90% matchHamilton
Khaki Field and asymmetric pilot lineage, same MoD roots
What changes: Swatch Group scale and mostly mechanical, wider retail range
Brand profile
Cabot Watch Company
British military watchmaker known for MoD-issued G10 field watches and Royal Navy divers built to original issue specifications.
LondonOrigin
UnisexFocus
Workwear / HeritageStyle
$$$$Price
4 brands like Cabot Watch Company like Hamilton, Seiko, Alpina →
What to know about Cabot Watch Company
An actual MoD supplier
CWC supplied the British Ministry of Defence with field watches, an asymmetric pilots' chronograph and, from 1980, a diver that replaced the Rolex "Mil-Sub".
Issued specs, not military styling
Current models keep the details service watches were built with: fixed strap bars, broad-arrow and sterile dials, quartz G10 field watches and Swiss-movement divers.
Founded by an ex-Hamilton man
Ray Mellor, formerly head of Hamilton's UK operations, started CWC in 1972; London military outfitter Silvermans has owned the brand since 1996.
If you like Cabot Watch Company
90% match
76% matchSeiko
Issue-spec dive and field tools at broader price points
What changes: Japanese in-house movements, vast catalogue beyond military
70% matchAlpina
Swiss sports-watch heritage with pilot and diver formats
What changes: Sportier Geneva styling, no military issue provenance
68% matchStudio Underd0g
British indie taking field and chrono specs somewhere playful
What changes: Colourful, design-led rather than sterile issue accuracy
Brand facts
CWC (Cabot Watch Company) makes military-specification watches, named after explorer John Cabot and started by Ray Mellor, formerly head of Hamilton's UK operations. It supplied the British Ministry of Defence with the mechanical GS Navigator, an asymmetric pilots' chronograph and, from 1980, a diver built to replace the Rolex "Mil-Sub", later moving to quartz movements. Current models follow issued specs: fixed strap bars, broad-arrow and sterile dials, quartz G10 field watches and Swiss-movement divers. London military outfitter Silvermans has owned the brand since 1996.
- Founded
- 1972
- Origin
- London, United Kingdom
- Made in
- Switzerland
- Price
- $$$$
- Focus
- Unisex
- Facts checked
- September 2026
- Styles
- Workwear / Heritage, Minimalist / Contemporary, Gorpcore / Outdoor