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There is a long and storied connection between warfighters and their watches. The regimented precision of military life, and of modern combat operations, dictates that most everyone on the battlefield be aware of the time at all times. Some watch brands have become accidentally synonymous with certain men, missions, or units. Others exist specifically because of this lineage. Praesidus Watch Co, whose is derived from the Latin word for “protector” was established in 2019 with the specific goal of producing rugged, unpretentious field watches to replicate or commemorate service members throughout history.
Last year, on the 80th anniversary of the battle of Iwo Jima, they released a watch as tribute to that historic battle. This year, they have expanded on the theme with their latest release – the Pacific Front watch. Instead of focusing on a single battle, the Pacific Front pays homage to the “Island Hopping” campaign undertaken by US forces in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attacks. Dates and locations are subtly but clearly displayed on the dial, along with a map-like path of progression. The dial is also embedded with real black volcanic sand taken directly from Iwo Jima.
But this is not strictly a showpiece. Built on the proportions of the original A-11 Field Watch—itself an iconic World War II timepiece—the Pacific Front uses double-domed K1 mineral crystal glass with Sapphire and anti-reflective coating, and sports 10ATM water resistance. The movement is an Ameriquartz 6130. A 20mm rubber strap is mated to the 38mm case that’s just over 13mm thick. Overall, the Pacific Front presents as a compact, lightweight package that keeps time without being burdened by extraneous features.
Our team wore the Pacific Front on several range days and a field training excursions—including a two-day man tracking course with Greenside Training—finding it to be unobtrusive and convenient with a barely-there feel that provided a notable sense of relief from feed-stream of data coming out of our larger more tactical smart watches. Even the packaging is understated, elegant, and befitting of a wearable war memorial. The Pacific Front watch is available in several band and color configurations, including the volcanic orange (sometimes also known as Higgins orange) shown here. At $320 MSRP, this horological historical tribute is priced to fit most budgets while still presenting a thoughtfully executed narrative of not one battle, but an entire strategic campaign.
