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A rugged wristwatch on a leather strap outdoors

Solar field watches

Best solar field watches

A field watch is meant to be the watch you stop thinking about. Solar power removes the last thing to think about.

By Sawyer V. · Published

The short answer

The Citizen Garrison BM8560 is the best solar field watch here: sapphire, Super Titanium, 100m and Citizen's five-year warranty. The Vaer C5 Recon Field Solar is the thinnest, at 10.4mm with a screw-down crown, and the Timex Field Post Solar is the one for a small wrist, at 36mm.

A solar field watch is about the most practical watch there is. It runs on light, never needs a battery and never needs winding. The trade against an automatic is that a solar movement is a module — when one fails it is replaced rather than rebuilt — and with Citizen's five-year warranty on two of these, that is a trade most people should take.

The field style suits solar better than any other: a legible dial, a modest case and a strap you can replace anywhere. The solar watches guide covers the technology across every style; this page is field watches only.

On prices: we publish no figure we have not verified today, so every buy button reads "Check price on Amazon". Service prices quoted here are the manufacturers' own published figures.

How we picked

We have not worn these watches. What follows is what we checked instead, on documents you can open yourself — the same criteria, in the same order, on every roundup on this site. The full method is on the methodology page.

  1. 01Power

    Light-powered only: no battery changes and no winding.

  2. 02Crystal

    Sapphire where the maker fits it. A field watch lives outdoors, and a scratched crystal dates it first.

  3. 03Water resistance

    100m on every watch here.

  4. 04Warranty

    Citizen's five years, Vaer's two and Timex's one — with the exclusions each maker states.

  5. 05Size

    36mm to 42mm, with lug-to-lug where the maker publishes it.

Disclosure · Some links below are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through one we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not decide what goes on this page or in what order — here is exactly how that works.

Quick picks

Ranked on the Keep Score below — six published specifications, weighted identically on every page. The last row is the one we would not buy.

#WatchBest forKeep ScorePrice
1

Citizen Garrison BM8560-53E

Sapphire, Super Titanium, 100m, five years.

The best solar field watch here7.9/10
Check price
2

Vaer C5 Recon Field Solar 40mm

10.4mm, sapphire, screw-down crown, 100m.

The thinnest, with a screw-down crown6.9/10
Direct only
3

Timex Expedition Field Post Solar 36mm TW2V00400

36mm, sapphire, 100m, 44.5mm lug-to-lug.

The small-wrist solar field watch6.6/10
Check price
4

Citizen Chandler BM8180-03E

37mm, 100m, 18mm strap, five years.

The simplest solar field watch6.4/10
Check price
—

Timex Weekender 38mm T2N647

The default cheap field watch — a battery, a brass case and 30m.

Skip this one

Not the one to buy instead4.5/10
Check price

Keep Score is arithmetic, not opinion — six published specifications, weighted the same way on every page. The formula is on our methodology page, so you can re-run it yourself.

01

Citizen Garrison BM8560-53E

Best for: The best solar field watch here

7.9/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
1.4/2.5
Water resistance
1.1/1.5
Warranty
1.5/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.4/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

Sapphire on a Super Titanium case, rated 100m, with Citizen's five-year limited warranty and no battery to change — the Chandler below with the two upgrades it always needed.

42mm across, and Citizen publishes neither the thickness nor the lug-to-lug. The 22mm strap width takes anything.

Sapphire is the upgrade the 37mm Chandler never got, on a Super Titanium case with Citizen's five years of cover. Citizen publishes neither the thickness nor the lug-to-lug, so try it on before you commit to 42mm.

Manufacturer specifications for the Citizen Garrison BM8560-53E
MovementCitizen E101 Eco-Drive, light-powered
Power reserveNot published
Case42mm super titanium
Lug-to-lugNot published
ThicknessNot published
Lug width22mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance100m
Warranty5 years

Citizen's five-year limited warranty excludes the power cell, case, bracelet and strap.

Specifications read from Citizen Watch product page, BM8560-53E.

02

Vaer C5 Recon Field Solar 40mm

Best for: The thinnest, with a screw-down crown

6.9/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
1.4/2.5
Water resistance
1.1/1.5
Warranty
0.7/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.2/1
Sold direct by Vaer

We earn nothing on this link. Vaer sells it directly.

10.4mm thick with sapphire, a locking screw-down crown and 100m, on an Epson VS-42 solar movement Vaer rates at -10/+20 seconds a month with a six-month reserve.

Two years of warranty, and assembled in the United States according to Vaer. Sold direct; we earn nothing on this link.

Sapphire, a locking screw-down crown, 100m and a published accuracy of -10/+20 seconds a month in a case 10.4mm thick. Vaer states it is assembled in the United States. Sold direct; we earn nothing on it.

Manufacturer specifications for the Vaer C5 Recon Field Solar 40mm
MovementEpson VS-42 solar quartz, -10/+20 sec per month, six-month power reserve
Power reserveNot published
Case40mm 316l stainless steel
Lug-to-lug48mm
Thickness10.4mm
Lug width20mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance100m
Warranty2 years

Vaer describes its two-year warranty as a guaranteed waterproof warranty on this product page.

Specifications read from Vaer product page, C5 Recon Field Solar 40mm USA.

03

Timex Expedition Field Post Solar 36mm TW2V00400

Best for: The small-wrist solar field watch

6.6/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
1.4/2.5
Water resistance
1.1/1.5
Warranty
0.35/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.2/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

Sapphire and 100m at 36mm and 44.5mm lug-to-lug — the solar field watch for a wrist the others overhang.

Timex's one-year warranty excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery, which is the weak point of the whole line.

The smallest genuinely good watch here. Sapphire, solar, 100m and 44.5mm across the lugs — if you have a small wrist and want to stop thinking about batteries, start here.

Manufacturer specifications for the Timex Expedition Field Post Solar 36mm TW2V00400
MovementSolar-charged quartz analog
Power reserveNot applicable
Case36mm stainless steel, ip black
Lug-to-lug44.5mm
Thickness12mm
Lug width18mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance100m
Warranty1 year

Timex's one-year warranty explicitly excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery.

Specifications read from Timex product page, TW2V00400.

04

Citizen Chandler BM8180-03E

Best for: The simplest solar field watch

6.4/10

Keep Score

Crystal
1/2.5
Serviceability
1.4/2.5
Water resistance
1.1/1.5
Warranty
1.5/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.4/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

37mm on nylon, 100m, light-powered and covered for five years — very little to go wrong and nothing that will date.

A mineral crystal where the Garrison has sapphire.

37mm, 18mm lugs, 100m, no battery, five years of cover. There is very little here to go wrong and almost nothing that will date.

Manufacturer specifications for the Citizen Chandler BM8180-03E
MovementCitizen E101 Eco-Drive, light-powered
Power reserveNot published
Case37mm stainless steel
Lug-to-lugNot published
ThicknessNot published
Lug width18mm
Crystalmineral
Water resistance100m
Warranty5 years

Citizen's five-year limited warranty excludes the power cell, case, bracelet and strap.

Specifications read from Citizen Watch product page, BM8180-03E.

Skip this one

Timex Weekender 38mm T2N647

Best for: Not the one to buy instead

4.5/10

Keep Score

Crystal
1/2.5
Serviceability
1.6/2.5
Water resistance
0.3/1.5
Warranty
0.35/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.2/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

The Weekender is the field watch most people buy first, and it is exactly what a solar field watch replaces.

It runs on a CR2016 battery, the case is brass, it is rated 30m, and Timex's one-year warranty excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery — almost everything that fails.

For the step up, the Chandler above gives you light power, 100m, a steel case and five years of cover.

A brass case at 30m, with a warranty that excludes the crystal, the strap, the case and the battery — which is to say almost everything that fails. Buy it as a strap-swapping toy, not as a watch to keep.

Manufacturer specifications for the Timex Weekender 38mm T2N647
MovementQuartz analog, CR2016 battery
Power reserveNot applicable
Case38mm brass and llb
Lug-to-lugNot published
ThicknessNot published
Lug width20mm
Crystalmineral
Water resistance30m
Warranty1 year

Timex's one-year warranty explicitly excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery.

Specifications read from Timex product page, T2N647.

Compared

Read from each manufacturer's own product page, linked on the entries above.
WatchCaseCrystalWaterWarranty
Citizen Garrison BM856042mm Super TitaniumSapphire100m5 years
Vaer C5 Recon Field Solar40mm, 48mm lug-to-lug, 10.4mmSapphire100m2 years
Timex Field Post Solar 36mm36mm, 44.5mm lug-to-lug, 12mmSapphire100m1 year
Citizen Chandler BM818037mm steelMineral100m5 years
Read from each manufacturer's own product page, linked on the entries above.

Solar or automatic?

An automatic can be rebuilt by a watchmaker for decades; a solar module is replaced when it fails, and its long-term future depends on the maker continuing to supply it. In the meantime a solar watch costs nothing to keep running. If you want a field watch to hand down, look at the automatic field watches. If you want one you never think about, stay here.

Questions people actually ask

What is the best solar field watch?

The Citizen Garrison BM8560: sapphire, a Super Titanium case, 100m and a five-year warranty, on Citizen's E101 Eco-Drive. For a smaller wrist, the 36mm Timex Field Post Solar.

Do solar watches need batteries?

Not disposable ones. A solar watch charges a rechargeable cell from light. Citizen's warranty excludes that cell, which tells you it is the part that eventually wears.

Is a solar field watch good for camping?

Yes. Light power, 100m and no winding is the right specification for a week away from a socket. The hiking watches page ranks them for the trail.

Solar or automatic for a field watch?

Solar if you want to stop thinking about it; automatic if you want something a watchmaker can rebuild in forty years.

Sources

Every specification and figure on this page came from one of these documents. Where a manufacturer does not publish something, the page says so rather than filling the gap.

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