Best Survival Watches in 2022

Casio G-SHOCK GA 100-1A1 Military Series

Casio is well known for it’s rugged, waterproof and shock-resistant G-Shock watches. These are great choices for the best survival watch because they can certainly withstand a beating.  This particular model is a G Shock military watch, but that does not mean you can’t buy it too!

They are water-resistant to 200m, which means you can definitely take them in the water. And they have a super bright backlight to help you stay up to date even when it’s dark.

Casio has also built in a huge range of functions from a digital compass and thermometer to the usual stopwatch, countdown timer. If you are traveling then there is also 31 zone world time, as well as 5 alarms, and an automatic calendar.

Casio G-Shock Rangeman GW-9400BJ-1JF

Another series in the Casio range worth checking out is the Casio G-Shock Rangeman. Another survival watch style that will definitely serve you will in a difficult survival situation.

Like all other G-Shocks this one is 200m water resistant and shock resistant, so you are in no doubt it will work when you absolutely need it most. And additionally, it has a mud resistant case and buttons which are sealed to prevent mud, dirt and dust from getting into the watch. This may not make it the absolute best survival watch, but it’s close.

What is great about the Rangeman series is the huge swath of functions that are included. Sure, you get the usual digital watch goodies like a stopwatch, countdown and alarms, but this watch goes way further.

To start with, the timekeeping is on this G-Shock Rangeman is atomic, so it’s always exactly up to date. On top of that, Casio have added solar to this watch so you don’t have to worry about battery life, and running out of charge when you least expect it. Then it has all the functions we love in a survival watch such as: Altimeter/Barometer, Thermometer and Compass.

Of course, it also comes with the standard digital display, which is faster to read in a survival situation!

Read our full G-Shock Rangeman review.

Luminox EVO Navy Seal Watch

Luminox Recon

If the superbright and durable nature of the Luminox brand is something you are after, but you wanted a little bit more functionality, then the Luminox Recon might be just the survival watch for you.

Designed in collaboration with Andrea Micheli, a former Swiss Army Military Security NCO, this watch is made to be used in the field. It has a small, removable compass attached to the band, as well as a walking tachymeter around the edge.

In case you don’t know what a Tachymeter is, it is a way to quickly and easily measure speed with a watch, in this case walking speed.

On top of those two handy tools, there is also a cm/inches rule on the strap, as well as GMT time via a second hour hand (green), a feature you often see on watches like the Rolex GMT. All in all, a great SHTF watch.

Citizen Promaster Altichron

Citizen is another brand that produces reliable timepieces that are also solar-powered. They call it Eco-Drive but essentially it’s a solar panel for your watch! That means you never have to worry about running out of juice, which is perfect for a survival watch.

This particular Eco-Drive model is ideal in many other ways as well. It has an analog display, a compass ring on the watch bezel, as well as a built-in altimeter, ideal for hiking in the mountains.

In terms of durability, it has a steel case and silicone strap as well as 200m water resistance, something we love to see in a sturdy survival watch.

See our full review of the Citizen Promaster Altichron.

Suunto Traverse Alpha

Suunto are a great outdoor brand from Finland who have been making GPS survival watches for a long while now. They have a huge range to choose from, so you can certainly spend a pretty penny if you want, but the Traverse Alpha is a great starting point for most people wanting a survival watch.

Starting with the built-in GPS, it uses both GPS & GLONASS, so making use of the two satellite systems gives you more options for better navigation accuracy – which equates to an easy way to just find your way in the outdoors. This Suunto watch was also designed as a hunting and fishing watch, so it has loads of great outdoor features.

From a handy moon phase calendar and sunrise alert, to a useful weather trend, it also comes with a red backlight which is great for keeping a low profile at night. It is also night vision goggle compatible. Which is surprising for a watch with a simple digital display.

There are loads of other features combined with the GPS included saving and loading tracks, marking waypoints and all the other features you would expect.

All in all it’s a great survival watch that is only lacking a little in the water resistance category with only 100m, and battery life at 14 days (time only use).

SUUNTO Core All Black Military

This is a watch that was popularised by Denzel Washington in the Equaliser films, but don’t let that put you off. It is one of Suunto’s most popular survival watches for a reason!

Sure, it tells the time, and it has great GPS, but it’s the additional functions that make this watch so great. It has a built-in altimeter, barometer, digital compass and weather indicator. On top of those handy functions, it also has preset sunrise/sunset times for over 400 locations and will warn you of an imminent storm.

The all-black look is also something that will appeal to many, with the composite case and elastomer strap. The water-resistance of this model is only 30m though, so don’t go doing any river crossings with it.

Garmin Instinct

Casio Pro Trek PRW3500

If you want an alternative survival watch to the usual G-Shock then this Pro Trek model is worth checking out. It comes with Casio’s Triple Sensor – altimeter, barometer, thermometer to start off the huge list of specs.

On top of that it is an atomic watch that uses multi-band 6 , so always super-accurate. It has sunrise/sunset data built-in, as well as world-time, and comes with a multitude of alarms and the usual digital watch features (timer, stopwatch etc).

This watch is also powered by Casio’s Tough Solar, so no need to worry about the battery. And it features 200m water resistance too, so you can take it anywhere – except into the Mariana Trench, of course!

Timex T49612 Expedition Shock

Although not quite as rugged and reliable as a G-Shock, the Timex Expedition is worth checking out if you are on a tight budget. It still comes in with 200m water resistance, which is amazing. It is also built to ISO standards in terms of shock proofing.

The features are a little lacking as you might expect for this price, with a digital compass being the only stand-out survival feature. It has other digital goodies you would expect like a 100 hour chronometer and 3 alarms., as well as Timex’s best of breed Indiglo backlight!