Good watches for flying?
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Oi!
I own 2 Omega Seamasters. Quartz.
Know why I chose them? Because the automatic version (Bond model) I had before was nowhere near as accurate as the Quartz one. I need accuracy above all else, but I love quality engineering, hence the Seamasters. My blue one (2541.80) has been on my arm every day for the last ten years and still looks like new apart from a small amount of fading on the bezel. My black one is a 'special occasions' watch and is new anyway.
They keep astonishingly good time, whether I wear them or not. Even a Chronometer certified movement is nowhere near as accurate as quartz. No matter how vigorously or frequently you move your wrist.
There's a place for mechanical movements for sure, and I respect and admire the artistry of their construction, but technology moves on.
Ever seen a modern airliner with piston engines rather than jets?
I own 2 Omega Seamasters. Quartz.
Know why I chose them? Because the automatic version (Bond model) I had before was nowhere near as accurate as the Quartz one. I need accuracy above all else, but I love quality engineering, hence the Seamasters. My blue one (2541.80) has been on my arm every day for the last ten years and still looks like new apart from a small amount of fading on the bezel. My black one is a 'special occasions' watch and is new anyway.
They keep astonishingly good time, whether I wear them or not. Even a Chronometer certified movement is nowhere near as accurate as quartz. No matter how vigorously or frequently you move your wrist.
There's a place for mechanical movements for sure, and I respect and admire the artistry of their construction, but technology moves on.
Ever seen a modern airliner with piston engines rather than jets?
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I fully agree. A good Casio or Seiko is really all you need. But being as a watch is really the only piece of jewellery that a man can get away with, why not wear a nice one if it makes you feel good and you can afford it?
Thread Starter
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Thanks
Thanks all - really wasn't a wind up or to do with image (I do in fact use a cheap casio digital for flying at the moment!). Only reason was that as the missus wants to buy a special gift I thought I might as well explore if there is anything specifically good for flying out there. I like the look of the Omega Seamaster though think I'll stick with the Tag Link. Cheers.
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I've got mid 90's Breitling Colt Quartz.. brilliant watch. Super accurate (iirc their quartz movements lose seconds every year) so no faffling around with inaccurate time 
And date dial (handy). 60 min bezel thing and er lovely golden Breitling wing emblem on the face 
And date dial (handy). 60 min bezel thing and er lovely golden Breitling wing emblem on the face
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£5 watch from Argos (If its still alive) Then the rest on flying? Or maybe most of it on flying and a few ales down the local.
If I HAD to choose a watch for a grand though, I'd go to the jewellers, tell them to show me all the watches within budget and pick the prettiest
.
If I HAD to choose a watch for a grand though, I'd go to the jewellers, tell them to show me all the watches within budget and pick the prettiest
.
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Casio f-91, job done.
Do i wear it on nights out? Hell no!
Does it let me down in particular light conditions or have me rapidly working out hour minute calculations, nope.
The Breitling Colt is a great watch, if you must have one get the brushed finish or the scratching and swirling will have you reaching for the Cape Cod polishing cloths after every flight!
Regards
CR
Do i wear it on nights out? Hell no!
Does it let me down in particular light conditions or have me rapidly working out hour minute calculations, nope.
The Breitling Colt is a great watch, if you must have one get the brushed finish or the scratching and swirling will have you reaching for the Cape Cod polishing cloths after every flight!
Regards
CR
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You could always get her to buy you one of these
Maybe all you wannabies should chip in for one for WWW for all the cracking advice he gives out for free.
I am sure he would be dead chuffed to get one
All credit to 'Chuffer' Dandridge for finding and outing such a hellish fashion item.
Maybe all you wannabies should chip in for one for WWW for all the cracking advice he gives out for free.
I am sure he would be dead chuffed to get one
All credit to 'Chuffer' Dandridge for finding and outing such a hellish fashion item.
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I'm not sure I'd really want to be invited onto the flight deck to inspect the Captain's ring? 
Back on watches though, I always really fancied the Omega Speedmaster, but as it's double the cost of the Seamaster I couldn't justify it.
Still, it's cheaper than a Rolex, and far better built. Check out the "Torture tests" than NASA did on all the watches on the short list for the Space Programme:
Speedmaster-Mission.net
Back on watches though, I always really fancied the Omega Speedmaster, but as it's double the cost of the Seamaster I couldn't justify it.
Still, it's cheaper than a Rolex, and far better built. Check out the "Torture tests" than NASA did on all the watches on the short list for the Space Programme:
Speedmaster-Mission.net
Last edited by Ten West; 10th Mar 2009 at 11:29.
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Please excuse me for saying this
But... spending a fortune on a pilot's watch is ... just not right.
I used to think it would be nice to have a pilot watch but when you look at the price and so on it just doesn't make much sense.
A basic watch, be it digital or not is all you really need.
If you want something expensive... rolex is the way.
1/60
I used to think it would be nice to have a pilot watch but when you look at the price and so on it just doesn't make much sense.
A basic watch, be it digital or not is all you really need.
If you want something expensive... rolex is the way.
1/60
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Pilots and aviation friends...
xxx
If you buy any watch as a tool, as an occupational accessory, go for it.
Whatever you buy, if it is so justified, named it Timex, Breitling, Rolex.
When I was flying, I used my Breitling Navitimer functions every flight.
Stopwatch, conversions, estimates, UTC plus/minus to get local time - etc.
Still use it today, currency conversions, price comparison at the market.
If you buy a watch to "look" as top gun pilot or A-380 captain, let me laugh.
xxx
Happy contrails
xxx
If you buy any watch as a tool, as an occupational accessory, go for it.
Whatever you buy, if it is so justified, named it Timex, Breitling, Rolex.
When I was flying, I used my Breitling Navitimer functions every flight.
Stopwatch, conversions, estimates, UTC plus/minus to get local time - etc.
Still use it today, currency conversions, price comparison at the market.
If you buy a watch to "look" as top gun pilot or A-380 captain, let me laugh.
xxx
Happy contrails
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I've got a Citizen Nighthawk. Cost £180 from duty free on BA. Great watch for flying and doesn't look too flashy either, just a nice plain stainless steel case and strap. Slide rule comes in handy, and so does the zulu hand.
Not being into expensive watches myself (don't see the point - they only do the same as a cheap one), I'd get a cheaper watch and spend the rest of her hard earned money on taking her on a flight out for lunch.
Not being into expensive watches myself (don't see the point - they only do the same as a cheap one), I'd get a cheaper watch and spend the rest of her hard earned money on taking her on a flight out for lunch.
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BelArg,
looks are important hence my constant mentioning of mirrored-effect aviators (much to Mad Jocks annoyance ).
-Ive just realised I could be banned for my advertising of aviators.
Bajadi,
Loved the watch for Fabbe92 and Afraz. I'm feeling a little un-entertained as they haven't been around for a while.
All you big mean bullies scared them off.
looks are important
hence my constant mentioning of mirrored-effect aviators (much to Mad Jocks annoyance ). -Ive just realised I could be banned for my advertising of aviators.
Bajadi,
Loved the watch for Fabbe92 and Afraz. I'm feeling a little un-entertained as they haven't been around for a while.
All you big mean bullies scared them off.
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Citizen Eco-Drive Skyhawk!! Multiple time zones, no battery replacement, hands automatically reset to selected time zone with the push of two buttons simultaneously, and has E6B type ring scale. As an international airline pilot I searched for the perfect airline pilot's watch for years in all the major centres, and this watch is by far streets ahead of anything else.
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Why buy a leather jacket? It does exactly the same job as a PVC one. And who wants a Saville Row suit when Asda will sell you one for twenty quid?
I think we've established that pretty much any watch is fine for work, but when you get into the realms of four-figure prices and above all you're paying for is it's jewellery value.
To that end, here's my brief impressions of watches I've personally owned, or have been owned by mates:
TAG Heuer quartz, approx. 1988:
Looked nice, not bad build quality, but went wrong 3 times in 4 years. Average repair cost was £90 each time. never again!
I chopped it in for:
Seiko Pilot Chronograph:
Good and solid, reliable in the extreme and accurate. Down sides? Extremely cluttered dial made it hard to read in poor light, and what use is a whiz wheel flight computer that's only 1.5" across?? I'd need glasses if I were still using it now. Looked better on a NATO strap too.
Breitling Crosswind, stainless steel ("Bentley" movement):
Very nice, accurate and well made, BUT extremely prone to scratches, dings etc. due to the overly fussy design of the case and the highly polished finish. You'd think at least twice about wearing it in anything other than ideal conditions. You'd never wear it anywhere near a beach, for example.
A bit big and "Bling" for my tastes too, but I can see why people like them.
Rolex Submariner:
Top quality, accurate and iconic. Bad points? Everyone assumes it's a fake, so it'll make you look like Del Boy. Hardwearing, but hollow links and a pressed steel bracelet clasp on a £3,000+ watch??? Do me a favour. Stainless is the only colour to have. The gold/steel ones are a real "Fruit salad" of a watch. have either or, not both.
They were good value once, but they're trading on their name now.
Ideal watch for me:
Omega Speedmaster Professional (Moonwatch)
A real historic icon of the 20th century. Durable as hell and extremely accurate for a mechanical watch. I'd have the one with the sapphire crystal.
The real Moon watches had a plastic crystal to avoid glass shards floating around in zero G in the event of a breakage, but I can live without that in exchange for a scratch-free lens. The coolest of the cool, NASA certified (The only watch of 5 different makes to survive NASA testing), but will only be recognised by watch afficionadoes. No "Rolex" effect (ie: "Is that a real one mate?")
My choice:
Omega Seamaster Quartz. "Bond" model from 1999 and current black-faced model.
Solid as a rock, extreme accuracy and almost impossible to damage in normal use. As I said earlier, my blue one has had 10 years of daily use and is still pristine. When it gets tiny bracelet scratches you can polish them out with a scotchbrite pad in seconds. The sapphire crystal lens is still absolutely perfect.
I'd have another like a shot. In fact, I've just bought another one, in black. Reason being that Omega will be replacing it soon with the Planet Ocean. Not as nice looking in my opinion, and the fact that the crystal is "coated" on both sides means that it marks easily. They're also dearer than the "Bond" version by a large margin.
The quality of engineering on these is amazing. Each link in the bracelet is made of 9 pieces of steel, and each link pin rides on 2 bearings. The clasp is machinbed from solid and is incredibly secure, requiring 2 buttons to be pressed simultaneously to release it.
Better than a Rolex and 1/3rd the price. Bargain! get one while you can.
I think we've established that pretty much any watch is fine for work, but when you get into the realms of four-figure prices and above all you're paying for is it's jewellery value.
To that end, here's my brief impressions of watches I've personally owned, or have been owned by mates:
TAG Heuer quartz, approx. 1988:
Looked nice, not bad build quality, but went wrong 3 times in 4 years. Average repair cost was £90 each time. never again!
I chopped it in for:
Seiko Pilot Chronograph:
Good and solid, reliable in the extreme and accurate. Down sides? Extremely cluttered dial made it hard to read in poor light, and what use is a whiz wheel flight computer that's only 1.5" across?? I'd need glasses if I were still using it now. Looked better on a NATO strap too.
Breitling Crosswind, stainless steel ("Bentley" movement):
Very nice, accurate and well made, BUT extremely prone to scratches, dings etc. due to the overly fussy design of the case and the highly polished finish. You'd think at least twice about wearing it in anything other than ideal conditions. You'd never wear it anywhere near a beach, for example.
A bit big and "Bling" for my tastes too, but I can see why people like them.
Rolex Submariner:
Top quality, accurate and iconic. Bad points? Everyone assumes it's a fake, so it'll make you look like Del Boy. Hardwearing, but hollow links and a pressed steel bracelet clasp on a £3,000+ watch??? Do me a favour. Stainless is the only colour to have. The gold/steel ones are a real "Fruit salad" of a watch. have either or, not both.
They were good value once, but they're trading on their name now.
Ideal watch for me:
Omega Speedmaster Professional (Moonwatch)
A real historic icon of the 20th century. Durable as hell and extremely accurate for a mechanical watch. I'd have the one with the sapphire crystal.
The real Moon watches had a plastic crystal to avoid glass shards floating around in zero G in the event of a breakage, but I can live without that in exchange for a scratch-free lens. The coolest of the cool, NASA certified (The only watch of 5 different makes to survive NASA testing), but will only be recognised by watch afficionadoes. No "Rolex" effect (ie: "Is that a real one mate?")
My choice:
Omega Seamaster Quartz. "Bond" model from 1999 and current black-faced model.
Solid as a rock, extreme accuracy and almost impossible to damage in normal use. As I said earlier, my blue one has had 10 years of daily use and is still pristine. When it gets tiny bracelet scratches you can polish them out with a scotchbrite pad in seconds. The sapphire crystal lens is still absolutely perfect.
I'd have another like a shot. In fact, I've just bought another one, in black. Reason being that Omega will be replacing it soon with the Planet Ocean. Not as nice looking in my opinion, and the fact that the crystal is "coated" on both sides means that it marks easily. They're also dearer than the "Bond" version by a large margin.
The quality of engineering on these is amazing. Each link in the bracelet is made of 9 pieces of steel, and each link pin rides on 2 bearings. The clasp is machinbed from solid and is incredibly secure, requiring 2 buttons to be pressed simultaneously to release it.
Better than a Rolex and 1/3rd the price. Bargain! get one while you can.
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All this watch talk had me surfing the net looking at watches.
Then I realised that the cost of that list you have just put up is more than I paid for my IR
think I will stick to my current watch which to be honest has cock all wrong with it and does the job for 100 quid.
And skyhighburd it doesn't annoy me mirrored aviator shades. Apart from the reflections issues if you want to wander round in a pilots uniform wearing them its up to you. But be warned you will be mistaken for a stripper especially if your wearing a hat.
Then I realised that the cost of that list you have just put up is more than I paid for my IR
think I will stick to my current watch which to be honest has cock all wrong with it and does the job for 100 quid.And skyhighburd it doesn't annoy me mirrored aviator shades. Apart from the reflections issues if you want to wander round in a pilots uniform wearing them its up to you. But be warned you will be mistaken for a stripper especially if your wearing a hat.
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Horses for courses Jock.
My 1994 Vauxhall Astra has nothing wrong with it either. It cost me £400 a year ago and gets me to work and back every day. But there are times I want a bit of luxury so I get the old Merc out.
Same with watches really. There are worse things to spend money on.
Just looked on Ebay: A Seamaster like mine (similar age and condition) sold for just under £600. I paid £750 for my one in 1999 (They're £1160 now). Hmm. Luxury watch for £15 a year? Not a bad deal!
My 1994 Vauxhall Astra has nothing wrong with it either. It cost me £400 a year ago and gets me to work and back every day. But there are times I want a bit of luxury so I get the old Merc out.
Same with watches really. There are worse things to spend money on.
Just looked on Ebay: A Seamaster like mine (similar age and condition) sold for just under £600. I paid £750 for my one in 1999 (They're £1160 now). Hmm. Luxury watch for £15 a year? Not a bad deal!
Okavango,
You have clearly struck a chord with this Thread! As I said on P1, £5 for the watch and £995 for beer does it for me. But an interesting discussion none the less. Never realised how expensive some watches were! Never having the spare dosh guess I passed those windows in the Jewelers by!
H 'n' H
PS Bit of Thread creep here but, Okavango, why named after a swamp?
You have clearly struck a chord with this Thread! As I said on P1, £5 for the watch and £995 for beer does it for me. But an interesting discussion none the less. Never realised how expensive some watches were! Never having the spare dosh guess I passed those windows in the Jewelers by!
H 'n' H
PS Bit of Thread creep here but, Okavango, why named after a swamp?
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For those that want something nice and solid with a bit of originality, what about this guy's site? I doubt you'd bump into anyone else wearing one at your local flying club or watering hole:
RLT Watches
I really fancy one of these:
RLT Watches K-3 Submarine
Or, do you want a GMT Master's Zulu function? No problem:
RLT Watches Rocket N1
RLT Watches
I really fancy one of these:
RLT Watches K-3 Submarine
Or, do you want a GMT Master's Zulu function? No problem:
RLT Watches Rocket N1
Last edited by Ten West; 11th Mar 2009 at 01:19.