MTM Watches may not be a household name but if you have looked through any Guns Magazine, Popular Mechanics or any number of other men’s lifestyle magazines you have seen their advertisements. They are better known as MTM Special Ops Watch, before you dismiss them as just another company cashing in on the Special Ops craze you need to look deeper into the company, their brand representatives and who actually wears and uses them.
I first became aware of the brand several years ago while looking through magazines and kept seeing their full color ads featuring the usual vibrant colors featuring photos full of bad ass guns, gear and equipment looking to bring hate and discontent to Al-Qaeda. That was all I knew about the company until I attended SHOT 2016.
A few minutes of conversation with the representative at the booth about their watches, and the planning behind each of the fifteen different model lines and doors began to open. The young woman at the booth was kind enough to show me different versions of almost each model they had on display. I’m a fan of watches and I was lost in a sea of buttons, gauges, LED lights and displays. I decided I need to focus on one model to highlight. I was looking for a model that any Junior Enlisted person could afford and still have a nice looking functional watch.
MTM Special Ops Hypertec Chrono
The Hypertec Chrono was the watch that I selected based on looks, price, weight, durability and simplicity. The Hypertec Chrono is available in eighteen different dial and color combinations. You can get Hypertec Chronos with one, two or even three sub circles to track minutes, seconds, or hours. Couple that with more than twenty available colors and style of watch bands and you have literally hundreds of combinations. Let’s take a look under the hood at the specifications of the Hypertec Chrono.
MTM Hypertec Chrono Specifications:
Case Material: Solid 413L Stainless Steel
Case Size: 44mm Diameter x 12mm Thick
Movement: Swiss quartz chronograph movement with super luminous hands
Dial Material: Brass
Water Resistance: 660 feet/ 200 Meters with locking cap
Finishes Available: Brushed stainless of black DLC finish
Crystal Material: Anti reflective, scratch resistant tempered glass
Battery lifespan: Estimated 3 years
Warranty: 3 years
Price: $350 Estimated MSRP (discounts are offered)
Unboxing the Watch
The first thing that is noticeable when the MTM Hypertec Chrono arrived was the box. I want to say that I have owned several high end watches such as the Doxa Sub 1200 and the Omega Planet Ocean and neither of those had the same quality of the box and packaging as the MTM. That says a lot for a watch that costs only a fraction of the price of the two I mentioned.
MTM Watches may not be a household name but if you have looked through any Guns Magazine, Popular Mechanics or any number of other men’s lifestyle magazines you have seen their advertisements. They are better known as MTM Special Ops Watch, before you dismiss them as just another company cashing in on the Special Ops craze you need to look deeper into the company, their brand representatives and who actually wears and uses them.
I first became aware of the brand several years ago while looking through magazines and kept seeing their full color ads featuring the usual vibrant colors featuring photos full of bad ass guns, gear and equipment looking to bring hate and discontent to Al-Qaeda. That was all I knew about the company until I attended SHOT 2016.
A few minutes of conversation with the representative at the booth about their watches, and the planning behind each of the fifteen different model lines and doors began to open. The young woman at the booth was kind enough to show me different versions of almost each model they had on display. I’m a fan of watches and I was lost in a sea of buttons, gauges, LED lights and displays. I decided I need to focus on one model to highlight. I was looking for a model that any Junior Enlisted person could afford and still have a nice looking functional watch.
MTM Special Ops Hypertec Chrono
The Hypertec Chrono was the watch that I selected based on looks, price, weight, durability and simplicity. The Hypertec Chrono is available in eighteen different dial and color combinations. You can get Hypertec Chronos with one, two or even three sub circles to track minutes, seconds, or hours. Couple that with more than twenty available colors and style of watch bands and you have literally hundreds of combinations. Let’s take a look under the hood at the specifications of the Hypertec Chrono.
MTM Hypertec Chrono Specifications:
Case Material: Solid 413L Stainless Steel
Case Size: 44mm Diameter x 12mm Thick
Movement: Swiss quartz chronograph movement with super luminous hands
Dial Material: Brass
Water Resistance: 660 feet/ 200 Meters with locking cap
Finishes Available: Brushed stainless of black DLC finish
Crystal Material: Anti reflective, scratch resistant tempered glass
Battery lifespan: Estimated 3 years
Warranty: 3 years
Price: $350 Estimated MSRP (discounts are offered)
Unboxing the Watch
The first thing that is noticeable when the MTM Hypertec Chrono arrived was the box. I want to say that I have owned several high end watches such as the Doxa Sub 1200 and the Omega Planet Ocean and neither of those had the same quality of the box and packaging as the MTM. That says a lot for a watch that costs only a fraction of the price of the two I mentioned.
Hard sided shipping case standard with all MTM watches.
The case that protects all of the watches sold by MTM is very similar to a Pelican or Seahorse case, a no nonsense water and impact resistant case that is second to none in terms of protective value. It features two large latches, an oval rubber seal to keep out water and moisture, and an automatic purge relief valve. MTM even went as far as to provide the user the ability to secure the case with a lock.
First Impressions
Things were off to a great start, the company shipped the watch fast and in the semi indestructible case, now I got a chance to really give it a closer inspection. The first thing that stands out about the MTM Hypertec Chrono is the size. Coming it an a very large 44mm diameter with a 12mm thick case it’s hard not to notice the sheer mass of the watch. The 316L Stainless Steel machined case is the same grade steel used in surgical instruments, and built for a lifetime of hard use.
The face of the watch we received features a very busy surface but it’s easy to get use to the layout. The second hand rotates in the 6 O’Clock position in an enclosed oval. This might be slightly different to anyone not use to using a chronograph. In a chronograph the large second hand is used in a stop watch mode so it doesn’t move freely unless the chronograph function is active. When using the stopwatch feature the minutes elapsed are displayed in the inside oval located directly below the 12 O’Clock position.
The glare in the picture is from the protective cover on the glass I hadn’t removed when this was taken.
The larger push and screw down crown is easy to operate with one hand and keep water, dirt and debris out of the watch mechanism down to 600 feet. The luminescence of the dials and hands is impressive in low light conditions, I’m use to watches that are easy to read but the brilliance of the MTM Hypertec’s hands was a little brighter that I was expecting.
The strap that came with my version of the Hypertec Chrono is made of a comfortable black rubber and features the MTM logo formed into it. I took my digital calipers to the band to see exactly how wide and thick it is, because it seemed to be wider and thicker than most bands I had encountered on other watches. The strap measures a massive 24mm at the lugs and 6.87mm thick. It’s defiantly a large watch in every aspect of the word.
Wearing the watch
Wearing a watch this size I thought would feel like walking around with a two pound wrist weight on my arm. I can tell you that this is one time in my life I was glad to be totally wrong. In over a month of daily wear the MTM Hypertec Chrono was only noticeable the first day or so, after that I didn’t notice it much. If you aren’t use to wearing a large watch I can see a user possibly banging it off a counter top or a cabinet, but since the case is made of surgical steel I think it can take the abuse.
With the onset of summer here in Alaska I intend to wear this watch as I hike, fish, camp and explore all the lakes, rivers, mountains and glaciers that my home state has to offer. This watch will be exposed to slime, grime, fish guts, glacial silt and a fair amount of dirt and sweat. When September rolls around we will do another update on how it fared.
Who is MTM ?
MTM Watches has been in business nearly 25 years and has prided itself on offering timepieces and gear that the worlds military, law enforcement and emergency response can rely on without fail. They offer fifteen different lines with dozens of features allowing the end user to get a timepiece that will last them their entire career in they so wish.
If you have access to the BX/PX or Navy and Marine equivalent than you might have seen some of the MTM watch lines on display. MTM markets their watches primarily threw AAFES and select retail establishments and threw their website (http://www.specialopswatch.com). If you choose to order threw the web site they offer a 10% discount to several user groups that we have listed below.
Who Wears MTM Watches?
MTM has been featured on several popular TV shows and movies such as: 24 , Sabotage, Criminal Minds, Transformers, The Unit, NCIS, and to name just a few. Army Green Beret and UFC fighter Tim Kennedy also has been known to wear a MTM watch from time to time, so has King Abdullah II of Jordan and Prince Felipe of Spain. That’s a pretty robust list of high profile Hollywood shows and important people that trust the MTM brand of watches
The MTM Hypertec Chrono so far has the makings of a great watch for someone who is cost conscious but wants a watch that can function reliably either while on a night on the town or a night in the field. We hope you enjoy this quick introduction to MTM watches, if you have any questions just drop us a FRAGO or make a comment in the section below.
MTM Watches offers a 10% discount to the following groups:
U.S. Military or Government Personnel (.mil or .gov email verification)
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