Introducing the Mission Timer One, the Debut Watch from Winfield Watch Company

Mark Miller is a watch lover and former officer in the Navy, and a career spent in far flung locales all over the world serving his country inspired his first watch with his new brand, Winfield Watch Company. The Mission Timer One is Miller’s attempt at a tool watch where “form meets function,” a rugged timepiece that has just the right level of refinement to transition from tactical applications to the more everyday. Of course, the vast majority of Mission Timer One owners are likely to live in the everyday, and not need their watch to perform reliably in a war zone, so Miller is banking on the balance between the adventurous side of the watch and it’s more mundane 9-5 side being just right. Let’s dive into the debut from Winfield Watch Company.

Winfield Watch Company Mission Timer One

• Case Material: Stainless steel 
• Dial: Black
• Dimensions: 41 x 48.5 x 13mm 
• Crystal: Sapphire  
• Water Resistance: 200 meters  
• Crown: Screw down    
• Movement: Ronda 715Li
• Strap/bracelet: Black leather 
• Price: $399
• Expected Release: Available now

The general vibe of the Mission Timer One is certainly in the “vintage military” genre of watch, with easy to read Arabic numerals and large, lume soaked sword hands dominating the dial. Miller’s website for the Mission Timer One acknowledges a German tool watch influence as well, and the similarities between the MTO and the Sinn 104 case are obvious even at a cursory glance. But Sinn, of course, doesn’t have a monopoly on tool watch design, and the Winfield offering has its own distinct personality. 

The black dial and bezel lend the MTO a clean look, enhanced a bit by the color matched and generally well integrated date window at 4:30. Very minimal red highlights on the seconds hand and the 12:00 position on the dial (as well as the lume pip on the bezel) are similarly well executed. Altogether, the watch has a neutral flavor to it that is totally befitting of a military inspired timepiece. The countdown bezel (as opposed to a traditional diver’s bezel) is a great change of pace, offering some additional functionality that is becoming increasingly rare as dive watches saturate the market. 

The Mission Timer One is powered by a Ronda 715Li, a solid Swiss quartz movement with a 10 year battery life. As a first outing for the brand, I think it’s perfectly acceptable to go quartz here, keep costs down, and introduce the public to your aesthetic. What’s more, this particular quartz movement is a great choice given it’s long lasting battery – it places the Mission Timer One squarely in the “grand and go” category. It speaks to the idea that everyone should have at least one watch that they can pick up, strap on, and not have to consider setting or winding.

The Mission Timer One has a retail price of $399, and is available now on the Winfield Watch Company website. Winfield Watch Company

What do you think of the Mission Timer One? Is a grab-and-go, quartz sports watch a necessary component of any collection? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.