Winfield Mission Timer One – MT1 Review

Go anywhere, do anything watches are becoming one of the more popular types of watches to hit the market. They are usually not branded as dive watches but contain many of the same features such as 200 meters of water resistance, screw-down crowns, and rugged construction.

Many of these watches are automatic watches and while modern automatics are durable and feature shock resistance, they are more susceptible to damage than quartz watches. The lack of many intricate moving parts helps a quartz watch fit into the GADA category of watches. The Winfield Mission Timer One was specifically designed to be a quartz go anywhere, do anything watch. It features many of the same perqs as its automatic companions in this category and brings some flair of its own.

On the Wrist

The Winfield Mission Timer One is meant to be used in the field. Winfield’s owner, Mark Miller, is an ex-military service member and wanted his watches to stand up to anything he may have done while in the military. This watch reflects that perfectly. Its large dial is easy to read with bold numerals that contrast brightly against the dark charcoal dial. The entirely bead-blasted case cuts reflections off the case to a minimum and the crystal’s anti-reflection coating application is heavy.

Because of the quartz movement powering the Mission Timer One, it is light despite its 41mm case diameter. However, it still has enough heft to it that it doesn’t feel like it is cheap. When you put it on, you feel as though it can take a beating.

Those familiar with the Sinn 104 can pick some elements of the case shape that draw inspiration from the classic German tool watch. The mostly flat case with angular lugs sits slightly flat on the wrist so it does wear true to its 48.5mm lug-to-lug distance. It feels a little large, but not huge. With that said, this watch was designed to be able to be read at the quickest of glances, so the large proportions make sense.

As someone whose favorite field watches include smaller watches like the Sinn 556, Hamilton Khaki Mechanical, and Seiko Alpinist, I was surprised how much I enjoyed wearing the Mission Timer One. The proportions of the watch fit together in a way that help the watch look good. It has a large dial but a thin bezel, and they complement each other nicely.

Dial Details

At first glance, you may think the Mission Timer One has a black dial. While it can appear black depending on the light, it is a charcoal that can sometimes appear almost brown in direct sunlight. It is a rare dial color that I haven’t seen in too many watches before.

The numerals are large and stand out brightly against the dial. They are coated in what Winfield says is an extra heavy application of C3 and it shows at night. The lume application here lives up to its name and the time can easily be read as the sun starts to set.

The sword handset looks great paired with the numerals; the design flows together very well. A red seconds hand adds a pop of color to the Mission Timer One as red is used as an accent color on the bezel as well.

A date window is present at 4:30. I’m not the biggest fans of 4:30 date windows as they tend to cut out some of the symmetry from the dials they are on. With that said, I understand the application of a date window in this position, but I would like to see something added to it to make it seem like less of an afterthought. Making the date aperture circular instead of a rectangle would add a bit of flair to it and complement the overall shape of the watch.

Case, Bezel & Strap

The 316L stainless steel case has been heat-treated which gives the Mission Timer One some extra hardness. The case is also entirely bead-blasted for a complete matte finish. The bead blasting gives the steel a slightly cooler temperature look, pairing well with the dial and numeral colors.

A screw-down crown gives the Mission Timer One 200 meters of water resistance. This is a necessity in a watch of this nature and I’m glad to see the time was taken to ensure it had enough care taken in its construction to obtain this rating.

As the name of the watch suggests, the bezel is a reverse timing bezel. Different from a standard dive bezel which counts up to a time, this bezel is used to count down. For example, if you wanted to count down from 15 minutes, you would set the bezel’s 15-minute marker on the minute hand. When the minute hand reaches 0 (the red triangle in this case) your 15-minute timer is up.

I would like to make special note of the bezel action on the Mission Timer One. It is one of the most satisfying bezels I have ever used. Each click is precise and locks in place immediately with no backplay. The knurling pattern used on the bezel also makes it easy to grip from just about any angle. My one gripe is that it is unidirectional; I would have liked to see a bidirectional bezel used for a countdown timer.

Included in the package with the Mission Timer One are two straps. A 4mm-thick black leather strap with red contrast stitching comes with every watch. The buyer can choose one of 4 NATO-style strap options. The leather strap was a tad too thick for my taste, but it was designed to be heavy and durable, so I understand the selection.

Final Thoughts

Standard 3-hand quartz watches are hard to get excited about most of the time. Some of the snobbier watch folks will say they lack a soul. I found that not to be the case with the Mission Timer One. The soul of this watch isn’t in its movement, but rather in its design. You can tell care went into the design of the Mission Timer One. It was meant to be used as a tool and the proportions, water resistance rating, and construction all reflect that.

It’s hard to find a quartz watch that touts its water resistance, anti-shock, and anti-magnetic properties as standard features. Winfield is doing just that with the Mission Timer One and as their inaugural release, it is a risk. However, based on my time with this watch, it is a risk worth taking.

Want more pilot watch recommendations? Check out more pilot watch reviews from The Watch Clicker

Check out the Winfield website

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