The Best Military Watches of 2024

Here we selected and reviewed the best military watches of 2024. These durable and robust watches are perfect for those who need a reliable timepiece which will withstand harsh conditions. This includes soldiers, law enforcement officers, hunters, mountaineers, hikers, backpackers and other tactical enthusiasts. Unlike earlier, we now also included GPS watches in this selection as the technology has significantly progressed. GPS watches now offer much better durability, functionality and battery life than they did a couple of years ago. The main qualities we were looking for when selecting the products are durability and tactical/military features. This review includes five different military watches – two GPS watches and three watches without GPS. If none of the listed watches suits you, have a look at our review of the best hiking watches which mainly includes GPS watches for outdoor sports.

1. Our Military Watches Picks

1. Suunto Traverse Alpha
2. Garmin Tactix Delta
3. Casio Rangeman GW9400-3
4. Suunto Core Military
5. Casio PRT-B50

2. Comparison of Military Watches

Feature/Product	Suunto Traverse Alpha	Garmin Tactix Delta	Casio Rangeman GW9400-3	Suunto Core Military	Casio PRT-B50
Weight	2.65 oz.	3.40 oz. (silicone strap)	3.28 oz.	2.26 oz.	2.25 oz.
Weight (Metric)	75 g	97 g	93 g	64 g	64 g
Water Resistance	100 m	100 m	200 m	30 m	100 m
Battery	Rechargeable Lithium-ion	Rechargeable Lithium-ion	Solar Rechargeable	CR2032	CR2025
Battery Life	14 days (time mode)	21 days (time mode)	8 months (without exposure to light)	12 months	24 months
GPS	Yes + GLONASS	Yes + GLONASS + Galileo	No	No	Via Smartphone
Altimeter	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Barometer	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Thermometer	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Compass	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Storm Alarm	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Sunrise/Sunset Times	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Dual Time	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
Strap Material	Textile	Silicone	Resin	Elastomer	Titanium
Case Material	Composite, Stainless Steel (bezel)	Fiber-reinforced polymer, Stainless Steel (bezel)	Resin	Composite	Resin, Stainless Steel (bezel)
Glass Material	Sapphire Glass	Sapphire Glass	Mineral Crystal	Mineral Crystal	Mineral Crystal
Smartphone Connectivity	Yes (Bluetooth)	Yes	No	No	Yes
GPS Navigation	Yes	Yes	No	No	Via smartphone
GPS Tracking	Yes	Yes	No	No	Via smartphone

3. The Selection

1. Suunto Traverse Alpha

Suitable for:

• Military use
• Law enforcement use
• Other tactical use
• Hunting
• Hiking
• Trekking
• Mountaineering
• Backpacking
• Everyday use

The Suunto Traverse Alpha watch offers numerous tactical/military features as well as superb durability. The watch uses a case made of durable composite materials and a stainless-steel bezel. The strap is made of water-repellent textile for maximum comfort and durability. The Suunto Traverse Alpha watch is also equipped with built-in GPS (it supports GLONASS as well) and thus it offers several advanced features that come in handy for tactical activities and hunting. The watch can, for example, instantly show coordinates of your current location – it also supports MGRS (Military Grid Reference System) coordinates which are used by the NATO armed forces. Furthermore, it allows you to import routes in various formats (GPX, KML etc.) as well as set up waypoints. When routes and waypoints are set, the watch aides you with navigation by showing your current location in relation to the route or a waypoint. This indeed comes in handy for hunting, patrolling and similar activities. Another useful feature is the automatic shot detection; the watch detects when a shot is fired and immediately saves the coordinates as a waypoint.

The GPS also makes it possible for you to track your activities and you can access in-depth information (distance, duration, speed, map) about each activity in the Suunto Movescount app (available as a web and a mobile app). However, to access the details of the activity you need to pair the watch with your Smartphone for synchronization. If you pair the Suunto Traverse Alpha with your Smartphone, you can change the watch’s settings directly from the smartphone and the watch can also show your phone’s notifications (incoming calls, messages etc.). Additional features that are useful for tactical enthusiasts and hunters are compass, altimeter, barometer (for predicting the weather), thermometer, moon phase calendar, moonrise/moonset alarm, sunrise/sunset alarm and a backlight compatible with night vision goggles. The watch also shows real-time GPS information such as current speed, distance etc. The Suunto Traverse Alpha is indeed one of the best military watches as it offers more than enough features to satisfy every tactical enthusiast. In August 2017 Suunto released the Traverse Alpha Woodland and Traverse Alpha Concrete models. They have the same features as other models but come with camouflage-patterned straps.

 

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2. Garmin Tactix Delta

Suitable for:

• Military use
• Law enforcement use
• Other tactical use
• Hunting
• Hiking
• Trekking
• Mountaineering
• Backpacking
• Everyday use

The Garmin Tactix Delta watch is another sophisticated GPS watch which is perfect for tactical enthusiasts. The watch has an incredibly durable case which is further protected with a bezel made of DLC coated steel. The lens is made of Sapphire glass for maximum durability and abrasion resistance. The watch comes with a silicone strap and is compatible with Garmin’s QuickFit system. Therefore, you can easily and quickly change the strap. Garmin has a big selection of different silicone and nylon straps. The Garmin Tactix Delta watch is equipped with built-in GPS (it also supports GLONASS and Galileo) and offers several tactical/military features. It shows the coordinates of your current location in MGRS format and supports navigation by providing you with directions to waypoints or along pre-planned routes. The watch also supports tactical mode which entails that it shows your coordinates, map and other information that might come in handy while patrolling or hunting. Another advanced tactical feature is the jumpmaster (parachuting) mode whereby the watch navigates you to the target landing zone after the jump.

Via the GPS the watch can also track your activities; in-depth information about each activity can be accessed in the Garmin Connect app (available as a web or a mobile app) after the watch has been synchronized with your Smartphone (Bluetooth connection). The Garmin Tactix Delta watch, in addition to different tactical modes, also supports modes like running, swimming etc. When it is paired with your Smartphone it also shows phone’s notifications. The watch is also equipped with wrist-based heart rate monitor, compass, altimeter, barometer, thermometer, hunt/fish calendar and shows sun and moon information. The Garmin Tactix Delta watch offers great functionality and durability and thus ranks high in this selection of the best military watches. Garmin regularly releases software updates for this watch in order to additionally improve its performance. The watch is also available in a version with ballistic calculator and/or solar charging lenses.

 

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3. Casio Rangeman GW9400-3

Suitable for:

• Military use
• Law enforcement use
• Other tactical use
• Hiking
• Trekking
• Mountaineering
• Backpacking
• Hunting
• Everyday use

The Casio Rangeman GW9400-3 has a tough and rugged design and thus it is perfect for outdoorsmen who need a reliable and durable timepiece. The watch is also waterproof and as it uses highly durable materials it provides great shock and abrasion resistance. The buttons offer superb shock resistance and their cylindrical shape allows you to easily press them even when wearing gloves or having fingers numb of cold. The watch is equipped with the triple sensor technology – altimeter/barometer, compass and thermometer. While the altimeter and compass can help you with navigation, the barometer shows the atmospheric pressure tendency graph and can thus be used to predict the weather. The thermometer can be used to measure the air or water temperature but keep in mind that it cannot measure the air temperature 100% accurately if you wear the watch since the thermometer will be influenced by your body heat. The Casio Rangeman GW9400-3 receives time calibration radio signals up to 6 times per day. Therefore, the time displayed on the watch is always accurate. The watch is equipped with a solar rechargeable battery that lasts for 8 months without any exposure to light. The Casio Rangeman GW9400-3 also has additional features such as countdown timer, stopwatch, and a backlight with afterglow. All in all, the Casio Rangeman GW9400-3 is an incredible military watch which offers numerous handy features.

 

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4. Suunto Core Military

Suitable for:

• Military use
• Law enforcement use
• Other tactical use
• Hiking
• Trekking
• Mountaineering
• Backpacking
• Hunting
• Everyday use

The Suunto Core Military watch is very popular among soldiers, law enforcement officers, hunters and other tactical enthusiasts as it offers great durability and functionality. Furthermore, the watch is very easy to use. The design of the watch is something between elegant and tactical, making the watch also appropriate for everyday use. The battery life in time mode is approximately 12 months, but it can decrease if you are using the compass and other features frequently. The battery is user-replaceable. The Suunto Core offers compass, barometer, thermometer and altimeter. More advanced useful features include a depth meter and storm alarm. The depth meter is meant for snorkeling and can track your dive down to 10 meters below the water surface. The storm alarm is based on the barometer measurements and if switched on, it triggers an alarm when it detects rapid pressure changes (which usually lead to storms). The Suunto Core Military is a great tactical watch but in comparison to Casio Rangeman GW9400-3 it has a less rugged construction and a less effective power supply. What we like about the Suunto Core Military is its design, great display and user-friendly interface.

 

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5. Casio PRT-B50

Suitable for:

• Military use
• Law enforcement use
• Other tactical use
• Hiking
• Trekking
• Mountaineering
• Backpacking
• Hunting
• Everyday use

The Casio PRT-B50 Protrek is best for those who wish for a timepiece with an analog display but also want the advanced features of a digital display, as the watch has both. The design is something between elegant, military and sporty. The core of the watch is packed into a durable resin case that can be secured to your wrist by a textile strap. The advanced features such as bearing, altitude and temperature are displayed on the digital display. The watch has an auto hand shift feature that momentarily moves the hands away from the digital display, thus allowing you to easily read the advanced measurements during the time of the day when the hands would be covering the digital display. The Casio PRT-B50 Protrek is equipped with compass, altimeter, thermometer and barometer. The time is synchronized by receiving radio signals up to 6 times per day and is therefore always shown accurately. The Casio PRT-B50 Protrek is an extremely effective and durable watch. It can also be paired with a Smartphone for navigation and activity tracking.

 

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4. Military Watch Buying Advice – What is important?

Durability:

When it comes to military watches, durability is crucial. In this review we only listed watches that offer superb abrasion and shock resistance as they use highly durable materials. Furthermore, they are all waterproof. Some of the watches are equipped with lenses made of Sapphire glass which offers significantly better abrasion resistance than the more commonly used mineral glass.

Design:

A military watch should have a robust design and be in a dark discrete color that won’t draw too much attention – a crucial characteristic for watches used by military personnel, hunters and other tactical outdoorsmen. All watches in this review feature rugged design and come in dark colors such as black, dark grey and camouflage green.

Battery Life:

The selected watches without GPS are all able to run for at least one year without replacing the battery (some of them are equipped with solar rechargeable batteries). GPS watches have a much shorter battery life but on the other hand they also offer more features. All the GPS watches included in this review are equipped with powerful rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

Tactical/Military Features:

In addition to the standard features such as time, day and date, a military watch should also have more advanced features, like compass, altimeter and barometer. Compass and altimeter are useful for navigation while the barometer provides you with the atmospheric pressure data which can be used to forecast the weather. Additionally, some military watches are equipped with storm alarm, sunrise/sunset times, moon calendar and other advanced tactical/military features such as automatic shot detection.

GPS:

Watches that support GPS allow you to instantly get the coordinates of your current location in various formats (including the MGRS format which is normally used in armed forces). Furthermore, they can also be used for navigation along pre-planned routes as well as to waypoints.