As you look for the right watch, you’ll usually see three words used to describe the products – military, survival and tactical. The first word, “military,” generally indicates the watch meets or exceeds standards and specifications set by the military, so you may also see the term mil-spec. For survival and tactical watches, the category can extend to many more products, which means you need to be careful when you read the specs and compare prices.

If you’d rather wear one watch for everyday use and switch to a different timepiece for military or survival activity, you can keep this special watch on your bug-out bag strap or in a similar place so it’s always ready for you. Start your search/shopping by learning more about what a tactical/military/survival watch is and what it can do for you.