Watches

[bobbysamd]

Breitlings

Breitlings are cool pilot watches, actually, with a rich tradition.

Wear it well, my friend.

 

[TriStar_drvr]

Timex Expedition works well for me. I use it just like the thread starter does. I put local time on the analog hands and I haven't missed a showtime yet. I put home time in time zone 1 in the digital window and I haven't made the mistake of calling my wife at 3:00 AM from some foreign country. Finally I put UTC in the second time zone in the digital window, and it comes in handy when filling out all of out UTC based paperwork. I compare the time to the GPS clock or get a time hack on the HF and it hasn't wavered in over a year.

It only cost me $25 at Target, so I don't care if it gets lost, broken, or stolen (a possibility in some of the places I go to). Finally, it doesn't scream pilot like a lot of the big expensive watches do. I'm proud of what I do, but I don't feel I have to advertise to the world what my occupation is when I'm off duty.

 

[Eagleflip]

I've got to vote with Medivacer on this one--the Citizen Navihawk has everything I need (with one exception).

The three alarms don't really mean much, but the digital time zones in addition to the normal analog display offer a good way of figuring out the what's and when's during transcon flights.

A big feature for me is the ability to switch instantly between a different time zone (in the digital section) and the analog. For example, when we fly to Long Beach from JFK, all I have to do to reset to local time is hit a couple of buttons and voila--Long Beach time on the analog display. Yeah, I know...simple pleasures for simple minds.

That way I know EXACTLY when we overflew the sound-sensitive houses at the end of the runway.

I don't use the E6B function much, but it is a handy way to figure out approximations to division problems and fuel burns. Plus, doing math on the watch freaks out most Captains and gives you something to talk about over the vast expanses of South Dakota and New Mexico. You also have a chrono and timer function, along with the standard calendar display.

Interestingly, I see this watch on a bunch of wrists at work, so I would only bet that it is a popluar watch amongst the masses; not too many folks on the board have evidently seen it, though.

The only drawback--no light. The hands are illuminated by a bit of luminous paint, but then again the Airbus cockpit is lit pretty well...

 

[Drifter]

Every good pilot should go out and buy the biggest watch they can find. Who cares what the features are? Because hey... big watches are cool and everybody will know that you are a superpilot without having to ask.
Ahh.. just kidding.
I vote for the Timex Expedition. I break and lose watches all the time so they are cheap to replace. Get one of those velcro wrist-straps too. They are worth it.

 

[dmspilot00]

Re: Luminox Stealth watch review

I've worn Timex watches for several years now. They always break on me. My first one was a simple analog and it randomly decided to stop working from time to time and then jump back to life. A new one I got -- the kind with the analog+digital window, died (the watch itself, not the battery) after 2 months and I was given a replacement. After about 1.5 years, that one stopped working, who knows why that time. I did love the combo of the analog and digital, and was obsessive-compulsive about having the seconds synchronized. Anyway I'm back to the original watch I've had for like four years and it has been working (miraculously) since the newer one died.

The most outstanding aspect of the watch, and what really sold me, is its luminescence. In other words, the hands and hour markers really do glow in the dark - at all times!

Hm, I'm not a fan of wearing radioactive materials on my wrist, but to each his own.

 

[I.P. Freley]

Timex and Omega

I am a huge fan of Swiss watches and own over half a dozen of them, but I don't and won't wear them to work. I wear a Timex. A Timex Expedition. It's my second in nine years, the old one having been retired because it had no backlight... The new one has the indiglo feature, so it's perfect for my needs. It also happens to be accurate to about 15 seconds per month, which when considering the outrageous lies we concoct for our in-times at the aerodrome, is close enough by far.

Good thing I didn't know that a "Timex is for beginners" and "not a real watch" when I got my second type rating... Otherwise, I might have been nervous that the check airman would have seen right through me.

So with all this talk about Breitlings, I can't believe there's been no mention of Omega. You want a REAL pilot watch? Get the Omega "Moon Watch". This is the only watch that's ever been on the moon, and still one of the very few approved for space flight by NASA. Breitling, Rolex, you name it, none of them are more rugged and accurate than the mechanical Omegas. If it was good enough to keep time on Apollo 13 when every other clock was out of service, it's good enough for you, too, no matter WHAT you fly.

Then again, you have to wind them every two days, they don't light up, and they cost over 2 grand when purchased from a legitimate source.

 

[ShawnC]

Re: Timex and Omega

they cost over 2 grand when purchased from a legitimate source.

You mean that my $20 Rolex that I bought in China Town wasn't legitimate?

 

[bobbysamd]

Omega

Good point, I.P. Freley, Omegas are good watches. I have a Seamaster chrono that I wore for years.

It's amazing where you can purchase fine watches these days. E.g., Costco! Several weeks ago, I saw a couple of Omega models at the Costco near us. I couldn't believe it! Anyway, here's a
link to the Costco watch page.

Once again, do lots of shopping and negotiating. Good luck with your choices.

 

[dav8or]

Check out Fortis

I will have a Breitling when I can finally decide on which one I like best, but I have also been looking at Fortis watch too.


Check them out

www.fortiswatch.com/

 

[azpilot]

This is a pretty good site for watches. You can spend as much or as little as you like. They have a huge selection.

http://www.hmewatch.com/cgi-bin/Web_store/web_store.cgi

Check Marvgolden.com as well. They have the Citizen's Blue Angel Watch for $75 less than HME. It pays to shop around. I agree with most others that a Timex Expedition will do just fine though.