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.

Special Operations Forces (or SOF) are specialized units with limited, highly-focused capabilities. They are organized, trained, and equipped specifically to accomplish nine principal missions: direct action, special reconnaissance, foreign internal defense, unconventional warfare, counterterrorism, psychological operations, civil affairs, counterproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and information operations.

This article dives into watch enthusiasm within the military. Spoiler alert: there are no significant differences when it comes to popular watch brands and aesthetics between the military and civilian populations. What makes the watch enthusiast within the military unique is the inclination towards the traditional analog or digital watch as opposed to the popular smartwatch. As a result of the operational environment, a watch’s utility is pertinent to the Soldier. There are times where we operate within secure offices that forbid commercial technology: cell phones, bluetooth devices, and wearable devices.

For safety and operations security reasons, Soldiers cannot wear smart technology within sensitive locations. With physical training a part of our daily lives, the Garmin fitness tracker and Apple Watch remain popular throughout the military. However, when it is time for work (especially within secured facilities), the GPS/bluetooth connection to the world must come off. This brings us to why digital and analog watches remain practical to the warfighter. Whether it is the $15 Casio from the Post Exchange (or PX…think of it as the department store within military installations) or a Rolex Submariner, there remains a growing wrist watch culture that demands practicality to survive whatever situation we fall into.

Practicality is exercised through the function, reliability, and legibility of the watch. When it comes to aesthetics, our ability to select the “non-verbal first impression” is more permissive than, say…uniform boot selection. According to Army Regulation 670-1, Section 3-4 Jewelry: “a. Soldiers may wear a wristwatch [with] Army uniforms, unless prohibited by the commander for safety or health reasons….[Any] jewelry or monitors Soldiers wear while in uniform or civilian clothes on duty must be conservative”. The U.S. Marine Corps Uniform Regulations (MCO 1020.34H) states: “Inconspicuous watches are authorized for wear in uniform.” This is vague, leaving judgement and authorization to military leadership. If you ever see a General Officer in the news or as depicted on film and television, the stainless steel sports watch is alive and well.

A great example is General Norman Schwarzkopf aka Storming Norman who brilliantly led the U.S. forces during the Gulf War. Tracking the time in Saudi Arabia and Eastern Standard Time (most likely for the Pentagon), he wore a watch on each wrist: What some believe to be a quartz Seiko 7548 (shout out to quartz supremacy within the TBWS fam!) and a two-tone Seiko that has a similar look to a Rolex Day-Date. Conservative black digital watches are preferred in uniform (it’s as conservative as it gets…for under $20). Stainless steel watches are okay. Dive watches with the Pepsi bezel are okay. Gold watches are okay. The case can be round, square, or tonneau. The flexibility in regulation allows the military professional more freedom to express their style through their wrist watch.

While training, you’ll probably see a fitness or smartwatch. Outside secured offices…it’s probably still the fitness or smartwatch. During a deployment, most Soldiers keep it simple with a black G-Shock or stainless steel Seiko. On the other hand, the military watch enthusiast is most likely wearing his or her Tudor Pelagos or Breitling Navitimer. When it’s time to don the formal uniform for a special event…it’s most likely still the G-Shock, smartwatch, Seiko, or Tudor Pelagos. Regardless of pay grade, most military professionals own a two watch collection: the smart/fitness watch and something analog.

Warfighters intend to use the hell out of their pieces. My Breguet stays on when I jump out of an aircraft into a multi-day training exercise. She’ll be fine. Most watch enthusiasts wear their timepieces as a companion throughout their careers. Understandably, some save them for occasions (they’re expensive, a gift, or an heirloom vintage piece) and find the trusty Casio Duro preferable for physically demanding situations. When it comes down to straps and accessories, the NATO-style and rubber straps alongside the oyster-style bracelet dominates the watch enthusiast culture within the military. Many professionals will add a compass for an additional function to the “kit”. These add visual appeal, provide security for the timepiece, and comfort throughout deployment or training event. While aesthetics are critical, the watch is a tool.

These watches should continue to provide the utility of measuring time whether we’re fighting to stay awake during what feels like a 4-5 hour meeting (it was actually an hour), fighting G-forces within the cockpit, or sprinting to cover during a firefight. They should survive the clumsy moments when it bangs against an armored vehicle while we dismount. Excluding Casio, Apple, Garmin, and Suunto, the most popular watch brands include Sangin Instruments, Rolex, Tudor, Omega, Longines, Breitling, Hamilton, Seiko, Citizen, Fossil, and the rising star Christopher Ward.

While the popular styles and brands within the watch industry remain evident throughout the military, the key difference is its utility. The latest releases may look great, but we do pay attention to the power reserve, water resistance, and accuracy. I often found myself peeking at my watch while preparing to exit paratroopers for an airborne operation to ensure I’m within the one minute window. On deployment, my watch was a trusty instrument for maintaining tempo during times I was nowhere near a computer.

When you come across a military professional wearing an interesting watch, you are more likely to engage in an interesting conversation about it. Soldiers often know what they purchased as opposed to what marketing tells us. The watch journey of a warfighter evolves in a similar fashion to the civilian enthusiast. After research and exposure to various brands, each individual develops their own taste. You might meet a Seiko guy, a Rolex aficionado, or cross paths with me…the one of very few Breguet fans in the military, period. The watch probably accompanied that warfighter in combat. In other cases, it probably marked a milestone in their career such as a successful command overseas or promotion after 15 years of service to our nation. Our watches come with stories, often evident by every scratch and ding.

Watches are neat, but it’s just a little piece of hardware worn by the military’s greatest asset: the warfighter.

✨Pending any questions✨ next slide 👻⚡️⌚️