Mil-Tec ME109 Wristwatch
Automatic movement, complication, chronometer, quartz movement. I wouldn’t consider myself a watch guy but I know what those terms mean, and I can appreciate a nice wristwatch. Over the last few years I’ve put together a collection of humble but nice watches.
- 2 Timex Expeditions with similar style. These are the daily beaters
- 1 knock-off skeleton style Stuhrling with automatic movement
- 1 silver & gold plated Seiko
A nice wristwatch can be the icing on an outfit, so it’s nice to have a few of different qualities and styles.
I wasn’t shopping for a watch when I came across the Mil-Tec ME109 but its style really caught my eye. It’s a rugged, simple and militaristic while also not being classic enough to not be out of place in a nice Sunday outfit. The case of the watch has a lightly worn look and feel to it. The leather band is thick and sturdy, feels like it will last a lifetime. The watch face is interesting because it has minutes along the outer edge of the watch face. No doubt this was used by pilots for timing purposes. It also works well in regular life for that purpose. If you need to, I don’t know, fry a steak for seven minutes, a quick glance at this face and it will be very clear when that seven minutes is up.
The glass is thick and slightly magnifies the face. The watch itself feels heavier than a typical quartz movement watch. The weight gives a reassuring sense of quality and toughness.
I only have two problems with the watch. First is the strap. Although the leather seems to be great quality, for some reason it is missing the second strap loop. My strap is always getting snagged on things which is annoying. The other problem I have is with the minute and second hand movement. From 45 minutes and beyond, the hands are not quite lined up perfectly with each mark on the face. For this price, that is not acceptable.
Overall I really like the watch. It’s got the precision and reliability of a quartz movement with the style and durability of vintage military tech.