Election Day Special! The Top 10 Watches For The Apocalypse

With recent warnings about environmental genocide and a Netflix queue full of series set in depressing, dystopian futures, we can’t stop thinking about watches that could best withstand a post-apocalyptic hellscape. Judging by Google searches and Reddit subgroups, we're not the first to create lists of survival watches, but most of those recommendations are geared toward adventurous types, and therefore chock full of satellite and other smart technologies. And we figure that we won’t need GPS in a Mad Max or heck, even a Postman-type scenario.

This list, then, is based on which watches would best survive environmental, technological and economic calamities.

G-Shock is Casio’s hard-wearing line of watches. This collection has a wide range of options which makes it tough to choose just one model. In the end, we went with the Casio G-Shock Master of G GW9400-1.

Here’s why. It’s not only waterproof (for up to 200 M), it’s also got a mud resistant case and buttons. It’s incredibly resistant to scratches, shocks and it has a hard-mineral crystal window to keep the display safe. It’s designed to keep time in low temperatures.
 

And even though it’s a big watch, it’s quite light (and you don’t need to carry the extra weight as you cross your way across the country looking for a safe place à lá Cormac McCarthy’s The Road).

Most importantly it has a solar battery to keep it powered, and highly accurate altimeter/barometer, thermometer, and compass functions to help you navigate with accuracy.

Panerai might not be the first brand you think of when it comes to disaster preparedness, but in a worst-case scenario, simplicity is the secret to survival. The Panerai Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days’ minimalist dial is easy to read at a glance, and with its glowing oversized numerals and an in-house Panerai, hand wound caliber with a three-day power reserve you won't need electricity use it.

Another benefit is the power of the Panerai brand name. Should the economy collapse, you can always use the watch to barter for goods and services!
 

The world’s most uncomplicated timepiece is the sundial. This version by NOMOS Glashütte works by adjusting the date ring to the current date, turning the dial toward the sun. The sunlight shines through a hole, indicating the local time in Glashütte, Germany (if you are not in that time zone after the fall of civilization, you’ll have to make a few mental calculations to adjust).
 

Priced at just $185, it’s the perfect complement to your go bag. Another advantage being that the sundial can be worn both around the neck and on the finger. 

Like the Scouts and Guides, our motto is "Be Prepared." Like Casio, Seiko also has a vast selection of horological offerings for any potential horror show. The Prospex makes our list is because it’s a great watch for both the Good Place and the Bad Place. It’s a beautifully finished watch with an attractive stainless-steel case and a handsome black bezel.
 

We hope hard times never come, but if they do, the Prospex is also a practical tool watch. It can withstand depths of 300 meters and has a handsome luminous paint called LumiBrite on the markers. Features also include a stop seconds hand, a calendar function (to keep track of the days), and a nice silicon strap. The curved sapphire crystal is made of a shatterproof material called Hardlex (just in case you happen to be wearing it during an earthquake or Armageddon-type asteroid event). Again, it pays to be ready for any eventuality.

Like a Swiss Army knife, the Victorinox Inox Paracord has multiple uses. To test its durability, the company dropped it from 10 meters and drove over one with a 64-ton tank. Victorinox claims to have also lifted someone with a helicopter suspended only from the handwoven, nylon Paracord strap. Used initially for parachute suspension lines, the paracord used for men's straps complies with US military standards — Its breaking point is 250 kg.
 

You can also unravel the strap and use it for other survival purposes such as tying up errant “Dawn of the Dead” zombies.

Vostok is the only vintage pick in our Apocalyptic selection. These Russian mil-spec watches are a favorite of any self-applied Doomsday prepper. For just a few hundred dollars on eBay, you can have a super rugged, yet quintessentially quirky Russian Cold War relic. Since 1965, the company has been the official watch supplier of the Ministry of Defence of the Soviet Union.

Nearly all Vostok watches come decorated with some kind of USSR or Russian insignias. Due to our current polarizing relationship with the Russian government, Vostok watches seem a perfectly logical fit for the apocalypse. While the collection has been predominantly priced in the few hundreds of dollars, these durable beauties will last long after the bombs fall.
 

Plus, if we go all Waterworld then take a gamble with your Vostok 200m divers and its 20-year-old gaskets. Designed initially for Russian search and rescue missions, these Chistopol, Tatarstan, Russia watches are manufactured per Russian Government Specifications. And have been issued to and worn by troops in a wide variety of conflicts. Including the Cold War. In other words, the Russians are hacking us, we may as well hack the Russians!