Category Tough Watches

The Toughest Watches. Watches that can take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’. Rugged enough for use by the armed forces and specialty tool watches manufactured to endure extreme conditions.

tough watches

Here you’ll find various types of watches, some were developed for use in the armed and law enforcement forces and need to conform to strict specifications. While others have been constructed to stringent tolerances for specific purposes such as diving, and then there are other “tough watches” aimed at the general public such as the G-Shock.

The watches have some defining qualities of toughness. The list was determined by research based on manufacturer specifications and user reviews.

For people looking for tough watches they can depend on even in the most demanding situations without having to worry about their functionality this will hopefully guide you in your search and help in some way in the decision making process.

Related pages: G Shock Watches

Sinn UX. Submarine steel case and phenomenal water resistance.

Sinn UX. Submarine steel case and phenomenal water resistance.

German watchmakers Sinn use Submarine Steel for the watch case of the Sinn UX and to further toughen this it is hardened using a special process called “Tegimenting”. After the steel has gone through this process it has a hardness of 1200 Vickers, what does that mean? Well, steel typically has a hardness of…

Rogue Warrior. Special combat watch built to high spec.

Rogue Warrior. Special combat watch built to high spec.

Rogue warrior watches were created by retired Commander Richard Marcinko aka the “Rogue Warrior” . He wanted a tough watch built for him that was capable of withstanding the extreme rigors of any combat environment. He had a very specific set of requirements he wanted met. Marcinko’s requirements were that the watch dial be…

Kobold Seal. Twin shock resistance systems.

Kobold Seal. Twin shock resistance systems.

The Kobold Seal is Kobolds toughest watch and is limited to only ten pieces per year. It was designed with high-stress military and professional diving activity in mind and features two shock-resistance systems. The first system, INCABLOC, is integrated into the movement. The second is a patented system incorporated into the case and specifically…

Ball "Engineer Hydrocarbon". Shock resistant to 7,500 G's

Ball “Engineer Hydrocarbon”. Shock resistant to 7,500 G’s

Although  a non-military watch, the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon is a very tough watch with some formidable technical features. Ball are famous for supplying watches for the American Railroads and their company motto is: “Since 1891, accuracy under adverse conditions” Ball watches are aimed at explorers and adventurers as well as those just generally in…

CX Swiss Military Watch : World Record Holder.

CX Swiss Military Watch : World Record Holder.

The CX Swiss Military Watch is  an incredibly tough dive watch  that currently holds the world record for water resistance for a mechanical dive watch certified to a depth of 20,000 Feet. In order to prove its toughness the manufacturers decided to invite consumers to come up with some test ideas for the watch…

Casio G-Shock. The classic tough watch.

Casio G-Shock. The classic tough watch.

When talking of tough watches the G-Shock line from Casio will inevitably come to the mind of most people. Since their introduction in the mid-eighties they have developed an image and a reputation for toughness. The first one, model DW-5000C (below) went on sale in 1983. Since then the story of G Shock has…

Luminox Navy Seal. Armed forces choice.

Luminox Navy Seal. Armed forces choice.

First introduced in 1994, the Luminox Navy Seal is the watch that made Luminox famous. Asked to find a more reliable watch for night missions, Nick North, the officer in charge of procurement discovered the Luminox at a trade show. Working together with Luminox to develop a tough watch that was specifically for the…

Traser H3. Meets DOD requirements.

Traser H3. Meets DOD requirements.

There are three Traser H3 models, the P5900, P6500 and the latest released in February 2010 which is the P6600, this fulfills all the military requirements as mandated in MIL-PRF-46374 G. That is, it meets the high military requirements of the DOD. And exceeds with a water resistance of 660ft. Thousands of H3 watches…

Arctos GPW L1 . Features high-tech ceramic case.

Arctos GPW L1 . Features high-tech ceramic case.

This is the Arctos GPW L1 from Arctos-Elite watches, they are made in Pforzheim, Germany using Swiss ETA and European mechanical movements. Arctos make watches “for the most extreme demands of Special Forces, as well as for the demanding watch connoisseur” Arctos is the first German watchmaker to use zirconium oxide (ZrO2) for its…

MTM.  Tactical military watch

MTM. Tactical military watch

Ex military personnel and watch technicians founded MTM in 1980. Since then they have become one of the leading suppliers of tactical military watches to military and police units around the world. MTM’s mission is to “develop tough, dependable, rugged military watches utilizing state of the art technology” All of their watch cases are…