Vaer Men’s Field Watch, Quartz Movement for Accurate Timing, Scratch Resistant Sapphire Crystal, Locking Screw-Down Crown, Iconic Replica of The A-11 Military Watch for Men of WW2 - Gift for Men

I was in the market for a field watch and this came recommended on a few watch forums. I had never heard of this manufacturer before but, at this price point, was willing to give it a shot. I've got to say I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and workmanship.First, the good stuff:-Watch is light and sleek design-Sapphire crystal-Good water resistance-Accuracy is great. Might run just a few seconds behind after a few weeks of wrist time.-Comes with two bands, one nylon and one rubber (and at a 20mm spring bar many other options are available)Now, a few things to consider:-The date window is almost impossible to read except in bright light. This does not bug me but I could see it annoying someone else.-The styling, although consistent with field watch designs, looks like a Timex. For something that is about five times the cost if you don't care about the "nice to haves" or other quality differences then you can save a decent amount of money by just getting a Timex Expedition that looks similar.Is this watch a slam dunk, better than all other rivals, get it now before it is gone, kind of deal? No.Is it a solid, field watch that will delight many a watch enthusiast for a low price point? Yes.

As a first-time (student) buyer, you want the most bang for your buck. Not necessarily all the features a watch could have, but certainly the highest quality tour dollar can buy.I am satisfied to say I didn't look at many other watches after the Vaer S3. It had what I wanted-- sapphire glass, multiple bands, not too big, American, waterproof, easily readable, and long-lasting that could function as an EDC watch or formalwear. It is quite stylish, too. Having the date feature additionally is great. For those reading, unless you have drastically different criteria, this is your watch. And it won't break the bank either. The warranty is delightful to have as well, which comes with it thru online registration upon delivery and unboxing.May give updates in the future, but this is my first day with it, and I'm impressed.

PROS:The watch has a flat sapphire lens so there is NO distortion when viewing the watch at an acute angle.The lume on the hands is excellent; the lume on the face hour markings is adequate.The second-hand registers almost perfectly with the face markings, which is difficult to achieve with a quartz watch.The watch is thin -- about 9mm. This allows it to slip easily under the cuff of a shirt.The satin finish of the watch case and the bezel is uniform and consistent with the field watch motif.The accuracy of the quartz movement is dead nuts on.The screw-down crown operates perfectly.The Barton silicone band with the VAER engraved buckle is very comfortable and durable.The price/quality ratio is remarkable. I've owned a dozen field watches.CONS: I mistakenly thought there was something wrong with the quartz movement. I've concluded that I was completely mistaken. The accuracy is amazing.NONE!The ad on Amazon is for the 36mm version of the watch which does NOT include the inner ring of 24-hour military markings (13-24). IF you select the 40mm version (which I did) the Amazon ad image does not change to show the dramatic change in the face markings -- the additional 12-24 hour markings.I have notified AMAZON.COM of the glitch in the ad. If VAER had a 40mm without the 12-24 hour markings I would purchase it. Apparently, VAER does not. I will be keeping my 40mm with the military-inspired additional markings. IT'S A SUPERB "EDC" WATCH.Amazon was kind enough to send me a replacement with the additional military numbers. I have returned that and am keeping the military version. It's a great watch.

I had never heard of VAER watches, but I was intrigued by some of the things the company claims so I got one to test it out. First of all, these are made to be water resistant and to be worn on seawater. I have a salt water pool & we use it 4-5 times a week for exercise and relaxing. It's not sea water and I am three hours from the ocean so the pool will have to be my test lab.Second the crystal is said to be scratch-resistant and I am hard on watches for some reason. I'll find out.It has two quick change straps and and both are said to be able to stand up to salt water. I am using the one that was on the watch when I got it and will use the other one later on. The little pins that hold the straps on are very easy to manipulate and are a big improvement over straps from the past that required tools or a visit to the jeweler to get off and back on.My only complaint is a minor one. The numbers are supposed to be visible in the dark but they have to be exposed to sunlight during the day to energize the coating. It's winter & I wear long sleeves now so the watch does not get much exposure to light. I am trying to change that but I have to think about it or the watch is under cover for most of the day. It does show up in the dark but it's not as vivid as I like. I will have to mess around with this function to see if I can get it working better. This is why I gave it four stars but that may change.This model is sold at a decent price. I have had expensive watches before but they have tended to break or need service more than they should. About 20 years ago I went to the cheapest Timex I could find and wear them until they die. Then I get a new one. This is a test to see how much I like a better quality watch that is not hundreds of dollars.The watch looks good, was easy to set, easy to read, and comfortable to wear. I will post an update in a few months after I have had time to really give this a longer workout.