The A-11 Spec watch is incredibly iconic. This U.S Government-issued timepiece is often referred to as "The watch that won the war".

A lot of history geeks love to own a piece of World War 2, but it can be very hard to do so with the A-11. 

Since the production stopped in the mid-40s, most pre-owned examples are either extremely expensive or simply in a miserable condition. Also, you have to worry about fakes.

The key to avoiding these issues is to buy an homage. This way, you can get the iconic styling, while getting modern components and saving hundreds of dollars.

MKII Cruxible Type A-11

Even though the Cruxible A-11 looks nearly identical to the original WW2 watch, the sizing has been adapted to today's standards. Instead of the original 32mm case size, you get a 39mm case with a 48.5mm lug-to-lug length.

Not only is it proportionally bigger than the original, the L2L-to-case-diameter ratio is also bumped up a bit. The elongated lugs will give the Cruxible a lankier look on your wrist.

Movement

The SII NE15 found in the Type A-11 is a Seiko-made automatic movement. This 24 jewels, 21,600 bph caliber is Seiko's unbranded version of the beloved 6R15. Not only does it offer the ability to hack and hand-wind, but you also get a large 50 hours power reserve.

As for accuracy, Seiko estimates that the NE15 will keep time in a -15 to +25 secs/per day range.

Crystal

The double-domed sapphire crystal used on the MKII Cruxible Type A-11 is both stylish and scratch-resistant. You also get anti-reflective coating on the inside, which increases legibility under sunlight.

Water Resistance / Crown

Even though the Type A-11 is by no means a dive watch, MKII still went through the trouble of using a screw-down crown. This nice-looking notched crown allows for 100m of water resistance, which is plenty for swimming and snorkeling.

Lume

If you haven't noticed by now, MKII put in a lot of effort during the creation of the Type A-11 to get the highest quality of components. This means you get a top-class Superluminova application over the hands & numerals.

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Case

The case of the Cruxible is built using high-quality 316L stainless steel, which is available in a polished or brushed finish. On the other side of the watch, you get a matching screw-down case back.

The Cruxible Type A-11 is the closest you can get to the original A-11 without actually buying it. Everything from the uncluttered dial to the Arabic numerals, strap, and lozenge hands look damn-near identical to the original.

Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical

Once again, the measurements of the Hamilton Khaki are bumped up to 21st century standards - the 38mm case diameter will look good on most people. In my opinion, the optimal wrist range for this watch is 6'' to 7.5''.

Also, it is quite rare to see a mechanical watch with such a thin profile, so it is perfect to wear with long sleeves dress shirts.

Movement

Back in 2019, Hamilton decided to upgrade the ETA 2801-2 movement to a new in-house H-50 caliber.

While it is strongly based on the ETA 2801, the H-50 gets exciting improvements, such as the outstanding 80 hours power reserve.

The rest of the specs are pretty basic: 17 jewels, a low frequency of 21,600 bph, hacking and hand-winding (no automatic winding). 

Crystal

Like the MKII Cruxible, the Hamilton Khaki Mechanical uses a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. The biggest difference is that the Khaki gets a slightly curved design, which looks a bit more modern.

Water Resistance / Crown

Considering the price you pay for the Hamilton Khaki, it can be a bit disappointing to find out it is equipped with a push-pull crown. This means you only get 50m of water resistance, which allows for swimming only. 

Lume

Like the previous watch, Hamilton uses a nice layer of Superluminova application on the hands and lume pips at the extremity of every hour mark. This one is very bright and will last a good amount of time.

Case

The case found on the Khaki Field Mechanical is completely made of stainless steel. In accordance with military watch traditions, the whole case is brushed in a satin finish. The screw-down case back is also brushed, and it features a large Hamilton logo.

Even though the Hamilton Khaki is not an homage watch per se, it still strongly resembles the A-17 (post-WW2) watch. The uncluttered dial displays the iconic 24 hours Arabic numerals layout, as well as the classic syringe hands.

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If you're absolutely looking for an A-11 alternative (12 hours configuration), your best bet is to look at the Khaki Field Murph Automatic (right picture). This one will get you closer to the A-11 Spec, but it is sadly only offered with cathedral hands.

Marathon General Purpose 34mm

The Marathon General Purpose is the first watch on this list to get close to the original A-11's 32mm case. On this watch, everything is downsized compared to modern timepieces.

This is what a lot of vintage collectors are looking for, but you might find it a bit underwhelming if you have huge (7.5''+) wrists.

Movement

The Seiko NH35 caliber (unbranded 4R35) is almost structurally identical to the aforementioned NE15 caliber.

The biggest difference is the balance spring and mainspring, which are a bit less efficient on the NH35.

This means you get the same 24 jewels and 21,600 bph frequency, but the power reserve is downgraded to 42 hours. Also, this movement is a bit less accurate than the NE15, but you still get hand-winding and hacking.

Crystal

Since the Marathon General Purpose is built to Government specifications to meet military requirements, they had no choice but to use a 3mm thick sapphire crystal.

This one is highly scratch-resistant and less prone to shattering than your average sapphire crystal.

Water Resistance / Crown

Since the General Purpose is built as an infantry watch, there's really no need for high water resistance. This is why you get a push & pull crown with a modest 30m water resistance.

Lume

The lume on the Marathon GP is very cool and quirky. It uses tritium tubes, which is an electroluminescent substance that was popular in the late 20th century. 

These small tritium-filled tubes will glow brightly without ever needing to be charged. Also, they can last for upwards of 24 years without being replaced.

Case

The Marathon's case is also quite interesting. Instead of the usual stainless steel, you get a "Fibre shell"  composite. This material is both lightweight and extremely resistant to impacts. 

Once again, the Marathon General Purpose is closer to the A-17 than it is to the A-11.

The hands, dial, numerals and nylon strap are all on par with the original A-17. The biggest difference is the case, which has thicker and squarer lugs.

Timex Expedition Scout

The Timex Expedition Scout is the largest watch on today's list, so you should look into it if you have big (7''+) wrists.

It's also quite interesting to note that it is thicker than the Hamilton Khaki, even though it's equipped with a quartz movement.

Movement

The Expedition Scout is the cheapest watch on this list by a large margin. This explains why Timex had no choice but to use a cost-efficient analog quartz movement. 

A lot of enthusiasts will steer clear from this watch because they absolutely want a mechanical movement similar to the one used in the A-11/A-17 watches. If you can overlook this fact, you will get a highly accurate (+- 15  secs/month) and durable caliber.

Crystal

In the spirit of offering the most affordable watch possible, Timex uses an entry-level mineral crystal on the Expedition Scout. Although it is less scratch-resistant than sapphire, you will get more shock resistance out of this flat mineral crystal.

Water Resistance / Crown

It's cool to see that Timex went through the trouble of making the Expedition capable of 50m water resistance. You get the same WR as the Hamilton Khaki while paying 1/10th of the price.

Lume

For such a cheap watch, it's nice to see that Timex offers both the Indiglo backlight as well as lumed hands. This way, you get both the quirky look of a lume application and the practicality of the Indiglo system.

Case

Of course, when you are buying a watch for an incredibly affordable price, you have to make a few compromises.

The chrome-plated brass case is one of them - within a few years, the plating will inevitably start to chip away.

Not only is the Expedition Scout very similar to the A-17 Spec watch, but it is also available in tons of different colors.

A small difference with the original A-17 is the date display at the 3 o'clock position.

In my opinion, this minuscule date window doesn't differ too much from the original styling of the A-17, and it adds functionality to the Expedition.