Pilot Watches

[I.P. Freley]

Dare I ask how much a GMT cost in 1986? Maybe 1500-2000 at most?

 

[I.P. Freley]

I got the Omega Seamaster Chronometer, good watch, no problems, however, I would go for the Speedmaster, only watch worn on the moon you know.

If it is good enough for NASA it is good enough for that CLE-BFE leg

My only problem with a "Moon Watch" is that the crystal is plastic. Great for moon operations and in spacecraft where you don't want glass shards floating around if the crystal is broken, but not so good for everyday wear. Yes, I know, you can buff it out, but I prefer a sapphire crystal.

Omega makes several sapphire crystal versions of the Speedmaster, but the one I really want is the "original". And of course the original is still very expensive... Can't afford one these days.

 

[Icarus45]

Watches

Stay away from any fake Rolex. They are too obvious to tell (second hand clicks rather than smooth sweep). I find Citizen has some great watches for reasonable prices. But how should I know, I use my dive watch when I fly (Citizen Aqualand Duplex). It works just fine for both flying and diving

 

[bobbysamd]

Dork and wannabe watches

Breitlings are for dorks and wannabes.

If that is true, there are sure a lot of dorks and wannabes out there, because Breitling has no trouble selling watches.

Cartier is the original "aviation watch."

That's true, if you're talking about one hundred years ago.

I don't know why anyone in their right mind would buy an automatic watch. Quartz are much more accurate, much cheaper and practically no maintenance. Why in the world would anyone spend $400 bucks to get an automatic movement cleaned?

For one thing, mechanical watches only require maintenance every four to eight years. Do the division. The cost per year is not that dear. Further, with this maintenance and reasonable care, even moderately-priced mechanical watches will last for many years - unlike many quartz watches. Moreover, quartz watches have a nasty habit of stopping at the most inopportune times - such as my TAG-Heuer quartz-powered watch. I had to replace its movement at a cost of $300, and that movement went out. For this reason, mechanical watches are far more reliable than electric-powered watches.

Perhaps quartz watches may be more accurate, but even a moderately-priced mechanical watch can be regulated to within two to six seconds accuracy. COSC chronometer accuracy is -4 - +6 seconds. How much more accuracy do you really need?

Aside from the satisfaction and pride of owning a fine piece of machinery, these are just a few reasons why so many "dorks" and "wannabes" prefer mechanical watches over quartz.

 

[bobbysamd]

GMT-Master

I bought a Rolex GMT in 1986 and still wear it every day. It gives zulu time along with the time in my time zone. Probably the last watch I'll ever buy. As an investment it may be cheaper to buy a new Timex every year or two, but this 19 year old GMT is probably worth 70% of what it cost new in 86.

I would venture that it has held most of its value, if not having appreciated.

I have a GMT-Master. Great watch.

 

[Iron_Eagle]

It's all about the Citizen Skyhawk. Every time zone, awesome e6b, 3 alarms, chrono, timer, permenant UTC dial, etc. Not to mention a tough watch at that. Mine is over 5 years old with the original battery and has been in the ocean, at FL390, banged up, dropped, sat on, and everything else and it still looks brand new; not a scratch on the face or a blemish in the band.

The other cool watch, just with less function (but a helluva lot more form) is the Omega Speedmaster. Like someone above said, get the sapphire crystal version.

 

[bobbysamd]

Omega Moonwatch

I got the Omega Seamaster Chronometer, good watch, no problems, however, I would go for the Speedmaster, only watch worn on the moon you know.

If it is good enough for NASA it is good enough for that CLE-BFE leg

I have an Omega Speedmaster Professional, also known as the Moonwatch. I like it a lot. If you're reasonably careful, the Hesalite crystal is no impediment to its use. Accuracy on mine with regular use is +4.

I really like the "Flight Qualified By NASA For All Manned Space Missions - The First Watch Worn On The Moon" inscription on the back. There are some interesting (and cool) Moonwatch variants, such as the Gene Cernan version and from the Moon to Mars. I didn't know the latter existed until I found it just now while researching this post! Here is another picture of that Moonwatch.

This is one situation where purchasing from an authorized dealer is well advised. Once again, PM me for a dealer referral.