7 of the best tough watches for timekeeping under extreme conditions

Jamie Weiss

Wristwatches generally serve one main purpose, which is of course to tell the time. Some of them display times in other parts of the world, some tell us how fast something moves, or some simply just the current time, but in a very attractive way. One boundary that has constantly been pushed since the first wristwatch is durability. By nature, humans push themselves further and further, too. We like to climb the highest mountains, dive in the deepest parts of the ocean, or even fly out into space – and we like to take our watches with us. For all of these escapades, you’re going to need something tough. Something able to do that one basic function of telling time while being exposed to the harshest things you can throw at it. Here are a few suggestions – most of which are reasonably affordable,too, so you’re not being tough on your wallet.

Casio G-Shock GW-9400Y-1ER Rangeman

This shouldn’t come as a surprise: we couldn’t have a tough watch list without a G-Shock, right? For this, we’ve picked arguably the toughest G-Shock of them all – the Rangeman, as featured on the wrist of Chris Hemsworth in Extraction, and, more importantly, on the wrists of real-life badasses. It does more than just look tough, too. It’s also a modern explorer’s watch, and the Rangeman comes equipped with a full toolkit of technical equipment for those traversing uncharted territory.

Featuring an altimeter, compass function, temperature, and barometric pressure readouts, it’s ready for wherever you go, and whatever situation you put it through. It’s also solar-powered, so you’re unlikely to be stuck with a low battery. As for overall toughness, it doesn’t get much harder than this, featuring a Hollow Core guard structure for shock resistance and anti-vibration, along with a durable resin outer shell. Honestly, any G-Shock would be a good pick here: they’re the do-it-all watches we’ve come to know and love, with their unrivalled shock resistance, durability, and class-leading features which for the money are almost unbeatable. Price: US$330

Seiko Prospex SNJ025 “Arnie”

A faithful re-creation of a cult classic, the Seiko H558-5000, the Seiko Prospex SNJ025 “Arnie” pays homage to a Hollywood-famous watch while bringing it into the 21st century with some great quality-of-life updates. While these days he prefers APs and Panerais, this chunky Seiko was worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger in several of his biggest hits, most notably Predator and Commando.

The chunky 47.8mm case remains, as does its prominent case guard and ana-digi layout, but this modern Arnie features a solar-powered movement, a fully automatic calendar accurate to the year 2100, an LED backlight plus alarm and power-saving functions. Its H851 Calibre is accurate to an impressive ±15 seconds per month, and will run for six months when fully charged, with a power-saving mode boosting that to 23 months. Big, tough, extremely capable and pop culture-credible. Price: US$525

Luminox Navy SEAL 3502.L

It’s no mystery that elite special forces put themselves through some of the most merciless conditions, and arguably the toughest of them all are the US Navy SEALs. Known for their resilience and exceptional levels of training in the harshest of conditions, it’s only fitting that they have a watch to go with the gig. Produced in collaboration directly with the outfit, Luminox developed a watch tough enough to withstand the conditions and be useful in night missions all the way back in 1992.

The Luminox Navy Seal 3502.L is their best-selling tough watch, with a huge 45mm case (which probably still looks small on most muscley Navy SEALs), made from their strong, yet lightweight Carbonox material. The black and white dial offers awesome visibility in the daytime but at night, it benefits from tritium lume, which, unlike phosphorescent pigments like Super-LumiNova, will continuously emit light for up to 25 years without needing to be “charged”. Inside sits a basic but reliable Swiss quartz Ronda movement, because this watch doesn’t need to be fancy: it needs to be durable, accurate and reliable. Most Navy SEALs get wet once in a while too, so the Luminox is water-resistant to 200 metres. Price: US$595

Victorinox I.N.O.X. Carbon Mechanical

Best-known as the manufacturer of the original Swiss Army Knife, Victorinox also make a range of Swiss watches, with the I.N.O.X. being the pick of the litter. First released in 2014 to celebrate the brand’s 130th anniversary, the I.N.O.X., took 7 years to develop from the ground up, with Victorinox subjecting the watch to 130 of the toughest tests they could think of. Originally released in steel, Victorinox now offers a carbon fibre composite-cased I.N.O.X. which represents one of the best-value carbon fibre watches on the market.

Speaking of value, you can have an I.N.O.X. Carbon with either a quartz or an automatic movement: we’ve chosen to feature the latter. Under the hood beats a Sellita SW200-1 movement, even featuring an exhibition caseback, which is a surprise given what torture this watch can resist. During testing, the I.N.O.X. was dropped from 10 meters onto a hard surface to test shock resistance, it was strapped to an Olympic bobsleigh and sent down one of the fastest tracks to test extreme vibrations, and even run over by a military tank weighing 64 tons. The best bit? Victorinox sell it in a bundle along with a Swiss Army Knife and a Pelican-style case. Price: US$1,310

Marathon Anthracite GSAR 41mm

Marathon’s SAR (Search and Rescue) watches were first introduced in the 1990s, and are still in active use today, issued to US and Canadian government officials and operatives, and built to military standards. These Swiss-made diver’s watches are available in 36, 41 and 46mm sizes, and are built extremely solidly. This model, first issued in 2018, features a black anti-reflective ion-plated 316L steel case and was designed for tactical night missions. This coating gives the watch a stealthy anthracite appearance but also increases the watch’s durability and hardiness.

The bezel is also ion-plated and is chunkily machined to be operable with thick gloves, as is the oversized crown. It also features tritium lume and is powered by a Sellita SW200-1, and is a proper dive watch with a 300m water-resistance rating. You can even go full commando and get the watch with “US Government” emblazoned on the dial, just like military-issued variants. Price: US$1,800

Sinn U50 HYDRO Tegiment

German brand Sinn is well-known for its instrument watches (especially those provided to German emergency and special forces), as well as its Tegiment case-hardening technology, which significantly improves the scratch-resistance of watch cases treated with the process. In essence, Sinn uses low temperatures to diffuse carbon in the top few microns of a watch’s case, creating a more scratch-resistant gradual layer of material. The advantage of Tegimented cases is that it’s not a coating that will peel off or degrade over time: it’s chemically part of the watch.

One of Sinn’s latest novelties, the U50 Hydro Tegiment, combines a Tegimented German submarine steel case with another novel technology, Hydro. Sinn Hydro watches feature cases filled with oil, which makes them significantly more water-resistant and pressure-resistant, with the U50 Hydro Tegiment rated up to a diving depth of 5,000 m. Because of the oil, all Hydro watches are quartz, too – and if you want a tough watch, it’s hard to beat quartz reliability. The oil also prevents fogging and makes the watch legible at any angle. An extra-tough case, extreme water resistance, easy to read… What more do you want from a tough watch? Price: US$3,190

IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL

And now for something completely different. The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch is already a pretty robust watch, but the experimental Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL turns things up to 11. Released in 2021 and developed over eight years, the Shock Absorber XPL features a unique construction by which the watch’s movement is suspended within its case via what IWC has dubbed the SPRIN-g PROTECT system, which utilises cantilever springs crafted from Bulk Metallic Glass (BMG).

The result? The Shock Absorber XPL is one of the most shock-resistant watches on the market, with impact tests conducted at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge demonstrating that its movement can survive accelerations in excess of 30,000 g. For comparison, the peak g you’d pull during a bad car crash is about 200 g. Other notable features include a Ceratanium case with rubber case guards and a movement with a five-day power reserve. It’s a totally excessive watch, but it’s very cool, and very tough. Price: US$87,000