Best Survival Watch Reviews

The Rangeman is one of the larger G-Shock models on the market and, if you add the classic case protection, it’s also one of the bulkiest. However, the large face accommodates a series of extremely useful features and has an integrated solar cell that keeps the watch going with regular exposure to everyday light. In fact, there is a battery status indicator right in the middle of the watch’s face (the L-M-H / Low-Medium-High bar). 

In addition, once you set the timezone, you don’t have to worry about setting the exact time. The watch communicates with the closest Worldwide Atomic Time transmitters in order to keep extremely accurate time. The GW-9400  is designed to communicate with six such transmitters all over the world. 

The watch features 11 modes, among which you have the regular timekeeping mode (with 12h and 24h formats), world time mode (timekeeping in a different time zone), stopwatch (it can go on for 1,000 hours), 24h countdown timer, alarm (5 of them), and more. 

Lastly, the watch comes with triple sensor technology with a built-in compass, thermometer, and barometer. It can also save some of the information so you can check it at a later date and it can be influenced by outside elements. The controls are easy to understand (each button on the side of the case has multiple functions), but it’s best to play with them until you learn how to make all the settings.

The Gallatin is part of Timex’s famous collection for outdoor adventurers and explorers – the Timex Expedition. As such, it features a rugged build, with durable materials that withstand the elements and are resistant to shock, scratches, and more.

Equipped with a quartz analog movement, the watch is easy to set up and read. It has a raised stationary bezel and a tactical dial that provides useful information. The dial is black with white, light green, and yellow markers for the time. The markers are displayed in three concentric circles, with the inner circle marking a 24h format and the outer circle marking every five seconds in a minute.

The three-hand movement has two white and silver hands and a yellow second hand. These colors improve the overall visibility of the dial during the day and the INDIGLO® Night-Light (a feature that’s specific to Timex watches) keeps the visibility in low-light conditions.

Overall, the Timex Expedition Gallatin is a very resistant watch, at a very affordable price, with plenty of uses in a wide range of situations.

This watch features Citizen’s proprietary Eco-Drive technology, which harnesses the power of light from any natural or artificial light source and converts it into energy. This energy is stored in a permanently rechargeable power cell, which means your watch will never need its battery replaced as it uses renewable energy to keep it running forever.

That function is a bonus in a dive watch, because the case will never be opened, helping your watch to maintain its factory seal and water resistance.

It’s water resistant to 200 meters or 660 feet, and it’s suitable to wear in the shower, in professional marine activities like swimming and snorkeling, for surface water sports, and for scuba diving.

The mineral crystal window is anti-reflective, protecting the date indicator and luminous hands while providing a crisp time display that’s easy to read. It has a three-hand display (hour, minute and second) with quartz movement and a date indicator over the 4 o’clock position.

Comes with the renowned Citizen name, a pioneer in watchmaking and innovative technology for decades.

A stainless steel case, durable nylon textile strap that repels water, and a knurled stainless steel bezel are the main elements to suggest the Traverse Alpha is a watch designed for rough conditions. There’s also the scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass that protects the intelligent mechanism and a rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery.

The watch resists at about 100m in water and has the necessary features to become a valuable resource for outdoor adventurers, hikers, hunters, fishers, and more. First, the GPS/GLONASS navigation module is paired with hunting & fishing tech tools such as automatic shot detection (keeps track of your shots), moon phase calendar, automatic breadcrumb trail (to find your way back), sunrise alert, and weather trend alert. 

It also has a red backlight, so the dial is visible during nighttime without attracting attention. There’s also a built-in flashlight to illuminate surroundings and can connect with your smartphone via Bluetooth (to receive notifications). 

Lastly, this is a great accessory for when you’re moving in unknown territory as it provides access to topographic maps, altitude profiles, and has built-in barometric pressure.

The Pointman is part of the Recon NAV SPC series from Luminox and it’s a two-piece system designed for navigation and survival in unfamiliar terrains. The main piece is the watch, which is rugged and solid with a reinforced polycarbonate case and a ruler rubber strap that’s marked with inches and centimeters on one side and three common map scales on the other side. This way, you can use the strap to calculate your heading and distances using a map.

On the strap, you’ll find a buckle-style closure and an analog magnetic compass that can be removed. The compass has a bidirectional rotating bezel that helps you establish the headings.

The watch in itself is rather big and has a unidirectional bezel with an aluminum inner ring that can be used for time maneuvers and calculating your current position. At the center of the black dial, there’s a four-hands, quartz-powered movement, and in the 3 o’clock position, you’ll find a date complication. Everything is protected by an anti-reflective scratch-resistant sapphire crystal window.

The watch is useful in both sunlight and its absence (at night) as it uses Luminox’s Tritium illumination method. It comes in a specially-designed Luminox pouch with belt loops on the back (so you can wear it in the pouch, on a belt, or on the strap of a backpack). It’s also lightweight despite being quite large (46mm case) and it’s perfect for adventurers and explorers.

The Suunto Core is an outdoor watch with features that make it a great fit for military use. It is equipped with an altimeter, barometer, and a digital compass – the three sensors that let you know about changes in air pressure and help with navigation (which comes in handy in unfamiliar terrain).

The data collected by the sensors are also used in creating a weather trend graph and delivering reliable storm alerts. The storm alert is activated by a sudden drop in air pressure over a three-hour period, which means you’ll know about it while the sky is still blue. The alarm has both sound and flashing lights, so it’s difficult to miss.

The watch also has preset sunrise/sunset times for over 400 locations and tracks changes in elevation (within 30,000 feet accuracy). This data can be useful when you’re monitoring progress (it can store up to 7 days of data in the local memory). In addition, the altimeter is extremely useful in finding your position using a topographic map.

Watches in the Suunto Core collection have a very useful feature – the start-from-zero function that eliminates the need of entering a reference altitude. You just press a button and the altimeter will start doing its job.

The watch supports several alarms (with snooze), has a digital thermometer, stopwatch, countdown timer, and other features that come handy for people who work outdoors. On the surface, the design is rugged and durable, just what you’d expect from an outdoor watch.

The black silicone band and black carbon reinforced case don’t distract the eye from the main attention – the digital dial. The face of the watch is large and easy to read, and there are side buttons to change the modes and make adjustments.

Lastly, the watch has a discreet backlighting system, meaning you can still read it in low light conditions without pointing to your location.

Whether you want it to keep track of your outdoor training routine or you’re looking for a rugged GPS smartwatch that can withstand tough conditions, the Instinct from Garmin is a great option.  Built according to U.S. Military Standard 810G for thermal, shock and water resistance, this watch comes with tactical specific features. 

The Instinct is equipped with a built-in 3-axis compass and barometric altimeter and supports several global navigation satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo). It also has a heart rate monitor and pre-set activity profiles for fitness training. 

If you want to explore new routes on unknown terrain, the TrackBack feature provides a safe way of return to the starting point. The watch can also connect with various Garmin apps and the Garmin community to keep you up to date and to help you plan. 

Lastly, the watch has a Stealth feature that allows you to become untraceable by disabling wireless connections and hiding your GPS position. 

Overall, the Garmin Instinct is a reliable and durable timepiece equipped with a scratch-resistant display that’s visible in direct sunlight but can also be checked during nighttime due to the ‘night vision’ mode (reduced backlight).

This is a digital watch between casual and tactical, with several interesting features for outdoor adventurers. It has several modes (there’s a mode button on the bottom-left corner of the case) and supports three alarms.

The negative display is easy to read, even in low light, and the time and date are displayed using large numbers. Furthermore, Timex used their Indiglo technology to illuminate the screen in the dark without increasing the brightness. This is very easy on the eyes and comes in handy when you want to read the time without being seen.

The general face of the watch hints towards a standard G-Shock design, which is nice especially if you’re used to tactical watches. Also, the rectangular resin case with stainless steel back is solid and very well-built. In addition, the silicone strap is comfortable and resists well in time. However, it can be a bit too stiff and it doesn’t allow the skin to breathe if the watch is fixed on the wrist.

Lastly, the interface is simple and easy to understand, even if you’re a beginner with this type of watch. While the watch is indeed a bit on the bulky and large side, it is still very lightweight and quite comfortable to wear so it won’t hinder your movements in any way. However, the buttons are easy to press by accidents during workouts, if you lift weights or practice another sport where your wrists bend.