Wolbrook Outrider Professional Mecaquartz 38 Military Watch
Starting from 189 €The Wolbrook Outrider Professional Mecaquartz 38 Field Watch continues the tradition of the military field watch in a deliberately compact format. With its monobloc steel case measuring 38 mm, its Hesalite crystal and its dial treated with Super-LumiNova C3, it favours a tool-like vocation over a display-case one. Its Japanese mecaquartz movement, the Seiko VH60, pairs quartz precision with a sweeping central seconds hand, complemented by a 24-hour scale and a hacking function. Offered in five dial colours, including this desert sand version, it is worn on nylon and leather or on a steel bracelet. Assembled in France, near Besançon, it targets military watch enthusiasts who care about value for money.
Wolbrook Outrider Professional Mecaquartz 38 Field Watch military watch
Wolbrook was born in the United States in 1949 with a first tool watch, water resistant and shock resistant, driven by a 17-jewel movement and fitted with a large central seconds hand. In 1954, the brand claimed an unbreakable balance and mainspring, a strong selling point at a time when mechanical reliability was proven in the field. The following year saw the appearance of sister brand Douglas. By the late 1950s, Wolbrook and Douglas had their watches made in France, in the Besançon region, to draw on local watchmaking expertise.
The Skindiver and Skindiver Worldtimer of the 1960s remain the best-known models from that period, with one Douglas example having belonged to Neil Armstrong before being sold at auction in 2019. Dormant for fifty years after the quartz crisis, the brand was relaunched in 2019. It is now a member of France Horlogerie and has its watches hand-assembled in France, near Besançon.
The Outrider Professional Mecaquartz fits into this history as a contemporary reading of the Second World War military watch concept, the one that set the standard for a precise, reliable and durable field watch. With its tight dimensions, it is the most compact tool watch in the Wolbrook catalogue, and the collection ranks among the brand's best sellers. Its purpose remains that of a mission companion rather than a collector's accessory.
Technical specifications Wolbrook Outrider Professional Mecaquartz 38
- Brand: Wolbrook
- Model: Outrider Professional Mecaquartz 38
- Reference: Depending on version
- Indicative price: €189 to €249
- Movement: Japanese mecaquartz
- Calibre: Seiko VH60
- Diameter: 38 mm
- Thickness: 12 mm
- Water resistance: 120 m / 12 ATM
- Materials: 316L stainless steel
- Crystal: Hesalite
- Dial: Sand, black, white, blue, green
- Luminescence: Super-LumiNova® C3
- Strap: Nylon and leather, 316L “rice grain” steel or 3-link steel
- Warranty: 36 months
- Box contents: Green and beige nylon pouch
The Wolbrook Outrider Professional Mecaquartz 38 field watch
This Outrider Professional Mecaquartz claims a direct lineage with military-issue watches: immediate legibility, a sensible size, construction built to take knocks. The monobloc 316L stainless steel case measures 38 mm in diameter and 12 mm thick, with a lug-to-lug distance of 46.5 mm that ensures a good fit even on a slim wrist. The 20 mm lug width takes both nylon and steel, leaving the choice of strap open depending on the intended use. The surfaces are brushed and hand-finished, a treatment that limits glare in the field and ages without fuss.
The desert sand dial of this version plays on light camouflage, with hands and hour markers covered in Super-LumiNova® C3 and the brand's signature flat-tipped hour hand. A 24-hour scale housed in the sub-dial at 6 o'clock rounds off the display, useful for reading a military time format. Wolbrook's choice of Hesalite crystal over sapphire is a deliberate one, made in the name of shock resistance and freedom from shattering, a line of reasoning inherited from 1960s military and NASA issue. The 120-metre water resistance relies on a screw-down crown and caseback, two locks that reinforce the watch's tool-like vocation. Drilled lugs make strap changes easier, and assembly is carried out by hand in France, near Besançon.
Five dials and three straps to choose from
The collection comes in five dial colours: desert sand, black, white, French army green and blue. The black version is identified as the range's best seller, the white is the most recent, and the blue is the only one whose nylon and leather strap matches the dial. All share the same case, the same crystal and the same movement, with only the dial's shade and the mood it creates really changing. On the strap side, each reference can be ordered with a monobloc nylon and leather strap measuring 270 mm, fitted with a steel buckle and vegetable-tanned Italian leather, or with a 316L “rice grain” steel bracelet, or a three-link steel bracelet, the latter two being unavailable for the white dial version alone.
The metal bracelets measure 21 cm and are fitted with a double-pusher deployant clasp with five micro-adjustment positions, while quick-release pins allow tool-free changes regardless of the attachment chosen. Each watch is delivered in a green and beige nylon pouch, a sober case that matches the piece's utilitarian vocation. Pricing follows the strap choice, from €189 on nylon to €249 on steel, with no distinction between dial colours.
Wolbrook Outrider Professional Mecaquartz 38 Field Watch military watch: the compact tool
Compact, rugged and legible, the Outrider Professional Mecaquartz 38 combines a monobloc 316L steel case measuring 38 mm and 12 mm thick, 120 metres of water resistance, and a screw-down crown and caseback. The Hesalite crystal favours shock resistance, while Super-LumiNova C3 ensures night-time legibility of the desert sand dial and its 24-hour scale. The Seiko VH60 mecaquartz calibre delivers a quarter-second sweeping seconds hand, a hacking function and an accuracy of ± 15 seconds per month. Nylon and leather or steel, five dials, French assembly and a 36-month warranty round out the picture.
Movement
The Outrider is driven by the Seiko VH60 calibre, a Japanese mecaquartz movement that pairs quartz reliability with a central seconds hand advancing in ¼-second increments, giving it the look of a mechanical movement. The hacking function allows precise time setting, useful for group synchronisation. The stated accuracy reaches ± 15 seconds per month, with magnetic resistance ≧ 1600 A/m and a battery life of around two years. A 24-hour sub-dial at 6 o'clock completes the display.
Diameter and materials
The monobloc 316L stainless steel case measures 38 mm in diameter, 12 mm thick and 46.5 mm lug to lug, with a 20 mm lug width. The steel is brushed and hand-finished, and the lugs are drilled to make strap changes easier. The Hesalite crystal replaces sapphire for reasons of shock resistance and freedom from shattering. The dial comes in desert sand, black, white, French army green and blue, each version sharing the same steel case.
Water resistance
The watch claims 120 m / 12 ATM water resistance, a figure that protects it against splashes, driving rain and swimming. This performance relies on a screw-down crown and a screw-down caseback, two classic tool watch features that lock the case's openings. The monobloc construction contributes to the overall water resistance. For reading in the dark, the brand applies Super-LumiNova® C3 to the hands and hour markers, with seven layers of pigment stated on the dial.
Accessories
Three straps are offered: a monobloc nylon and leather strap measuring 270 mm with vegetable-tanned Italian leather and a steel buckle, a 316L “rice grain” steel bracelet and a three-link steel bracelet. The metal versions measure 21 cm and are fitted with a double-pusher deployant clasp with five micro-adjustment positions. Quick-release pins allow tool-free swapping. The watch is delivered with a green and beige nylon pouch.
Warranty
Wolbrook backs every watch with a 36-month warranty starting from the date of receipt, a longer period than is common at this price point. It covers manufacturing and material defects but excludes damage from incorrect use, negligence or accidents, as well as normal wear such as scratches on the steel or Hesalite, and the natural ageing of the nylon and leather. The brand also states returns within 15 days of receipt.
Wolbrook Outrider Professional Mecaquartz 38 The pros
and cons
- 120 metres of water resistance
- Highly shock-resistant Hesalite crystal
- Five dial colours available
- Three straps to choose from
- 36-month warranty
- Hesalite crystal prone to scratching
- Quartz movement, not mechanical
- Accuracy limited to 15 s/month
- Nylon pouch instead of a proper box
Prices and technical specifications are subject to change. Content and photos are not contractual.
