Wristwatch Workhorse: Vaer C4 Tactical Field DLC Solar Watch Review

The sun rises late in October’s autumn gloom, and 5:30 a.m. wakeups to run my tireless German shorthaired pointer are pitch-dark affairs. Over the last month, I’ve been looking to check the glowing face of the Vaer C4 Tactical watch on my nightstand to verify that, yes, my alarm is about to go off. Time to swing those legs over and shiver off the morning chill.

At least it’s easy to read, even though my eyes are still bleary.

I’ve been testing the Vaer C4 Tactical watch in everyday wear and rigorously testing it while living in a wall tent and elk hunting in the Rocky Mountains. This watch is a rock, a workhorse of a timepiece that will handle use and abuse and keep accurate time, all while looking good (if subdued) on your wrist.

In short: The Vaer C4 Tactical Field DLC Solar ($479-500) offers 200 m of water-resistance in a 41.5mm case for a substantial yet comfortable watch. It’s super-easy to read, even in low light. With a reliable solar quartz movement, it is incredibly accurate and will run for years without service. And it carries a unidirectional rotating bezel to enhance its utility. It’s an American-assembled tool watch through and through, but still looks good enough to wear every day.

Compare it with the best field watches here.

Vaer C4 Tactical: A Serious Field Watch

The C4 Tactical is just launching this month. For context, I’ve been regularly wearing a similar C5 Tactical for the last 18 months, and love it.

While it has one numeral difference, the C4 Tactical is a whole other animal. It has double the depth rating (200 m versus 100 m for the C5), no date window, raised hour markers, and a rotating bezel. The C5 is also larger, with a 41.5mm pillow-style case and 4 o’clock crown.

So while there are a lot of similarities, the Vaer C4 Tactical is a lot more watch. It’s also more expensive, ringing in just under $500. But for serious outdoors use, the C4 Tactical offers a whole lot of value in a rugged yet handsome package.

Vaer C4 Tactical Review

I’ll start this off by saying I really like this watch. It’s no-nonsense and tough. It doesn’t try to be flashy and uses simple, reliable components to deliver a watch meant to tell time in the roughest circumstances. With reliable quartz and solar charging, this watch won’t take any maintenance or fiddling.

Just put it on your wrist and tell the time.

Legibility

Beyond keeping accurate time, legibility is among the most important aspects of a field watch. You need to be able to read it instantly, no matter the conditions.

The C4 Tactical is as legible as they come. It has bright, 3D-printed lume blocks with exceptionally strong glow, creating depth and visual structure. The font, which Vaer claims is the same as that used on U.S. Air Force jets, is very clear and instantly recognizable.

In use, the watch is as easy to read as any I’ve used. The bright white lettering on black background, as well as the 12-hour bezel markings, pop in any light. The lume glows brightly, even in the early morning hours when the watch hasn’t seen light in 10 hours or more.

The C4 Tactical DLC Solar gets A+ marks for legibility. It’s easy to read, exactly as it should be.

Durability

A field watch must be tough, and the C4 Tactical Field Solar delivers durability in spades. The watch starts with a 316L matte stainless steel case with “diamond-like carbon” coating. This surface makes it very hard to scratch. Coupled with a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, the watch has a rugged foundation to house the quartz movement within.

The brand notes that it has an insulated cage around the movement for extreme impact protection and that it is Vaer’s most shock-resistant model. In use, I dropped it a couple of times from about 3 feet while getting ready in the morning, and it didn’t show any signs of damage.

I also used it rigorously for a month, including a couple of days when it bounced around the center console of my truck while I was driving a lot of dirt roads. Again, zero problems.

As with other watches, I wanted to be sure that it would handle freezing conditions. I often take my watch off at night while camping in sub-freezing conditions, so it must handle cold with no problem. As a brutal test, I left it in my deep freezer for 12 hours and checked the time both before and after freezing. The time was spot on, and being stored overnight at 4 degrees F caused no problems.

Water-Resistance

The C4 Tactical Field Solar is waterproof rated to 20 atmospheres, or 200 m. That puts it squarely into dive watch territory, as no recreational divers will take it deeper than 130 feet.

And given its unidirectional bezel, you could actually use it for diving. I wouldn’t recommend it, as it has hour markings, not minutes, on the bezel. But for those willing to convert hours to minutes in their head, it could suffice in a pinch.

To verify basic water-resistance, I left it in a 5-gallon bucket of water for 2 hours. It showed no signs of water leaking.

Simplicity

A cornerstone of field watch utility, the timepiece must be extremely simple. When under stress, the user should not have any complications to fumble with in the field.

The Vaer C4 Tactical Field Solar is about as simple as they get. It has a clear, legible face with large 12-hour markings and 24-hour subscript. The bezel spins with smooth clicks. The 4 o’clock screw-down crown unscrews with smooth turns and no binding. One position of pop-out allows the user to adjust the time intuitively.

A nice little bonus: The caseback is engraved with the phonetic alphabet. While most military or law enforcement will have these memorized, it’s a nice touch and a reminder for the forgetful folks out there who want to remember their Foxtrots from their Indias.

Straps

All Vaer watches ship with two straps. In the case of the C4 Tactical, it isn’t compatible with the brand’s bracelets, so you’re a little more limited than other offerings from Vaer.

With that in mind, the rubber strap and NATO strap options are very nice. I really like the rubber FKM Dive Strap that I mostly used in testing. It has a nice texture, which adds a little panache to the subdued appearance. It’s also waterproof and soft against the skin. I don’t really have any criticism of the strap and love the way it clasps easily onto my wrists in a few seconds.

Style

If the C4 Tactical has a weak point, it’s style. This is a tool watch, period. It’s meant to tell time, not grab attention or spark conversation.

That’s not to say it’s unattractive. This is a nice-quality watch, and it does look good. But it just isn’t, well, stylish in the same way many watches dazzle. It’s black on black with white numerals, and that’s about it. It intentionally limits the sparkle for obvious tactical reasons. It’s subdued. And honestly, that’s why many people will love it.

If you want a tactical appearance, the C4 Tactical delivers with a nice band, subdued appearance, and excellent fit and finish. Just don’t expect it to offer the bling factor of a sparkly piece of wrist candy.

Vaer C4 Tactical Field DLC Solar Watch Review: Who It’s For

After wearing the C4 Tactical Field for a month, it’s really grown on me as a tool watch meant for hard use outdoors. At $500, it’s not cheap. But it brings a lot of value, especially for those who enjoy nice watches but don’t want to wear a super-expensive automatic watch when the going gets dirty.

With its reliable solar-powered quartz movement, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, rugged steel case, and comfortable rubber strap, the C4 Tactical Field is as trusty as a watch can get. It’ll run for years on end without service. And when all you need to know is the time, I don’t foresee any watch being more reliable.

It’s also easy to read and subdued with a nonreflective black finish. For those who want a reliable timepiece without the flash, this is it.

I have slightly smaller than average, 7.5-inch wrists. It wears comfortably for me. I think it would be substantial enough to hold up to pretty large wrists as well, much smaller wrists may want to look elsewhere, even among Vaer’s selection of smaller field watches like the C5.

For me, this is an ideal watch for outdoor use. I’d wear it hiking, hunting, fishing, or camping as an everyday tool. It also looks great with jeans and a flannel or T-shirt. It might be a little tactical for dress use, but with the black finish, it’s pretty benign, however you wear it.

If you’re looking for a reliable field watch with a little more size and legibility than more traditional offerings, the Vaer C4 Tactical Field DLC Solar is a rock-solid choice.