There’s very little room on a Black Hawk flying under the radar on a need to know night ops mission. The seats are taken up by the elite, usually a squad of 11 fully equipped troops, ready to kill or be killed. But there are busloads of weekend warriors who love to emulate war games, even if it’s just getting a few rounds off in a paintball park. And so it is that a whole aura has grown up around military and milspec gear of all kinds and especially watches. Guys want the gear even if it’s just a couple of hours of earnest activity followed by a few buckets of beer.

If you insist on a true Milspec watch, effective from 1989, military specifications require that tritium vials replace tritium luminous paint as an illumination source. The dial and hands were updated to reflect this change, along with the requirements that the H3 radioactivity symbol be displayed.

But looking the part is actually a lot more fun than conforming with the specifications of some Pentagon paper pushers.

Here are five military watches that you really could take to the front line, and which have seen genuine action in war zones around the world.

Stocker & Yale Sandy P650

Stocker & Yale have a long history as trusted suppliers to the US Armed Forces. If you are looking for a genuine milspec watch – this is it. It’s light, small, non bulky, just the way a military watch should be. The Sandy P650 by Stocker and Yale was issued to a limited number of US forces: USAF, US army, USN, especially the Rangers, SEALs and special forces from 1995 to the present. The watch features 12 Hour GMT bezel, a quartz movement, hacking, Tritium gas-tube luminescence, non-reflecting black nylon alloy case, Helsolite hardened glass crystal, water-resistant, shock-resistant, 20mm nylon issue strap – in other words all the toys necessary to be declared a true milspec timepiece. £120.00

5.11 Tactical HRT Sniper

5.11 Tactical was developed in 1968 built on a foundation of durability, functionality and quality. As you probably already know, 5.11 is a difficulty level in the Yosemite Decimal rating scale for rock climbing. With skill levels ranging from 5.0 (easy) to 5.10 (difficult); 5.11 is the most difficult. 5.11 is defined as after thorough inspection, you conclude this move is impossible; however, occasionally someone actually accomplishes it. So there you go. As for the watch itself, it uses Sureshot™ technology to calculate your bullet’s point of impact by inputting data that affects a bullet’s flight. Calculate for temperature, bore height, ballistic coefficient, muzzle velocity, and zero range. Results can be displayed in MILS, TMOA or SMOA. Well, it is a sniper’s watch. It features easy to read hands with chargeable luminous markings. £210.00

Luminox Blackout Watch

Drop dead sexy, light, dependable American designed Swiss made Luminox comes in a wide variety of colours and designs, but this one is for your night ops foray to pick up an after-hours kebab. The tritium files inserted into each of the indices and the watch hands will stay bright and shiny for 25 years. The watch runs on a reliable Swiss Ronda quartz movement and is water resistant to 200 metres. The only real danger you might face with the Blackout is that your girlfriend might borrow it due to its stated suitability for pairing with a little black dress, which instantly ruins the macho image. £265.50

MTM Silencer Special Ops Steel Watch

At £558.00, this is at the officer end of the military watch scale. This watch will serve you well whether you’re on patrol in Kabul or just talking bull with the boys. The new Silencer timepiece is a limited production with each watch individually numbered. The Silencer has been updated with the addition of a multi-mode lighting system. This includes not only an internal dial light, but also an external “flashlight” and strobe feature. The entire watch case is fabricated from one solid piece of 316L stainless steel for rugged dependability with an upgraded durable DLC plating on the “Black” Silencer. The Military Ops Silencer is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery with an electro-magnetic induction charger which is included.

Tutima NATO Chronograph

If you have £3,310 to spare on an undoubtedly chilled piece of military time-telling equipment, this good looking 43mm watch from Tutima looks the real deal even on small wrists, and the titanium case and bracelet give it a light and durable feel. The central minute register makes it easy to read the elapsed chronograph time. The 24 hour indicator is slaved to the hour hand for easy setting. The Tutima NATO Chronograph runs on a Tutima Calibre 321 automatic movement. It’s the official watch of the German army, and has proved itself outstandingly during missions across the globe for decades. Tutima have recently introduced the M2, a new titanium model.

Tutima picture courtesy of Anton C