These are my choices as the best value field watches on the market. For any questions or business enquiries, please email me at: questionsforatwg@gmail.com
North Flag is my favourite Tudor, contemporary - a change from the usual. Would be interesting to see a GMT version, if it is possible? Could be a very good all round watch.
I owned the Hamilton Field Khaki and couldn't stand it. The watch is 38mm but has 50mm lugs and it has a huge gap between the case and strap. It doesn't look as bad on a Nato.
I knew I had to have a Tudor North Flag the first time I saw one in a shop window. My Datejust now sits in the cupboard as the North Flag replaced it as my daily wearer. Love it!
This may sound critical but I don't mean it to be. I constantly see the Hamilton Khaki mechanical listed as a great value at under $300. This in spite of the fact that it looks almost identical to a Seiko 5 Military Auto. And in my opinion the Seiko has one of the best designed dials I have ever seen in terms of simply and efficiently presenting the time. Oh, and the Seiko can be easily found for $55 to $70 brand new in many places. I understand that the fit and finish of the Hamilton is going to be better than the Seiko, but I can buy 4 Seikos for the price. How is that a value?
IMO, Hamilton Khaki Mechanical is really for those who like the handwinding watches more. It's going to be a bit flatter because it doesn't have the autowinding mechanism. It can be set more accurately. One advantage that Seiko 5 has is that it comes in blue. ;)
Ben Jones , agreed, you can also do a crystal swap out yourself to a sapphire crystal and improve the watch dramatically !!!!! also get yourself some different straps, a nice leather strap and some NATO style straps for when you go outdoors. you will thank yourself later for doing these things.
Ben Jones , your talking about the 21 jewel movement. you cannot manually wind that particular movement. it's a pain in the ass if you don't own a watch winder.
ogarzabello , I personally love Vostok watches especially the models with the Tritinite hands and markers. Extreamly visible at night & low light conditions and a lot of their watches come with extra straps which I love. also included is a rather nice case & tools to change out the straps if needed.
The North Flag is actually a lot closer to the Ranger II than the heritage Ranger... In fact, if you look at the NF and Ranger II side by side, you would not be able to deny that they modeled the NF from the Ranger II
I really like your channel and way of presentation. It is calm, objective and informative. No BS, no self marketing and no drama. Kindest regards from Switzerland!
I really enjoyed that video, the watches were great, all of them. Many thanks also for the lesson in semantics. Your definition "Field Watch" making infinitely more sense, in the case of The Seiko Alpinist ( in particular) a much more succinct and valid description than my rather sloppily applied "Travel Watch". Brilliant though to see The Alpinist in all its sunburst green and gold glory! Such a lot of watch for such a modest sum of money. Thank you very much again, loving your videos and really looking forward to your next fine production. Take care bye for now.
+Peter Lorimer: Thank you very much for your kind words, and I apologise for not replying to your previous comments. I felt that this video was somewhat necessary after the confusion of my previous episode. I really am glad that this one seems to have hit the spot because, as ever, what you and my other viewers think is important to me.
Thank you so much for your reply to my comment... I've very little idea what your other viewers maybe thinking. I'd guess though that like myself, they enjoy your channel immensely and hope to hear and see a great deal more from you. Thank you very much for your prompt response to my comment this evening. On that note I shall wish you lots of luck and say bye for now. Take care.
Armand The Watch Guy Please check out the field/aviation watches I am currently reviewing from Detroit Watch Company and Hemel. Quality and design are impeccable!
Why isn't 17-4 ph used as a watch case material? I can be heat treated to 44 Rc as opposed to the max hardness, without surface treatment, of 18 Rc for 316. In the max hardness condition, 17-4 has twice the tensile strength as 316. The corrosion characteristics of 17-4 are excellent also. Just wondering.
bought the Hamilton mechanical for my son and he loves it . wonderful old school watch . personally , I wish it was 35 mm to really give it that vintage look and feel .
Great reviews and excellent reference to why newer watches often have features such, as the Explorer lume, that evolve for the better. One minor comment is being ex Air Traffic we never actually use the term “Over & Out”. This was something used in American films rather than “Out” at the end of a transmission or “Over” when waiting for a reply and always raises a giggle in our anorak community
I had both the Hamilton field watch self winding and auto. Both models are attractive unfortunately neither example is water resistant to any degree, that includes getting caught in a rain storm.You would think a field watch would be able to withstand some field duty!! I have since returned both, went with the Victorinox Inox.
Thomas Massey , exactly. I just don't understand why companies don't make their mechanical watches at a minimum of 200 meters, they are in fact a "Field Watch " right ? that is the only thing that turns me off too so many brands is their lack of water resistance.
I enjoy your content very much. You've a good way of presenting information on various watches and genres of timepieces. Field Watches aren't my cuppa, but I watched this through so you held my interest. Please keep up the videos. Thanks.
Actually originally sir hillary used a different watch and was gift one after decent. His surpa had a rolex. He even wrote a letter to the other watch company.
I really wish I could find a nice field watch that had the features I want but wasn't so frickin big. There are so many out there but most of them are 40mm or more.
Excellent vid, although I personally find the North Flag anything but beautiful. To me it looks a little like an average modern fashion watch. Further I personally prefer the old lume on the Explorer. I find the blue lume too weirdly modern on such a beautiful classic icon. Also I think the Explorer, despite being one of the most beautiful watches ever made, is pretty overpriced and wouldn't be in my Best Value-for-Money Field Watches list. My top recommendations would be the Seiko SARG009 and the Sinn 856/857 by the way. Kind regards from Amsterdam
Great outdoors watch I have been wearing is the Breitling areospace on there great rubber & clasped strap's it's a fantastic bit of kit and of course it's a mecaquartz Movement super Tuff has big lume & back-lighting too. It's super comfortable and with 100m it will enjoy any weather but it's ability to have multiple uses day or at night it's a winner.
What a ridiculous Rolex advert: We built the Rolex Explorer, because there isn't a watch repair shop on top of the Matterhorn. So Rolex think that anyone who goes up the Matterhorn will stay there for ever.
Abhishek Srivastava I know. You mentioned Nomos, so I had to throw in a few budget European brands. For true VFM, look no further than oriental brands - Seiko, Citizen, Orient, Casio etc.
Not sure you know what VFM means. HEMEL should be on this list ahead of them all (and most shouldn't have been referenced at all) if you're actually going to live up to the title of this video. Maybe you meant "best field watches of all time" instead? P.S. The club shouldn't have been mentioned at all regardless. It's a nice watch, it's just not a part of this niche. It's called the Club. Far cry from the field.
I got a Hamilton Khaki and I couldnt be happier! Its keeping time better than a Rolex at about +0/+1 per day and it just feels almost as high quality for a fraction of the price!
Armand I appreciate your preference for higher-end watches; that is after all your choice. However, making a video about best value for money field watches and then to start of at about $350 and then move up in price from there is truly misleading. What about a watch like the Orient Defender? At a price which is only 5% of the price of a Tudor North Flag, it has an in-house automatic movement, bead-blasted case, screw-down crown and 100m of water resistance. Or the Citizen EcoDrive Tough? Sapphire crystal, monocoque case, 200m water resistance, better accuracy than any superlative chronometer from Rolex and all of this for below $300! I do not claim that these two watches are better watches than any of the watches on your list. But as for "value for money", these two watches run rings around all the watches on your list. Stop being such a watch snob and be more realistic when posting such list videos.
The Sinn 556 and 856 would be a much better choice than the Nomos for a field watch. A white dial field watch? Weird. Many aviation-inspired watches are also excellent field watches. Key attributes of a good field watch are smallish size (diameter and thickness) and lack of a chronograph. Field watches are a neglected genus as many are considered aviators or divers. Nevertheless, the field of potential consumers is far larger than is the number of pilots or divers.
+Malik Knows: Thank you for tour comment, it's very good to hear feedback from my viewers. With regards to the Sinn 556 and 856, the reason why I did not choose these watches was that they, in my opinion, are pilot's watches at heart (hence their anti-magnetism) though they are beautifully made timepieces nonetheless.
+Malik Knows: Thank you for tour comment, it's very good to hear feedback from my viewers. With regards to the Sinn 556 and 856, the reason why I did not choose these watches was that they, in my opinion, are pilot's watches at heart (hence their anti-magnetism) though they are beautifully made timepieces nonetheless.
I love watch reviews that talk of a watch being a tool that will withstand the harshest punishment under the most demanding situations lol who the hell uses an instrument which has been absolete for atleast, 30 years! They are nothing more than status symbol or a fashion statement good god!
Jesus... you are talking about value for money field watches and not a mention of Marathon or CWC? you know, the companies that makes REAL issued military field watches?... what?
North Flag is my favourite Tudor, contemporary - a change from the usual. Would be interesting to see a GMT version, if it is possible? Could be a very good all round watch.
I owned the Hamilton Field Khaki and couldn't stand it. The watch is 38mm but has 50mm lugs and it has a huge gap between the case and strap. It doesn't look as bad on a Nato.
surprised the tudor ranger isn't mentioned: 41mm case, eta 2824, 38 hour power reserve, and can use other 22mm straps
I got my StarKing Brand watch from this store:www.aliexpress.com/store/2142195
I knew I had to have a Tudor North Flag the first time I saw one in a shop window. My Datejust now sits in the cupboard as the North Flag replaced it as my daily wearer. Love it!
This may sound critical but I don't mean it to be. I constantly see the Hamilton Khaki mechanical listed as a great value at under $300. This in spite of the fact that it looks almost identical to a Seiko 5 Military Auto. And in my opinion the Seiko has one of the best designed dials I have ever seen in terms of simply and efficiently presenting the time. Oh, and the Seiko can be easily found for $55 to $70 brand new in many places.
I understand that the fit and finish of the Hamilton is going to be better than the Seiko, but I can buy 4 Seikos for the price. How is that a value?
IMO, Hamilton Khaki Mechanical is really for those who like the handwinding watches more. It's going to be a bit flatter because it doesn't have the autowinding mechanism. It can be set more accurately.
One advantage that Seiko 5 has is that it comes in blue. ;)
Ben Jones , agreed, you can also do a crystal swap out yourself to a sapphire crystal and improve the watch dramatically !!!!!
also get yourself some different straps, a nice leather strap and some NATO style straps for when you go outdoors.
you will thank yourself later for doing these things.
Ben Jones , your talking about the 21 jewel movement. you cannot manually wind that particular movement.
it's a pain in the ass if you don't own a watch winder.
Best Value-for-Money Field Watches and no VOSTOK even mentioned?
ogarzabello , I personally love Vostok watches especially the models with the Tritinite hands and markers. Extreamly visible at night & low light conditions and a lot of their watches come with extra straps which I love.
also included is a rather nice case & tools to change out the straps if needed.
Meh
@@timschutte8310 which model is that?
The North Flag is actually a lot closer to the Ranger II than the heritage Ranger... In fact, if you look at the NF and Ranger II side by side, you would not be able to deny that they modeled the NF from the Ranger II
I really like your channel and way of presentation. It is calm, objective and informative. No BS, no self marketing and no drama. Kindest regards from Switzerland!
What about Stowa watches ?
I really enjoyed that video, the watches were great, all of them. Many thanks also for the lesson in semantics. Your definition "Field Watch" making infinitely more sense, in the case of The Seiko Alpinist ( in particular) a much more succinct and valid description than my rather sloppily applied "Travel Watch". Brilliant though to see The Alpinist in all its sunburst green and gold glory! Such a lot of watch for such a modest sum of money.
Thank you very much again, loving your videos and really looking forward to your next fine production. Take care bye for now.
+Peter Lorimer: Thank you very much for your kind words, and I apologise for not replying to your previous comments. I felt that this video was somewhat necessary after the confusion of my previous episode. I really am glad that this one seems to have hit the spot because, as ever, what you and my other viewers think is important to me.
Thank you so much for your reply to my comment... I've very little idea what your other viewers maybe thinking. I'd guess though that like myself, they enjoy your channel immensely and hope to hear and see a great deal more from you. Thank you very much for your prompt response to my comment this evening. On that note I shall wish you lots of luck and say bye for now. Take care.
Armand The Watch Guy
Please check out the field/aviation watches I am currently reviewing from Detroit Watch Company and Hemel. Quality and design are impeccable!
Armand The Watch Guy
Check out field/aviation watvhes from Detroit Watch Company and Hemel. I am reviewing them at this time and they almist perfect!
Peter Lorimer
The Tudor North Flag Strap is made out of leather, not canvas. It has a very high quality though. Bracelet is also great, I own both :)
904L is more resistant to corrosion but it is not harder than the 316 steel. In fact the 316 is harder than the 904L.
Joven Chiew I was just going to make the same comment. 904L is definitely not hard!!
I got my StarKing Brand watch from this store:www.aliexpress.com/store/2142195
Why isn't 17-4 ph used as a watch case material? I can be heat treated to 44 Rc as opposed to the max hardness, without surface treatment, of 18 Rc for 316. In the max hardness condition, 17-4 has twice the tensile strength as 316. The corrosion characteristics of 17-4 are excellent also. Just wondering.
The 5% copper softens it.
Joven Chie
The world wouldn't be the same without you, Armand.
That is the first Tudor I actually like. It is what it is instead of being a budget Rolex.
bought the Hamilton mechanical for my son and he loves it . wonderful old school watch . personally , I wish it was 35 mm to really give it that vintage look and feel .
Great reviews and excellent reference to why newer watches often have features such, as the Explorer lume, that evolve for the better. One minor comment is being ex Air Traffic we never actually use the term “Over & Out”. This was something used in American films rather than “Out” at the end of a transmission or “Over” when waiting for a reply and always raises a giggle in our anorak community
You've got me thinking seriously about saving for The North Flag!
I had both the Hamilton field watch self winding and auto. Both models are attractive unfortunately neither example is water resistant to any degree, that includes getting caught in a rain storm.You would think a field watch would be able to withstand some field duty!! I have since returned both, went with the Victorinox Inox.
Thomas Massey , exactly.
I just don't understand why companies don't make their mechanical watches at a minimum of 200 meters, they are in fact a "Field Watch " right ?
that is the only thing that turns me off too so many brands is their lack of water resistance.
How many millimeter is the Explorer? Do you think Explorer is better than the Airking? Besides the lum, what's pros and cons between the two ?
Again a great choice of watches! The Alpinist is one of the very few Seiko watches I like.
I love mine, I really don't know if I will ever need other watch.
If the North Flag had a 3 & 9 on the dial, instead of the date and power reserve the dial would be perfect.
Is the Nomos different to this one because it's 2.5k now?
Tudor Heritage Ranger is a great choice. On my wrist it turns more heads than any other watch in my collection.
the HORSE leather strap just put me off on the Nomos , but other than strap it's a beautiful watch
I enjoy your content very much. You've a good way of presenting information on various watches and genres of timepieces. Field Watches aren't my cuppa, but I watched this through so you held my interest. Please keep up the videos. Thanks.
I find your videos very informative, can you do 'best watches with moonphase complication'?
Actually originally sir hillary used a different watch and was gift one after decent. His surpa had a rolex. He even wrote a letter to the other watch company.
+Vince White: Absolutely right, I believe that the other watch was a Smiths Deluxe if I remember correctly.
Armand The Watch Guy yes, that was it.
Arnand, the 3-6-9 on Air King are made of white gold not stainless steel
I really wish I could find a nice field watch that had the features I want but wasn't so frickin big. There are so many out there but most of them are 40mm or more.
Seiko SNK series is 37mm and under $100.
What a great video, thank you.
That Nomos really caught my eye. I really like some of the German brands.
Thanks again
On the Explorer the indices are white gold not steel
The crocodile-style strap looks great/dressy ... just a pity the one that comes with it is so nasty/cardboardy ...
now if you want to add a vintage note on this genre you may add an Omega Dynamic
I have a 1968 manual wind/date model and I love it, but would not consider it a field watch. An amazing value, however, for sure.
The Nomos MM looks great, esp for the price ... just a pity that the front (which you will look at 99% of the time) looks so *YAWN* ... :/
Kieren Moore I agree. Take a look at the club campus with california dial.
Great video! I'd def have the Seiko SARG011/009 on your list too :)
What about Raymond Weil?
I realize this might be anathema to this channel, but what are your thoughts on solar powered watches?
I got my StarKing Brand watch from this store:www.aliexpress.com/store/2142195
Excellent vid, although I personally find the North Flag anything but beautiful. To me it looks a little like an average modern fashion watch. Further I personally prefer the old lume on the Explorer. I find the blue lume too weirdly modern on such a beautiful classic icon. Also I think the Explorer, despite being one of the most beautiful watches ever made, is pretty overpriced and wouldn't be in my Best Value-for-Money Field Watches list. My top recommendations would be the Seiko SARG009 and the Sinn 856/857 by the way.
Kind regards from Amsterdam
the Tudor is very nice th Seiko too ;)
They should use brushing as bead blasting is very much more difficult to repair the finish for. It's "seconds hand" not "second hand".
Next time add the icon watch G-shock. Nr in explorer watch type.
Great outdoors watch I have been wearing is the Breitling areospace on there great rubber & clasped strap's it's a fantastic bit of kit and of course it's a mecaquartz Movement super Tuff has big lume & back-lighting too.
It's super comfortable and with 100m it will enjoy any weather but it's ability to have multiple uses day or at night it's a winner.
I think the Glycine Incursore is worth taking a look at.
LostArkitekt , glycine is now owned by Invicta
Tim Schutte ... and Hamilton is owned by Swatch. Just because a larger company owns them doesn't mean their watches lost quality.
LostArkitekt I agree 100 percent bud
What a ridiculous Rolex advert: We built the Rolex Explorer, because there isn't a watch repair shop on top of the Matterhorn.
So Rolex think that anyone who goes up the Matterhorn will stay there for ever.
Awesome video as always
Tudor and Nomos are way ahead of everyone else. Rolex is not value for money watch.
Abhishek Srivastava Nomos, seriously? Try Tissot instead or Junghans or the legendary Sinn.
+polymath Tissot and Junghans are pure garbage with no personality of their own. they just copy watch designs from here and there.
Abhishek Srivastava I know. You mentioned Nomos, so I had to throw in a few budget European brands. For true VFM, look no further than oriental brands - Seiko, Citizen, Orient, Casio etc.
How is Rolex not value for money? None of the brands you mentioned have the same resale value that Rolexs do.
Not sure you know what VFM means. HEMEL should be on this list ahead of them all (and most shouldn't have been referenced at all) if you're actually going to live up to the title of this video.
Maybe you meant "best field watches of all time" instead?
P.S. The club shouldn't have been mentioned at all regardless. It's a nice watch, it's just not a part of this niche. It's called the Club. Far cry from the field.
I got a Hamilton Khaki and I couldnt be happier! Its keeping time better than a Rolex at about +0/+1 per day and it just feels almost as high quality for a fraction of the price!
What about the seiko alpinist?
Never mind.Damn my impatience:( As you were.Did I say what a marvelous videos you produce?:)
+Mahatma618: Thank you for your kind words, we all can be impatient sometimes! I'm very glad that you enjoyed the video.
What about Seiko SARG011?
What I was going to say :) Fantastic watch, that and the similar SARG009.
real good video. you opened my eyes to new watch considerations.
excellent presentation and crystal clear opinion, thank you!
What's the brand and model of the watch at 0:13?
+matteogd: At 0:13, one can see an Orient Ray on its bracelet and then on a padded strap.
Good addendum, great choices.
Armand
I appreciate your preference for higher-end watches; that is after all your choice. However, making a video about best value for money field watches and then to start of at about $350 and then move up in price from there is truly misleading. What about a watch like the Orient Defender? At a price which is only 5% of the price of a Tudor North Flag, it has an in-house automatic movement, bead-blasted case, screw-down crown and 100m of water resistance. Or the Citizen EcoDrive Tough? Sapphire crystal, monocoque case, 200m water resistance, better accuracy than any superlative chronometer from Rolex and all of this for below $300! I do not claim that these two watches are better watches than any of the watches on your list. But as for "value for money", these two watches run rings around all the watches on your list.
Stop being such a watch snob and be more realistic when posting such list videos.
Love the alpinist but it's so damn thick.
Do Fortis B-42 please.
SquidRides , I like Fortus watches but like most other watches that use Swiss movements, way over priced, not for me.
COSC is -4/+6
I want the Rolex so bad. But the 39mm size is awful looking. It doesn't suit the style like the Tudor would.
I'd like them all.
Timex Men's T49271 Expedition Rugged Field SHOCK Analog Watch
That's the best value field watch
SpikeXtreme , I personally love Timex watches. they really do take a beating and keep on ticking, no punn intended
Hamilton is to field watches as Rolex is to dive watches.
The Sinn 556 and 856 would be a much better choice than the Nomos for a field watch. A white dial field watch? Weird. Many aviation-inspired watches are also excellent field watches. Key attributes of a good field watch are smallish size (diameter and thickness) and lack of a chronograph. Field watches are a neglected genus as many are considered aviators or divers. Nevertheless, the field of potential consumers is far larger than is the number of pilots or divers.
+Malik Knows: Thank you for tour comment, it's very good to hear feedback from my viewers. With regards to the Sinn 556 and 856, the reason why I did not choose these watches was that they, in my opinion, are pilot's watches at heart (hence their anti-magnetism) though they are beautifully made timepieces nonetheless.
+Malik Knows: Thank you for tour comment, it's very good to hear feedback from my viewers. With regards to the Sinn 556 and 856, the reason why I did not choose these watches was that they, in my opinion, are pilot's watches at heart (hence their anti-magnetism) though they are beautifully made timepieces nonetheless.
Hi Archie, nice vid!
great, thank you
equally...
Nomos Club is not a field watch...
yes, i think so.. its more like a dress watch
Level the audio
great Video
I love watch reviews that talk of a watch being a tool that will withstand the harshest punishment under the most demanding situations lol who the hell uses an instrument which has been absolete for atleast, 30 years! They are nothing more than status symbol or a fashion statement good god!
Jesus... you are talking about value for money field watches and not a mention of Marathon or CWC? you know, the companies that makes REAL issued military field watches?... what?
officialMainspring I believe with the exception of the seiko, they all were military issued at one point. Perhaps not the models but the brands
Jesus dude he can’t mention every great value watch.
I’d take none of these watches anywhere near a field !
You
Love the north flag
J
All the "umms" and "uhhs"... I can't handle it.
i don't get why the rolex explorer 1 is still in the rolex line. it's the worst rolex ever.
Many people would beg to differ.
The Rolex Explorer 1 is the ONLY Rolex I'd actually consider buying. So there you go
Andrei Tudoran the date just 2 and the explorer 1 for me.
Jack D'uscher , why ?????
The north flag is much better