A Men's Watch Loved by Law Enforcement

Our popular SANS-13 Tactical watch is the best for tactical situations. In 2013, Smith & Bradley set out to build the first SANS-13 watch using Kickstarter to fund the endeavor. This tactical watch featured Swiss quartz movement, a sapphire crystal front, and water resistance to 200 meters. Designed and built in the USA, our founder Jerommie Smith raised more than $41,000 from 203 backers to fund the creation of this workhorse of a watch. Inspired by law enforcement and tactical applications, the SANS-13 mens watch would soon deliver as a superior tactical watch that looked great, too.

Why the SANS-13 is the best tactical watch for law enforcement

It became our most popular mens watch almost immediately and continues to be today. There's some key reasons why this watch works for law enforcement or tactical situations:

1. It's an indestructible watch. Jerommie, after all, was a Chicago policeman for 16 years. He knew exactly how tough the job is on a cop's watch. So he build the SANS-13 watch to resist the normal bumps, bruises and jabs that the job entails. We start with a solid block of stainless steel and added the details that matter. It's very hard to break a SANS-13 watch by design.
2. This Watch features Tactical details. The screw down crown is protected by two pieces of steel so it won't get caught. The illumination is bright enough for you to see, but not too bright for others to see. The face features a dive bezel so you can quickly mark a set time. The strap is a NATO strap, so if one of your screw bars breaks, you won't lose the watch.
3. It's a great price for a mens watch. Some of our competitors price similar watches at double the $295 we price the SANS-13 tactical watch at. But we wanted to create a watch that was affordable and reasonable for the law enforcement officers that need it. This watch will last a lifetime and $295 isn't bad for that quality.
4. It's an attractive men's watch. This isn't a watch that you have to take off when you go home. Or to dinner. It's a good looking, tough watch that looks great. You can choose to swap out the watch strap for something else to change the look. This matters in life, so we made sure it looks handsome when you're wearing it. 
5. It's built in the USA. At Smith & Bradley, we have very high standards for our watches. We make sure the build quality is excellent every time. To do this, we build every SANS-13 in the US. So you are supporting American manufacturing when you buy one.  

The SANS-13 is an excellent tactical watch for law enforcement, fire, and military uses. But it also works as a tough everyday watch for men in physical jobs (or who just like to use their hands in life). And we have examples of the tough men wearing the SANS-13 watch on the item detail page. 

Launching a Great Watch

Throughout the launch campaign and after the product release, the SANS-13 was quickly noticed and continuously discussed in the watch community, often with praise about how impressive it was. Particular attention was given to its Ronda 6003.D, 4 jewel Swiss quartz movement, and C3 Super-LumiNova vials and markers. The watch also had other unique elements such as the 42mm x 15mm stainless steel case, a crown that did not protrude past the crown guard, and the use of screws rather than spring bars to attach the band.

It was successful across the board and sales proved it. But we were not satisfied. We wanted to keep improving it for our customers.

Improving a Tactical Watch

After the SANS-13 watch was on the market for a few years, we asked our customers how we could make the SANS-13 watch even better. We surveyed and talked to over 1,000 customers. Taking what we had already learned and applying that feedback from customers, we made the SANS-13 watch even better. Here’s how:

First, we upgraded the movement to a new, top-shelf Swiss quartz movement manufactured by world-renowned maker ETA. Understanding that this is the same movement that Tag Heuer and other great brands have used in their watches for over twenty years, the proof of concept was already done.

Some of the feedback we received showed us that the lume-injected vials on the hands and dial of the watch had become a bit fragile. We discovered that some of the vials had broken free from their installation in some instances. So, Jerommie replaced the vials with paint injections on the hands and dial. The paint injected C3 Super-LumiNova produces the same illumination solution, but without the risk of the vials breaking free.

Another positive result of removing the vials was that the hands would now require less space when stacked. This allowed the case size to be reduced in height from 15mm to just 12mm. 

We also applied customer feedback in making the crown bigger and removing the magnified date window as well.

Finally, we increased the water resistance rating from 200 meters to 300 meters. It is effectively a world class dive watch in addition to being a tough, tactical watch. Water is not going to impact this timepiece.

The best tactical watch for men

We feel confident that the SANS-13 men's watch is the best tactical watch on the market. And at $295, it's a great deal. Since we relaunched, we've seen tons of five star reviews and positive feedback. And we decided that our old 2-year warranty wasn't good enough. So now we've added our Unstoppable Lifetime Guarantee to it as well. We're that confident in the quality.

The new SANS-13 Tactical Sport Watch (2.0) was soft-launched to market in early 2019. Since the release, we have received more great feedback from our customers, who really appreciate and enjoy the watch. It’s a very rewarding feeling. We’re proud of our products and we appreciate and value those customers who choose to wear the SANS-13 tactical watch.  

Click here to get your own SANS-13 Tactical Sport Watch. And join the other men across America wearing this incredible tactical watch.