Green, besides being my favorite color after blue, is supposed to signify freshness, nature, and the outdoors. The other day, I saw a forest green Audi on my way to work. I thought it was such a cool-looking car color that it drove a search to find that particular color in a wristwatch, since there is no way in the world I could afford this car. Plus, I already have plenty of shirts in green.
So off I went on a tangent and found myself deciding on a green field watch instead. But as of this writing, I haven’t made a final decision on one. However, I thought I would put the ones I am picking from into a blog post so you can see how awesome these watches look.
A Brief Field Watch History
The field watch started in the military. There was a need for a watch that could take a beating and keep working. It doesn’t have the bells and whistles other watches have on purpose. It’s to tell time accurately, with a simple dial that is easy to read.
Vintage military field watches used black dials with white numbers for low-glare visibility. In other words, you don’t want to stand out in the jungle.
These days you can find all kinds of colors on a field watch. Popular colors are black, white, dark blue, and of course, green, since most people are buying field watches that can hold up to the elements and everyday use. Thankfully, they aren’t worried about enemy snipers.
A couple of examples of field watches from the Vietnam War era include the GG-W-113 and MIL-W-3818B standards.
These watches were well known to take a lot of punishment and still be reliable.
Why Does Green Work So Well?
Although not a historically accurate field watch dial color, I think it fits perfectly with the design. And green goes with everything. You can wear a green shirt with jeans and look good, and khakis and green are perfect together. And you can say the same about a green watch. It can be worn casually or in the office, if it’s casual as well. And outdoors, say hunting, the green blends in with the outdoors
Even though a field watch is more refined than a tactical watch, I still wouldn’t wear one in a business setting where people are dressed up. For that environment, I would wear a dress watch. However, the choice is yours. But when it comes to shades of green, there are some beautiful examples of dress watches, especially luxury ones, that have light green dials. Pistachio and mint are especially popular right now.
6 Best Green Dial Field Watches Under $300
Below is a small list of field watches that I have on a short list, but there are many more out there if you don’t like any of these.
Seiko 5 SNK805 Field Watch
The Seiko 5 Field Watch is a nice entry-point for field watches at around $150. It has a 37mm stainless steel case that’s perfect for someone with a small wrist, and water resistant up to 30mm. I particularly like the military green dial. And being an automatic you won’t have to worry about battery changes. It’s a lot of watch for under $150.
Ratio Quest Field Watch Khaki Green
The price on this watch is amazing. You’re going to get a great watch that punches well above it’s $55 price. Some of its specs include a 40mm steel case, Japanese quartz movement, water resistance, and a fantastic khaki green dial. And it has the Lewis and Clark Expedition engraved on the caseback.
Timex Expedition North Field Post Solar
The Timex Expedition North Field Post Solar 41mm is the best bang for your buck. It has an eye-catching olive dial, stainless steel case, sapphire crystal, solar movement, and 100m water resistance.
Seiko 5 Sports SRPD63
Another Seiko automatic, the Seiko 5 Sports watch has a highly readable dial at 40mm. It’s water resistant to 100mm. The green dial with sports styling and crown guards give the watch a classic look. Just an overall great watch for under $300.
Wolbrook Outrider Professional Mecaquartz 38mm
The second to last watch on the list is the Wolbrook Outrider. At 38mm it won’t look too big on a small wrist, or too small on a big wrist.The company has done a great job designing a watch that harkens back to WW2 field watches with it's French army green dial and high readability. It's also the only watch on the list that is made in France.
SEA-GULL Chinese Military Watch
The last watch on the list is the SEA-GULL Chinese Military Watch. It's an automatic watch that also pays homage to the military, this time Chinese. It has a fairly large case size at 43mm, so it's best if you have a larger wrist. The dial is striking with a dark green dial and a red Chinese communist star. The numbers are easily readable in bold white and a date display. Chinese-made, it's a good value below $150.
How to Choose your Watch
Consider Case Size
Case size depends on the size of your wrist and personal preference. In the past, men’s watch case sizes were generally smaller. Most ran between 33mm and 36mm. I have a couple of inherited vintage watches that are around 33mm, and they are too small for my wrist, which is about 7 inches. So, for me, a watch case between 38mm and 42mm is pretty good. But if you have large wrist, you’ll probably look best with a 42mm to 46mm case.
As a rule of thumb, a watch should occupy about two-thirds of your wrist.
Movement Choice
Again, personal preference. If you want to set and forget, then go with the Seiko Sports, or Ratio watches that have a quartz movement. The Wolbrook has a nice hybrid mecaquartz movement, which combines quartz for accuracy with chronograph functions. Or for the environmentally-minded, go with the Timex Expedition.
On the other hand, if you’re ok with winding your watch, without the need to replace a battery, then go with the Seiko 5 SNK805 Field Watch automatic.
Watch Strap Option
I prefer canvas/NATO straps with a field watch due to their toughness. They are also inexpensive and comfortable. However, if you prefer leather then pick brown or green. Green looks sharp, but brown will work better in a business environment.
And as I mentioned above, stay away from wearing you field watch with a suit. It works best with casual clothing, like jeans, chinos, or business casual. Think Khakis with a navy blazer. Or in other words, wear your field watch with muted colors and stay away for anything loud.
In Closing
To sum things up, a green field watch is a great blend of military heritage and modern wearability. You’ll find that olive, khaki, and sage green shades works better than you might expect. And since most offices are business casual these days, it can easily be your daily watch.
Go ahead and start with your budget, pick the movement that works for you, and decide on case size. I really don’t think you can go wrong with any watch on this list.
Remember, the best green dial field watch for you is the one you’ll wear.
