DUX Posted June 18, 2005 Share Posted June 18, 2005 I am going to be attending Piloting Classes soon. Can anyone recomend a good Aviators Watch for a student on a tight budget? Thx. Link to post Share on other sites
A6BSTARM Posted June 18, 2005 Share Posted June 18, 2005 A Timex watch with a leather or rubber band. They can take a licking and keep on ticking. On top of that most of them only cost between USD$20-40. Using a leather or rubber band also makes it easier to clean when you have your hand in places where it is dripped on with things such as hydralic fluid, fuel, oils, etc. Also makes it eaiser to clean when you sweat. Just wipe them down with a cleaning soultion and warm water. THen you are good to go. Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted June 18, 2005 Share Posted June 18, 2005 Agreed. I am of the opinion that anything "higher end" is purely compensatory for other shortfalls.... Link to post Share on other sites
phantom Posted June 18, 2005 Share Posted June 18, 2005 Its the cheap ones that last forever. In my job I used to loose or have broken watches during fights all the time. I still have the wrestling matches, only the 5$ crap watch is now on its 3rd battery and 2nd strap. Link to post Share on other sites
Superheat Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 I am of the opinion that anything "higher end" is purely compensatory for other shortfalls.... Karl, Of course you are correct! Here is an old joke form my F-8 days at Miramar At the south end of Mission Beach Boulevard was a little Ma and Pa Grocery that was open late long before the days of 7-11 (it had one of the highest beer sales in the state). One night the old lady calls the cops to report a disturbance. When the bored desk sergeant answered she told him: "Sonny, you get some cops down here to my store on South Mission Boulevard right now! There are a bunch of fighter pilots having an orgy on the beach in front of the store" "Well, now, lady, maybe you better define 'having an orgy' for me." "Well, I don't know what you'd call it, Sonny, but I call it an orgy: They're all buck naked, chasing girls and drunk as skunks" "Well. lady, if they are all buck naked, how do you know they are fighter pilots?" "Oh, that's easy, Sonny! They all got great big watches and little tiny dicks and they keep running in here trying to cash checks!" Cheers, Tom, checking his Citizen Skyhawk Link to post Share on other sites
DUX Posted June 19, 2005 Author Share Posted June 19, 2005 (edited) LOL, ok...well...I was kinda refering to a watches with Flight Computer functions (calculate time, distance, speed equations) and the like. But the jokes are good too...I laughed out loud at the one above. EX: (this one is way to expensive for my current budget but it's a nice one) Edited June 19, 2005 by DUX Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 LOL, ok...well...I was kinda refering to a watches with Flight Computer functions (calculate time, distance, speed equations) and the like. But the jokes are good too...I laughed out loud at the one above. you can round anything you want to the nearest 5 or 6 (depending on what makes the math easier for what you're trying to figure out) and be close enough for government work The road to wings is littered with those who were still crunching the exact nanosecond at the next turnpoint on their whiz wheel - when it was was well behind them :P Link to post Share on other sites
Just call me Ray Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 Agreed. I am of the opinion that anything "higher end" is purely compensatory for other shortfalls.... Well...Lyn Fremen (editor-in-cheif, Plane & Pilot Magazine [my personal favorite]) once wrote an interesting tongue-in-cheek article about this.... Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 LOL, ok...well...I was kinda refering to a watches with Flight Computer functions (calculate time, distance, speed equations) and the like. But the jokes are good too...I laughed out loud at the one above. EX: (this one is way to expensive for my current budget but it's a nice one) purely personal paranoia, but I'm not keen on metal bands - but then, if you don't have ejection seats, it's not like the metal band can cost you your hand in an ejection... Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 A close family friend is a Marine pilot with 13 years TAFS. About the time he made Captain, he rewarded himself by buying a multi thousand dollar Rolex. Since then, it has spent over 70% of the time in the shop being repaired. He just returned from 8 months in Iraq and said he used a $30 Timex while over there because he needed something reliable. Darwin Link to post Share on other sites
Brutus Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 I would say go for the Japanese CASIO...those with a digital indicator and analogue dials. You can set the digital to UTC and the hand dials to local time. I had real cheap and good one that lasted me more than 5 years. :P JoN Link to post Share on other sites
Collin Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 IRONMAN G-Shock. Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 Really there's no need for a flashy watch. Most pilots /RIO's I know have good ole' Timex Iron Man watches, or in some cases (like with the VF-103 guys) they have custom squadron watches (a $50 value). I've got one of these and they're cool, and now a rare item. But still, I think most pilots get what they can afford just like anybody else. Brian Marbrey Link to post Share on other sites
alert5 Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 I would say go for the Japanese CASIO...those with a digital indicator and analogue dials. You can set the digital to UTC and the hand dials to local time. I had real cheap and good one that lasted me more than 5 years. JoN me too, I have a newer model that runs on solar power. Great for doing cross country in this part of the world where the ATC wants to know where you are constantly. In USA, you can go for the WVA430 series. Its got atomic timekeeping which picks up a radio signal somewhere in North America and will keep the watch accurate up to 1 sec. In low light conditions, when u tilt the watch to read the time, the led will automatically turn on for the digital display. To me its a cheap Breitling but the Breitling does not run on solar power and has no atomic timekeeping. Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 Intriguing. I never honestly found it to be that much of a hassle to hack the watch in the brief, or to add 7 to get Z time... but whatever fills your twinkie... Link to post Share on other sites
DUX Posted June 19, 2005 Author Share Posted June 19, 2005 Timex Ironman huh? (I'll admit it...I'm a poser and want to emulate the Military Guys. ) I guess I'll save the fancy watch for when I graduate. Thanks Fellas. Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 Timex Ironman huh? (I'll admit it...I'm a poser and want to emulate the Military Guys. ) I guess I'll save the fancy watch for when I graduate. Thanks Fellas. many of us, namely me, are cheap and would rather save the money for beer, gambling, and the "ballet" Link to post Share on other sites
Spongebob Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 many of us, namely me, are cheap and would rather save the money for beer, gambling, and the "ballet" Weak. You should be able to afford all that AND a kick *** watch. And if you wear you gloves properly the metal band isn't an issue I've got a Beitling Aerospace... got a good deal on it in St. Marten. I managed to kill 2 G-shocks (I think 1 was a SPY-1 kill from the cruiser I was deployed on), and a Casio Navihawk since I've been flying (12 years - ugh I'm old). The Breitling has a titanium case (ergo, it scratches the boat and not the other way around) and has made it through 3 cruises so far. I've nailed the crystal pretty hard on a couple occasions w/nary a mark. Omega's and TAG's seem to hold up well to. BTW - cheapest place I've found for watches is Singapore. Sponge Link to post Share on other sites
The_Animal Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 (edited) (12 years - ugh I'm old).Sponge Oh, SHUT UP, Sponge, You're only a couple days older than I am. Bite your tongue. You're making me feel old. Boy... I've got clothes older than you. Mind you they're infant clothes now given to my children to wear when they were infants. (they made baby clothes back then, a lot better and withstood more crap than they do now). DUX, I concur with the assessment of most of the "aviators" here, that get something that's cheap, reliable and make sure that it can put up with the abuse that it'll take from the thumping it against objects that higher priced watches will take. Even a ground-loving civvie troglodyte like me can appreciate the fact that most of my cheap watches have taken more abuse than those "movie-star" type expensive watches. Edited June 19, 2005 by The_Animal Link to post Share on other sites
Gunner Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 you can round anything you want to the nearest 5 or 6 (depending on what makes the math easier for what you're trying to figure out) and be close enough for government work The road to wings is littered with those who were still crunching the exact nanosecond at the next turnpoint on their whiz wheel - when it was was well behind them Hi DUX - Please pay attention to Mister Sander. He is intelligent, at the top of his game, witty, philosophical at times, but most important Kolja always speaks truth in these type of matters. I concur with everone's assessment, as long as it keeps accurate time, the el cheapo is the way to go. Especially with the sophisticated avionics today. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't have a working knowledge of the basics and know how to compute time, distance, speed the old fashion way. It could save your bacon someday. I used to wear a timex ($6.95 at the BX back then) and I was quite fond of a two inch wide nylon band that secured with vel-cro. It also had a flap that covered the watch face. I wiped a few out, but replacement cost wasn't a big deal. Today I work full time as does my wife and uncle sugar sends me a check. Meaning I can indulge myself in a few things. I have a Breitling Aviator (I dig the little trademark wings in the dial) with all the bells and whistles, dials, bezels and it even has another watch built into the band (the face is about the size of a woman's watch) that I keep that set to Zulu. Although I never have need to know Zulu anymore. Ironically now that I have the super delux aviator watch I haven't logged a single hour of stick time in over two years. Karl, it is not my intention to stroke or embarrass you. I am so pleased that today's Navy still attracts fine young men like you and Spongebob as does the Air Force with men like Waco. I'd like to thank you guys for serving our country as well as all the other members of ARC that are active duty or active reserves. Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 many of us, namely me, are cheap and would rather save the money for beer, gambling, and the "ballet" Weak. You should be able to afford all that AND a kick *** watch. And if you wear you gloves properly the metal band isn't an issue ;) Gloves? wha??? :P Somebody must be the safety officer.... :) Gunner - no worries :wacko: Link to post Share on other sites
alert5 Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 BTW - cheapest place I've found for watches is Singapore.Sponge Which part of Singapore? Link to post Share on other sites
Collin Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 many of us, namely me, are cheap and would rather save the money for beer, gambling, and the "ballet" Weak. You should be able to afford all that AND a kick *** watch. And if you wear you gloves properly the metal band isn't an issue :blink: Gloves? wha??? :D Somebody must be the safety officer.... :D Gunner - no worries :) Gloves with the fingers "trimmed" off. Now that I am flying the P-3 (and not the finest fighting aircraft ever...the S-3B), the P-3 folks love my gloves (espically the checkride folks from Jax), you should see the looks I get. One IronMan watch on the wrist, and another tied on the inside of my survival vest. I still have my original watch in there from VS-41 ('95 I think), and it's still working 4.0. Any ladies working the "F-Pole" at the NSAWC/Fallon O'Club bar yet??? Cheers Link to post Share on other sites
vvac201 Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 (edited) Get a digital watch with indiglow and has a stop watch. Wally world is a good place to start, plan on spending about thirty bucks for one. Jason Edited June 21, 2005 by vvac201 Link to post Share on other sites
Spongebob Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 Alert 5... In the area around Rose Ave (I believe) - around the big Marriot. Sponge Link to post Share on other sites
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