The wristwatch has become a stylish accessory for many people, but the healthcare industry is where the wristwatch is not only a convenient, but also a practical accessory.

With people’s lives and health on the line, time is absolutely crucial. Therefore, there are many reasons why those who are working in healthcare wear a specialized watch. 

Why Do Health Workers Need A Reliable Watch?

A watch could help anyone in healthcare a lot. Keeping track of time is important for making sure they are on time for appointments and meetings, performing assessments, scheduling treatments, checking and measuring vital signs, or checking documentation.

As there are countless different watches on the market in all kinds of different shapes and purposes, you may get confused about which is the most suitable for you and your profession. We are here to help any healthcare professional find the right watch! 

Recommended Specifications

Several features may be useful for health workers when choosing a mechanical watch - let’s take a look: 

Durability: Health workers often work in demanding environments that require them to move around a lot. Therefore, a watch that can withstand bumps, scratches, and impacts is essential.

Water Resistance: Nurses, doctors, and other medical personnel may come into contact with water frequently throughout the day, whether it's washing their hands or dealing with bodily fluids.

Easy-to-read Dial: As health workers often need to quickly check the time while attending to patients, a watch with a clear and easy-to-read dial is important. The legibility of a watch allows them to quickly get the information they are looking for with just a glance at their wrist.

Seconds Hand: A watch with a second hand is essential for health workers who need to time patients' pulse or breathing. A watch with a sweeping seconds hand (one that moves continuously rather than ticking) can make it easier to time accurately.

Anti-magnetic: Magnetic fields are prevalent in hospitals and can affect the accuracy of mechanical watches.

Hacking Movement: A hacking movement allows the second hand to stop when the crown is pulled out, allowing for a precise time setting. This feature can be useful for doctors who need to synchronize their watches with other timepieces.

Size and Comfort: A watch that is comfortable to wear for long periods is important for doctors who may be on their feet for many hours. A watch with a smaller case size and a comfortable strap or bracelet can be beneficial.

Whether you are working as a doctor, nurse, or other health professional, here we have some of the most popular watches for you to consider and think about when making your choice.

Some Suggestions

Seiko SRPB53K1

Source: Fratello Watches

From the famous Japanese watchmaker, the Seiko Prospex Samurai series has been in production for years. It is an affordable pick, and sports a black dial and red and blue bezel insert. It also comes on a comfortable black silicone strap.

The dial of the watch is a nice stylish pattern. Combined with the large luminous markers and hands, it gives the watch an attractive appearance while also being legible even from an arm’s length away. The red tip of the second hand on the SRPB53K1 matches the red ’15 minutes’ on the diving bezel.

The nickname ‘Samurai’ has come from the minute hand showing a resemblance with the swords used by Japanese warriors. It is easy to read, and tough as nails! 

Orient Bambino Version 4 Automatic

Source: Two Broke Watch Snobs

Like Seiko, Orient is also widely appreciated for making high-quality mechanical timepieces at affordable prices. The popular Orient Bambino V4 collection includes 4 different timepieces which offer different dials and case colors.

The dials of the V4 are definitely one of its main selling points, they are domed which adds depth and appeal to the watch. It features polished hour markers in a diamond shape. As such, you can see the hands match the hour markers and have a leaf shape with beveling.

The case is water-resistant to 30m which more or less means that it is splash-proof - but it’s not really one to wear for a swim! 

Timex Marlin

Source: A Blog to Watch

With its simple design, unique case size, and attractive brushed dial, the Timex Marlin caught the attention of many watch collectors and fans. A far cry from the bulky modern watches, it’s hard to imagine that a 34mm watch case would sell in a market flooded with 40mm divers and 43mm chronographs today.

However, the 2017 Timex Marlin Reissue measures 34mm across the dial and 10 millimeters thick and has been an instant hit. It featured a domed crystal like the 1960s model with an 18-millimeter strap and mechanical movement.

The watch comes with brushed dials, featuring mid-century font numerals on the even numbers and standard batons for odd markers. In 2018, Timex decided to cater a bit more to the big watch crowd and released another version with a 40-millimeter case and a 20-millimeter lug width.

As for water resistance, while the 34-millimeter version features 30 meters of water resistance, the larger Marlin is 50 meters. Overall, this is an affordable classic that will last for years to come, even when used in a workplace as demanding as a clinic or hospital. 

Citizen Eco-Drive Chandler

Source: The Slender Wrist

Released in August of 2017, the Chandler is the typical field watch and takes on a solar-powered watch movement. The 37-millimeter case is stainless steel, so it’s tough and durable.

On the other hand, the dial is all about legibility. The black dial features Arabic numerals at every hour marker except for the three-o’clock, making it an easily-read day-date dial.

For those who prefer a more subtle look, the Chandler may be a great choice thanks to its subtle design, which will fit comfortably on the wrists. Its smaller size makes it outstanding among the much bigger watches from other brands.

Like any Eco-Drive watch, this Chandler only needs to have the battery replaced when it no longer takes a charge from the solar cell, so you can count on it working for at least a decade. 

Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium

Source: Chrono24

The Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium is a versatile watch that isn’t too fancy or formal. You can wear it on weekends or at the office - or both. The 40mm case and 11mm height make the watch relatively compact on the wrist.

The watch is offered in several versions, with different dial colors, such as green, black, blue, or silver. Also, some feature a crosshair, and some are plain. These dials all feature a sunburst effect and faceted applied hour markers, adding great legibility and eye-catching plays of light. 

The dauphine-style hands are also filled with lume, so it will be easy to read the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium in almost any conditions. It also has an 80 hour power reserve, so it will still be ready to wear on Monday morning if you take it off Friday night! 

Watch Mods for Health Workers

If you are thinking about something unique, you can mod your own style and the SKX007 is always a good place to start. While any SKX007 mod will be a diver’s watch, it wears well, and is perfect for many kinds of work. 

When creating a build that checks a lot of the requirements mentioned above for a medical professional’s watch, we would recommend starting with a Titanium case, like the NMK933 and NMK934, as a base. Titanium is lightweight, durable, and corrosion-proof, all traits that would go well with a medical workplace. You can match the case with thousands of available spare parts, but you’d mostly want to check the field watch style or Explorer style dials for better legibility.

Since timers are a necessity in a hospital, you might also want to look at bezel inserts with 15 minute markers to cover this. After this, you’re pretty much free to mix and match all the other parts to create your own unique watch.

Conclusion

Seiko mods let you make watches for any job, including healthcare. Even when the requirement list can be a bit long, if you plan ahead and choose the right parts, you’ll end up with a reliable watch that a health worker would be glad to use in their grueling shifts.

For a huge selection of watch mod parts, check out the huge online catalog we offer. At namokiMODS, we make Seiko Mod Watches happen!