Your First Automatic Watch: Diver, Field or Pilot?

Most people's first serious watch is one of three classic tool watches: a diver, a field watch or a pilot watch. All three were designed for a job, which is exactly why they work so well in everyday life. Here is how to pick the right one for you.

The dive watch: the all-rounder

Made for: underwater. A uni-directional rotating bezel to time a dive, 200m or more of water resistance, a screw-down crown and big luminous markers.

Suits you if: you swim, surf or spend time near water, or you want one watch that goes from the beach to a dinner. On a steel bracelet, a diver is the most versatile watch you can own.

Watch out for: size and thickness. Many divers are 42mm and up and sit tall on the wrist.

Ours: the Elemental, 40mm on an integrated bracelet, Swiss automatic, 200m. It is made to order and the next window opens in February 2027.

The field watch: the simplest

Made for: soldiers who needed to read the time instantly. A clear dial with big Arabic numerals, a modest case and tough construction.

Suits you if: you like simple, honest things, have a smaller wrist, or want a watch you forget you are wearing. It is the easiest of the three to wear with anything casual.

Watch out for: water resistance on cheaper models. Look for 100m.

Ours: the 125 Field and the RAE 125, both 38mm and made with the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Engineers. More in what is a field watch.

The pilot watch: the most legible

Made for: the cockpit. A large, very legible dial, an oversized crown you can turn with gloves on, often a triangle at 12 o'clock.

Suits you if: you love aviation, have a medium to large wrist, and want a watch with presence.

Watch out for: size. Pilot watches run big, often 42mm or more.

Ours: the Air Force 5th Generation, the RAAF pilot watch: 42mm, Swiss Sellita SW200-1 automatic, 200m, limited to 200 numbered pieces, and in stock now.

At a glance

• One watch for everything: a diver on a bracelet.
• Smaller wrist, casual style: a field watch.
• Bigger wrist, love of aviation: a pilot watch.

Five things to check on any first automatic

1. The movement. A known calibre, such as a Sellita, ETA, Miyota or Seiko, means parts and servicing are easy anywhere.
2. Hacking and hand-winding. The seconds hand stops when you pull the crown, and you can wind it by hand. Both make daily life easier.
3. Sapphire crystal. Close to scratch proof. Mineral glass scratches.
4. Lug to lug length. It tells you more about fit than the diameter. If the lugs overhang your wrist, it is too big.
5. Water resistance. 100m for daily life and swimming, 200m for diving.

Mistakes beginners make

• Buying too big because it looked good in photos.
• Expecting quartz accuracy. A few seconds a day is normal for a mechanical watch.
• Leaving it near magnets, which makes it run fast. See automatic watch running fast.

Got it? Learn how to wind and set your automatic watch.