“Time is free, but it’s priceless.

You can’t own it, but you can use it.

You can’t keep it, but you can spend it.

Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.”

~ Harvey MacKay

 

I hate being late. I’m one of those people who always wants to arrive at the airport exactly three hours before my international flight. I speed-walk whenever we are meeting someone, even if I know I have plenty of time to arrive. And I always wear a watch.

 

But due to the nature of our travels, and the fact that we never really know where we’ll be adventuring next, it is important to me to have a watch that is durable, simple and reliable even under the most averse conditions. So when I was asked to review the Minuteman Liberty Watch, I was immediately intrigued.

 

The MM02 DLC or “Liberty” watch was obviously built to last. With a sleek Stainless Steel DiamondBlack DLC coated case and crown, it’s tougher than it looks on first impression. Beside the standard vacuum test that most brands perform for testing water resistance, Minuteman also tested the watch’s water resistance down to a depth of 300 meters (even though the MMO series is rated for only 200 meters.) On top of that, Minuteman also conducted a humidity test on the watch that meets Rolex standards. We have the perk of spending a lot of time in hot, sticky, humid climates, which is great for getting a tan, but not so ideal for our electronics and gadgets. It is reassuring to know that this watch is built with all those less than ideal conditions in mind.

 

Minuteman MM02 DLC Liberty Watch

 

While many watches these days have confusing dials and charts that can keep up with everything from moon phases to GPS location, the MMO2 DLC or Liberty watch from Minuteman keeps it simple. The analog dial has up-to-the-second precision. And at 43mm (without the crown) it may be a bit big for my dainty wrists, but I’ll have no problem reading the watch face well into old age—with the extremely scratch resistant sapphire crystal face along with the anti-reflective coating on the inside of the sapphire, the MMO2 DLC is likely to last until then, too. The watch also comes with 2 straps. One stylish American made leather and one nylon strap. Although the features may seem simple on the outside, there’s nothing simple about the driving-force behind this watch. The ETA 955.112, 7-jewel quartz movement is Swiss-made, so you know it is top quality.

 

What really makes this brand stand out though is what it stands for: Minuteman supports charities for those who have committed their lives to serving America. 25% of the profits raised by the purchase of a Minuteman Watch go towards assisting veterans and their families. And if that wasn’t enough, the watches are built and manufactured in the USA.

 

I’ll be honest—these watches are built for adventure, for strength, and for reliability—but not necessarily for style. I would definitely wear this watch while jungle trekking or climbing active volcanoes, but not necessarily to a fine dining affair. However, Minuteman Watches offers a couple of different designs to appeal to many buyers. The MM01 comes with an added date display, which is a feature I like to see in watches. The MM01 and MM02 both come in an alternate “Dark Earth” color, which looks more like a dark steel grey. (The MM03 and MM04 are currently only offered in black and look and work entirely different as they are limited editions.) The Ronda 715LI movement system under the hood is also Swiss-made, and the style includes slightly larger minute marks and zeros before single digit numbers. It may look a little more crowded, but it makes it easier to read at night with the luminous arms and dials.

 

All of these watches and the certified dealers can be found on the Minuteman Watches website.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a MM02 watch for free from Minuteman as coordinated by Deep Creek Public Relations in consideration for review publication.