The Best Tool Watches For Every Scenario

First and foremost, watches are intended to allow wearers to quickly and easily discern the time. If a watch doesn’t tell the time, simply put, it’s not a watch. But that’s not all they have the potential to do. As most folks know, watches are also widely considered style staples. And some have even more functionality than that built right in.

It’s these multi-functional watches that concern us today. Broadly known as “tool watches,” the category includes any timepiece intended to do something other and/or more than simply telling the time. From those that track multiple timezones to those equipped with rotating dive timer bezels to high-tech fully-featured smart devices, these are the best tool watches you can buy.

What Is A Tool Watch?

There are a lot of different watch types out in the world. Thankfully, the phrase “tool watch” does not actually refer to a separate specific kind of timepiece. In fact, it’s a whole lot simpler than that — to the point that you might actually already own one and not know it. You see, “tool watch” is actually a more generic term that describes a watch that does something useful other than simply telling the time. If you’re keeping up, that means any watch that performs a function besides gauging the passing of hours, minutes, and seconds could be considered a tool watch — including dive watches, racing or pilot watches with tachymeter bezels, GMT watches, survival watches, and even modern smartwatches. For reference, the aforementioned list doesn’t even cover half of the different types of tool watches out there.

There is a small problem with this, however. Since there’s not really an official definition, it can be difficult to pin down what, exactly, marks the difference between a tool watch and one that doesn’t qualify. That also means there are different interpretations of the term. For instance, some folks would suggest that a tool watch can’t be overly expensive, as a luxury watch seems inherently unlike functional tools. Similarly, if you’re clever enough, you may realize that a standard time-telling watch with absolutely no extra built-in complications or functions can actually be used for a number of tasks that aren’t related directly to telling the time — like working in conjunction with the sun as an ad-hoc compass. For our purposes, we’re going to keep it simple: if a watch is intended by the manufacturer to do something other than tell the time, it qualifies.]

Types of Tool Watches

Field Watch: Also considered military watches, field watches are made for durability, withstanding harsh conditions and offering a quick, clear depiction of the time without many frills. These are typically time-only pieces with some extra water resistance.

Diver: While “dive watch” has come to mean anything with larger cases, graduated bezels, and 100m+ water resistance, a purpose-built dive watch is a serious tool for professional and military divers. Pro-grade divers will typically have a water resistance of 200m or 300m or more.

Chronograph: Perhaps one of the most useful complications on any mechanical watch, a chronograph function is essentially a glorified stopwatch. Able to time laps or cycles, chronographs usually feature either two or three smaller subdials, each reading a different interval (seconds, minutes, hours).

GMT: GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time and can track a second, and sometimes third, time zone. These often have a fourth hand that will point to the hour of the other location.

Smartwatch: Believe it or not, smartwatches are very much tools that can serve you well, whether you’re looking for day-to-day assistance or specific purposes, such as running, hiking, and even golfing.

Casio G-SHOCK GW9400-1 Rangeman

Best Digital Tool Watch: By definition, pretty much every single G-SHOCK watch fits under the “tool watch” umbrella. That being said, the Master of G Rangeman you see here is amongst the best. Equipped with the brand’s legendary toughness and shockproofing, this digital quartz watch was designed to survive some of the harshest conditions in the world. It can also detect altitude, barometric pressure, temperature, and has a built-in compass. It can even tell you when sunrise and sunset are, can record time with just the push of a button, and so much more. It’s not the priciest watch around, but it’s got one of the most comprehensive suites of features around.

Marathon pilot’s Navigator Quartz

Best Pilot’s Watch: When it comes to mil-spec tool watches, few brands are as comfortable in this space as Marathon. The Canadian watchmaker is well known for its Search & Rescue timepieces but in terms of purpose-built tool watches, we prefer its 41mm Pilot’s Navigator. First made in 1986 in tandem with Kelly Air Force Base, the watch was unlike anything else on the market when it debuted and still provides some real utility today, with its latest revision coming in 2019. Constructed from a high-impact composite fiber shell case, the blacked-out timepiece favors durability and visibility. The latter is achieved through its high-contrast dial and the tritium lume on the hands and numerals. Other features include a 24-hour inner dial and a 12-hour bezel for tracking a second time zone.

Hamilton Khaki Field Watch

Best Field Watch: Hamilton has quite the history of creating more-than-serviceable tool watches, even becoming the official manufacturer for the U.S. military during World War II. In 2017, the Pennsylvania-based watchmaker paid tribute to its own lineage with the Khaki Field Watch, which also took design cues from the ’70s-era GG-W-113. Presented here in a 42mm matte stainless steel case adorned with a comfortable NATO strap, the automatic field watch has become legendary for its toughness and affordable price tag. Other features include a 24-hour military dial, triangle indices for legibility, and plenty of lume.

For a deeper dive, read our review for the Hamilton Khaki Field Watch.

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Best Smartwatch: While most people use them for everyday wear, smartwatches have increasingly become literal tools in their own right, with even the biggest players unveiling highly credible purpose-built models that go beyond mere time-telling and call-making. Last year, Apple cemented itself as an adventure-ready smartwatch brand with its Ultra model, featuring a lightweight titanium case with an array of durable strap options. And already, the tech brand has debuted the sequel, the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Meeting MIL-STD 810H standards and boasting 100m of water resistance with a depth gauge, the 49mm smartwatch has increased its face size with this latest edition, now reaching the outer edge of the display so you can see as much information as possible at once.

MTM Special Ops RAD Watch

Best Tactical Watch: Take one look at the MTM Special Ops RAD watch and you just know it’s mean for extreme conditions. Perhaps the only timepieces we’ve ever seen with an onboard Geiger counter to detect ambient radiation in your surroundings, the model has some hefty utility for military members out in the field. Made from a lightweight titanium case and powered by a Swiss-made Ronda quartz movement, the RAD features the long-lasting tritium illumination in the dial as well as electroluminescence for the digital displays. It’s also highly customizable in terms of case color and strap, with nearly 30 options for the latter.

Tudor Pelagos 39

Best Dive Watch: One of the most classic tool watch categories around, dive watches are staples of style just as much as they are useful seafaring tools. And Tudor’s vintage-inspired Pelagos 39 is undoubtedly amongst the best of them. Not only is it a beautiful timepiece, but it features a super-tough and lightweight grade 2 titanium case, a matching bracelet, a rotating dive bezel, a protected screw-down crown, and an in-house automatic mechanical movement with a bidirectional rotor system. Of course, none of that would mean much if this wristwatch couldn’t handle the ocean. Thankfully, the waterproofing is good for depths of up to 200 meters.

For a deeper dive, head over to our Tudor Pelagos 39 watch review.

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Watch

Best Chronograph: At first glance, Omega’s Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional watch looks like a handsome, albeit fairly standard chronograph. However, if you know the history behind it, there will be no doubt that this is one of the most superb tool watches around. You see, this is the modern descendent and namesake of the very watch NASA chose to send on all six lunar missions (and then some). Worn by spacefaring greats including Neil Armstrong (though he left his on the lunar module when walking on the moon), Buzz Aldrin, Ed White (completed the first American spacewalk), etc, this watch has an abundance of history supporting its claim to a spot on our list. Of course, it’s also remarkably handsome, has a reliable automatic movement onboard, features a tachymeter rotating bezel, and is available in an abundance of different colorways and styles.

Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph

Best Upgrade Chronograph: Few chronographs are as iconic as Breitling’s Navitimer, whose notoriety increased simply because of its tool-centric nature. Debuting in 1952, the timepiece became a fixture at the height of the postwar aviation boom and a favorite of airline pilots and NASA astronauts for its unique circular slide-rule bezel used to make in-flight calculations quickly. For its 70th anniversary last year, the Swiss watchmaker updated it flagship watch with a sleeker and more modernized aesthetic. Its three subdials are powered by the in-house B01 automatic movement, held inside of this stainless steel case and matching link bracelet. The 43mm variant offers enough visibility of the busy dial without overencumbering your wrist.

Rolex GMT-Master II Watch

Best GMT: GMT functions — short for Greenwich Mean Time — on watches are some of the most clever, elegant, and simple additions to any watch. And you can see their brilliance in full swing within the iconic Rolex GMT-Master II right here. You see, while most of this watch functions as a normal timekeeper — including its date window at the 3 o’clock position — it also has a secondary 24-hour hand, along with a rotating 24-hour bezel, that allows the wearer to track a separate secondary timezone at a glance. Ideal for folks who frequently travel between two specific timezones, this watch has been a jet-setting staple for years. It also features a proprietary Oystersteel case, a self-winding automatic movement, a signature jubilee 5-link bracelet, a Cerachrom bezel, and so much more.

IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Chronograph

Best Grail Tool Watch: For jet-setting world travelers, the most useful mechanical watch on this list is undoubtedly going to be IWC’s Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Chronograph you see here. And while its chronograph movement and date window are certainly contributing factors to its usefulness, the primary bezel function is the real star of this show. That’s because it’s a rotating worldtimer — meaning it is printed with the names of specific locales (be that cities, countries, islands, etc.) and can be rotated to ensure you can tell the correct time in said locales no matter which timezone you happen to be in at the time. It’s a simple addition, yet it is remarkably useful for anyone who needs to know different timezone hours around the world. Plus it boasts a beautiful combination of stainless steel and leather, has an automatic movement, and is even water-resistant to 6 bar.

The Best Tough Watches for Survival

If you’re planning on taking your timepiece to the ends of the Earth and back, then you’ll need something from our guide to the toughest watches on the planet.