October is harvest time. OK, with climate change, that could now actually be December, but whenever you're going out there to bring in nature's bounty, you need a watch that is up to the task.

We at Watch500 live for this time of year. In part because we love a good field watch (and there will be field watches) and in part because we love this season. Leaves changing, days getting shorter, apple cider, the World Series for crying out loud. So let’s get at it! Here are five ‘country strong’ watches that you can wear confidently in the field (or in our case, the back garden).

A note. Four of these watches feature what were once called NATO straps. That term is now trademarked by a company called International Watchman Inc., who convinced the U.S. Patent Office that the most generic term in all of strapdom was theirs alone. Now, if you could actually buy NATO straps from them, we might mock them less.

But you can’t. And we wouldn’t.

We’re not quite sure what to make of the EDC thing. Keys, wallet, watch, OK we need those things; a pocket knife? Sure. A mini-flashlight, matches case, firearm, etc.? Come on now. We write about watches; it's not like we're hunting aliens with the Terminator, Apollo Creed, Jessie the Body and that bad guy from 48 Hours.

(Never have cultural references dated a writer more completely and so unforgivingly.)

But a good EDC watch is a good EDC watch, and the EDC2-B Tactical is an excellent one. Made by Ohio-based Weigand Custom Watches, an OEM that brought us, among others, the acclaimed Lum-Tec, this is a field watch you can wear with confidence. Forged steel, Miyota movement, 2.4mm crystal, a 'carry' worthy of ‘every day’, we believe.

40mm forged stainless steel case, 47.9 mm lug-to-lug, Miyota 2170 solar movement (with screw-down crown to keep the nasties out) and a NATO-curious strap.

So playa. You want to move seamlessly between the field (harvesting the fruits of the land) and dinner for two at the local bistro (to eat that harvest). So what about a watch that moves effortlessly between the amber waves of grain and your local brew pub?

Enter the Nodus Sector II. Titanium-tough (which also makes it light), and with a 38mm case width and 11mm depth, this watch will easily fit under a shirt cuff. This LA-based watch builder has attracted the attention of a few industry heavyweights, and hey! Who says a field watch can't be a GADA? (We're pretty sure no one has said that, but this watch proves the theory anyway.)

38mm titanium case, 47mm lug-to-lug; NH38 automatic movement, TecTuff rubber strap (that is a thing and it has nothing to do with NATO).

If you are like us, you realise, sadly, that any attempt to fix something, or harvest something, or do something physical, probably means we're going to break something as well: a window, a crop, a tool, a bone, our dignity. And the risk of course is that thing we break could be a watch.

Given the harvest theme (work!) and our innate clumsiness (nature!), prudence suggests choosing a tough watch. So say hello to the SteelX Solar. The tough comes from the steel case and solar quartz movement. It's also water-resistant to 200 meters, which seems altogether unnecessary for a watch built for land. You’ve got one rugged number here, and as we're making hay while the sun shines (so to speak), this watch is up to the task while it charges its battery. And it’s a terrific value as well.

44mm stainless steel case, 52mm lug-to-lug, nylon strap that is definitely not a NATO strap, Epson VX35A solar movement.

It's not that we want to play favourites, but in the case of the Heartlander, we can't help it. Featured in the last News from the GMT, Dryden is back. (And, full disclosure: our relationship with Dryden is as follows: we purchased one, loved it, asked Dryden if we could use their pictures, and they agreed. Also, we love burnt ends; Dryden is based in KC, the home of burnt ends. Synergy.)

We do have a point: timeless style, assembled and tested in their Kansas City studio, a 38mm case that everyone can wear, a choice of straps, and a Miyota engine. And look at that colour. This is as autumnal as an autumnal watch gets.

38mm stainless steel case, 46mm lug-to-lug, Miyota 9039 movement, stainless steel oyster bracelet (Rolex doesn't mind us using the term here), and a colour for any farmhand.

UK-based Elliot Brown (named after the founders Ian Elliot and Alex Brown describes their field watch in the most perfect way possible: a great field watch should do nothing more than tell the time. With the Arne, you get that, but you get an amazing backstory as well. The watch is named after the Arne Peninsula in Dorset, England. An important place in the UK’s war efforts, our word count doesn't allow us to do the story justice, but you can read about it on the EB Website by clicking here.

Of the Arne models (pronounced more like "on" than "Arnie", btw), we chose the 606-003, with its green ceramic dial and 'military webbing' strap (again, what we used to call NATO straps before again, that rando company in the US trademarked ‘NATO Straps’). The watch is shock-resistant to ISO 1413, so it can withstand a knock or two, which is particularly useful for a work watch.

38mm stainless steel case, 47mm lug-to-lug, ceramic dial, yet another nylon strap that is denying its existence as a NATO strap, Ronda 715 quartz movement.

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