Why I can't get a new aircrew watch!
 

This week I went to stores, to try and get my watch battery replaced. I was told that it would be impossible to do this, and that the watch would have to be sent away to be serviced. They had no idea how long it would take, and I was advised to go into town and buy a new battery. When I asked if I could have a new watch, I was told (of course) that there were none in stock.

This week I also went to a neighbour's Christmas Party. I happened to meet a civvy chap wearing a Nav watch (looking rather shiny). I had no idea who he was, but on chatting to him, it transpired that he was a supplier who worked in the stores at my base. Interestingly, he had no idea who I was, or what I did/ where I worked. He then proceeded to tell me what a doss his job was, how he did nothing all day and how much 'gear' he could get hold of.

Is it any wonder we can't get hold of the kit we need?

W***er.

Unfortunately the State of the Nation nowadays. Most people on the take or bent as bananas.
Bet he had black socks and a black tie on too. Probably spends all day at 'work' selling the stock on Ebay
A F:mad: ing disgrace :8

They made me hand mine back in! No signature without the watch or payment. Didn't fancy over £60 for a watch that looses a minimum of second a day!

Tis the way unfortunately with non uniformed supply.

Look - its been said before. On retirement, I had to hand the thing back - and on my lunching out in a very old and small Fleet Street pub(no RAF Mess dining-out from an MoD tour), I was presented with a framed certificate of the receipt from 'Uxbridge'. Last night, in my local pub, a very old, and drunk, ex-headmaster was sporting the said watch. I, of course, was wearing my Rolex.

Whilst I don't disagree with the sentiment (blanket stackers have always been able to get hold of stuff they weren't entitled to), why do we have watches that are supplied by the military anyway? What is so special about these watches?

I seem to recall previous threads complaining about how they gain/lose time, and how so many people elect to go for Breitling/Rolex/Swatch watches instead.

Hi Gang;

Why do you want an aircrew watch anyway...

They look ugly
The strap is Cr*p
It doesn't wake you up down route
(Non Nav) versions don't have date or stopwatch
They don't keep right time very well (IMO)

Or are you off for a night out in Donny and need one to impress...don't forget to put a large Day-Glo 'Z' on the face.

When I was at Finningley, I couldn't get one....all the Navs had them!!!

Regards to Most
SFS:cool:

A few years ago I bought a Copy Rolex off the Lucky Lucky man, then one day coming from Yuma to El Centro I had to adjust the time one hour from Arizona to California time.
The small knob came off in my hand and I chucked it into the rubbish bin at The Ramada in EC.
I needed another watch ASAP so I went to the supermarket and bought a Casio with plastic strap for 99 cents or similar.
Last week I opened a rarely opened draw at home and there was the Casio, yes, still working and still keeping good time, must have been there 3or 4 years.:cool:

Same old story here then!!
I have a nav watch, the sub scale hands all give the wrong times and the scond counter does not reset to 12. They are crap watches but for some reason the Nav watch retails in the shops for an amazing 250!!
However it is very annoying for people who are entitled to one and wish to have one but cant because some other muppet has it. Bit like coppers and flying gloves as well ;)

Hate to be the one to disagree but mine works very well, keeping accurate time for well over 2 weeks at a time. And yes, I am entitled...

Guess mine must be a Friday afternoon watch then:sad:

Door Slider,

Don't know if your nav watch is the same style as mine, but if you pull the 'winder' out half a click, you might find you can use the buttons to reset the start point of the sub-scales and the second hand counter.

D4R

stores stores stores
 

although we arent quite military !!! our stores complex are just the same.

being a flying rozzer i cant get down to stores cos it grounds the aircraft. on the rare occaision of unscheduled maintenance i go to the stores for some new kit.

told i wont be seen without an appointment, explain why i cant book an appointment and that i have done the 45 mile round trip with other errands to minimise disruption and loss of air support to the force. tough ti**y storeperson replies.

all our equipment is special order so they dont have anything in stock. what seems like 2 years later, special item arrives at stores, delivered through the internal police post naturally everything goes missing (some fool thinking it would be cool to have a flying suit (sad i know). some goon running around salford in 2 of my flying suits and a leather flying jacket. probably walking round on the beat knowing some of them!!£"$£$£

door slider i presume u mean raf coppers gettin all your flying gloves? (i think im entitled to mine)

was funny on one occaision at stores though, chap next in line witnesses store persons being unhelpful and highlighting disruption to patrol officers duties. sends him away after 15 minutes jobsworth speech with a form to complete (along with req. form) to book appointment. next chap in the line....

stores : "you got an appointment mate?"

punter "erm no sorry im new"

stores : "then i cant see you, or supply any equipment.
take this form and ask your boss to sign it"

punter : "i dont have a boss who can sign it. shall i just sign it
myself"

stores "sorry mate. you need a supervisor to sign that for you
otherwise i wont give you a thing. no boss??? where
are you based at?"

punter : "erm headquarters.....im your NEW CHIEF CONSTABLE!"


strangely enough, received full issue of kit within minutes, although they would only let him have one hat when he asked for two. apparently on the job spec form its says one hat. !!!

you got to love the storeman!!!

merry christmas all, and if ur flying.....be safe.


TFC

Do aircrew watches have a "life" on them?

The reason that I ask is that I do not know where mine is, and that has been the case for several years now. Will the RAF still wan t mine back after 22 years, or will they charge me for it when I leave?

As for these watches costing £250, I totally agree with J bloke, they look crap, in particular, and I never used to wear mine anyway. Perhaps I have already returned mine to stores several years ago?

Flying Cop, yes i'm on about RAF coppers!! However just the ones you see on the gate wearing them. Some on TPW who do actually do alot of flying thats fair enough.
D4R thanks will try, fingers crossed it works or the watch gets it

Watches, is that all?
 

If a watch is the only thing you can’t get then listen to this. After WW 2 the US Coast Guard took possession of a US Navy Air Station in Traverse City, Michigan. There were brand new PBYs on the tarmac and the tech stores were chock full of all the technical kit issued to pilots and flight crew. The CG personnel were salivating since their gear was mainly hand-me-downs from the Navy. Instead or turning all of this material over to the Coast Guard the Navy chopped the tails off of the aircraft and they dug a deep hole in the ground and placed brand new summer and winter flying gear along with different types of sunglasses and parachutes in the hole and covered them with 115/145 octane fuel and set it alight. I came aboard the Air Station late in 1949 and the technical stores had yet to be replenished. I flew down to Cleveland and purchased what I needed at an Army-Navy store.

mate
the reason you can't get an aircrew watch is probably the same reason why i have been unable to get aircrew socks, aircrew rollnecks, longjohns or new flying suits anytime in the past three months!!!!
Bottom line--the supply system sucks!!
Furthermore, suppliers suck!
Suggest you cx out ebay--looks like we will have to continue to fork out of our own pockets to get basic kit!!!
:mad:

iccarus

Talking of Long Johns - on arrival at Leeming in the snowy spring of 1979 I was issued with a new pair of LJs that had a 1952 date stamp in them - only seven years before I was born...

Much to Mrs AA's annoyance I've still got them!

The girls in Boogis Street used to say: "You aircrew all the same - big ticker, small pricker and pay by cheque!"
I purchased a cheap (Japanese Government subsidised) Seiko in Changi Village so they could only accuse me of two of the charges!
Have a good time in the New Year.

Come on chaps, you should know by now that" stores " are for storing things. If they meant you to have the kit they would have called it an " issue ". My experiences with stores have never been happy experiences.......jobsworth and all that. Storemen/women have been the same since I can remember.....they think that the equipment is theirs.

Simple answer guys, sack your supplier. Got a new aircrew watch in a little over a week from St Surfshack last month. Civvy suppliers there seem to want to get rid of the stuff not stack it. The watch was the nav variety and had to be ordered, but it did come with a six hour guarantee.

Head down , look out for the flack