Feature: These watches are as tough as they look
As the famous Timex advert once said, its watches “take a licking and keep on ticking”. And if you’ve ever owned one, you’ll know that they’re more durable than their price tag suggests. But with all due respect to Timex, its timepieces will never be handed down as family heirlooms. If you want a premium watch that is both stylish and tougher than the offspring of an SAS commando and Lara Croft, you might want to take a look at this lot…
Sinn U1 1010.0351
This dive model from German watchmaker Sinn—a well-respected brand with a growing cult following—boasts some seriously impressive features. The first is its water-resistance of 1,000 metres, which is 700 metres more than most Omega Seamasters! This Sinn has been tested based on European diving equipment standards and certified by the DNV (Det Norske Veritas). Its case and crown are made of high-strength seawater-resistant German Submarine Steel and the grey dial has undergone a decorative grinding process, enhancing its uber-tough looks.
Tudor Ranger
The latest Ranger, released in 2022, marked the 70th anniversary of the British North Greenland Expedition where explorers wore purpose-built Tudor watches. The vintage aesthetic of the Ranger is inspired by Tudor models of yesteryear, while bearing a strong resemblance to Rolex’s Explorer—but it’s significantly more affordable. The Ranger is fitted with the Manufacture Calibre MT5402, which has been designed to ensure robustness, longevity, reliability and precision—everything you want from a watch when in hostile terrain.
Breitling Chronospace Military
Not only does the Chronospace Military look like a watch made for Action Man himself—thanks to its rugged size and futuristic-looking ana-digi display—it can withstand extreme conditions, too. The 46mm black DLC steel case includes a bidirectional rotating bezel which ensures excellent grip. The Chronospace Military is powered by a SuperQuartz calibre that allows for extreme precision and short-time measurements. It’s also chronometer-certified by COSC. All this sits on the khaki-green military fabric strap for added comfort and combat-ready aesthetic.
Kobold Arctic Diver
US-German brand Kobold could have just called this watch a ‘Diver’ and left it at that. But no, this is an ‘Arctic Diver’, suggesting it can withstand freezing conditions and a mauling from polar bears. The 44.5mm case is made from aerospace-grade titanium with a black DLC scratch-resistant coating and houses an internal secondary iron case to resist high levels of magnetic interference. It’s also water resistant to 500 metres and boasts a triple-sealed screw-locked crown. The late James Gandolfini of The Sopranos fame was a huge fan of this brand.
Luminox Bear Grylls Survival Pilot Watch
We couldn’t talk about tough watches without mentioning Luminox. This is a brand that supplies timepieces to the Israeli special forces, U.S. Navy Seals and Icelandic search and rescue teams, among many others. It’s also endorsed by the indomitable Bear Grylls, after whom this model is named. Pretty much all Luminox watches are incredibly tough—especially those made from the brand’s ultra-tough Carbonox material, which is lighter than titanium—but we’ve picked out this steel GMT model with a mesh strap and a dial bearing the words “NEVER GIVE UP”.
Marathon US Army Mechanical Field Watch
Marathon started providing military timing instruments to the Allied Forces during World War II so its heritage deserves credit. Today it continues to make durable watches that combine Swiss engineering with military robustness. Their automatic field watch comes in a high-impact composite fibreshell case and uses its own MaraGlo paint and tritium gas tubes (hence the radiation symbol on the dial) for high visibility in low light. Marathon’s mechanical watches are powered by automatic Sellita or Seiko movements, but quartz options are also available.
Tissot T-Touch
The iconic Tissot T-Touch made history as the first touchscreen watch ever released. This titanium multi-function model is loaded with a compass, alarm, barometer, altimeter and more. What’s even more enticing is that the T-Touch was worn by none other than Angelina Jolie as on-screen action woman Lara Croft—now, that’s us sold!
Rolex Explorer
Most of us know the origin story behind the Rolex Explorer and the ascent of Mount Everest that inspired it. With the ability to take on the trickiest of terrain and treacherous weather conditions, the Explorer was rigorously tested over many years when Rolex equipped several people on mountaineering, caving and polar expeditions with this hardy timepiece—talk about commitment to the cause!
Breitling Emergency
The Breitling Emergency is considered a marvel of high-tech watches, being the first wristwatch to feature an integrated personal locator beacon (PLB). This bit of kit guides emergency services to the wearer if they activate the PLB when in a dangerous situation on land, in the air or at sea. Other noteworthy functions include a compass, chronograph, perpetual calendar and alarm.
Panerai Luminor Submersible
Panerai is another brand that has had its watches featured on the big screen, notably via Sylvester Stallone in the 1990s film Daylight. Wearing his Luminor, Stallone played a typical tough guy, a hero who needed his rugged watch to help him save the day. This Luminor Submersible offers the same amount of reliability as Stallone’s model in the film and then some, thanks to its impressive water-resistant capabilities.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer
The recent Aquaracer Professional 200 model is described as an “all-terrain luxury tool watch” that can be worn in the harshest conditions. Intended for thrill seekers and explorers, this is a dive watch at heart and TAG’s go-to for fans of the sport. The horizontally striped dial has become synonymous with the piece and the angular bezel nods to classic luxury steel sport watches such as the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak—what’s not to love?
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