Wristwatches are a vital part of life as they allow us to keep track of day and night, as well as special occasions and situations. While today’s smartphones also do the same job and a lot more for most people, it isn’t the best choice for an active referee on the soccer field. this article is all about Best Soccer Referee Watches available in the market.
Now there have been various types of multifunctional wristwatches available on the market for decades, with sports watches being one of the most popular choices in this product category. They are built to not only resist shocks and withstand extreme conditions but also give the users precise time-sensitive controls to make fair judgments on the field.
If you are a soccer referee, chances are you are in the market for a watch that features reliable and accurate timer functions, along with a rugged build that can endure rough usage for years. Fortunately, there is an ocean of them to choose from, but it also will take you a lot of time to find the perfect soccer watch.
However, you don’t need to worry about it as we have done all the research for you and included some of our top picks in this guide to the best soccer referee watches. We will ensure that you don’t miss a beat from the starting right to the finishing point!
List of Best Soccer Referee Watches to Buy
Whether you are refereeing in a local soccer club match, college competition, or a big-time professional soccer tournament, the below list contains the best soccer referee watch you can buy today to do your job at its best: Make the most critical decisions in the arena.
1. Casio W800H-1AV
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The W800H-1AV is one of the many legendary sports watches from Japanese company Casio, released way back in 2007. We included this well-known model for its exceptional durability, functionality, and a decade worth of battery life. These factors make it an ideal watch for both athletes and referees.
This all-black timepiece feels rugged and premium in hands due to the use of quality resin all around it, starting from the adjustable buckle clasp to its stationary bezel. The square-shaped monochrome dial face is covered by a mineral window that’s durable and scratch-resistant.
The digital display shows the usual date and time along with the month and weekday. The two tactile buttons on each side of the watch allow you to adjust the variables, switch between the stopwatch (1/100 second), countdown timer (1/10 second), and one-time alarm modes, toggle 12/24-hour clock, and turn on the LED backlight.
According to Casio, the W800H-1AV is water-resistant to 100 meters and has a battery life of ten years. The battery is a CR2025 lithium coin cell that’s also user-replaceable. All in all, the Casio W800H-1AV is the best referee watch for those on a budget.
2. Timex Ironman Classic 30 Full-Size 38mm Watch
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Timex’s Ironman series of watches are very popular among sportsmen, trainers, coaches, and referees due to their lightweight yet tough attributes. It’s a full-size resin strap watch with a large display and sports Timex’s iconic five-button navigation layout.
The black 18mm resin strap is durable and can fit up to eight inches of wrist circumference. Despite being light, the 40mm matte resin case is extremely tough and is available in various color accents. A robust acrylic lens covers the digital watch dial that also lights up when needed at night. There are in total five buttons laid out on the watch, with the primary one being a top pusher for easier reach.
This watch has a 100-hour chronograph with split and lap times. The lap counter maxes out at 99. It does also supports on-the-fly 30-lap and split memory recall. The Ironman Classic even has a 24-hour countdown/interval timer with separate stop and repeat options.
Some of the key features of the Ironman Classic 30 include the date, day, and month calendar, three individual time zone settings, and a military 24-hour mode. In addition, it allows you to set three customizable alarms and choose from fifteen preset occasions to set reminders. You can remove the modes you don’t use from the “Customize” menu too.
The watch is water-resistant to 100 meters, which is generally okay for swimming but not suitable for diving. It shouldn’t be a dealbreaker for at least field referees. Even with all these different modes and its Indiglo backlight functionality, the Ironman Classic 30 can go up to ten years straight without needing a battery replacement.
We love the Timex Ironman 30 for its versatility, and as a soccer referee, you would appreciate it too. It doesn’t even cost that much and is readily available in both offline shops and e-commerce websites.
3. Casio G-Shock GW6900-1 Tough Solar Sport Watch
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Casio’s “G-Shock” branded digital and analog watches are considered the most durable in the market, trusted by not only athletes and referees but also military and law enforcement personnel around the world. The G-Shock GW6900-1 is one of the best-selling watches in the series, and it is a very compelling choice in this list of best soccer referee watches for several reasons.
Firstly, this all-black, quartz digital watch comes in a shock-resistant, stainless steel case that protects the sensitive internal components against vibrations and impacts, whilst the mineral dial window keeps the watch face free from scuffs and scratches. The silicone band with buckle closure also keeps the watch firm on your wrists.
Secondly, the watch is rated for 20-bar water resistance, meaning you can wear it during swimming, water skiing, and even when taking a hot bath in the shower. And lastly, it has a built-in solar recharging system that converts light from any source into energy and keeps the watch alive when utilizing high-load functions.
Speaking of functions, the G-Shock GW6900-1 uses Casio’s Multi-Band 6 atomic timekeeping technology, offering automatic time correction pretty much wherever you travel in the world. Other features include world time, daily alarms with snooze functionality, 48-city world time, and 12/24-hour time formats.
Despite the use of dense and premium materials, the watch is compact and only weighs 63 grams, so it’s far from being a burden on your wrist. There’s also a bright LED backlight behind the watch face that lets you see it in darker environments.
Overall, the Casio G-Shock GW900-1 is an excellent referee watch that will serve you well even in the harshest conditions on the soccer fields. It comes with Casio’s 1-year limited warranty too.
4. Seiko Ultrak 510 Soccer and Referee Watch
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The Ultrak 510 from Seiko is an affordable sports watch designed specifically for soccer referees for monitoring soccer timings.
The small-sized, electro-luminescent backlight display features three different programmable parameters at the same time: A primary soccer timer with the stoppage timer, a secondary stopwatch that works at 1/100-second accuracy, and an additional programmable countdown timer. It can also show the time of day just like a regular watch.
With this watch, you can track the time spent outside the playtime like half time, corner time, substitutions, penalty shots, foul plays, VAR analysis, etc. Plus, the countdown timer gives a 30-second warning before the counter gets to zero. When that happens, the timer also starts counting up in case you need to add extra time at the end of the game.
Although the watch face is a bit on the smaller side, the backlight is bright enough to easily view the data in low-light conditions. The watch itself is so lightweight that you would barely feel it on your wrist. The all-plastic construction contributes to its weightlessness, but it doesn’t feel cheap or cause skin irritations. The casing is water-resistant but we wouldn’t recommend jumping in a water body wearing it.
The Ultrak 510 is slightly expensive than the Casio W800H-1AV, but it offers overall better features and functionalities for soccer referees. If you happen to be refereeing in a professional soccer championship, this is undoubtedly the better option.
5. Robic SC-591 Referee Watch
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If you are looking for the best soccer referee watch at a cheaper price, the Robic SC-591 is worth checking out. It’s a suitable choice for not only refereeing soccer matches but also other timed sporting events like basketball, football, lacrosse, volleyball, etc.
The Robic SC-591 features two independent timers, one of which counts down from full minutes and is ideal for game time. The other one counts up in 1/100 seconds, which is useful for add-on time in soccer. It is designed and developed to provide accurate and precise game timing whenever you need it.
The SC-591 has a jet-black, all-plastic casing that doesn’t have really win any awards in terms of design, but it’s lightweight, rugged, and keeps the internals safe from extreme weather conditions. The rubber straps keep the watch firm on your wrists and prevent it from sliding.
This particular watch is also good at being a regular watch, showing the time of day and giving you access to alarm and calendar functions. The watch face lights up on a button press for night-time viewing. It uses a standard, user-replaceable CR-2032 lithium cell that can endure months of regular usage.
If you prefer watches with a circular face, the Robic SC-591 is an excellent alternative to the Ultrak 510 referee watch. The only caveats are the mushy-feeling buttons and not-so-decent viewing angles, but the affordable price tag should justify the purchase.
6. Fossil Gen 5 Garrett HR
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The final option in this list is a fifth-gen Fossil smartwatch, which works like a good ol’ timepiece but also includes all the features of an Android smartphone: Downloadable apps, Activity tracking, hands-free calls, contactless NFC payments, and more.
The Garrett HR sports the look of a classy analog chronograph watch with its chunky 46mm stainless steel frame and prominent indices around the bezel; a style that sportsmen and referees are drawn to. The case is rated for 3 ATM water resistance.
There are three clicky buttons on the right side – a textured, rotating digital crown for UI scrolling and interactions, as well as two regular push buttons programmable as shortcuts to user-preferred functions.
The 22mm quick-release silicone strap is interchangeable and it sits very comfortably on the wrist, unlike leather and metal-link bands. The watch itself is also very lightweight and doesn’t protrude at all.
The bright and circular 3.2 cm AMOLED screen on the front is one of the most attractive aspects of this watch, producing rich colors and crisp texts like no other smartwatches in the same price range. It does support the always-on display feature that tells you time without leaving any noticeable impact on the battery life.
The Garrett HR runs Wear OS, which is basically a stripped-down version of Android designed to run on smartwatch hardware. The use of the latest Snapdragon 3100 chip, 1 GB RAM, and 8 GB internal storage makes navigation smooth and snappy.
This Fossil watch only comes with a handful of pre-installed software, but you can install more from the Play Store. This is the part where you get to turn it into an advanced soccer referee watch by installing the REFSIX app. It helps referees record and track key match incidents during games without much effort, including but not limited to goals, substitutions, game time, injury time, cautions, dismissals, etc. The app even measures various data points during the match and provides you with insightful data charts and heatmaps.
It’s also an accomplished sports watch thanks to the vast array of on-device sensors. You can track all your health-related data in the Google Fit app, including calorie burns, steps count, heart rate, cardio levels, sleep, and more. The inclusion of GPS on the watch also tracks covered path and distance.
Like most Wear OS smartwatches, the Garrett HR only has mere 24-hour battery life. If you can overlook its only drawback, this fifth-gen Fossil smartphone is a serious tool for soccer referees.
Choosing the Right Soccer Referee Watch
One of the most vital aspects of being a soccer referee is to keep precise track of the time spent on the pitch. Thus, you must choose a sports watch that has all the essential time-tracking features so that you can make the correct decisions and regulate fair play.
There are a few factors to consider when purchasing a soccer referee watch, which goes as follows:
Durability
Whether it’s an intense soccer match or harsh weather conditions, a sports referee watch has to be super durable and withstand all sorts of abuse without failing at the most crucial moments.
Fortunately, every best referee watch on the above list offer a rugged, shock-resistant casing that is also resistant to sweat and water, making them ideal choices for both referees and players.
Multi-functional capabilities
If you decide to buy a particular sports watch, make sure it does have features like a chronograph, stopwatch, countdown timer, memory recall, alarm, and activity tracking.
It should also have tactile buttons that are easy to reach and make navigation between the different modes intuitive. A large LED-backlit watch face is a must-have for perfect visibility under floodlights and in darker conditions.
Our picks for the best soccer referee watches, including the Ultrak 510 and Robic SC-591, provide almost all these functionalities at reasonably affordable price points.
Battery life
Luckily, most sports watches on the market use lithium coin cells like the Panasonic CR2032, which has a very low self-discharge and a life expectancy of up to ten years under ideal conditions.
When the time comes, you should be able to replace the empty battery with a new one from a watchmaker’s shop and continue using the referee watch for years to come.
However, if you choose to buy a modern smartwatch like the Fossil Gen 5 Garrett HR for your refereeing job, you need to keep it charged on a regular basis. This is because smartwatches use capable mobile hardware that consumes significantly more power than a typical quartz watch.
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Conclusion
These are our picks for the best soccer referee watches to buy this year. Our buying guide contains sports watches that are built to last and can make your refereeing much easier; thanks to several important perks like multi-function modes, non-intrusive design, backlit display, and extreme weather resistance. Whatever you are looking for in a sports watch, you will definitely find them in one of the options highlighted in the list above. We are also here in case you have any feedback and suggestions to offer to us!
