HODINKEE’s Favorite Affordable Field Watches

A good field watch has that “you know it when you see it” personality. On the more expensive end of the spectrum, I think about the Rolex Explorer. At 36mm with the 3,6,9 Arabic numerals, there’s no mistaking it for a diver or a pilot’s watch. I look at this iteration of the Seiko Alpinist – oft referred to as the “Baby Alpinist” due to its 38mm sizing – the same way. The SPB159 is a fresh, albeit vintage-leaning, take on a cult classic Seiko, but something about it is begging to be taken on a day-long hike … or maybe just a solidly long walk. There’s that undeniable field watch quality to the dial design with the printed Arabics. It even gives you the date as an added bonus – you know, for those moments when you’re completely unplugged, in the wilderness, and just have to know what day it is. Seiko always represents value, and for a field watch under $1K, it doesn’t get much better than this.  – Danny Milton 

Seiko SPB159, $700