Debate of Pilot Watches - Looks vs Functionality & History

[aerob6girl]

It's been awhile since I posted, been quite busy here in New York and just generally getting things together after the holidays with some setbacks here and there. Winter, I feel, is always one of those times where things seem a little more stressful. However, for Christmas I was lucky enough to get the Junkers JU 6524-3 Chronograph. It was ordered from http://www.watchmann.com/proddetail.asp?prod=65243 and he's a pleasure to do business with. I'm incredibly pleased with the watch and it's garnered quite a few compliments since Christmas. Overall, a very happy camper am I.

Since getting it, I've been further intrigued by the vintage pilot watches out there and stumbled across this really interesting article that is basically a debate on the integrity of current made "pilot" watches as marketed to the public, and whether or not their functionality is serving to an aviator either modern or historically speaking. Just thought I'd throw the link out there, very intriguing reading. Link here: http://www.timezone.com/library/comarti ... 1115674669

I know there's been a few sparse threads on the watches we own - has anyone gotten any new pieces or some feedback to offer in regards to this particular article? Would love to hear what you guys think.

In terms of some real beauties out there that are beyond my checkbook's depth - here's a nice link to some really nice vintage ones out there. http://www.timelyclassics.com/Vintage/V ... age_7.html

Wishing you all well!

-Laurin

 

[sfdistance]

Re: Debate of Pilot Watches - Looks vs Functionality & Histo

Many of the points in this article are correct based on my experience. To be honest there is very little need for many of the extra features found on so-called pilots watches in the modern cockpit. Really the most practical watch to wear while flying is a cheap digital watch with a stopwatch, at least for the military pilot. It is also very true that military pilots are extremely proud of what they do and how good they are at it. Expensive watches seem to fit in somewhere with flight jackets and aviator sunglasses as a part of the look that pilots go for (just to make sure people can tell that they are pilots, haha). A lot of us own expensive watches, but don't wear them anywhere near the cockpit. There are a few that actually fly in Breitlings or Rolexes, but not many. This is just my experience though...

 

[watchmanjimg]

Re: Debate of Pilot Watches - Looks vs Functionality & Histo

Expensive watches seem to fit in somewhere with flight jackets and aviator sunglasses as a part of the look that pilots go for (just to make sure people can tell that they are pilots, haha). A lot of us own expensive watches, but don't wear them anywhere near the cockpit.

Exactly! I'm not a pilot but I don't think one has to be in order to understand this phenomenon, any more than one has to be a diver to appreciate dive watches. The "look" is what keeps these watches popular. Certain models have come to be associated with "action" professions even if they're no longer required wear by the actual professionals, if they ever were in the first place.

Some of us just like the functions, durability, water-resistance, or simply the styling of a particular type of watch even if we don't fly or dive, and I'd argue that the watch manufacturers should thank us for it. If their sales were limited to professionals who actually use the watches for work they'd have gone under long ago.

 

[Steve27752]

Re: Debate of Pilot Watches - Looks vs Functionality & Histo

I like and have a Omega Speedmaster 'Moon watch'

 

[watchmanjimg]

Re: Debate of Pilot Watches - Looks vs Functionality & Histo

I like and have a Omega Speedmaster 'Moon watch'

Nice! Can I safely assume you're not an astronaut ?

 

[MikeyB-17]

Re: Debate of Pilot Watches - Looks vs Functionality & Histo

I have a Omega Speedmaster Pro as well, and I am an astronaut. I used to have a Glycine Airman, but it never got worn. I have owned a succession of Casio G-Shocks, started wearing them when I was diving and still use them for work, or anywhere a bulletproof, functional watch is needed.
A few years ago I got to visit the cockpit of an RAF C-17 transport. Every one of the crew had a Breitling.

 

[Marv]

Re: Debate of Pilot Watches - Looks vs Functionality & Histo

I only have one watch and wear one watch only for every occasion - Omega Seamaster co-axil chronograph.

 

[fleet16b]

Re: Debate of Pilot Watches - Looks vs Functionality & Histo

Just bought a Breitling Chrono Colt.
Expensive? Yes but this model does not have all kinds of bells and whistles like most.
It is a simple classic looking watch.
Never thought I would ever buy one but on a recent trip to the Bahamas my wife talked talked me into treating myself .
I am quite happy with it.

 

[bazelot]

Re: Debate of Pilot Watches - Looks vs Functionality & Histo

Nothing beats an A-11 or its Navy counterpart. I wear my Navy FSSC watch every day.

 

[helodrvr]

Re: Debate of Pilot Watches - Looks vs Functionality & Histo

It is hard for me to believe that it was 40 years ago but when I was a brand new army pilot, the standing joke was that pilots tried to compensate for certain physical shortcomings by buying huge watches. Among the group of pilots I served with, there was certainly a seemingly universal desire to own bigger and more complicated wrist watches. Through that period, I owned an Omega, a Glycine, a few Seikos, and bought a Rolex GMT Master. Of the group, the Rolex lived with me the longest, some 30+ years. It was also the most functional for general pilot uses.

Now the truth is that in a modern cockpit your wrist watch is a backup to many backups to a primary clock that lives somewhere on the instrument panel. I have discovered over the years that a good, solid, simple watch is more than adequate. Also, if you are wearing any military style jacket with cuffs, the smaller and slimmer that watch is, the better. Otherwise, the watch will have to be worn outside the cuff. Even then, the more protrusions, knobs, and serrated bezels a watch has the greater your chances of stretching, pulling, tearing or prematurely wearing out the cuffs on the arm where you wear your watch. Another downside of the more feature-laden watches is the weight.

So, much as I love the gadgets and functions, I have narrowed my "uniform/flying" watches down to three primary watches. When I am working days or when I am off and might wear a jacket, I wear a very simple, fairly thin, plain Citizen Eco-Drive. It has a black face with large numbers, a good sweep-second hand, and a day/date. It is recharged by solar energy, so all I ever have to do is reset the date after months that don't have 31 days or when changing to or from Daylight Savings. Works good.

If I am working nights, I wear an L.L. Bean field watch with the tritium capsules marking the hands and hours. Being able to look at a watch without having to activate a backlight and even without having it in the "reading" portion of my glasses and still tell time in the dark or dim of an NVG cockpit is wonderful. It is also good if I wake up from a nap in the dark and can't find my glasses. The glow from the tritium is enough that you can also use it as a small light to find glasses and such on a night stand. I used to wear Luminox Navy Seal watches for their extremely light weight and the same tritim capsules. But they tend to be somewhat larger and bulkier. Still a great watch though.

If it is not jacket weather, I sometimes give in to the inner geek and wear a titanium Casion Pathfinder. It has a compass as well as a barometer internally. So it can also act as a rudimetary altimeter. It is also recharged by solar. Although light, it is huge in comparison to the others - and this is the smallest of the Pathfinders. For the money, Casio is very hard to beat for durabilty and function if you need or desire a lot of bells and whistles. Not very authentic for A-2 wear but a great watch as well.

All of these watches are relatively light. I found after years of wearing the Rolex that some times, just the pressure or weight of that watch where the crown would press into my hand would create numbness in some of my fingers. So after many years of wearing it, I started wearing the Luminox. Once shed of the weight, I was never comfortable wearing a heavy watch again. Not having to replace batteries is also a great feature. My Citizen and Casio should run as long as I want to wear watches as long as I keep them charged up. It is a hassle to find competent service people who will replace the Luminox or L.L. Bean batteries. I have found that if you don't send them back to a recognized service center, you run the risk of having the back plates reinstalled with the "o" rings misaligned, allowing moisture to enter the watches. So although the battery driven quartz is deadly accurate, servicing the watches can be a pain. But even this is much cheaper and faster than having the old Rolex serviced every 5-8 years. The last time it costs more than $400 and took a month.