Watch Caps - The Essential Hat for Every Head

One of the most overlooked hats is the military designed watch cap which has been a military issued essential since the early 1900s. The watch cap was designed to give soldiers a close fitting cap to be worn while on watch duty, which is where the name watch cap was derived from.  Designed to keep your head warm yet not interfere with your visibility or hearing, watch caps are the perfect hat for use in virtually any outdoor activity.

Watch caps were originally made from 100% wool as there is no better insulator than natural wool.  Still to this day military-spec watch caps call for 100% wool construction, which leads to a wide offering of wool watch caps. Recognizing that some people are not comfortable wearing wool due to it being itchy against their skin, there have been a large number of watch caps produced using man-made synthetic fibers.  Watch caps available in both materials mean no matter what type you need, you're going to find it and chances are it will be in the color or camouflage pattern you want.

When you begin to learn the history of the watch cap you will begin to realize that there are many terms for watch caps. Some refer to them as beanies to avoid the connection to the military, but after WWII both collectors and enthusiasts have rallied around the term watch cap. From use by the Navy during WWII, the watch cap has become popular with everyone from tactical types to hikers and adventurers.  From enlisted sailor to underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau, the watch cap has been the cap of choice for both novice and experienced outdoorsmen and continues to be worn by civilians as streetwear accessories.