Pilot watches

[herkbum]

https://www.citizenwatch.com/en-us/watches/watch-detail/?model=JY0000-53E

I have the watch in the link above and it's the perfect aviation watch, IMO.  If you're looking for something to pass on to your kids, wear an aviation icon on your wrist or show off at a cocktail party, then this might not be it.  If you want a reasonably priced, good-looking, functional and accurate aviation tool, I highly recommend this watch.

It keeps perfect (and I do mean perfect time).  Our aircraft clock displays GPS time and it always matches my watch within a second.  It updates every night off a radio signal in the US, Japan or Germany, depending on location.  Auto update for daylight savings time/standard time in the spring and fall.  World-wide time zone selection allows easy call-up of local time wherever you happen to land.  Quick two step process allows hands to display any time zone.  Zulu is always displayed on dedicated hands or you can have it in the digital window.  It has luminous hands and a button activated light that illuminates the digital window and time zone.  Eco-drive means no battery replacement - ever.  List price is over $600 but it is usually available on-line for somewhere in the mid-300's. 

I have this watch, and the 2 previous versions. I totally agree with all stated above. Citizen makes great watches. I also have the Omega Speedmaster and my Citizens are comparable for a much cheaper price. The Omega is for passing down, so now I need to get another so my youngest has one as well.

[sqwatch]

https://www.citizenwatch.com/en-us/watches/watch-detail/?model=JY0000-53E

I have the watch in the link above and it's the perfect aviation watch, IMO.  If you're looking for something to pass on to your kids, wear an aviation icon on your wrist or show off at a cocktail party, then this might not be it.  If you want a reasonably priced, good-looking, functional and accurate aviation tool, I highly recommend this watch.

It keeps perfect (and I do mean perfect time).  Our aircraft clock displays GPS time and it always matches my watch within a second.  It updates every night off a radio signal in the US, Japan or Germany, depending on location.  Auto update for daylight savings time/standard time in the spring and fall.  World-wide time zone selection allows easy call-up of local time wherever you happen to land.  Quick two step process allows hands to display any time zone.  Zulu is always displayed on dedicated hands or you can have it in the digital window.  It has luminous hands and a button activated light that illuminates the digital window and time zone.  Eco-drive means no battery replacement - ever.  List price is over $600 but it is usually available on-line for somewhere in the mid-300's. 

An excellent watch. I wear it when I don't wanna bang up my Swiss.

[Jughead]

16 hours ago, herkbum said:

I have this watch, and the 2 previous versions. I totally agree with all stated above. Citizen makes great watches. I also have the Omega Speedmaster and my Citizens are comparable for a much cheaper price. The Omega is for passing down, so now I need to get another so my youngest has one as well.

Piling on, I have the Citizen watch ("previous version") as well; it's my second one (I had the version before that, too); when it's time to replace it, I'll likely get the one that JeremiahWeed linked as its replacement....

[viper154]

Citizen Eco drive night hawk. Love it. Wife got it for me as a gift. I think it's $300 bucks ish. I've had it a couple years, wore it all through UPT, No complaints. 

Also got in the Wingman Watch Company when it was a kick starter. I got it a couple months ago. I also really like it. It has a decent stop watch for a analog watch. It's a good product made by a small business company owned by fellow aviators. Stick with the leather band. 

[HuggyU2]

17 hours ago, AC&W said:

Minimalist for dress:

https://www.slow-watches.com/the-store/slow-jo-38mm?

Wow... those are ugly. 

[yzl337]

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Edited October 3, 2017 by yzl337

[xaarman]

Give it up and get an Apple Watch

[matmacwc]

6 minutes ago, xaarman said:

Give it up and get an Apple Watch

True, they are great, but you can't go near a vault with one on.  Additionally, unless you get the new one, the battery lasts about 2 minutes......which sounds familiar....

[HU&W]

2 hours ago, yzl337 said:

.

Sorry.  Edit went bad.  Waiting to hear back from Bremont.

[ClearedHot]

Eagle Driver Commemorative Watch

 

[matmacwc]

What did you google to find that

[HU&W]

Fixed it.  Waiting on the official mockup from the Bremont, but here's a rough draft.  Based on the Bremont Solo.  Cost will be significantly discounted from the $3995 price for the standard watch.  Includes custom 8 character engraving on caseback.  15 orders minimum for the build to start.  PM me if you want the info to be on the list.  Limited to current/former AFSOC only.

 

 

Edited October 12, 2017 by HU&W

[uhhello]

That is very sharp looking.  Very fitting.

[The-osu]

And its under $30k! What a steal

Edited October 6, 2017 by The-osu

[Standby]

On 10/4/2017 at 7:52 PM, HU&W said:

Fixed it.  Waiting on the official mockup from the Bremont, but here's a rough draft.  Based on the Bremont Solo.  Cost will be significantly discounted from the $3995 price for the standard watch.  Includes custom 8 character engraving on caseback.  15 orders minimum for the build to start.  PM me if you want the info to be on the list.  Limited to current/former AFSOC only.

Can it be produced without the quiet professional slogan? Any appetite for replacing the 12 index with the SOCOM spear?

[HU&W]

On 10/7/2017 at 9:02 AM, Standby said:

Can it be produced without the quiet professional slogan? Any appetite for replacing the 12 index with the SOCOM spear?

It can, but it would have to change for everyone.  I'll check with the design team to see how that design looks.  Here's a photoshop rendering.  Looking for feedback from those potentially interested.

EDIT: Latest edition updated with graphic per discussion with interested parties.  PM if you want in.

 

Edited October 12, 2017 by HU&W
Updated face.

[Day Man]

I enjoy the irony of putting "Quiet Professional" on there.

[OregonHerc]

On 10/7/2017 at 7:23 AM, HU&W said:

It can, but it would have to change for everyone.  I'll check with the design team to see how that design looks.  Here's a photoshop rendering.  Looking for feedback from those potentially interested.

Much better in my opinion. “Quiet professionals” seemed way too attention whore-ish. 

[xcraftllc]

I've been trying to find a nice watch that has atomic timekeeping and tritium glow hands but a can't find one to save my life. I just had a thought though: Does the tritium interfere with the atomic time radio signal? That might explain why I'm having such a hard time finding a watch with that combination.

[Steve Davies]

Bremonts are OK for guys who do a time hack every day, but if you want a watch that keeps time for, say, a week, then I would avoid. I have a Bremont and love everything about it... apart from its ability to actually keep time.

[HossHarris]

4 hours ago, xcraftllc said:

I've been trying to find a nice watch that has atomic timekeeping and tritium glow hands but a can't find one to save my life. I just had a thought though: Does the tritium interfere with the atomic time radio signal? That might explain why I'm having such a hard time finding a watch with that combination.

Check out the citizen gps watches. 

Not quite tritium, but the hands glow long time. 

[M2]

On 6/22/2012 at 10:38 PM, M2 said:

OK, in case anyone cares enough to be tracking the developments on this, I did return the Vector and picked up a Core All Black...

 

 

But I've come to realize that the back back/light letters just doesn't cut it in lower light situations such as being indoors. That is due in part to the fact that the black/negative face on this watch reflects a lot thereby making it tougher to see the display. Also, I've learned that it also shows all the fingerprints and smudges that somehow get on the face.

So then I found that Amazon.com has the Core Regular Black with the light/positive background for $190 with free shipping, so guess what I've just ordered?!?

 

Yeah, the bezel is slightly different (the two glow-in-the-dark dots at top are missing), but for the most part I am pretty sure I will be able to glance at this watch and be able to read all the information being presented without having to squint or move the watch around.

The Highgear I've been wearing for nearly seven years was the same, and I never had any issues seeing it under any conditions.

I really like the Core, it's a nice watch and has some cool features (yesterday evening when a storm front rolled through the area, a weather alarm on it went off!). The compass is pretty accurate as well. I think it will hold up better than the Vector, which was a nice watch but had a bit too much plastic on it for me (especially the battery cover, which I shredded on my last two watches). It's also nice and thin, which makes wearing it under a shirt sleeve a lot easier than my old watch, which was chunky to say the least.

I'm hanging on to the Core All Black until the new watch arrives, then I'll see which works better (I am pretty sure I already know, but I will still test both out) and return the other (unless I can't decide, then I'll probably keep both as they are pretty inexpensive)...

Cheers! M2

To celebrate the seventh anniversary of my Suunto Core Black, I bought another Core (this time an All Black) from Amazon for $129.99 ($75 cheaper than the BX).

My first Core has done well considering how much use and abuse it's taken.  A few weeks ago it had some condensation build up inside it and then it went blank, but I hit it with a steady stream of compressed air for about ten minutes and replaced the batter, and it came back to life.  I suspect I may not have correctly replaced the cover when replacing the battery a month or so ago, and a very humid day in Texas was enough to cause the issue.  I was in Tampa last week so if that horrific Florida humidity and daily thunderstorms didn't repeat the problem, then it's fixed.  

However, I figured it was time to line up a replacement and I couldn't think of a better watch for the money.  And yes, even though I said the all black was a concern given my aging eyesight, I decided to give it a try anyway.

I'll let you know how it goes...

Cheers!  M2

[Kenny Powers]

I'll chime in since we're talking Suunto. I've had 3, 2 of which were cores. I replace the band ($50 from Suunto) close to once per year, they go through batteries pretty fast in my opinion (a few per year), and they dont keep time very well.

Highlights are that they are relatively  cheap, look good, and easy to read with aviation related functions.

[Warrior]

The weapons school is getting ready to place an order for WIC custom Breitlings. Tart Ehlers is the POC in the 8 WPS

[Sua Sponte]

I flew 3,000 hours with my Vector I was issued in 2005. I gave it to my brother last year when he became a Boom and he flies with it now. Only thing I’ve ever replaced on it was the battery. Good aviation watch that takes a beating.