Posted on February 16 2021
This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Imagine you’re in a defensive fighting position. Say, a foxhole. The enemy has you pinned down. It’s life or death.
And you need to check the time.
You know when backup is due. You just need to know what time it is now.
It’s going to really help if you’ve chosen the right watch for the job.
It shouldn’t have been a difficult choice - generations of soldiers have been in this position before. Watch manufacturers have built watches for this scenario.
This is a job for a field watch. A beautifully straightforward timepiece built with one function. To tell the time in the toughest environments.
And you need to check the time.
You know when backup is due. You just need to know what time it is now.
It’s going to really help if you’ve chosen the right watch for the job.
It shouldn’t have been a difficult choice - generations of soldiers have been in this position before. Watch manufacturers have built watches for this scenario.
This is a job for a field watch. A beautifully straightforward timepiece built with one function. To tell the time in the toughest environments.
The Best Affordable Field Watch
There are plenty of field watches out there. I’m a fan of inexpensive military models and a simple tool watch like the Rolex Explorer 1 is the holy grail for me. But if I was on a strict budget and wanted a versatile, everyday field watch - this would be my choice.
Bertucci A-2T 12022
|
The case is the core of a watch. Every other bit of a watch is attached to the case in some way. If the case fails, the watch fails.
The Bertucci A-2T uses titanium for its case.
Titanium is corrosion-resistant and 40% lighter than steel. It’s just as tough too. Ideal for a watch that may be on your wrist for lengthy periods - regularly getting wet, muddy and bumped.
And this isn’t a standard case. Bertucci has a US Patent on this one.
Bertucci uses the term Unibody to describe the case design - it’s one solid piece of titanium that has built-in strap bars. It cuts down on your strap options, but means that the strap can only come off if the case is snapped in two - and that’s not going to happen.
The crown is at 4 o’clock, an ergonomic design that stops it from digging into the back of your hand. It also minimizes the number of knocks it takes.
Like most field watches the A-2T uses a canvas one-piece strap - easy to swap out. In this model that means a thick, 22mm nylon webbing strap.
Along with the screw-down crown and mineral crystal, the watch is equipped with a reliable quartz movement. The result is a very functional watch, with each detail well thought out and practical.
There’s nothing unnecessary, yet the design is still distinctive and representative of the brands DNA.
The watch tells the time and has a date window. Everything else is built to support those two simple functions. It’s affordable too.
More About Bertucci American Field Watches
Bertucci burst onto the watch scene with the 2004 release of this model, the A-2T. It was a very successful watch.
From there the company released a series of similar styles, all sharing the brand DNA. They had a simple guiding principle - to make a watch for a customer who only wanted one watch.
They state that this one watch “would need to possess the qualities of durability, value, a singularity of purpose, and versatility. Designed to balance form and function, to be equally rugged and refined”.
In practice, this means that there's a consistency to the Bertucci range. This single purpose has lead to a very strong house style.
Regardless of case material, their watch cases adhere to a patented Unibody construction. It's a comfortable case with fixed strap bars designed with durability in mind. The strap pins can't be knocked loose as they are part of the construction of the case.
Although well known for the titanium watches they also have stainless steel and poly-resin models.
There are some mechanical models. But the majority of Bertucci watches feature Swiss or Japanese quartz movements.
The emphasis is on ruggedness and there are options for watches with a battery life of up to 10 years. In a range where complications are in opposition to the core ethos, the movements were chosen for simplicity and reliability.
With one-piece heavy-duty straps and mineral or sapphire crystal, even the most affordable watches in their range are built to last.
Conclusion
The term Field Watch is vague. But we can still agree on the basics.
A Field Watch is a tough, straightforward timepiece. Built to be reliable in challenging environments. In practice, this had often meant military watches.
The typical field watch is utilitarian and commonly features a heavy-duty case and an easily replaceable canvas strap.
Bertucci is a company set up to manufacturer field watches. It’s all that they do.
The A-2T was their launch model and it is still my go-to field watch. It has all the attributes that I need.
- Bullet-proof, lightweight titanium case.
- Heavy-duty strap
- 200M of water resistance
- Screw-down Crown
- Reliable Quartz movement
It’s also very affordable and has Bertucci’s distinctive and patented design.
Would this be your first choice? Let me know in the comments.
0 comments