What is the best aviation watch (Zulu time)?

[cezzna]

With cell phones slaved to the GPS time, everytime you turn it on who needs a watch? In our department, less than 50% of the pilots even wear a watch anymore. If I had to wear one it would be one of those new Casio slaved to the atomic time models. If you have a cellphone, you don't need a watch. If you have both, think of your watch as being the turn/slip instrument. Cellphone battery runs out, you're partial panel now.

 

[hiflyer731]

Check out the Suunto line. They are big in the marine world. I have the Vector i think it is. It has altimeter, baromoter, thermometer, compass, stopwatch, and i think i finally figured out how to tell time. The one i have doesn't have dual times, but i know some versions do.

 

[GVFlyer]

I see that you aren't any better at finance than you are at deciphering indirect commumication[sic].

OK, first off $2500 today isn't worth anywhere near $2500, 20 years ago. If you use the Bureau of Labor statistics' Consumer Price Index, you'll find that it's worth about $1359, so right off the bat you've lost $1141. Now, having your money tied up in a wach[sic ] has a cost. It used to be that oppotunity [sic] cost was one of those things they taught in the first week of freshman economics, don't they do that any more? If you had invested that $2400 in a mutual fund which showed an average return of 8% PA, the value of the mutual fund now would be $12,317, so without mixing in your loss due to inflation, it cost you $9,817 to wear that watch on your wrist. (even at 5% interest, your cost is still about $4200) So yeah, it cost you a fair amount of money to own jewlery[sic

Thanks for your concern for my financial well-being and the economics refresher. Yes, I understand about inflation, the time value of money and the concept of economic opportunity loss. I think, perhaps, you need to recall the idea of marginal utility and Adam Smith’s “paradox of water and diamonds”.

In spite of my financial ineptitude, I’ve managed to build a seven figure brokerage account, a mid six figure 401K, maintain a vacation home on Hilton Head Island, acquire the benefits of two defined benefit pension plans and am working a couple of 1031 exchanges. Can you imagine what I might have accomplished had I known what I was doing?

Even if you intentionally placed yourself in a situation where accurate time was critical; say you're sailing around the world, and making it a point of pride to navigate solely by astronomic means, not using GPS, or even using the time capabilities of a GPS receiver, and even eschewing using a broadcast time standard, you would still be far better off by taking three $50 quartz watches and a supply of batteries than a $4500 chonometer[sic, as the time from the quartz watches would be much more accurate, and the redundancy would provide much more reliability. (3 watches would provide cross checking with a tie-breaker when one started to lose time)

You realize, of course, the absurdity of your suggestion, right? Additionally, not every thing I fly has a reliable panel clock, so while wearing a wristwatch might be practical, wearing three is not.

Let's be honest, you weart[sic] an expensive piece of jewelry because you like to wear an expensive piece of jewelry. So you like expensive jewelry, nothing wrong with that, I suppose. When you start trying to rationalize it as a necessity, you fail, and you make yourself look silly in the process.

While I might like expensive jewelry, I don’t know how you consider stainless steel professional watches such as the Omega SeaMaster GMT and Rolex GMT Master as such. They’re tools. One’s a dive watch, the other a pilot’s watch.


The Rolex GMT was developed for PanAm's Juan Trippe by Rolex working in conjunction with PanAm Captain Frederick Libby (a decorated World War II veteran and one of the airlines most respected navigators) for use by PanAm cockpit crews. Initially they were free issue to the crews. So the watch has a long history with pilots.

I buy watches with discretionary income, in some cases their appreciation in value has made it relatively inexpensive to upgrade. In all cases I’ve enjoyed their ownership. My Omega Flightmaster is worth over 1000% more than I paid for it. And the watches are reliable, what initially provided me the impetus to buy my first Rolex was that I had a Seiko quit on me while I was logging combat time.


Being designed for our line of work, they are convenient and easy to use. For instance, the Quickset feature that allows me to quickly change just the hour hand to a new time zone without affecting the time or the minute/second/GMT hands is something I use daily.



Using your line of reasoning I should never buy a Porsche, a BMW or a Mercedes, because a used Chevy will do. My 5,500 square foot home is certainly overkill when a trailer would give me shelter. What good is money if you can’t buy anything with it?



GV

 

[A Squared]

Using your line of reasoning I should never buy a Porsche, a BMW or a Mercedes, because a used Chevy will do. My 5,500 square foot home is certainly overkill when a trailer would give me shelter. What good is money if you can’t buy anything with it?

First, spare us the tiresome bragging about the size of your home, bank account and other symbols of wealth. It's shallow and tacky by any measure, and doesn't impress me in the least. (although it does fit well with your *need* to wear a multi-thousand dollar watch.)

Now, go back and read my posts. I never said you shouldn't have a rolex, if that's what strokes you ego. In fact I explicitly stated that you *should* own one, if you want to, and can afford it.

Here, I'll help you out, as you obviously missed it in your reading:

"It makes you feel good for whatever reason. Fine, I'm cool with that. It's your money, and presumably you're not starving your kids to buy the watch."

Nor would I presume to tell you the you shouldn't have a Porsche, or Bimmer, or some other automotive display of wealth. That's fine. I wouldn't mind a Porsche myself. For that matter, I wouldn't mind a Swiss watch either. I'm not against them, I just don't want one badly enough to spend that kind of money on a watch or a car. If you do, knock yourself out. However, don't try to justify it as a necessity.

 

[Mercury]

Wow, what a discussion.......I cant remember who said it (not gonna re-read this whole thread) but, To each his own. Whether its German sportscars, Swiss watches, fancy Italian shotguns or the latest greatest flat screen tv who gives a rats a$$. If it makes you happy and you can afford it then by all means have at it!!!!!! I know grown men who are still too cheap to own a cell phone but will drop $1k at a time on pieces for a train set......Whatever makes ya happy!

 

[GVFlyer]

Wow, what a discussion.......I cant remember who said it (not gonna re-read this whole thread) but, To each his own. Whether its German sportscars, Swiss watches, fancy Italian shotguns or the latest greatest flat screen tv who gives a rats a$$. If it makes you happy and you can afford it then by all means have at it!!!!!! I know grown men who are still too cheap to own a cell phone but will drop $1k at a time on pieces for a train set......Whatever makes ya happy!

Thanks, Mercury. You get it.

I have established a sufficient estate to endow my children, I tithe, make charitable contributions and I have it on pretty good authority that I can't take the rest with me, so I think it's probably okay to buy things and do things that improve quality of life for me and my family.


GV



Happy Holidays!

 

[A Squared]

Thanks, Mercury. You get it.

Yep, he get's it, the only one not getting it is you, who apparently still thinks I said somthing contradictory to what Mercury just wrote. If you had read for comprehension, you would have noticed that I never said you *shouln't* have a rolex (go back and look, it's not there) what I've said is that it's inane to attempt to justify it as a necessity, as you have repeatedly attempted to do. Not sure how much more clearly I can state the point you keep missing.

 

[JimNtexas]

I started to tease GVFlyer about how he spends his discretionary income, then I realized that I spend my discretionary income on airplanes.

That makes him a financial genius compared to me, so nevermind.

 

[GVFlyer]

First, spare us the tiresome bragging about the size of your home, bank account and other symbols of wealth. It's shallow and tacky by any measure, and doesn't impress me in the least. (although it does fit well with your *need* to wear a multi-thousand dollar watch.) ...Nor would I presume to tell you the you shouldn't have a Porsche, or Bimmer, or some other automotive display of wealth.

You don't get it. It's the utility of the item that gives it value to me - it's not posessing something, it's using it.

I like operating fast airplanes, fast boats, fast motorcycles and fast cars (although some might take exception to the car statement, I've gone from a 911, to a M3, to a Honda S2000). I like using precision made items whether it's Swiss timepieces, Nikon cameras, Leica binoculars or Perazzi shotguns. I appreciate their craftmanship and how well they function at the task they were designed to perform.

I think hobbies are restorative, so I engage them as directly as I do work.

The only exception to this general philosophy was in the purchase of my primary residence, it's larger than I need. I have daughters, so I bought a house with five bathrooms (which at times seems to be inadequate). I'm sure that anyone else with daughters understands.



GV

 

[aucfi]

Ive worn a Citizen Skyhawk on my wrist for the past 6 years and have never had to change the battery. It has taken a beating and still looks and works great. I keep "UTC" in the window and can easily see what the Zulu time is. When this watch dies (if ever) I will replace it with another because it has been such a good one.