Best hunting watches – we list the best options

When it comes to the best hunting watches, there’s a lot to consider.

As hunters, we understand that one of hunting’s biggest appeals is getting deep into the wilderness, whether in the woods, on the hill, or casting a fly rod in a Highland salmon river, and getting away from it all to enjoy the pure experience of the stalk. But while it’s often very enjoyable to get away, getting too far out into the countryside can be a bit of an issue. It’s understandable that things may getaway  from us as we wait patiently for an opportunity to present itself, and it can be easy to forget how much daylight you have left, what time it is, or even where you are. When you’re out hunting, you shouldn’t have to worry about keeping track of when the sun is going to set or what your specific location is incase of an emergency – you need a hunting watch to do it for you.

(Want in-depth tips on hunting? Don’t miss our list of the best fieldsports books)

The best hunting watches are a piece of kit that keep you grounded in terms of time and place, tell you everything you need to know about your surroundings, and crucially, never get in the way, allowing you to free up your concentration for the quarry you’re tracking while providing all the information you need about the landscape. Hunting watches are a piece of kit that every hunter needs to have in their bag, but knowing which one to get that is best suited for hunting can be tricky.

So we have put together a list of the best hunting watches to make sure all you have to worry about is your quarry. If you want more advice on what kit you’ll need when hunting, don’t miss our round-up of shooting kit we’d all love to have, our guide on what to wear when deer stalking or the right kit for a success day’s rough shooting)

Best hunting watches – we list the best options

1. Casio Men’s Pro Trek PRW-3500T-7CR, £289.94

• Weight: 168g
• Movement: Quartz
• Band/dial colour: Grey
• Water resistance: up to 660ft

When it comes to a having a watch that can perfectly complement your hunting expeditions, this is by far the best watch on the market for our money. This hunting watch will do everything except tie your shoes. It has excellent water resistance, it’s durable, it’s reliable and it is chock full of tech. Features include a triple sensor, atomic timekeeping, low-temperature resistance, digital compass with bearing memory, altimeter between -700 to 10,000 m, barometer, thermometer, sunrise and sunset data, world time and so much more besides.

Like the other G-Shocks on this list, it doesn’t have GPS. That’s an issue when it comes to comparing it to those in the list that do, but there is just so much essential tech besides that it’s a tradeoff that is just about worth it for hunters.

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2. Suunto Core, £114.49

• Weight: 64g
• Movement: Digital
• Band/dial colour: Black
• Water resistance: 32ft

The Suunto Core is an ideal companion for hunting trips if you need something lightweight and durable. This hunting watch integrates the most essential outdoor features in a robust but lightweight construction with a comfortable elastomer strap, meaning you can wear it all day and it will never get in the way. No matter where you might find yourself, whether in the woodlands, the hills or on riversides, the combination of altimeter, barometer and compass mean that you will always be in sync with your surroundings, staying one step ahead as you stalk. 

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3. Casio G-Shock GD-100MS-3ER, £76.50

• Weight: 72g
• Movement: Quartz
• Band/dial colour: Green/Black
• Water resistance: 656ft

If you’re looking for something tough and dependable, but fancy something a bit less heavyweight (both in size and price) then this hunting watch could be ideal. It features many of the G-Shock staples, such as being great in terms of water resistance, being shock-proof, and having a protective glass lens, meaning that you could really put this watch (as well as yourself) through its paces, and it will never let you down. This watch is a very sophisticated piece of kit that will serve you well in the field, but it will stand up to whatever you can throw at it.

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4. Timex Men’s Expedition Gallatin, £56.69

• Weight: 38g
• Movement: Solar powered
• Band/dial colour: Black
• Water resistance: 164ft

This hunting watch will be far kinder to your bank account, but features many of the essential items on the checklist to make it a very reliable companion on your stalking adventures. Being solar-powered with a sustainable four month power reserve, lightweight, water-resistance up to 164ft, having a shock-resistance face, INDIGLO backlight for vision at night, as well as looking very sleek and smart, this is the ideal hunting watch if you want something to wear in the field and as well as to dinner afterwards. The one thing that sets it back when compared to other hunting watches on this list is water resistance being only to 164ft, but in and of itself that level should be more than enough for most.

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5. Garmin Instinct – Tactical Edition, £273.90

• Weight: 52g
• Band/dial colour: Black
• Water resistance: 328ft

In many ways this hunting watch comes in at close second – it’s stylish, sleek, as well as rugged and intuitive. It’s water resistant to a very respectable 328ft, it has an intelligent GPS system meaning you’ll never lose your bearings out in the field, and is constructed to U.S. Military standard 810G for thermal and shock resistance, including a chemically strengthened display with night vision mode. This hunting watch is an excellent tactical timepiece that will serve any hunter well when out in the real world.

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