A History and Guide to Field Watches

Jacob Van Buren
Jun 29, 2025
Enthusiasts are constantly searching for the perfect GADA watch; that is, a “go-anywhere, do-anything” watch. One ready for everything from a beach holiday to the office to weekend DIY projects and everything in between. Enter the field watch. Designed for the rigors of war, it now serves as the perfect go-anywhere companion.
Constantly evolving throughout the 19th century, the entrenched warfare of the Crimean War and First World War forcibly altered the tactics of Europe’s armies. The ability to sync artillery and multiple infantry units across a front was of the utmost importance. As the (perhaps apocryphal) story goes, the pocket watch traditionally worn proved inconvenient for those at the front. A new class of watches, titled “Campaign,” “Wristlet,” and “Service” watches by various manufacturers, arrived to meet the needs of Europe’s armies.

The earliest of these new wartime timepieces were essentially re-cased pocket watches, if not a pocket watch with lugs welded on. Their glass crystals were fragile, so many companies offered various covers in order to protect them. These covers were often intricately designed while still allowing for the time to be read, adding an element of beauty to an item destined for the horrors of war. Canvas and leather straps — including some fascinating early Bünd straps — became standard. Radium paint was applied to the dials to provide nighttime legibility. These trench watches became the template of the modern field watch. For returning service members, these watches were signs of their service in the greatest conflict the world had ever seen. Their sudden widespread acceptance led to the subsequent proliferation of wristwatches from manufacturers great and small beginning in the 1920s.
As technology rapidly changed, so too did the watches fielded by the world’s militaries. The 1930s saw the wristwatch dominate its larger forebear. Case sizes shrunk as manufacturers competed to create small, accurate movements. The Second World War saw the formal issuance of watches to ground and airborne personnel in addition to the privately purchased timepieces that had proven so popular in the previous war. Often retailed as “military watches,” they still appear on auction sites today with their Arabic numeral “military dials” and centrally mounted seconds hands highlighted by the sellers. One of the most enduring styles comes from Britain, where the “Dirty Dozen” style of MOD-specification field watches set out a visual example that dominates the field watch genre today.

The rise of aviation also led to the development of separate timepieces issued to pilots and navigators featuring higher-grade movements for increased accuracy, an important feature when flight plans depended on timekeeping. The iconic A-11, Flieger, and Mark-style pilot watches born from the Second World War have since defined the pilot watch genre over the following seventy years. These watches were purposefully designed for utility in the skies. In addition to higher grade movements, they featured extra legible dials with sweep seconds hands and, often, larger cases to heighten the legibility.
The 1950s saw the field watch come into its own as a civilian timepiece. The advancements in water and shock resistance from the previous two decades saw the field watch fully evolve into its legendary status as a go-anywhere, do-anything tool watch. The Rolex Explorer, formerly introduced in 1953 to commemorate a watch carried during Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary’s successful first summit of Mount Everest, remains an iconic reference to this day. Having achieved the highest height point on land, the field watch more than proved its mettle.
WATCHES FROM HAMILTON
By the 1960s, the field watch was forced to meet new conflicts. The Vietnam War saw American watchmakers refine their designs of previous decades to meet new government standards. The Benrus DTU-2A/P and various Hamilton references instantly conjure images of Southeast Asia. The war saw the field watch further adapt to Meet the changing needs of war — the MIL-W-46734 specification introduced a plastic-cased watch with an essentially disposable movement. Of all the wartime field watches, it is this specification that has evolved into the modern era — Marathon’s General Purpose field watch is a direct descendant of the MIL-W-46734 issued during Vietnam.
These lucrative military contracts began to dwindle by the 1980s. Hamilton, who had produced tens of thousands of field watches for the U.S. and allied governments, began selling to the civilian market. These mass-market models bore a name derived from the military heritage: Khaki. They also saw a litany of co-branded models with outdoor titans like L.L. Bean and Orvis. The Khaki series of field watches remains one of Hamilton’s most popular, allowing enthusiasts to access a Swiss-made field watch at an affordable price point.


The 1980s also saw the rise of the digital tool watch. G-SHOCK, Casio, and Timex became incredibly popular among both warfighter and weekend warrior types alike, combining a litany of practical functions in an affordable and durable watch. Once the future, these watches now represent a retro experience as modern smartwatches — with their scope of functions even more impressive than the classic digital tool watch formula — dominate the industry. Analog tool watches still have their place, however. Brands like Marathon and Elliot Brown still produce affordable analog tool watches designed for and issued to militaries.
The field watch has become a stand-in for rugged dependability, whether in a war zone or mowing the lawn. With an outdoors-inspired air, they effortlessly blend across multiple styles, making them an ideal go-anywhere, do-anything (or GADA) watch for many enthusiasts. To see more of our favorite field watches, be sure to check out the Windup Watch Shop. As always, the Windup Watch Team is available via consultation to answer any questions you have. In addition, all of these products are eligible for free domestic shipping across the US.

Images selected from the aticle "Hamilton Retail Store Field Watches" published 10/24/2014 on Worn & Wound

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Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Meet the expert
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- Fun facts
- Conclusion