Now that you are going to Basic Training, you know that you need an excellent and appropriate watch.
Basic Training is the gateway to either a short enlistment or a long career in the military.
Therefore, when you manage to complete Basic Training, a variety of military career paths will be open to you.
To ensure your success, a good military watch is crucial.
If you can choose a good watch with water resistance and a range of features for outdoor activities, it will be useful through many phases of your training.
If you are looking for a great Basic Training Watch, then you’ve come to the right place.
Below are some recommendations and reviews for the best military watches for training.
At A Glance: Our Top 5 Picks for Watches For Army Basic Training
Top (5) Watches For Army & Air Force Basic Training
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Suunto Traverse Alpha
The Suunto Traverse Alpha is extremely durable.
The surface of the watch and the bezel are so tough that most external forces would hardly leave a scratch on it.
On top of that, it has special features that you could ever ask for in a watch designed for survival purposes.
The watch has outstanding GPS tracking ability that allows you to record your hiking trails as well as POIs (points of interest).
The altimeter of the watch also has a variety of display settings you can customize to suit your mission or training program.
Please be informed that watches with GPS tracking ability aren’t rare.
The rare ones are those that give accurate coordinates.
The Suunto Traverse Alpha is one of those rare ones.
I have tested many watches, and this is arguably one with the highest quality GPS tracking system.
Other than that, there are also tons of other built-in functions that you would find useful.
It includes a backlight, flashlight, altitude measuring, compass, navigation, and so on.
However, the one thing I do not like about it is the nylon strap.
This nylon strap is indeed so tough that even tearing them intentionally could be hard.
Another downside to this is its tendency to get stinky.
A couple of minutes of exposure to sweat and gunpowder and the strap gives off a faint scent of rotten wood the next day.
Pros
- Extremely durable
- Automatic shot detection technology
- GPS tracking
- Altimeter
- Location-based moon phase
- Abrasion resistance
Cons
- The nylon straps attract odor easily
Casio Men’s GW9400 Rangeman – 1CR
The GW9400 has many convenient features, just like the Suunto Traverse Alpha.
Although it is not as customizable, it still possesses almost any advanced features you could ask for to ease your training—another popular choice among trainees.
Though its solar-powered battery is one thing worth mentioning, the battery is rechargeable by normal means if that’s what you prefer, but its ability to charge itself is amazing.
While you carry on with your mission and training under the sun, the GW9400 is also recharging itself and on stand-by.
You never have to worry about it running out of battery life when you need it the most.
Another commonly loved feature of this watch is the extremely accurate sunset and sunrise time.
No matter where you are, the watch can accurately predict when the sun will show up and go down.
Here comes the con of the watch.
The watch has a thermometer to measure the temperature, which is very handy.
But you need to take it off your wrist and wait several minutes to get an accurate reading.
Otherwise, your body heat will be in the way, and the reading won’t be accurate.
Pros
- 200m Water resistance
- Shock resistant
- Digital compass
- Solar-powered
- Altimeter
- Barometer
- Protective mineral window
- More affordable
Cons
- The thermal meter does not account for body heat
Suunto Core All Black Military SS014279010
The Suunto watch has tactical features that you would expect military watches to have, such as an altimeter, barometer, compass, and sunrise/sunset time.
Despite not having a GPS coordinate tracking ability, navigation is still comfortable.
It helps with navigation through accurate determination of elevation, ascent, and descent.
The compass also has very decent accuracy.
It is a shame that Suunto does not include a GPS tracking system, but that’s normal, given how it is more affordable than other military watches on the market.
Regardless, the feature that stands out the most would be the storm alarm.
While you are out on the field, the weather might play an important factor, and a storm is something you need to be aware of all the time.
Mind you, using these features might drain your battery faster. So, only leave it on when needed.
Pros
- An altimeter to track the vertical movement
- Barometer
- Compass
- Weather and storm alarm
- Stylish looking
- Very durable
- Very affordable
- Abrasion resistance
Cons
- No GPS
Timex Expedition Shock XL Watch
First and foremost, it is the most affordable military watch on this list.
That’s why if you are on a really tight budget but still need a watch desperately, definitely a solid choice.
Despite the low price tag, quality isn’t compromised at all.
Now, obviously, given the low price tag, the watch doesn’t come with GPS tracking ability, barometer, altimeter, or that kind of thing.
However, to make up for its somewhat lacking range of ability, Timex has a rather interesting and convenient chronograph function.
It has a 100-hour chronograph, 24-hour countdown, 3 time zones, month and date calendar, and other standard functions.
The most exciting function, though, is the hydration timer. It provides a countdown timer to remind you to hydrate yourself.
You can set the minutes to however often you would like to be reminded.
Pros
- 100-hour chronograph
- Countdown timer
- Hydration timer
- Water-resistant up to 200 meters
- I.S.O standards
- Extremely affordable
Cons
- Slightly hard to read under bright light
- Weak vibration
Casio Men’s G7900-1 G-Shock Rescue
The G7900 is another rugged watch that is very decent for Basic training.
It is very durable, just like others on the list, so you do not have to worry about it breaking during your training.
G-Shock watch is also extremely affordable but still offers more than just basic functions.
The Casio watch provides an informative and accurate tide chart and moon phase.
The watch also has 200m water resistance, which is always a good thing.
The only thing I really dislike about the watch is the time setting.
It is not very intuitive, and it takes quite a while to figure out how to do the setting properly.
Pros
- Water-resistant
- Shock resistance
- Very durable
- Moon and tide graphs
- Low temp LCD
- Abrasion resistance
Cons
- Time setting is not very intuitive
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What to Look for When Buying A Watch For Basic Training
To ensure your Basic Training goes smoothly and successfully, a military watch is definitely necessary. There will also be a lot of physical exercises, so external impacts are inevitable.
Your instructor will also expect you to have time management ability.
For those reasons, below are the two most important qualities which your military watch should have.
Durability because external impacts are inevitable.
That’s why you really need your watch to be durable and able to survive being dropped and banged around.
An Alarm to ensure that you are always where you need to be and when you need to be there during Basic Training.
A simple one-time alarm clock won’t do. You need extremely customizable alarm clock functions to have accurate time and mitigate any potential mistakes like forgetting to set the alarm, inaccurate timing, no auto-update for time zones, etc.
Do not take a fancy and fragile watch to Basic Training.
Conclusion
At a minimum, our recommendation for a good Basic Training watch is that it be durable, accurate, and has an excellent array of alarm and timing features.
Of course, many other features are available on watches, and your preference among those will help you make your final decision. Colors, band styles, and general appearance may play a role in your decision as well.
When graduation day finally arrives, and you march across the parade ground with your constant companion on your wrist, you will know that that watch was a key component to your success in Basic Training.
Other great timepieces: Bulova pocket watch review, Bulova Gemini review, Bulova Grammy watch review, Bulova Kirkwood review, Bulova military watch review, Bulova Rubaiyat review, Bulova Surveyor review
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Basic_Training
https://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/army-boot-camp-schedule.html
https://www.goarmy.com/soldier-life/becoming-a-soldier/basic-combat-training.html
