Winging Watch

[Ribida]

Disclaimer: I've read the post "which watch" in entirety and found a lot of useful information there, just looking with general watch experience here. All advice is welcome though.

I'm winging on Friday and my parents were offering to get me a gift for winging, I told them they didn't need to get anything, but that I was looking to get a nice watch if they wanted to pitch in on it. I don't expect them to shell out 600+ on a gift. Up until now I've worn a 50 dollar timex Ironman "shock" (my brother got it for me after OCS and picked the shock model incase I ever had to eject =]). It's served me well but its the only watch I own and I'd like to have something I can also wear out. Anyways on to the question.

I'm looking to get something nice, not rubber, that will still be ok in the cockpit. I'm happily over in helo land so I don't think the rules about certain watches degloving you on ejection are a concern, but what experiences does everyone have wearing their nice watches (600+ dollar ones) in the cockpit. I don't want to buy it and just leave it on my dresser, if I don't wear it everyday I'll probably lose it. I like the idea of having a nice watch to pass on one day that has litterally traveled the world with me.

On another note, I don't know if this is still flightschool talking, but I don't mind using a CR-2 and carry one with me on every flight. I can figure things out pretty quick and think it would be a nice feature on a watch. Are things about to change once I hit the "real navy"?

P.S. If anyone has a reccomendation, I'm looking for a minimalist watch, not something with 10 dials. The things that matter to me are local+zulu time and an alarm incase I oversleep, thats about it.

 

[TheBubba]

My winging watch. $15 Armitron from Wal-Mart. Does everything I need it to... mainly tell time. Local to Zulu time computation done in my head...simple math. Has an alarn that will wake you up. Honestly, alot of the guys in my squadron have something similar. One dial or digital. You really won't want to take something expensive in the jet or helo. It will get banged up more than you'd like it to. Besides, I havent reset the seconds ticker on that watch in abour 7 or 8 months and its maybe 10-12 sec off the observatory time. And I've had it since before I got winged. So right around 2 years. Got me through flight school, SERE, RAG and a deployment with no issues.

As for the CR-2, I'm assuming that's the whiz wheel. Toss it. Fuel calculations are about as easy as this: we're burning 3 per side, we've got 19K left, we need to hit the tanker at about 10k, so maybe about another 1+15 till we go find some gas.

 

[lowflier03]

My winging present was a Citizen Eco-Drive. I love it and wear it every day. I fly with it and have had no issues with it breaking or scratching, even around the boat. It has even survived a "crash" and still works fine.

 

[Pags]

I have a Hamilton QNE that Mrs. Pags have me as a "welcome home / we're getting married for real" gift. I wear it every day.

 

[FlyinRock]

So many choices it is difficult to pick one. I can understand the sentiment and also the practicality. Over the past 30-40 years I've gone thru a half dozen Rolex and all they did was look nice and cost me a lot of money for repairs! And they certainly didn't/don't keep time like the quartz watches do.
I've been wearing Luminox watches for the past 10+ years mainly because of the illumination for the hands and numbers. At $150 they have done well for me. Don't look very nice in a tux but what the hell, I don't wear that much anymore! I can use my watch for a night light when its really dark out! That can be a distraction but I work around it. For a dress watch, I like the Hamilton that Pugs put up for view. With more time you won't use the CR2 and probably do most of it in your head.(I still carry one tho)
I didn't have good luck with my Hueurs and was disappointed given thier reputation. Undeserved? Rolex ...? same thing
Omega's have done well. Aviation is hard on all equipment if you do the kind of stuff many of us do. Always anticipate that you can lose it in a heartbeat so don't carry gear that will break someones heart.
Hey, its jewelry, "bling", if you will, and if it keeps time, great. OTOH, if its a tool, get what works under harsh conditions and expect it to get worn out or damaged.
Anybody know what time it is ...?? <gg>
Semper Fi
Rocky
The man with one watch knows what time it is. The man with two watches is never sure.

 

[MAKE VAPES]

Sounds like a Tissot T-touch Ti might be right up your alley, nice, won't scratch.. funky gadgets etc...

Donno bout helo land, but if anyone sees you with a CR-2 you will be the laughing stock of whatever community you go to.

I spent a kidney on a Breitling.... IT TELLS ME WHERE THE SUN IS! So does the 1$ McDonalds Happy Meal watch...

 

[FlyinRock]

Ribida
A thought occured to me! Can you imagine that? I had been wearing a Rolex or some such heavy watch and over a period of time my left wrist was getting worn raw from vibrations while flying helicopters. Was such a delight to fly one that didn't vibrate like a dildo gone mad but that was rare. Did I mention helicopters are hard on equipment? <gg>
Semper Fi
Rocky

 

[BarrettRC8]

I've been wearing Luminox watches for the past 10+ years mainly because of the illumination for the hands and numbers. At $150 they have done well for me. Don't look very nice in a tux but what the hell, I don't wear that much anymore! I can use my watch for a night light when its really dark out! That can be a distraction but I work around it.

I'd be careful with Luminox, as per my personal experience. I received one as a gift before I left for TBS and just over a year after I put it on my wrist both the seconds and minutes hands fell off and are currently rolling around inside. I didn't particularly abuse the watch and when I contacted Luminox they wanted over $100 to overhaul the 1 year old $300 watch. I was not pleased and haven't decided if I'm going to have it repaired of cut my losses and find a different field watch.

A picture of the watch, with the hands where they are suppose to be:

 

[KBayDog]

A picture of the watch, with the hands where they are suppose to be...

...when the time is 10:07:38.

 

[FlyinRock]

I'd be careful with Luminox, as per my personal experience. I received one as a gift before I left for TBS and just over a year after I put it on my wrist both the seconds and minutes hands fell off and are currently rolling around inside. I didn't particularly abuse the watch and when I contacted Luminox they wanted over $100 to overhaul the 1 year old $300 watch. I was not pleased and haven't decided if I'm going to have it repaired of cut my losses and find a different field watch.

***********************************************


A picture of the watch, with the hands where they are suppose to be:

********************************************8
Ryan
I had a similar experience and sent the POS back with a blazing letter. I got a new one back.
When they recently changed US companies for repairs, I got a bill for a watch I had sent back for the same reasons. I have no idea where it had gone for a couple years!
The one I am currently wearing has done well. I'll make sure to SCREAM bloody murder if the hands fall off this one! So, we are left with choices of Timex or Timex if you want to keep the price below $300 and serviceable.
Semper fi
Rocky
ps;I expect to get regular updates as you progress thru training. OooRah

 

[scoolbubba]

Citizen Eco Drive. Titanium if you don't like a heavy watch (I do, so I stuck with stainless). I'm actually wearing an G Shock Atomic right now, because the Citizen is being cleaned/polished etc after a year and a half of beating the shit out of it in a cockpit. Nothing wrong with the mechanism, and it kept good time, but its got a few scratches I want taken care of.

The G Shock's got some neato whizbang features (I can tell you barometric pressure, mag heading, altitude, and temp) and it's water resistant enough for me to surf in. I like it...mostly because I can set UTC time in an inset dial, and keep local on the hands and have to do 0 public math. Less penguins on the iceberg that way.

My moms dropped a decent amount of coin on it though for my birthday for 'just a digital' so take that for what it's worth.

 

[FLYTPAY]

If you ever mention CR-2 again, I am going to bitch slap you! I have never heard of a watch being banned in ejection seat aircraft??? TAG makes some nice models.

 

[armada1651]

I vote you ask for a set of AWGs.

 

[loadtoad]

Omega Seamaster 300 M GMT

Here is the Omega X-33 I was telling you about in the squadron...

 

[FLY_USMC]

I have a Rolex GMT Master II.....last year of the Pepsi Bezel. It was my gift to myself after completing the RAG...but I would say I far from wear it often...it's more of the day I know I'm NOT flying I'll wear it, which has been everyday for the past 6 months. If you can wait, I'd go in on the Omega X-33 group buy and continue to wear your "Ironman" or buy a relatively inexpensive Citizen watch till it comes in. They seem to work well and actually have a backlight now which has always been important. I've heard great things about Breitling's...but I'll never pay full price for something I can get at a group discount....and lets be honest....you can tell the entire world you wear a Breitling and the only person who's going to care are other male pilots. If that's what you dig, more power to you. My Rolex keeps good....not great time....looks great...but I have to wind the f-er all the time since I never wear it and thing watch winders are gay. But then again, I bought it BECAUSE it was a Rolex, not for what it did.