Wristwatches are a great piece of jewelry as well as a piece of useful equipment. With the help of a good wristwatch, you can not only track accurate time and date but some watches also possess great features like compass and temperature readings. However, few people like those who are firefighters, pilots, or in the military might need special kinds of watches.
These people may need special kinds of watches because of the nature of their jobs. Of course, there are people who have different jobs that just can not wear every type of wristwatch on their wrists. If you are a firefighter and looking for the best watch for firefighters you are in the right place. We have got you covered with our list of top firefighter wristwatches that are next level.
Being a brave firefighter today I want to help you in choosing the perfect wristwatch for yourself. I know there are a lot of options available and it can be very difficult to select from so many options. In order to narrow down the search for you, I have researched the top ten firefighter tactical watches. The list is based on the reviews of real firefighters and military personnel.
It has been an honor to serve the nation and you guys are our heroes who put their own lives in danger to protect others from disasters. I know I can not match what you do for us but I am sure I will make your day with the help of this article by helping you select the right wristwatch for yourself.
There is also a buyer’s guide at the end of the article. It will guide you what are the main points to look for when buying a tactical watch for firefighters. Make sure you read the whole article to the end. After reading this article you will be able to buy yourself a good wristwatch that can help you in all situations. It will also help you learn about important points before investing your money in one.
List Of The Best Watches For Firefighters
Check our list of watches for firefighters that we recommend and a lot of people:
Casio Watch GWG1000-1A3
Casio has already accomplished making its name when it comes to wristwatches. The GWG1000-1A3 was the first Casio model that my cousin gifted me. I still remember that day when I wore it on my wrist. It is one of the best watches for firefighters from the G-Shock series. It is because of its shock-resistant nature.
The Mud master design prevents dirt and mud from getting inside the wristwatch. It is not only protect against mud and dust but it also provides cover from shocks and keeps the watch safe all the time. This is a kind of high-top level of the mud master series. On aesthetics, the watch is very beefy with an extremely thick diameter and is very large.
You will see four different pushers that can trigger different features of the watch. The watch also features a crown on one side and a triple sensor on the other side of the dial. If we talk about the straps they are of high quality and well-integrated with the watch. They are durable enough to bear any kind of shocks and vibrations even if you are wearing them during drilling.
Besides being one of the best firefighter tactical watches, it can also be a perfect choice for people who work with different kinds of heavy machinery. One of the coolest features that I liked about this watch is its crown. You can use it to adjust the world time. Once you unscrew it you can rotate it clockwise and anticlockwise to select the desired city from the chapter ring. It will adjust automatically to the timezone of that city.
This tactical watch for firefighters can display time in both digital as well as analog formats. It also possesses barometer sensors that can read the pressure values of its surroundings. The watch also features a built-in temperature sensor that can be used to sense the temperature of its surroundings.
Another thing that I like about this model is its radio signal sensor. It can automatically calibrate itself with atomic clocks using a radio signal from satellites. The compass function makes it one of the best firefighter tactical watches.
Pros:
- Big and sturdy to sustain any kind of situation
- Features three sensors
- Possess a built-in compass
- Rugged style
Cons:
- Might feel very large to some people
- The Atomic clock sensor may not work properly inside a building or any kind of obstruction
Ball Gents-Watch Fireman Storm Chaser Pro CM309C
The Ball Gents-Watch Fireman Storm Chaser Pro is one best fire and water-resistant watches. The overall built quality of this watch is perfect as it is made of stainless steel. The case of the watch is 42 millimeters and it’s a chronograph. There are different subdials on the watch display each one with its own features.
Because of its perfect shape and coloring and it is not only a perfect watch for firefighters but it is also flexible for different dress styles. Oh! I almost forgot to tell you about the three subdials on the watch. The one near the 0’clock is for seconds. The other subdial near 12 o’clock shows minutes of information while the one near 6 o’clock gives information about hours.
It is a waterproof wristwatch that gives you the freedom to wear it in any kind of situation. It also features a power reserve of 48 hours, 25 jewels, and a frequency of 28.800 A/h. I personally like to wear it with a suit due to its sleek design but it is perfect for military personnel.
Pros:
- The stainless steel body design
- Can be worn with any dress
- Water-resistant
- Beautiful design
- Possess chronograph
Cons:
- Not mud resistant
- Not shock resistant
- Lack of sensors
Ball Watch Fireman Glory Automatic Date Black Dial Red Second Hand NM2188C-S3-BK
Another great watch for firefighters and military personnel. For people who don’t know about the ball, they are great at producing premium quality watches. It is a good-looking watch that you can wear not only in the field of operation but also on different occasions.
The watch comes with a stainless steel bracelet but it also has one extra bracelet that you can use if you want. It matches almost all kinds of dress styles. The watch is actually swiss made with the ball RR 1103 mechanical automatic movements. The dial is 40 mm in diameter and 11.5 mm in thickness. It is neither too big nor too small and can be a perfect choice for any kind of situation.
Of course, being a watch for military and firefighters it is 100 meters water-resistant as well as shockproof. The dial has a decent black color that really stands out in the light. It also has 15 micro gas light tubes that give it the capability of showing time to its user at night.
Though it might not be able to give you the functionality of a stopwatch. It may also lack some of the great features like the Casio G-Shock series but it has its own charm. It can give you time and date and it is much more fashionable and stylish as compared to the G-Shock series.
Pros:
- Small dial with a decent black color
- Comes with an extra bracelet
- Ideal for firefighters and military personnel
- Stainless steel built quality
- Can be worn with any type of dressing style
Cons:
- Lacks chronograph
- Does not possess subdials
Garmin Instinct – Rugged Outdoor Watch with GPS, Features GLONASS, and Galileo, Heart Rate Monitoring
The Garmin 010-02064-00 Instinct is one of the best Garmin watches for firefighters. These rugged-style watches for military and firefighters possess some great and interesting features. I will start explaining with the straps of it. The bands are actually of a good size. It is not too short and can be worn around any size of wrist. The length of the band makes it easy to wear on any size wrist and also easy on sleeves.
The watch possesses five buttons with three of them on the right and two on the left side. All these buttons trigger different functions of the watch. The overall quality and design of the watch are nice and kind of a G-Shock-ish look. Due to its rugged design, it is suitable for military and firefighting situations.
If you are looking for a smartwatch for firefighters then this is a perfect option. Despite the fact that the watch can not connect to its own store it has different stock watch faces. All of these watch faces are customizable and you can customize them in any way you want. The watch also possesses different kinds of widgets. You can get notifications with this smartwatch, read text messages, and miss calls.
It also possesses a pedometer and a GPS receiver that can help you track your number of steps and ways. The watch is not only limited to a pedometer but it can also read the weather and pressure of its surroundings. You can also monitor your heart rate with the help of this smartwatch for firefighters.
Pros:
- Possess different widgets and functions
- Easy to use and readable in all lighting situations
- Rugged style
- Built-in GPS receiver
- Can manipulate music
Cons:
- Not able to connect to the Garmin store where you can download different watch faces.
Marathon Watch Swiss Made Military Medium Diver’s Quartz Watch with Tritium (36mm) – WW194027
If you are in the military and looking for a wristwatch this is the best option. The watch is ideally made for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in accordance with the US Government. Now there are different variants of marathon watches that include the GSAR, TSAR, and CSAR.
The GSAR and the TSAR are pretty much alike but the CSAR possesses a chronograph that makes the watch a bit different than the first two variants.
However, all three variants are of the same size which is 41 mm. Though the medium diver’s version is 36 mm in size which is a pretty standard size for a diver watch. The search and rescue design is specially made for divers making it able to be water-resistant for up to 300 meters. It is also a rugged watch that can be used in the field of operation whether you are in the military or a firefighter it won’t disappoint you.
Another thing that I want you to know is the movement of the watch. It is an ETA fo6 high torque quartz movement watch. If you are an automatic fan then this might not be for you but it is rated to plus, minus 0.3 seconds per day which is a very accurate movement.
The tritium material used in the watch makes it glow in the dark and helps its user to read the time in any kind of situation. You can easily see time due to its high quality and bright visibility. A cool feature that I like in this watch for divers is the end-of-life indicator. When the battery of the watch is about to die the second hand will take in four-second increments instead of one-second increments. With its help of it, you can easily know that your battery is running low and replace a new one.
if you are interested to learn about the straps of the watch they are made of vulcanized rubber. They are actually pretty comfortable and will never feel awkward in any kind of situation. Also, they have a good length which means they can fit on almost any kind of wrist. If you are looking for a budget rugged wristwatch this is the right choice.
Pros:
- Water-resistant up to 1000 feet
- Possess tritium gas tubes that help in the illumination
- 36 mm size case which is ideal for diver’s watches
- Accurate movement
- Designed especially for search and rescue missions
Cons:
- Lacks stopwatch and other features
- Few people may not be happy with the quartz movement
Casio G-Shock GA-400GB Garish Series
The Casio G-Shock GA-400GB Garish Series is another best watch from G-Shock watches for firefighters. Keeping its tradition the GA-400GB is also a rugged watch that will fulfill the requirements of firefighters and soldiers. Now you will find certain things a little bit different as compared to other G-Shock watches.
The watch features a diameter of 51.9 mm with a lug-to-lug of about 55 mm. It is a pretty large size and good for a tactical firefighter watch. The total weight of the whole wristwatch is 70g. The watch is operated by a 5498 battery-operated module. The watch features some of the pretty standard functions such as a 24-hour stopwatch, a world time function, and 5 alarms with one being a snooze.
The main feature of this watch is its directly accessible 60-minute countdown timer. The countdown timer has its own dedicated subdial and has direct access with a single press button. The button allows you to avoid going into different annoying menus just to access the timer.
The buttons on the watch are pretty large and easy to press. The watch possesses a standard LED light as a source of illumination that helps you read the time even in dark. Though it is not as good as the tritium illumination still it is bright enough and with the right screen placement, you can read the time.
Honestly, there are only two main things that I don’t like about this watch. One of them is its plastic buckle while the other one is the backlight. But overall the watch is of great quality at a cheaper price as compared to other G-shock watches for soldiers.
It also has time zones of about 48 cities which means you can select any timezone you want. You can use the crown to switch between time zones of different cities. Once you select the timezone of your desired city the clock will adjust its timing to the selected timezone.
Another small cool feature is the auto light of the watch. You can adjust the backlight timing and also select the auto light if you want. The watch will turn on light if you tilt it. But it is recommended to use the auto light feature as less as possible because the watch is not solar powered. Using the backlight too frequently may end up sucking a lot of battery power.
Pros:
- Dedicated Countdown button
- Rugged watch for firefighters and soldiers
- Possess a world time feature
- Shock and water-resistant
- Possesses auto backlight function
- Features 5 alarms including one snooze
- Can be used in the field as well as for sports, for example, cycling, running
Cons:
- Plastic buckle
- Bad LED light
Buying Guide – Things That You Need to Know Before Buying a Wristwatch
Here are a few things that you should know before you buy a wristwatch for yourself. If you are a beginner and buying an expensive watch for the first time it can be very difficult. A lack of knowledge about certain things can make you waste your money on the wrong product. Luckily I have gathered some important points to keep in mind before buying a wristwatch for yourself. These points are as follows:
Watch Glass
The first thing that I personally look for when I am buying a watch is its glass. It is the first thing that protects the dial from the environment. If your glass is of good quality you have already made the right choice. Now glasses can be divided into three different types.
- Acrylic Crystal
- Mineral Crystal
- Sapphire Crystal
Each crystal has its own properties that make them more suitable for different environments, occasions, or functions. Let us begin with the acrylic crystal.
Acrylic Crystal
Sometimes known under the pseudonyms HESA light, perspex, or plexiglass. Acrylic crystal is essentially a specialized form of plastic that is then worked and contoured to fit over a watch dial. You will often find flat pieces of acrylic crystals fitted to extremely low-cost watches due to their low retail cost. It really doesn’t take a lot of time or money to make a piece of this.
This type of glass is also used on a lot of retro-designed or retro-inspired watches. It is because it can be easily manipulated allowing watchmakers to create domed glass very easily creating a nice distortion when looking at it from an angle.
On one hand, acrylic glass is quite affordable on the other hand, its softness makes it very susceptible to scratches. Anything sharp will leave a big scratch mark on the watch glass and will ruin its beauty. However, it is surprisingly resistant to impacts due to its flexibility.
Pros of Acrylic Crystal:
- Able to resist impact
- Cheap and affordable
- Light scratches can be buffed out by polishing using some poly watch
- Fingerprints resistant
Cons of Acrylic Crystal:
- susceptible to scratches and marks
- look a little bit cloudy in direct sunlight
Mineral Crystal
mineral crystal sometimes is known under the Seiko pseudonym hard lacks. Mineral crystal is a popular choice for many entry-level watch brands given its low price point. If you buy a lower-end watch under 100 pounds chances are it’s got a piece of this fitted to it. Mineral glass is created from silica and provides better scratch protection than acrylic crystal.
Though from my experience still isn’t particularly good this is almost identical to the regular glass that you might have fitted in your windows. As a result, it has quite similar properties mineral crystal is often found on fashioned watch brands. As it is cheap to manufacture and provides some scratch resistance.
The popular hard lake’s crystal used by Seiko is a type of hardened mineral crystal. that is said to be noticeably harder than regular mineral glass albeit not as scratch resistant as a sapphire crystal. Though its performance is really based on anecdotal evidence. I’m yet to see a direct comparison test online and apparently, there were also slightly different types of this Horlicks stuff available on different watches. nevertheless, we can basically summarize the performance of mineral glass as follows:
Pros of Mineral Crystal:
- A bit more scratch resistance than acrylic glass
- This also quite impacts resistant
- Additionally, it’s also a bit less reflective
Cons of Mineral Crystal:
- This type of crystal is noticeably less scratch-resistant than sapphire
- Unlike with your acrylic crystal, you can’t polish mineral glass if you
- Guess heavily scratched or damaged
- The mineral can chip when impacted
Watch Movement
The next thing that you should look for is the type of movement a watch possesses. Now generally wristwatches are categorized into three different classes in terms of the watch movement. These movements are as follows:
- Quartz Movement
- Mechanical Movement
- Automatic Movement
I would like to start it with the quartz movement.
Quartz Movement
The quartz movement can be typically found on a wide variety of watches. These watches are battery-powered and their movement causes that signature ticking of the second hand. They are called quartz timepieces because they actually have tin pieces of quartz crystals inside. The energy from the battery vibrates that crystal at exactly 32768 times per second. These vibrations get measured and converted into 1 pulse per second.
Pros of Quartz Watches:
- More accurate
- Fewer moving parts mean fewer things can go wrong inside it.
- Don’t require much maintenance but only battery replacements.
- Less expensive watches.
- More durable watches
- Good for jobs that have exposure to dirt and dust.
Cons of Quartz Watches:
- Requires battery to operate
- May produce a small clicking sound
Mechanical Movement
In contrast to quartz crystal watches mechanical watches don’t need any battery to operate. It needs to be manually wound periodically to keep on running. The mechanical movement uses a spring-driven mechanism called the mainspring that can be wound. it transfers energy to smaller springs and gears that power the hands and other functions.
Pros of Mechanical Movement:
- Don’t require any battery for operation
- Mechanical Watches last longer
- They feel better than quartz watches
Cons of Mechanical Movement:
- The only con is that the mechanical watches need to be wounded every day in order to keep them running.
Automatic Movement
Watches that possess automatic movement take kinetic energy from your wrist to operate. It doesn’t require any battery or wounding every day in order to keep working. If you are someone who doesn’t like daily wounding of their watches then this can be a perfect choice for you. These watches use a metal weight called a rotor which spins when you move your wrist.
The spinning of the rotor transfers energy to wind the mainspring inside the watch. The mainspring then transfers energy to small springs and gears and allows the watch to operate.
Pros of Automatic Movement:
- These watches don’t need any battery to operate
- Uses energy from your wrists to operate
- Simple mechanism and save a battery replacement cost
- Last for a lifetime if properly used
Cons of Automatic Movement:
- Usually expensive
- The extra space for rotors makes the watch bulky and heavy which may not be liked by some people
Straps of the watches
The final thing that one should look for is the straps of the watch. Now wristwatches come with different kinds of straps. All wrist watches straps have their own features and uses. The main types of straps for wristwatches are categorized as follows:
- Stainless steel straps
- Rubber straps
- Paracord straps
- Leather Straps
You should look for the one that fits your daily lifestyle. I prefer the leather and rubber strap style because these two types give me the freedom to wear them with any kind of dress.