Latest Review
There have been a slew of vintage military style watches hitting the market recently, featuring a black face, beige symbols and a tan or brown leather band. It’s a compelling look that harkens to a timeless 1940’s military aesthetic, and it seems like everyone’s getting in on the action. Here’s a roundup of a few of these watches at various price points that you can pick up (or just admire from afar) today.
Bell & Ross was one of the first, if not the first company to introduce the vintage military look into their lineup with the BR Heritage series. Originally introduced in Spring 2009 with the BR 01-92 Heritage, the line now features several wathes, including the most recently released BR 123 and 126 Heritage. These watches are obviously well outside of the price range for watches that we usually discuss on worn&wound (from approximately $3,000 to over $4,500), but with the Haritage line, Bell & Ross really set the trend for the vintage military look we’re seeing everywhere. Each features a matte PVD black case, Swiss automatic movement, the ever so popular, black and beige color scheme.
Next up is the considerably more affordable, and equally (if not more) attractive new Nav-B Chrono II Black DLC by Steinhart. Taking their outstanding Nav B. Chrono II design and adding a bit of vintage flavor, this new piece from Steinhart nails the vintage or heritage military 
aesthetic. It features a simple and elegant chrono layout, black DLC, or diamond-like carbon finish and a Valjoux 7750 movement with day and date function. As with so many of Sreinhart’s pieces, this watch offers outstanding style and quality at the affordable price of just $1,000.
Lüm-Tec is a watch company we’ve discussed several times on worn&wound, and they have recently released the M47, a military heritage take on their M Chronograph line. Zach reviewed the M33 a few months back, so for a more in depth on how this watch functions and wears, you can check that out. Like the M33, the M47 features a Miyota OS20 Quartz Chronograph with date and 24hr dial and Lüm-Tec’s MDV (Maximum Darkness Visibility) luminescent technology. This vintage take on Lüm-Tec’s very contemporary watch line is available from their website for $515.
A watch we recently reviewed on worn&wound and which also follows the military heritage aesthetic is the Christopher Ward C8 Pilot Mk II – Vintage Edition. I’m a huge fan of this watch. It offers superb build quality, refined design and an incredibly comfortable feel. Its a slight departure from the rest of the watches on this list as it features a matte stainless steel case, rather than black PVD or ion coating. This gives it a slightly more versatile, less sporty look. The C8 is powered by a Sellita SW200 automatic movement and features a large sweeping second hand and date function. It can be yours fur $500 now from Christopher Ward’s website.
Lastly, there is Timex’s take on the heritage military look, the T2N700DH Intelligent Quartz T Series. This is by far the most affordable option on our short list, but don’t let the $165 price tag fool you, it may also be the most unique. The T2N700DH features Timex’s fly-back quartz chronograph movement, which utilizes two large second hands, one active and one for the chrono, and two retrograde sub-dials, one 10-minute and one 24-hour. It’s a lot to try to visualize, so here’s a brief video by Timex with an animated explanation. The T2N700DH has the same great black and tan color combination of the other watches on our list, and is available from Amazon.com for $165.
It’s my guess that we’ll be seeing a few other watch companies come out with their own take on the heritage military look. Are there any brands that you’d like to see take a stab at it? If so, leave a comment below. While you’re at it, feel free to let me know if there are any watches that were left off my list.
