Field watches, do they have a place with dive watches?

When talking about sports watches to have in a collection, there’re really ever only 2 types that you’ll hear mentioned: Dive watches and Pilot’s watches. For good reason too, they’re both iconic and incredibly versatile in design and are a staple in any collection too. But what about the third type of sports watch, one that doesn’t get as much love and attention as its brethren from the air and the sea. I am of course talking about the field watch.

Considering that we spend a good majority of our lives on land, its rather ironic that field watches get as little attention as they do. They’re literally just watches built to accompany us on land, whether its out in the field in the toughest of terrains, or just as a casual daily wearer for your day-to-day activities. Now, I know there are certain field watches in the market that has a cult following and are as desirable as their diver cousins: I’m looking at you, Rolex Explorer, and Hamilton Khaki. But aside from those 2, can you really think of another field watch that’s as desirable? Not really, right?

Well, we’re here to take a look at a pair of field watches from Seiko’s Prospex line-up and comparing them to their seafaring cousins, taking a look at what’s what with their designs and specifications. Comparing a modern field watch against a modern diver, and a vintage styled field watch against a vintage styled diver and answering the question: Do field watches have a place with dive watches. *Spoiler alert, the answer is a resounding YES*

SEIKO PROSPEX SRPG13K1 LAND TORTOISE SERIES AUTOMATIC MEN'S WATCH

If we were to single out the most iconic nickname in the Seiko range of watches, it has to be the Turtle. That brings us to a rather relevant question: As we’re looking at field watches today rather than divers, what would you call a land faring turtle? Well, a Tortoise of course. If you couldn’t already guess by its moniker, the Seiko land Tortoise is essentially what a Turtle would be if it was a field watch.

Mixing in familiar elements such as the Turtle shell shaped case with a bi-directional compass bezel instead of a 60-minute timer, with bold blocky indexes and hands. The Land Tortoise certainly fits the bill of being a simple no-nonsense field watch. There’s no shortage of Turtle style cases available, from the SRP777 ‘Big Turtle’, to the SRPC35 ‘Baby Turtle’ and the SPB151 ‘Captain Willard’ Turtle case, the most accurate to the original. The Land Tortoise shares its design with the SRP777 Big Turtle, and while their case shapes may be similar, their dimensions are not. Where the Big Turtle comes in at 45mm, which may be large by modern standards, its important to note that the Turtle wears much smaller than they actually are thanks to the short lug-to-lug length. The Land Tortoise comes in at 42mm wide and only 11.7mm in height which is really svelte for a 200m water resistant tool watch.

The watch is powered by the entry level trialed and tested 4r35 automatic movement which has hacking, hand-winding, a date complication and a 41-hour power reserve too. The watch’s design is a rather straightforward affair with the bi-coloured compass, the bold indexes and hands. Legibility is never going to be an issue with the land Tortoise and thanks to a generous application of Lumibrite, night time visibility is a breeze as well. Little details like the land to air emergency signals etched on the case back adds a practical (though we really hope anyone who wears this watch will never find themselves using that, but it’s still there if you need it) and somewhat endearing touch to this practical field watch.

All in all, the Land Tortoise is a rather interesting alternative to the sea of Turtles and divers around, especially if you’re a fan of the iconic case design but want something a bit more left field too.

SEIKO PROSPEX DIVER SRPE39K1 MEN'S WATCH

The most direct opposition from the diver category has to be the Big Turtle and it’s certainly the largest watch here, coming in at 45mm in diameter. It certainly has a strong wrist presence, though thanks to its proportions and case design, is still a very wearable watch.

With 200m water resistance, a striking blue dial and highly legible hands, indices and bezel, the Big Turtle is certainly no slouch as a diver’s watch. Though being a part of the Prospex line pretty much guarantees the watch’s pedigree and performance as a proper professional tool watch, it’s really the look of this watch that we’re really looking for here. Its ever-recognizable case design makes it that much more wearable despite its relatively large 45mm diameter, thanks to a shorter lug-to-lug length.

The SRPE39K1 also features a gorgeously subtle wave-patterned sunburst blue dial where you won’t have to look closely to notice the silhouettes of Manta rays swimming across the dial. It’s a beautiful watch that keeps nicely to its namesake. Like other Save the Ocean lines, Seiko have used the dials of their divers to reflect elements of the ocean and their execution is truly sublime. On paper, it might sound like there’s quite a lot going on with this watch, but in person, it’s an entirely different story.

The laser-etched wave patterning on the sunburst blue dial is certainly the star of the show along with the little Easter eggs such as the Manta rays blends so nicely with the dial that they’re almost unnoticeable at first glance. It’s the little details like these that really complete the overall look and make it such a handsome stand-out piece.

SEIKO PROSPEX SPB155J1 BABY ALPINIST MEN'S WATCH

The original Seiko Alpinist is a watch that checks a lot of boxes for a vast majority of the watch-wearing public. It’s readily available, reliable, robust, attractive and affordable. It’s the perfect fit, a watch that could undoubtedly satisfy Goldilocks if she was looking for a timepiece. This, of course, has made it hugely popular in its heyday. There were 3 released then, but one that stood out in particular was the SARB017 with a sunburst green dial and gold markers.

While the new line of Alpinists is here to fill the void of the discontinued SARB line of Alpinists, there’re still some people who want something a little, well less from the Alpinist line. Which brings us to this: The SPB155J1 Baby Alpinist. The Baby Alpinist has more in common with field watches of old than the fully sized one, showing nothing but the time and date, omitting the distinctive internal rotating compass that the Alpinist was so famed for.

Coming in at a svelte 38mm case, it may be small but its anything but dainty. The brushed case and bracelet, along with the large cathedral style hands and numerals is an unmistakable giveaway to the true nature of this watch. It may look dressy, but it’s still a proper tough and dependable tool watch. Powered by the ever-reliable 6r35 automatic caliber offering 70 hours of power reserve and a stable 3Hz frequency. It’s certainly a refreshing step up from the usual 4r affair that we get from entry level Seiko watches.

I liked the original Alpinist and even the reissued one, I think they’re the perfect versatile watch for any collector. But with the Baby Alpinist, Seiko has gone ahead and turned that versatility into something even more refined and elegant. With the compass and additional crown gone, along with the smaller case, the Baby Alpinist is a perfect embodiment of the term: Less is more.

SEIKO PROSPEX SPB143J1 MEN'S WATCH

Inspired by the classic 62-MAS, Seiko’s original dive watch that made its debut in 1965, the Seiko SPB143J1 is, in my opinion, one of the nicest looking divers you can buy today for under two thousand dollars.

There’s plenty to like about this watch right off the bat. From the uniquely subtle grey sunburst dial to the immaculate finishing around the entire watch and of course, the in-house movement that is powering it.

Though it is really the look of the watch that sells it for me, harking back to the 62-MAS, it’s also the best and most accessible representation of that classic piece so far.

Powering the SPB143J1 is Seiko’s proprietary in-house 6R35 automatic caliber. It operates at 3Hz (21,600 VPH) offers a whopping 70 hours of power reserve and can be hand-wound with hacking seconds as well. The watch comes in a very comfortable 40.5mm diameter which fits nicely on most wrists, it also has a water resistance of 200m and is protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal as well for added sweetness.

Of course, no Seiko diver is complete without a generous application of the brand’s proprietary Lumibrite luminescent material. And this results in an incredibly legible and visually enjoyable time-telling experience when the lights go out.

The SPB143J1 exemplifies everything there is to love about Japanese watchmaking, which is often stereotyped as a very spartan and utilitarian no thrills and frills affair. With a beautifully finished dial, brightly lumed pips and the performance of a proper professional diver, the SPB143J1 is a properly excellent timepiece to own whether you’re looking to add a classic design to your collection or looking for a companion for your next deep dive.

Unconventional staple pieces

Having seen our comparison of these 2 pairs of very different, yet very appealing tool watches, we hope you’ve managed to understand why we think that a field watch deserves a spot in every collection. Not only are they incredible versatile and dependable, but if you actually think about it, in terms of aesthetics and practicality, they’re much more suited for our daily uses over dive watches. Now, we’re not saying that a field watch is superior to a dive watch. We’re just saying that they’re actually properly great tool watches that offers the same toughness and versatility, but in a design language that’s a little more left field.

With that said, if you now find yourself wanting a field watch, or even just wanting to take a closer look at a field watch after reading this article. Then, the new Land Tortoise, and the Alpinist (both the Baby and the full-sized ones) are certainly gonna be your best bets. But with that said, there’s certainly a lot more out there that are worthy of your consideration too, you just need to know where to look.