. And yeah, it’s hard not to think how perfect this would’ve been with Indiglo instead. That would’ve sealed it. I know that can’t be done but how cool would that be?!

Solar power, no hassle

Inside, you get a solar quartz movement with up to four months of power reserve. I never had to think about it once it was charged, and that’s the point. No winding. No resets. No ticking accuracy guilt trips. Just light plus time equals go. It’s an easy watch to trust, and that’s what a field watch should be. Setting the time is quick and clean. The crown action is solid, with just enough tactile snap to reassure me it’s locked in.

Strap swap required

Even the strap was better than expected. Soft, eco-friendly leather that broke in quicker than I thought it would. But it was a little thick for my taste, especially on a smaller case. I gave it a shot, then gave up and tossed it in the strap graveyard. These days, I’ve got it on a plain grey US-made MIL-Strap from ADPT Straps. No crazy contrast stitching, not too much texture. Just clean, minimal, and utilitarian. Exactly what I wanted the watch to feel like in the first place.

I’ve already worn it through a few rainy commutes and sink splashes without a second thought. It’s earned the seal. It’s also the one I grab when I don’t want to decide. Grocery run, early morning commute, rushed errand. I even had it on while wrestling with the dog to give her the nightly medicine dose. You know …. real man’s man stuff that requires a mil-spec style field watch.

A Timex worth keeping for the long haul

What I didn’t expect was how much relief this watch gave me. Relief that someone, Timex of all brands, finally put together a field watch that respects the original formula without cheapening the feel. It’s not over-designed or bloated, or posturing. It just works. And for $199, it works exactly as I want it to.

I don’t even need the specs I spent months obsessing over. I work a desk job. My version of field duty is digging under the couch for a dropped spring bar tool. But something in me still wants the screw-down crown. Still wants to know it could take a fall, a splash, a storm. Even if the only storm I’ll face is a morning coffee spill.

This Timex Expedition has earned a place in the core of my collection. Right there next to the Doxa, the IWC, and the Speedmaster. Not because it’s trying to be them. But because it isn’t. It’s honest. It’s useful. It showed up at exactly the right time. I didn’t expect a Timex to land here, but the fact that it has says everything I need to know about how much this one stuck.

Timex