Just what is Military Style

[Piff]

I’ve been seeing a lot of posts and articles describing watches as “military-style”. This got me to wondering just what attributes qualify a watch as such? Are there specific functions that must be present or is it purely an aesthetic?

I mean, I think I can pick out a military-style watch if I'm looking at one, but when pressed by my wife to describe it, the words I use (chunky, hard-wearing, easily read dial, to name a few) could also be used to describe sport watches, really. I don’t want to be going around calling a sport watch a military watch or vice versa.

Thanks.

[Chopin]

Usually it's a black dial, easy to read numerals/indexes. Perhaps good lume if we're talking modern ones. Even better a black or PVD coated case so that it wouldn't shine in the dark and give away one's position.

[jdm]

18 minutes ago, Chopin said:

shine in the dark

"Shine in the dark" describes well the fashion ambitions of these watches typical buyer.

[RyMoeller]

Based on the specifications for the A-11 (the US service watch during the second world war) the following were requirements:

1. "Durable" dull black dial
2. Numerals, hands and graduations painted in white (no luminous compound)
3. Central sweep second hand
4. Roman numerals
5. Hack

While the A-11 only had numerals 1 through 12 on the dial, later service pieces had a interior ring of numerals from 13 through 24 painted on the dial for military time reading.  Most military watches that I'm aware of are manual wind pieces too.

[rodabod]

Hacking seconds were generally only a requisite of pilots and navigators. The same applies to having centre-seconds, as having all hands running concentrically reduces the duration taken to read the time.

My general opinion is simple legibility, hard-wearing, and often with a large crown for winding while wearing gloves. 

The British military watches were largely designed by the Ministry Of Supply (later MoD) and they put their design specs out to tender. Each manufacturer would then have their own take....

If you look at the IWC and JLC Mk11 watches, both latterly had a square-ended hour hand to increase legibility. This was driven by the MoS. JLC re-used their case design from their circa 1945 WWW Army-issue watch, but changed the material to stainless steel.