Pilot Wrist watches...
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 4,631
Likes: 0
From: UK
If she has come into quite a bit of money i would recommend a patek; its the only watch that will appreciate, will last a few lifetimes and are utterly gorgeous. As they say you never own a patek you are just the custodian for the next generation. Oh and the dial is simple, clear and none of that fangled quartz.
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 3
Likes: 5
From: Wor Yerm
A watch for flying...
I use one of these. It's cheap. It's accurate. It's clear and quick to read. It's very light. You won't cry if you break/lose/drop/scratch it etc. and it's even got a light behind the dial.
PM
PM
Moderator
Joined: Feb 2000
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 14,480
Likes: 178
From: UK
G
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 222
Likes: 0
From: Ecuador
Seems like I'm the only one that is flying with a magnetic holder on my centre console, and a bit metal glued to the back of my I-phone........
I may not always have clean hands, but my wrists......are as clean as the pope's white dress!
###Ultra Long Hauler###
I may not always have clean hands, but my wrists......are as clean as the pope's white dress!
###Ultra Long Hauler###
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 238
Likes: 0
From: UK
We have a thing over here called humour as well!
Ultra long hauler - I used to do the same until I discovered the discrepency between the standby and DI was caused by the tiny button magnet that barely gripped the 'fridge and not a dodgy gyro.
Sticky backed velcro is far better, IMHO.
Silvaire1 - that is a cracking bit of history you've picked up on; the revolutionary decimal time system from French revolutionary era. Didn't catch on. In an effort for universal disregard for the eternal enemy, please accept and use UTC as a poke in the eye to them!
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
From: dublin, ireland
what fullwings says:
Casio G-Shock for me. Solar powered, radio time signal updating, light, comfy strap, UTC & local at the same time, wear it in the shower, survives a drop that you wouldn't. Time zone and daylight saving time is near automatic, and I like not having to open it, well hardly ever, to muck around with batts, and ALWAYS accurate to the second.
I think being solar, radio controlled and shock and waterproof ticks all boxes. Would prefer titanium because it does not react with my skin, but resin is more or less OK.
Casio G-Shock for me. Solar powered, radio time signal updating, light, comfy strap, UTC & local at the same time, wear it in the shower, survives a drop that you wouldn't. Time zone and daylight saving time is near automatic, and I like not having to open it, well hardly ever, to muck around with batts, and ALWAYS accurate to the second.
I think being solar, radio controlled and shock and waterproof ticks all boxes. Would prefer titanium because it does not react with my skin, but resin is more or less OK.
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 192
Likes: 0
From: Ireland
The well known Swiss aviation brand, that sponsors a certain wing walking team ahem.... I know only too well that they keep very poor time. Its a good excuse for being late though.
A functional clear watch will do all you need. If I wanted a fancy aviation watch I'd buy a Bremont. Very cool alternative to the herd.
Irish
A functional clear watch will do all you need. If I wanted a fancy aviation watch I'd buy a Bremont. Very cool alternative to the herd.
Irish
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 2,460
Likes: 0
Most mechanical ("automatic" i.e. self winding) watches keep poor time compared to even cheap quartz ones.
Yet people are happily paying fantastic prices for automatic "lifestyle" watches.
This one is quite nice though
But this one would do... Or even this recently discontinued one (whose buttons are really horrible to operate).
Yet people are happily paying fantastic prices for automatic "lifestyle" watches.
This one is quite nice though
But this one would do... Or even this recently discontinued one (whose buttons are really horrible to operate).
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,598
Likes: 0
From: Amsterdam
Nobody has thought of getting one with electronic compass or similar - always good to have backups
After all, has anybody ever experienced a failure of a magnetic compass? It's got exactly one moving part, suspended in some sort of fluid and it's not moving all that much to start with.
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 649
Likes: 0
From: .
Forgive me for my cynicism, is it just me or are these so-called "pilot's watches" that cost the same as a 7 year old Ford Focus and yet do exactly the same job as a £19.99 Casio from Argos whilst covered in unintelligible numbers and other waffle/malaise merely for rich* posers?
They're expensive, big, hard to read and look daft. What's the point?
Doubting Smithy
*Or, alternately, heavily in debt posers living far beyond their means
They're expensive, big, hard to read and look daft. What's the point?
Doubting Smithy
*Or, alternately, heavily in debt posers living far beyond their means
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 631
Likes: 0
From: Dagobah
Yes but if we all followed that logic in life then why buy a BMW/Audi/Jaguar etc etc when a Vauxhall Astra would do the same job for considerably less?
Sometimes, just sometimes in life do we not all aspire to owning something 'special' or just 'nice' just for the shear hell of it? And whats wrong with that? It would be a pretty dull life otherwise.
I'd like a Breitling and one day I just might buy one. Would that be a sensible choice? Of course not but I'd rather spend a couple of grand on one of them than having to buy years worth of nappies for a baby or a useless ring for some chick!
Sometimes, just sometimes in life do we not all aspire to owning something 'special' or just 'nice' just for the shear hell of it? And whats wrong with that? It would be a pretty dull life otherwise.
I'd like a Breitling and one day I just might buy one. Would that be a sensible choice? Of course not but I'd rather spend a couple of grand on one of them than having to buy years worth of nappies for a baby or a useless ring for some chick!
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 381
Likes: 0
From: Scotland
I recently bought a Citizen Skyhawk AT keeps perfect time due to the radio signal, battery will last ages due to the solar poweredness of it, it tells me time in UTC and local at the same time, with hands and with numbers AND it's suitable for Scuba.
To top it all off, it fits my wrist perfectly.
I'm very happy and it didn't cost 13 grand!
To top it all off, it fits my wrist perfectly.
I'm very happy and it didn't cost 13 grand!
Joined: Sep 2004
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 883
Likes: 34
From: Berkshire, UK
my 2 pence worth.
For ALL inside the aircraft time related stuff I use a £2.99 digital stopwatch from Maplins. It has just 3 BIG buttons, large display digits, can be easily operated by touch, can display time of day, has stopwatch, timer and for nights away it has an alarm clock.
Nobody should be flying with their head inside the cockpit for the time it takes to do anything with their Citizen NightHawk. It is a two handed job with the watch off your wrist. I know, I wear one some days. It is great for timing the run and walk regime of my exercise programme as it beeps at the correct time. It is rubbish for reading the timer while running and tricky to do the same while walking.
I also have a couple of Breitling watches and a couple of Seiko watches, all have hands and are great for telling the time of DAY while flying or driving but not so good when light levels fall. They are NOT good for fumbling with while airborne.
As for having the time correct to within a fraction of a second, why? Give or take a minute or two is neither here nor there. If you really want to have the time to that precision then look to your GPS.
Rans6.....
For ALL inside the aircraft time related stuff I use a £2.99 digital stopwatch from Maplins. It has just 3 BIG buttons, large display digits, can be easily operated by touch, can display time of day, has stopwatch, timer and for nights away it has an alarm clock.
Nobody should be flying with their head inside the cockpit for the time it takes to do anything with their Citizen NightHawk. It is a two handed job with the watch off your wrist. I know, I wear one some days. It is great for timing the run and walk regime of my exercise programme as it beeps at the correct time. It is rubbish for reading the timer while running and tricky to do the same while walking.
I also have a couple of Breitling watches and a couple of Seiko watches, all have hands and are great for telling the time of DAY while flying or driving but not so good when light levels fall. They are NOT good for fumbling with while airborne.
As for having the time correct to within a fraction of a second, why? Give or take a minute or two is neither here nor there. If you really want to have the time to that precision then look to your GPS.
Rans6.....
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 774
Likes: 0
From: Melbourne
All this talk about watches
Reminds me of an old story.
A woman gets assaulted on a dark night. When asked by the police if she could describe the attacker she replied "no, it was dark but he was definitely a pilot." When asked how she knew he was definitely a pilot she replied "he had a big watch and he talked about himself all the time!"
A woman gets assaulted on a dark night. When asked by the police if she could describe the attacker she replied "no, it was dark but he was definitely a pilot." When asked how she knew he was definitely a pilot she replied "he had a big watch and he talked about himself all the time!"