After reviewing tens of options in the market for the best military watches under 200 dollars, the Casio Men’s GA100-1A1 Military Series Watch in Black makes our top pick. It has the ability to stand up to heavy use and tough survival situations.
Most watches are fashion pieces made to serves a definite purpose, which is often to give you a good look. Unfortunately, even with this intention, not all are rugged enough to withstand distressing situations like severe weather, darkness, terrain, and altitude.
As an adrenaline junkie with an active outdoor lifestyle, these standard watches with less durability will fall apart at any instance and leave you without the time. Gladly, there are durable ones specifically built to survive conditions that standard watches won’t.
The military watches are made primarily for men/women in service with cutting edge technology to feature numerous tactical functions. Now, not only military guys or police officers find them useful, but also athletes, hikers, campers, skiers, and most outdoor enthusiasts appreciate the rugged features of these styles of watches.
Aside from their attractive, durable feature, they come in colors like green, black or brown. They are also sleek and polished to keep them suitable for casual and occasional use such as dinners or board meetings.
There are countless numbers of military watches on the internet with various advantages and disadvantages. But it is safe to say military watches generally have excellent styles. They also don’t have to be so expensive; they come with various price ranges to fit different budgets.
Casio Men’s G-SHOCK GA100-1A1 Military Watch – Top Pick
All Casio watches are made with some elements of durability, especially the G-SHOCK series – they are designed to resist mechanical shocks and vibrations. The Casio Men’s G-SHOCK GA100-1A1 Military watch stands out from every competition as an exceptional piece with an all-black tactical appearance. It is a decent Military watch with thick and durable molded plastic that makes this piece feel rugged in hand.
Regardless of the rigorous daily use, the hands and date reading of this military watch continues to moves with precision and remains reliable at every instance. The piece is waterproof and safe for skiing or diving exercises to a depth of 200 meters. It is the ultimate sturdy watch with 10-meter free-fall endurance and ten-year battery life.
All the features on this G-SHOCK are exactly what you want from a Military watch. Some include the stopwatch, countdown timer, full calendar, both analog and digital movements, and programmed world time with 29 time zones.
Benefits / Drawbacks – Casio G-SHOCK GA100-1A1 Military Watch
Accurate to every millisecond, the Casio GA100-1A1 watch is a profitable decision and certainly one of the military watches you should consider. Let’s look into some of the features.
Extremely durable
The Casio Piece already has a decent tactical look, but to top, the fascinating factor of the watch is the rugged feel. It has a big sized military watch made with thick molded plastic wish. It is exceptionally durable to not only survive hits, drops, and excessive use, but also remain accurate and reliable.
Stopwatch and Countdown Timer
The stopwatch feature on the Casio GA100-1A1 is a 1/1000-seconds function with multiple measuring modes including, lap time, elapsed time, and split time. There is also a speed indicator as an advantage to keep the wearer well informed.
Full Calendar and World Time
The G-SHOCK Military Watch Series in Black proves excellence with the full auto-calendar pre-programmed till the year 2099. The watch is the perfect traveling companion equipped with 29 time zones to function in over 48 cities. It also has world time swapping option.
Comfortable to Use
From the dial rings and the raised hour marks, it has a three-dimensional look with an analog dial in the center and the digital dial on each side. Turning it from the original setting up to T3 puts the illumination ability above others. In dark places illumination already puts the worth of this watch weight in gold.
The combination of analog and digital movements, and the ability to illuminate adds to the readability comfort of the watch. These features allow its design to suit sports, outdoor activities, and military functions.
Other Picks
In addition to the Casio G-SHOCK GA100-1A1, there are other remarkable Military watches under 200. Let’s check out a few
SUUNTO Core All Black Military Watch – 2nd Choice
The Suunto Core watch is an amazing Military watch suitable for sports and outdoor activities. Although this timepiece may not be as expensive and sophisticated as Suunto Traverse Alpha. Following a military watch under 200 dollars, it can rank as second best.
The Suunto watches are designed to be dynamic and have a more modern look. Our Top pick – The Casio G-SHOCK has enough durability that is difficult to be compared to other watches. But when it comes to tactical features, no Military watch matches the Suunto.
Benefits / Drawbacks – Suunto Core Military Watch
Without a doubt, the Suunto Core watch is a durable timepiece. It is built with a round bezel and a scratch-resistant mineral crystal window to withstand distressing situations. The piece is equipped with three primary functions, which are the time, altimeter and barometer, and the compass mode. It would have been a perfect top pick for adventurers and military professionals, but it doesn’t come with a GPS.
Time Function
The watch displays accurate time on the upper half of the screen. A cool feature from the time mode is the moment of the sunrise and sunset that is shown below the time. The Suunto Core Military watch features the stopwatch, countdown timer, and alarm. It can be set on a two-time zone, to indicate the corresponding time for a secondary area different from your locality.
Altimeter and Barometer Function
The altimeter and barometer mode adds more interest to this piece. You can set it manually to measure altitude or barometric pressure, or even to pass from one to another. The watch records the measurement from a fixed interval in a log that can be consulted at any time.
Compass Function
The compass mode is another straightforward option that allows the timepiece to functions as a digital compass. The compass is a bit enhanced with the capability to set and lock on a specific destination. It allows the user to follow through on a particular route with a directional arrow.
No GPS
The Suunto Core Military watch performs exactly as it says on the box. It has some cool features as we have mentioned, including the built-in thermometer. But for a highly recognized tactical Military Watch, it didn’t seem entirely fair for it to lack GPS.
Citizen Watches Men’s AT0200-05E Eco-Drive Chronograph Canvas – 3rd Choice
The stylish Citizen AT0200-05E Eco-Drive Chronograph Canvas watch is a military-inspired piece. For a rugged big sized watch with a comfortable fit and additional features. The Citizen AT0200-05E watch is qualified to be our third best Military watch within this price range.
The watch is a quality and reliable timepiece with a simple interface and green patterned stitching strap. It is a great option for anyone who needs a military watch that can also function in sports activities. The Citizen watch is as well good for casual outings.
Benefits / Drawbacks – Citizen AT0200-05E Eco-Drive Watch
The uniqueness of this watch is made evident with the durable round metal case combined with the green textile strap. The stainless steel case is brushed and not polished to keep the twinkles off the wrist.
Chronograph
The chronograph function is impressive and easy to operate. Compared to the 1/20 sec chronograph on some other watch brand, its Chrono is just one second measuring up to 60 minutes. It also features a 12/24 hour time.
Functional Dial
The simple black dial gives a backdrop for the luminous hands, bold Arabic numerals, and date at the 4:00 hour. It features three subdials; the top-right displays 24-hour format. The top left counts the minutes on the chronograph function while the bottom dial shows the ticking seconds hand.
Eco-Drive technology
The Eco-Drive Technology of the watch features an inbuilt solar battery. It is powered by any strong light source including sunshine or bright indoor lights to keep it from needing a battery.
A fully charged battery can supply energy for the watch to function for seven days. When the timepiece is running out of charge the seconds hand move in 2 seconds intervals to inform you that you need to recharge.
Water-Resistant
The Citizen AT0200-05E Eco-Drive watch is waterproof to a depth of 100 meters, which is not more than what other regular dress watches offer. This means it is wearable while swimming or snorkeling, but the piece is not recommended for scuba diving. We think it is a bit of a limitation on the watch since there are standard military watches that offer water resistance to a depth of 300 meters.
Conclusion
We can’t escape the fact that military watches are the most versatile timepieces and can also be a little too pricey. Considering their features and outstanding quality, their price tag is quite understandable. They are handy in times of training, hiking or other heavy outdoor activities and also on a typical normal day.
These are our overall picks on the best military watches under 200, just in case you want one without breaking the bank. Regardless, if these timepieces don’t suit your exquisite taste, there are excellent options of high-end Military watches in the market. You check out our Best Military watch article.
