This issue we’ve run the gamut from ultra-deep divers to lighter, go anywhere, do anything watches, but one thing we’ve not touched too much is the field watch. Well, field watches are built to survive and there are few brands that shout rugged survivalist quite as loudly as ProTek.
Created by industry veteran Barry Cohen – the man who previously founded Luminox – ProTek’s mil-spec inspirations aren’t exactly subtle. Big, chunky cases with easy-to-grip notched bezels, shock and water resistance worthy of an amphibious landing and lumed indexes perfect for a night mission. And even then, for some collectors, ProTek’s 42mm dive and field watches just weren’t big enough.
While many watch brands are still shrinking down to vintage sizes, that doesn’t make sense for military pieces. These are watches that are not only designed to survive but also to be readable in all conditions. For that instant, ultra-legible clarity, you need size. It helps too that the kind of guys that prefer ProTek watches – i.e. the United States Marine Corps – tend to skew to larger wrist sizes.
And so ProTek have now gone bigger than ever with the new Series 4000 Aggressor Carbon Composite 45mm Dive. These uncompromisingly macho pieces aren’t just substantial across but measures an equally chunky 14.65mm thick, meaning this is never going to be a watch to slip under your shirtsleeve. But while that kind of sizing suits larger wrists, you don’t need to be a weightlifter to wear it; despite the dimensions, it weighs just 82 grams.
That light weight is due to the carbon composite case, which has one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios of any material used in modern engineering. That means not only is it comfortable on the wrist, but it’s rugged too. It’s also matte black for that uncompromising spec ops, night mission feel. At least, it is in the all-black version.
Alongside the stealthiest member of the team, ProTek has introduced a triplet of eye-catching colours. Yellow, orange, and a light blue – all with matching crowns – more than pop against the blacked-out case. Throw in a matching (and satisfyingly chunky) FKM rubber strap and it turns a military fit tool into a big, brash summer watch. And with 300m water resistance, it can stand up to even the deepest swimming pools.
If the new coloured dials stand out during the day, all four come to life at night. As the case size has grown, so too has the dial – and with it, ProTek’s signature tritium gas tubes. These gas-filled, self-illuminating tubes already glow brightly on the rest of ProTek’s collection, but here where they have even more space to themselves, they’re liable to double as a nightlight. Glowing in green and blue – with the 12 o’clock marker standing out in orange – the Aggressor is a watch with as much impact in the darkness as in the day.
Because of their survivalist nature, the Aggressors are all equipped with quartz movement; what quartz lacks in prestige it gains in practicality. They’re more accurate, more reliable and a great deal more shock-resistant than your average mechanical calibre. They’re also more accessible, and a large part of why the Aggressor is priced at $550 – approximately £410.
When you compare that to other players in the field – a quartz CWC diver with similar military use will cost you £725, the value is obvious. But it also goes a good way to explaining how ProTek have gone from launching in 2022 to being one of the most important players in uncompromisingly rugged tool watches. These are watches aimed at serving military personnel who don’t want to have to invest thousands into something that may have to go through hell right beside them.
It’s also why ProTek are the official watch of the U.S. Marine Corps. A soldier in the field wants to know they can rely on the equipment and the demands of the USMC go above and beyond the rank-and-file. The Aggressor is an accessible entry into that level of performance.
The Aggressor brings ProTek’s full collection to a grand total of 57 references across 11 collections. For some watch brands that might not seem like a huge amount, but for a four-year-old builder of tool pieces catering to a very specific aesthetic, that’s more than impressive. It’s not just ProTek’s watches that are growing.
There are still plenty of ways ProTek can take their collection. The jury’s still out on whether there’s room in a collection like theirs for a dress watch, but the pursuit of survivability is unending. Let’s see how far ProTek can take it.
Price and Specs:
More details at ProTek.
