A shiny Breitling for my cockpit me thinks

[Nath]

It has to be a Breitling but which one... too many to choose from.
Any ideas?

[Melchett01]

Or why not be different and go for something that is a bit more individual - TAG do some cracking watches. That's what I'd go for personally if I had 3 grand to blow on a watch, but that's just me.

[Lafyar Cokov]

Breitling do some 'special edition' watches - they have just done an interesting one for a well know helicopter Sqn based at a secret air station in East Oxfordshire - I think there are a couple available for re-sale....

[Pontius Navigator]

Breitling looks good but how far could you manage in E&E with that damn weight on your wrist, especially if it has a built in 121.5 tx?

I have a Casio titanium eco-drive (not batteries) only 97 gms and the MOST accurate watch I have ever owned. This bugger is on better than a second per year.

Stopwatch, 12 hour and 24 hour analogue, separate (but linked) digital, and even a nav slide rule with the conversions.

[Nath]

Special addition ones... wouldnt sell mine on if I had one.
Just how special are they?

[KENNYR]

I have just recently purchased a Breitling for Bentley chronograph. The thing weighs a ton but keeps excellent time and the slide rule is pretty accurate.
You dont need a set of weights when you wear this beast !! The only drawback is that it has an automatic system so that if it is off your wrist for any length of time you have to set it all up again. I could of course purchase a watch winder but at what cost ??!!

[maximo ping]

Not quite special enough to do your addition for you...
:ok:

Limited production run featuring Sqn crest or other image in the 3 o'clock position, often at a decent price to those commissioning them.

[Daf Hucker]

Forget the Breitling - when are we going to get an issue a watch that is actually useful? (Accurate, dual time - Z & Local, Alarm, day/date). For the fortune the issue Seiko costs, to tell you the time and possibly the date, the MOD could issue Casio watches with all of the above to everybody in the forces!

[aviate1138]

Instead of mass produced watches I would suggest the hand made
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore collection.
http://www.audemarspiguet.com/en/timepieces/sport_ie.html?collection=1
Serious piece of kit IMHO. eBay has a number on auction.
Aviate1138

[kmagyoyo]

DONT get a freaking Aerospace, every Man and his dog has one... If you've got a big enough wrist the B1 and or 2 is a nice watch. I ran with the Transocean myself and it keeps about 1" a month :8

[threepointonefour]

B1

Pros

1. You get used to the size.
2. It's got 3 digital time zone displays - 'watch' (same as the analogue display) time, second time zone and a separate UTC display.
3. It has 2 (loud) alarms - one for each of the 2 digital time zones
4. (get this Aerospace owners) IT HAS A BACKLIGHT ... AND NO STUPID TIME BEEPER
5. If you get the black face and turn the display off, it's difficult to see the digital part at all... it looks like an analogue watch.
6. It has a circular slide rule around the edge - I sometimes even use it!!

(caveat to 4 above - I believe that a new aerospace is in the pipeline, which will have a backlight!)

Con

1. It works to Breitling time ... as they all do (though since a £150 service/battery replacement mine keeps near perfect time)

__
pi

[southside]

Pros

1. You get used to the size.
2. It's got 3 digital time zone displays - 'watch' (same as the analogue display) time, second time zone and a separate UTC display.
3. It has 2 (loud) alarms - one for each of the 2 digital time zones
4. (get this Aerospace owners) IT HAS A BACKLIGHT ... AND NO STUPID TIME BEEPER
5. If you get the black face and turn the display off, it's difficult to see the digital part at all... it looks like an analogue watch.
6. It has a circular slide rule around the edge - I sometimes even use it!!

(caveat to 4 above - I believe that a new aerospace is in the pipeline, which will have a backlight!)


Cons


1. Its a Breitling.

[Vulture]

Try a Revue Thommen, Titanium, chrono Quartz. I've tried Breitlings, Omegas, Rolex, Seiko, Casio etc. Revue Thommen make aircraft Instruments so their pedigree is sound. I bought one of their black-faced Quartz chronos about 6 months ago and I think it's an almost perfect aviator's watch. I especially like the 4th hand (red) which counts elapsed minutes when chrono timing. It is so easy to read and makes holds etc a little less frantic.

[Onan the Clumsy]

I believe that a new aerospace is in the pipeline, which will have a backlight
My $27 Timex has a backlight :}

[BEagle]

Had my Aerospace for nearly 11 years now. One of the titanium face pre-italicised numerals, pre-'repetition minutes' versions, with the numerals in the same titanium nitride gold colour as the bezel pointers and strap highlights.

Only aspect I don't consider particularly good is the alarm volume which is too quiet for deaf old aircrew.

Whilst chatting with the Breitling folk at RIAT last year, they showed me a picture of the forthcoming backlight model - a worthwhile improvement.

If you do a google search, you can find some Aerospace models available secondhand in 'as new' condition for less than £1K.

[Saabassta]

I thought the military frowned on bling watches, heres a nice one that does the job Damasko DC-66

http://www.timefactors.com/images/dc66-19.jpg

or if you have a bit more to spend buy the IWC MKX Flieger Chronograph

[Tiger_mate]

Breitling looks good but how far could you manage in E&E with that damn weight on your wrist

Have you seen the size of the new Aircrew issue watch now made by Pulsar?

[Pontius Navigator]

Tiger Mate, no, but does it have a torch and radio in it ?:)

I like the other image, as well as deaf we also get blind and its a PITA having to put ones specs on just to see the little numbers.

Saw a brill watch stateside at Christmas, wish I had had the courage to ask the price. Only digital, back face, yellow numbers, Breitling size. Perfect. It might have had an alarm but I couldn't hear it.:\

[Onan the Clumsy]

Here's a picture of me wearing that Damasko...


http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/onan_the_clumsy/big-watch-with-arm.jpg

[VigilantPilot]

Has anyone actually used a wrist watch in a cockpit, aside from checking the cockpit clock is correct?

The Breitling selling point of having more numbers on a dial than you can shake a stick at is humorous. How about their circular slide rules!? Maybe I don't have enough capacity!

[threepointonefour]

Has anyone actually used a wrist watch in a cockpit, aside from checking the cockpit clock is correct?

Yep. Regularly.

The Breitling selling point of having more numbers on a dial than you can shake a stick at is humorous.

I'm not sure that lots of numbers is their selling point?! I've yet to see another brand commit to producing relatively small numbers of customised watches (Red Arrows, BBMF, Pilot/Nav brevets, Sqn crests etc) at prices well below the RRP. I'm not a rep, but most other brands are no different to Breitling and it's true that a £10 digital would be as reliable and accurate, so those aren't the reasons 'we' look at Breitling/Rolex etc. I think some of the Navitimers are beautifully designed timepieces - fussy, but very nice nontheless.

How about their circular slide rules!? Maybe I don't have enough capacity!

I sometimes use it when planning, and when flying in slower aircraft. I agree it's not much use at 420kts, but I'm fairly sure Breitling didn't design it for that use.

If you want non-fussy, then look at the range from Tutima (German) - they're a bit too much like the RAF Seikos for my liking.

I think you 'knock' too quickly ...

[Pontius Navigator]

Just a thought, the slide rule is only really of use if you are away from your nav bag and you have brain stall.

If you are fast jet just think, 180gms of wristwatch at 7 g is, let me see - 18 against 10, look at 7 on the inner ring and it is 1250 on the outer. Now in English that is 12.5 on the outer against 10 on the inner then read against 22 on the inner is 274 on the outer.

Now where were we? Oh yes, somewhat over a kilo under 7 g, or about 3 lbs.

Just don't try and look at your Breitling under 7gs.

[threepointonefour]

Now where were we? Oh yes, somewhat over a kilo under 7 g, or about 3 lbs.
Just don't try and look at your Breitling under 7gs.

Seems a valid point but Breitling supply the RAF's display crews with a selection of Breitlings inc B1 and Emerg. I've certainly looked at mine under 5g+ (not the slide rule though!!!).

[Onan the Clumsy]

I thought that the new Breitlings had a special feature built into the wristbands that squeezed the wrist under hi g loads...

[VigilantPilot]

What about issue watches? I have never been sure why the navs get the seiko, whereas pilots get....the pulsar. It wasn't even so bad when it was the CWC G10 - they were at least half decent and fairly robust. The pulsar hand never ticks to the indices, it always needs hacking at met, if you shake it you can see the hands wobble....

[Confucius]

Aerospace of course!
Metallic strap, naturally :ok:

They are a bit common nowadays, aren't they?

[TheBeeKeeper]

Has anyone read the small print about these watches? Like accuracy??? I am pretty sure that it's something like plus or minus 8 seconds per day! Yes, they look very cool, but at that price, you'd expect some kind of accuracy closer to the 1 second per day!

TBK

[Onan the Clumsy]

What I want to know is whether or not they can perform the important task of contraception as described in the film If

Apparently the procedure was to strap the watch around the base of the manroot for a while and let the radiation from the phospherous kill off all the little swimmers.

Great idea, but where would I get a big enough strap?

[DME MILOS]

My Omega Seamaster is really nice, no bells and whistles but tough as old boots and fearsomely accurate, oh and it looks good too! :cool:

[Pontius Navigator]

The BeeKeeper my Citizen SkyHawk does 1 second per year, or better, that good enough?

[ShyTorque]

Nath, are you a pilot? If so,

A). Go to watch shop.

B). Hold out watch.

C). Hold out willy.

If B) is bigger than C), buy it.

It's easy. :E

[kmagyoyo]

Guess you have one of those lady's G-shocks then Shytorque :E

[ShyTorque]

No, a sundial! ;)

[Nath]

Well, the Breitling watches are pretty big... ;)

[Safety_Helmut]

Nath, or, judging by the question, should that be Naff ? Take a long, cold, hard look at them, they look awful ! They may be well made, they may be great time pieces, but they're just overpriced bling !

Just my worthless opinion of course.

S_H

[BEagle]

The biz......

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/nw969/aero.jpg

Discrete elegance with functionality.

[FJJP]

I got a Casio digital [£14], rated down to 30m underwater. It's my third in 20 years. This one gains about a second per week - is this good enough for flying/navigational accuracy?

Or should I spend £humungous on an omigod huge Breitling that keeps Breitling time?

[spekesoftly]

..............

I have a Casio titanium eco-drive (not batteries) only 97 gms and the MOST accurate watch I have ever owned. This bugger is on better than a second per year.

Are you sure about the make? Could that be Citizen, not Casio?

[KENNYR]

FJJP, and there was I, thinking that you had recently come into possession of said Breitling.......tsk........must be mistaken !!!! The only problem with the Breitling that I have obtained is that it has an automatic winding system. Any length of time off my wrist means reseting everything. The watch winders available on the market are close to £100 (for a decent one).

[BEagle]

If your self-winding wrist needs some exercise, see Navaleye's piccies of Gabrielle Drake in the 'Television in FI - what format?' thread......:E

[The Rocket]

I personally favour the Rolex SeaDweller. Very smart, not too flashy, and an outstanding timekeeper.

Also the most waterproof watch in the world. :8

Which may come in handy one day, you never know:p :p

[Onan the Clumsy]

Beags, is that your own photo? Strange if it's a promo shot cos (1) the bezel is rotated and (2) the hands aren't at nine minutes to two (or nine past ten)

Most unmilitary.

[Dan Winterland]

Have a look at www.wernersflyingwatches.com

[BEagle]

No, Onan-t-C, it is very similar to mine (except that mine also has small numerals on the bezel, a triangular rather than straight luminous mark at the '12', plus a different style of bracelet) - the closest image I could find. The numerals on mine are also in titanium nitride 'gold' colour rather than what I think is luminous green. This one is, I think, a slightly earlier model?

It came from e-bay. The picture, that is....

[ProfessionalStudent]

The Chronomat is good. Not too big, not too expensive and relatively discreet. Had mine now for 6 years and v pleased (they do keep Bruteling time but gives you an excuse to play with it every Met Brief!!). Thought about the Aerospace but everyone's got one and I wanted an automatic movement.

Also looked at IWC. Beautiful watches but chose the Bruteling as it's sturdy enough to wear every day and for every occasion. I just don't believe in spending massive wonga on a watch and have it sitting in the bedside cabinet except at weekends. You must be able to wear it all the time without worrying about it getting scuffed and scratched. Only time I haven't worn it is during survival exercises (too much weight to carry...!).

Waiting for the quotes ie.

Posted by ProfessionalStudent

"I just don't believe in spending massive wonga on a watch.":ok:

[MrBernoulli]

I, too, favour the Citizen Skyhawk Titanium with Eco-drive. Prior to that I had the Citizen Navihawk. Both very similar - dual analog and digital time, 2 alarms, 30 time zones. Very accurate and easy to use. Street price about £300 and £220 respectively. The Skyhawk is also available in a cheaper but heavier stanless steel version. See http://www.citizenwatch.com/CUK/English/technicalinfo.asp?caliber=C650&ModelNumber=JR3060-59F

Breitling - overrated and WAY overpriced. No wristwatch is worth that amount.

[Bright-Ling]

I have had a few, inc the Aerospace which is nice and light in titanium, but have settled with a Blackbird as my fave (Basically from the Chronomat Range)

http://content.atlantictime.com/Uploads/Products/MediumImages/732%20UTC.jpg

Avoid the secondary compass/watch on the strap - looks a bit an@1 to me!