Time Pieces: What's On Your Wrist?

Omega Seamaster Pro automatic day-date, stainless with a stainless band. Been wearing it for 15 years now, the only time it comes off my wrist is when I assist in surgery. I wear it flying, diving, in hyperbaric chambers, hiking, climbing.... I also used it as my chronometer to circumnavigate the globe on a sailboat.

 

When it comes off during surgery, I hope you take it out before you close up, Mr. Bond!

 

I don't wear a watch. Bout the only time I need one is if I need to synchronize with others down to the second...something I haven't had to do in decades. I have an old Timex wind-up in case I ever have that need again.

 

Today it's a brand new Seiko 5 Sports Automatic. Looks a lot like my Hamilton on steroids. This is the first new watch I can ever remember purchasing, and it's living up to the reputation I've been reading about in review after review. I finally tracked down one with a Japan movement, and I'm still waiting on CountyComm to come through with a couple milspec 22mm bands that I had ordered.

I'm really fond of watches that tick.

 

here is my collection. @ Luminox and 2 Breitling

 

Over the past few years my near vision has deteriorated, and I retired my USMC issue Hamilton in favor of a couple slightly larger and dressier looking vintage mechanical watches from Andre' Bouchard and Bulova. These were great and absolutely trouble free,
but I was looking for a modern automatic that would have greater potential for repair if necessary. By this point I had begun to see watches as an investment, as well as a pleasant collectable.

Reading reviews on the Seiko Auto 5, it appears I may never need to worry about repairs. This is a truly tough watch. Keeps very good time for an automatic and has illumination that I can make out all night long in complete darkness, without my glasses. I'm still wearing the Auto 5 at night, and it travels in my watch taco all day, so it never needs winding.

But there was this one other watch I had been watching online for years. I really didn't need another watch, and it had always been out of my price range, but it is a very handsome watch. Maratac makes batches of 50, and has made each batch distinctively different over the years. For their 25 year anniversary they had a major price cut on the model I had liked the most, so...swearing that this would be the last watch I ever need, I ordered a Maratac ARC Large Pilot watch. It's an automatic, and completely unbranded on its' face. Just a little larger than the Auto 5, but much more visible at a glance in the day time. It is readable in darkness, but the hands are narrower, and harder to make out than those of the Auto 5.

I never thought I would feel so comfortable with such a large watch, but it wears smaller than it looks.

 

Not exactly on my wrist, but I've been using my Wesclox Scotty pocket watch a lot more. Simple, easy to repair (that's how I got it cheap ) and keeps accurate time. Plus, it's about the same age as me...

 

I wear a Casio AMW700B-1AV daily. I don't allocate a ton of money for watches yet so this is my go-to watch which I have bought three times.

PROS:
Analog & Digital
Water Resistance
Alarms
Dual Time
Cardinal Direction
Durable
Price

CONS:
Illumination
Non-Rotating Bezel
Battery Life
More Alarms

I think the pros are self-explanatory so I'll go over the cons. The watch has internal LEDs that light up the watch face from the bottom which don't do a great job. The hands glow but it usually doesn't work when you want it to unless you 'charge' it. If the bezel rotated the cardinal directions would be more useful. I don't see this feature on very many watches in this price range. If you use all the chimes and alarms the battery life is not anywhere near 10 years in contradiction to the advertising. If the watch had at least one more alarm (for a total of 5) it would be perfect for my needs in that respect. I also accidentally bump the watch modes and inadvertently silence the chimes fairly often which is irritating but I'll chalk that up to user error.

 

This is my daily beater:




PAS400B-5V "Pathfinder"

The Casio Forester moon phase fishing watch is the perfect timepiece for avid anglers, with a stylish design well suited for both land and sea wear. In addition to the automatic time, day, month and date displays, this convenient digital watch also indicates the best times to fish based on the moon's phase, latitude and longitude. The watch displays the moon's age, phase and time, as well as sunrise and sunset information, for the current or designated day. A handy vibration alert can be used with the daily alarm, hourly time signal, or fishing timer so as not to disturb the quiet on the water. The watch also offers a time memo, a 1/100 second stopwatch, and five daily alarm settings. An automatic electro-luminescent backlight with afterglow makes the display easy to read at any time, and the water-ready nylon band comes with a buckle clasp. The case is made from durable polyurethane resin, the bezel is resin and the watch is water resistant up to 330 feet (100 meters).

Several Citizens and a couple Movados at the house as well for those fancier occasions!

 

Actually having an sweep second hand is important for medical reasons, in which case a wind up watch might be the better investment .

 

I have been thinking more of an EMP event when looking at watches for many years, but the thought of trying to find a correct battery locally for anything that's even a little out of the ordinary makes the mechanical watches more durable in my opinion. Having worn watches as old as I am, as well as having pocket watches belonging to my Great Grandfather that still work flawlessly, seems to support this opinion.

svjoe, I have one of those Casio PAS400B-5V "Pathfinder" watches. Good looking manly watch, still keeping correct time just hanging on a hook near the bed for over a year. Alarm goes off at 0600 daily, although I'm usually up and about long before that. It's the only battery powered watch I own.

 

I so LOVE older mechanical Swiss made wrist watches, and those with Complications are extra cool for the Wow factor! That said, I rock a 1963 Heuer Autavia Monaco!!! It's big and heavy, but still good to 300 meters depth and self winding! Just had it cleaned and the crystal replaced, and it's good to go! Funny, every now and then, a fellow watch enthusiast will spot my Heuer and comment on it! Many folks have never even seen a Heuer and especially one from before TAG became part of the company! I also have a really nice Tissot Dress watch the wife gave me for a wedding gift, it's to nice to wear every day, but it's an awesome watch. Never have to worry about a mechanical self winder!

 

Omega Seamaster Pro Auto

 

Casio Pathfinder here. Love the watch and hate the band.

 

Stauer replica of a '33 Graves

 

If you plan on getting a wind up, consider a magnetic proof ,as an EmP would have a devastating effect on any thing else .

 

Nothing on my wrists, carry a pocket watch, attach it to my shoulder bag when hiking, it's an el-cheapo under $10 but works fine for me. Wore wrist watches on my belt for many years after luckily surviving a do or die situation where my gun hand that was wearing a wrist watch became snagged by the watch band on a small tree branch stub during a draw to fire. Live and learn.

 

I use the same watch although I like the band (if it's the metal band you're referring to, as I am). My model is the solar powered version.

It depends on which "noon" you're referring to. But at solar noon the sun is always due south so you don't have to use the watch hands.

The use of watch hands to find south is just a general tool and it is highly unlikely you could use the trick for advanced navigation. For example, I doubt you would be able to know the difference between 180 and 178 degrees using the watch hands.