Menu Sign In Contact FAQ
Banner
Welcome to our forums

A pilot watch (mechanical, of course)

I’ve been wearing my 14 year Tissot for a while now and it still works like a Swiss clockwork for which I start hating it I’ve been thinking of getting something new and more “piloty”. I do not insist on a lot of functions as I’ve found them more difficult to use than other devices like the tablet, phone or GPS unit in an environment like the cockpit.

In my opinion there are two categories of watches: a functional one, similar to the Garmin D2 (Bravo), which can also be used for sports; and a more stylish one, which fits more to a suit/uniform kind of clothing like the Breitling Navitimer and the Hamilton Khaki X-Wind Limited Edition. I am looking at both.

What do you guys like and have?

LSZH, LSZF, Switzerland

I am generally a “functional” guy, and I rarely wear a watch outside the cockpit, so I am considering a GPS-equipped one. Garmin D2 is a really fine piece of engineering, but I’d rather get something with an open architecture that can run different applications, maybe even a miniature moving map, so I’m looking at various Android-based models.

On the other hand, speaking of style, the most gorgeous pilot chronograph I’ve seen is Bell & Ross BR01-94:

Thrifty as I am, I didn’t really care to buy a watch for a price of a motorcycle, but when I spotted a fairly well-crafted replica for 1/40 the price, I couldn’t resist
It has been faithfully working for me since 2010. By the way, a rubber strap is surprisingly comfortable.

LKBU (near Prague), Czech Republic

The majority of pilots I know and/or fly with (including myself) do not wear a watch any longer. It’s such a hassle at the security gates and one is surrounded by so many devices that show the time that a watch isn’t missed at all.

EDDS - Stuttgart

The Rolex Air King is occasionally on sale at airports, I got mine quite cheap at LCY three or four years ago. Originally this was the Rolex WW2 RAF pilots could get on trust, with Rolex expecting payment after the war. Good call by this Swiss manufacturer, and I believe they didn’t have an each way bet.

http://rolexblog.blogspot.com.es/2013/07/the-complete-history-of-rolex-air-king.html

Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom

I had a battery go flat a day before the Mali Losinj fly-in in May 2014 so got myself a self winding one – like this but not black, and with a silicone strap

Very happy with it. It could have tritium hands (like the Traser quartz one I had before) but I think nobody makes self winding tritium watches (I looked extensively at the time). At night it is “just” visible.

Funnily enough yesterday at LEPP I emptied my pockets for the scanner and it still kept going off. They could not work it out and eventually let me through. Now I realise I forgot about the watch

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

How much money do you want to spend on a watch? New or used? Swiss watches have a pretty wide range. The November 2015 issue of Flieger Magazin has a 2-4 pager article on pilot watches. Maybe you should get yourself a copy.

A year ago I was also thinking about getting a Navitimer, but I just didn’t feel comfortable spending so much money on a time piece. I went with a Sinn 903 instead as it has the same fundament as the Breitling Navitimer, but for a third of the price. Btw, this is not a cheap or illegal rip-off. Sinn just bought the rights when Breitling was in trouble back in the day.

https://www.sinn.de/en/Instrument_Chronographs/903.htm

Last Edited by Dominik at 02 Nov 11:07

Dominik wrote:

How much money do you want to spend on a watch?

Nil

FAA A&P/IA
LFPN

I reckon many pilots watches are worn by non pilots while most pilots either don’t wear watches at all (due to security hassles) or then something which is mainly functional.

A few years back I managed to buy a Breitling Emergency (old model 121.5) from a friend who upgraded to the 406 model. I did it and I wear it mostly for “nice” going out and for business meetings and events, where I notice that some folks do actually look at such stuff to decide whether you are worth talking to or not. It’s a lovely watch but I don’t wear it for work as it triggers the beep at security every time. Also the user interface is totally crummy and difficult, had to take it to the shop every time I want to change from Daylight saving to Winter and back.

I have so far worn it for flying a few times, but mostly I wear my trusty old Casio Wave Ceptor solar, which is a set and forget thing, will adapt time automatically, radio controlled, sun batteries so no changes in well over 15 years and so on. It also does not normally trigger the security beep.

And a few years ago I found this one in one of the many Casio Shops in the Canaries. That one is actually quite useful for flying as it does have an altimeter and a compass included and works well at night. While the altimeter needs to be adjusted for it to make any sense, it is also purely plastic and therefore will not bother the airport security at all. Been wearing it on travel mostly and for sports and swimming, which it tolerates without a problem.

In the end, I have to say that “pilot watches” most of the time and in this time and age are mainly fashion statements more than anything else.

Last Edited by Mooney_Driver at 02 Nov 13:10
LSZH(work) LSZF (GA base), Switzerland

I’ve my Seiko Kenetic for about 20 years now. Always keeps perfect time. I have to change it for DST twice a year and apart from that, it just works.

There is no battery, so solar cell, no winding. And if I take it off my arm for some reason, it will keep going for 6 months.

Having said that, I don’t think many people under 30 wear a watch these days. They just look at their phone. It seems a watch is for us “old people”.

EIWT Weston, Ireland

Whatever you do, don’t buy anything with a minuscule slide rule on the bezel.

EGTT, The London FIR
154 Posts
Sign in to add your message

Back to Top