Favorite field watch

[RymanType]

Thanks for the in depth review Andy, and wonderful photos to supplement.
The Hamilton is certainly an attractive watch, I will be looking into these. How does the lumous compare on Hamilton vs Bulova?
If I was into the Marathon Arctic type watches, that one is really nice looking.

[Arubey]

Brandon,
The lume is decent on both the Hamilton and Bulova. The hour numerals are lumed on the Bulova which makes it incredibly legible, while it lasts. The lume on the Hamilton seems a bit brighter and lasts a little longer.

Marathon also makes a black dial field watch, the "General Purpose Mechanical/Quartz". It's a bit smaller, much like a true classic field watch. Marathon's "lume" is where they really, well... shine. Instead of lume paint they use tritium gas filled tubes which don't need to be charged by the sun or other light, they just glow all the time. And honestly, the only time I've cared much about lume is waking up around 3am on a camping trip - a time well after traditional lume has given up.

Hope that helps,
Andy

[VanfromMaine]

Another Vote for the Bulova Hack with a Speidel Twist-O-Flex band

[Greg Reynolds]

...I have purchased a few watches from these guys and they are very good, very knowledgeable, have various configurations for the watches they sell and have any kind of a band or other accutrement you could possibly want or need for a watch. They have quite a few field watches spread across a few brands (Seiko, Citizen, Bertucci, etc). Their own in-house brand "Islander" are very good also, especially for the money. I like these guys because they give you all of the specs for each watch including the movement (which you can look up and find out where it is made):

https://longislandwatch.com/shop/?search=field+watch

Thanks for posting the link. I like the anti-reflective sapphire crystal on this model:
https://longislandwatch.com/islander-au ... al-isl-41/

I'm careful to have my watch covered with my shirt sleeve when fishing. I've had brook trout scatter after reflections from my watch went across a pool like a laser beam...

[Greg Reynolds]

...Marathon also makes a black dial field watch, the "General Purpose Mechanical/Quartz". It's a bit smaller, much like a true classic field watch. Marathon's "lume" is where they really, well... shine. Instead of lume paint they use tritium gas filled tubes which don't need to be charged by the sun or other light, they just glow all the time...

I like them too and came close to buying the U. S. Army issued watch:
https://www.marathonwatch.com/collectio ... 8585007146

[Doug K]

some nice timepieces..
actually use a Timex Expedition Shock, like that it can be set to 24-hour time and has a vibration alarm, use the stopwatch daily for runs/rides/swims. It looks a bit dorky but then so am I..

[Random Casts]

I tip my glass to guys who take their Rolies and Omegas fishing.

We’re the same guys that fish our Paynes, Leonards, and Hardy classic reels. There are other makes, some famous, others not so much, we honor them by using them for the purpose for which they were intended.

When I was about seven years old my dad and I we’re driving along a highway in an industrial area of town. We passed a low one story factory that had a large sign on top that said Tampax. I asked my father what they made in that building. My father looked at me, and in that all knowing parental voice said….watches.

Richard, the enlightened Pole

[wctc1]

Wow! What a discussion. I'm 74+, and think watches are great. I remember my old Seiko diving watch from my USMC days. Loved the beast, but was criticized by other Marines for wearing it in "public." When I got out and was going to university, people kept commenting on it. Saved my bacon a couple of times. Then a Casio for years. Then it disappeared somehow.

Now, since it has a night light, was cheap and I need it afield at night, a simple Timex Expedition. Has worked good, seems accurate.

I remember the first time I saw an Omega, coming from a ranch family in north Nebraska, no one had nice watches. I was assigned to watch out for a Dr. during Hurricane Catrina. Was really impressed. He was given it as a graduation present.

Anyway, I have always wanted to get myself a "reputation" watch, but haven't figured out why not: New cane rod and setup, watch? Oh the problems I have. Joe here

[Greg Reynolds]

some nice timepieces..
actually use a Timex Expedition Shock, like that it can be set to 24-hour time and has a vibration alarm, use the stopwatch daily for runs/rides/swims. It looks a bit dorky but then so am I..

I have respect for Timex.

Before I started my professional carreer, I worked at a plant nursery and wore a $15 dollar Timex watch. While moving pallets of fertilizer with an off-the-road fork truck, I noticed my watch was missing. I found it smashed into a pile of spilled fertilizer I'd run over. The case back had popped off and the movent was packed with fertilizer. I blew it out, replaced the back and the watch worked like nothing happened. Wow!

[DrLogik]

Greg,

Thanks for posting the link. I like the anti-reflective sapphire crystal on this model:
https://longislandwatch.com/islander-au ... l-isl-41//

You can't go wrong with that guy's in-house brand watches. He uses standard movements and custom-designs the watch and then specs it out to have it built. If his watches had a name brand on them they'd cost 50% more. That model in particular is really interesting.

Like I said before, I've bought a few watches from them and each one is fantastic. And, he sells watch parts and can customize (in-house), crystals, winders, watch face, hands, etc. Pretty cool service. My favorite is a Japan-made Seiko dive watch (photo below).

I have no financial interest in this. When I find a good business I tend to spread the news.

[Srock]

You can't go wrong with that guy's in-house brand watches. He uses standard movements and custom-designs the watch and then specs it out to have it built. If his watches had a name brand on them they'd cost 50% more. That model in particular is really interesting.

I have one of Long Island watch seiko diver spinoffs. They are very good watches and less expensive than a brand seiko.Very solid. Good customer service.

[Bamboo Don]

I wear a Garmin watch, I have been in a few places that was new to me and get turn around and had a hard time get back to my truck

[OnTheBrink]

Assuming you are asking about a traditional style field watch, I often wear this one from Military Watch Co. it is a quartz version of the old Hamilton/Benrus. Accurate, very easy to read, with a slim profile which slides easily under shirt sleeves in a way that some of my other watches don’t.

I have toyed with the idea of getting a modern Hamilton automatic of the same pattern but this one works so well I just have not gone there yet.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Love the simplicity and no logo/maker mark. very very nice.

[john8]

I wear a Rolex GMT that was made in the late 1960s has the Pepsi Bezel. It was my fathers watch he purchased while in the Navy I think he bought it while stationed on an Aircraft Carrier around 1970 through the onboard exchange on the ship. I still have the original box, paperwork, etc. I prefer the mechanical watch as don’t have to worry about a battery failing, etc. some places I fish there is beat rotations at certain times and have to be off the river at a certain time so need to ensure you have the correct time and can’t afford to not have a working watch.





I also have a Tag Heuer quartz watch as well which I also wear, I changed the metal band to a rubber/silicone watch band.

[rosco]

Although I have an affinity for automatic chronographs I have found they never leave the drawer and this is the watch I always wear. Garmin 5s does everything and more including helping me find my car and recording my path through the woods. https://youtu.be/6-LbgJthAf0

[Bamboo Don]

I bought the Garmin watch Fenix 6 for my field watch, it has a 14 day battery charge and it keep me from getting lost in new area I love it.

[DrLogik]

Bamboo Don,

I'm a full-time Garmin Fenix 5X wearer. I love this watch. It's my second Fenix and it functions as my bike computer, tracks my walking, navigation tool, watch, heart rate monitor and a couple of other features I use also. These things have really skyrocketed in price in the last couple of years though as their popularity has improved. Considering the 5 to 7 days (or more) I get out of a charge, and it still has 20% left, and that's running GPS every day, I'm not sure why folks get an iWatch that has to be charged every day.

[bobk]

I retired 20 years ago, came home that last day and put my watch in my bureau. Haven't worn one since and don't regret it at all.

[Brooks]

I used to have several of the digital altimeter watches.
Trouble was, when it was time to adjust the time or date, and I had long since lost the 30-page instruction booklet, I’d discover that I didn’t know sh!t from shinola.

So now I wear a Shinola watch made in Detroit. Old-school, easy to adjust time zones.

Plus my first real job was, at 13 yrs old, as a shoeshine boy at a local barbershop. I made great money and got to listen to the old guys tell dirty jokes while they smoked cigars, getting their ears lowered, and me slapping time on their wingtips with a cloth and Shinola paste wax.
To this day, one of the best jobs I ever had.
The watch helps me remember.
(And now I know the difference;-)

[Bill Terry]

For fishing, I wear a Seiko Solar chronograph with date display.

It keeps good time, and it never needs to be wound or given new batteries, which are good attributes, but I wear it for fishing because I don’t like it and I don’t care what happens to it.

My “daily driver” watch is a TAG Heuer Formula 1, which I love.