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Pilot watches


Guest Dirt Beater

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Looks like the price of the Omega is in the 1300-1500 range now? Seems like there was quite a bit of interest, but at which price point? It was a no brainer at $800, but $1500 gives some cause for thought. Consider me a strong "maybe" if someone else does the legwork.

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I like my Omegas (have 3) and the X-33 at this price level is a major bargain, which is why the rules are saying 1 per pilot, no plain casing backs and promise to keep at least 5 years.

Don't own a Breitling but it is a favorite brand in the pilot community but I would take an Omega over them any day...

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A guy in my community is pushing a Bremont. Looks like a sweet watch but the price of a Breitling. $2550 and add $375 if you want a metal band.

I just finished a Chase Durer order and we are waiting for the watches. $399 for a mid-level watch and everyone that I've met that has one has liked it. I'll see in a few months when we get them but they look good.

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  • 6 months later...

Time to kickstart this thread again. I've never been a huge fan of the fancy watch, what I look for is a huge fucker with great big numbers on it so these tired old eyes can read it.

That need was satisfied by the Highgear Summit...

Summit%20Shadow_2.jpg

(not my pic)

...but I just killed my second and last one in the hot tub at Ko Olina two weeks ago.

My loving wife and kids bought me a Suunto Vector for Father's Day but the damn thing has a negative face (black with green or gray numbers) and it's tough to see outside or in bright lights (it's not as easy to see as it shows in this pic)...

DSCN0131.jpg

(again, not my pic)

I know they make these with the positive face (light background with black numbers, like my Summit above) but in my research I've found that the Suunto Core might be the better choice.

If anyone has any experience with either, or has better suggestions in the $200-300 range (again, not looking for anything fancy here), I'm listening.

Cheers! M2

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If anyone has any experience with either, or has better suggestions in the $200-300 range (again, not looking for anything fancy here), I'm listening. Cheers! M2

I've got a Suunto Core (all black) that has the negative face. It's been a good watch for the last 2.5 years and has held up well despite the fact that I beat the shit out of watches. Friends with the normal light face/dark numeral versions have also had positive things to say. Mine doesn't keep great time and looses about 6-9 seconds per week. Also, the "automatic" setting of the alti-baro mode is tough on the battery and the compass just eats the battery up. On the plus side, the battery is easy to change and it uses a commonly available CR2032. Overall I'd recommend the CORE series.

Suunto has other series available as well. I've been impressed with their dive computers, but don't have any firsthand experience with other wristwatch series. I also would NOT pay full retail for a Suunto as they are a bit marked up in my opinion. I got my CORE all-black, back when it was the newest greatest thing in the CORE series, new in box on eBay for less than $200. YMMV.

Cheers!

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Thanks for the inputs, oddly enough my Army O-6 boss was wearing a Suunto X-Lander this morning and I liked it. Unfortunately, the one with the positive face on it is no longer in production (only the negative one is).

I'm gonna drop by KelLac this week as they are listed as a Suunto retailer. Hopefully they'll have a better selection than the Lackland BXtra or AAFES.com...

Cheers! M2

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I've had my positive face Vector for 2,500 hours of flying. Only thing I've had to replace is the battery and the o-ring to the battery case. It's rock solid.

I'm sure you could find a positive face Vector on eBay.

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I'm a "watch guy." I like expensive watches; I like useful watches; I especially like useful, expensive watches.

IMO, you are looking for the useful, inexpensive type. I happen to have a favorite in that category - my Casio Pathfinder PAW-2000. It defines the word "useful." Large positive face that you are looking for. Large rubber strap. 10 Bar water resistant (can swim/snorkel with, probably shouldn't scuba with.) Solar powered battery operated (the face collects solar energy to keep the battery charged.) Multiband 6 (automatically sets itself daily off of one of 6 atomic clock signals strategically placed throughout the world.) This watch is always in agreement with the FMS time on the jet - to the second, without fail. World time (scroll through some 50-odd cities in various time zones to display as either the current local time or a second time. Will display two times at once.) Has a compass, barometer, and altimeter (haven't found a whole lot of use for these other than trivial checking it against the cabin altimeter readout.) And all the usual Casio functions - stopwatch, countdown timers, multiple alarms, atomic receiving indications, sunrise-sunset time calculations.

I did a lot of searching when I was looking for my "useful" watch and while this one wasn't the sexiest, it was by far the most useful.

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=casio+paw-2000&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#q=casio+paw-2000&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=imvns&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=ogHhT57MBrGM0wWjybDfDA&ved=0CGEQrQQ&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=39d5d82ff70abf3b&biw=1263&bih=680

Different topic, same subject, my expensive watches are my Omega Seamaster GMT and my IWC GST Ti. I'm very close to pulling the trigger on some sort of Fortis Flieger as well, but I can't decide between the GMT and the Pilot Professional Chrono. Decisions, decisions...

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Time to kickstart this thread again. I've never been a huge fan of the fancy watch, what I look for is a huge fucker with great big numbers on it so these tired old eyes can read it.

That need was satisfied by the Highgear Summit...

Summit%20Shadow_2.jpg

(not my pic)

...but I just killed my second and last one in the hot tub at Ko Olina two weeks ago.

My loving wife and kids bought me a Suunto Vector for Father's Day but the damn thing has a negative face (black with green or gray numbers) and it's tough to see outside or in bright lights (it's not as easy to see as it shows in this pic)...

DSCN0131.jpg

(again, not my pic)

I know they make these with the positive face (light background with black numbers, like my Summit above) but in my research I've found that the Suunto Core might be the better choice.

If anyone has any experience with either, or has better suggestions in the $200-300 range (again, not looking for anything fancy here), I'm listening.

Cheers! M2

M2,

My Suunto Vector is going on three years now. It has been on numerous deployments, drunken TDYs, and through bonfires gone wrong. The negative face takes some getting used to, but it is a solid watch and is still on the original battery. It is much better than the Casio Pathfinder I wore before it, and would recommend the Suunto to anyone.

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The Casio G Shock GW4000 watches from their aviation collection are pretty awesome. One has a rubber strap the other a stainless band.

http://www.gshock.com/watches/aviation/readmore1/

The digital features in an analog watch are sharp. 20 minutes of light keeps it charged for 6 months and you always get some light on it. The atomic timekeeping is amazing too because it updates every night and throughout the day and holds to a second with the FMS clock and the national observatory clocks. It has 30 timezones (to include Afghanistan) that you can select while keeping UTC on one of the face dials.

Pretty slick watch. It advertises its features that make it resistant to sustained G's and whatnot, I don't know about all that, without that stuff it's still pretty incredible. It's cool watching the hands fly around on their own as you switch modes, switch time zones, or it wakes up after it hibernates in the dark overnight.

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Ditto on the Casio Pathfinder. I've had one for 2 years and no issues. Backpacking, skiing, etc. Solar power/auto sync w/ Ft. Collins every night/no battery to change are all a plus. And its only about 100 bucks.

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I think I'm gona stick with the Suunto, although I might trade up from the Vector I have to a Core. I am gonna try and find one with the positive face as it is easier for my old eyes, but even if I get the "tactical" black one it seems to have larger numbers which will work better for me.

KelLac is listed as a local retailer for Suunto and they're just up the road from where I work, I'll swing by there later this week and see what they've got.

Cheers! M2

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M2, do you have a promotive account? Suunto vector positive face is $153 there direct from the manufacturer. Suunto core is $230 with positive face.

Never heard of it before you mentioned it. That price is a little better than the BX but the problem is the latter here doesn't have the positive face ones in stock.

Be advised that the 'tactical' all black model turns into the shiny silver around the edges model after about 2 years of rough use. Not a bad thing, but the finish comes off eventually.

No worries, that gives it the "BFPU" look I dig (and I don't mean Breast Feeding Promotion Unit!).

Cheers! M2

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Never heard of it before you mentioned it. That price is a little better than the BX but the problem is the latter here doesn't have the positive face ones in stock.

I just discovered promotive.com a few months ago myself. You have to create an account with your .mil e-mail, but the military discounts on outdoor stuff and sporting goods are unmatched. They have over 200 brands including Suunto, Leupold, Bushnell, and Benchmade. There's limits on how much you can buy, but folks are maxing out some of the good deals.

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I just discovered promotive.com a few months ago myself. You have to create an account with your .mil e-mail, but the military discounts on outdoor stuff and sporting goods are unmatched. They have over 200 brands including Suunto, Leupold, Bushnell, and Benchmade. There's limits on how much you can buy, but folks are maxing out some of the good deals.

2- I signed up for the promotive account a few months ago but just finally got around to getting my watch about a month ago. Some things you save more on than others but, overall, a pretty wide selection of stuff to buy.

As for the watch - went with the Core with the negative face and have been pretty stoked with it. It has held up well on the jet so far. They say to allow 2-3 weeks for it to show up but it shipped within two days or so...... from Finland.... All in all it took 6 days for it to arrive at the house and saved right about $50 on it.

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My beloved Casio World Time (circa 1995) finally gave up and I can't find anything similar. Any recommendations?

Features: Main page - GMT with GMT date and day displayed

World time page (24+ zones) - Local time, date and day displayed

All digital, no hands

5 alarms

stopwatch, timer , etc

Low profile i.e. not huge on wrist

It was the best travel watch I've ever seen and cost $25; only thing it lacked was a light.

Anything similar out there?

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My beloved Casio World Time (circa 1995) finally gave up and I can't find anything similar. Any recommendations?

Anything similar out there?

Is it very different from the current Casio World Time?

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My beloved Casio World Time (circa 1995) finally gave up and I can't find anything similar. Any recommendations?

It was the best travel watch I've ever seen and cost $25; only thing it lacked was a light.

Anything similar out there?

I have a Casio G Shock 3395 that I really like. On the main "page," you can toggle quickly between the local date, GMT date (or any second location), and a Julian calendar. I use the Julian calendar to count down days remaining on my ADSC.

http://compare.ebay.com/like/280878065372?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar

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