Cruisers Wrist Watch Recommendations

[Sailormantx]

My 1995 Casio is no longer keeping time to the second after many years of service. I am reluctant to spend boat bucks on it as it only gets used with the sextant, never gets worn or used for anything else. Should probably replace it in case I have to revert to traditional navigational methods.

[Paul Elliott]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

However, I think the last thing you want for cruising is a watch. Why?

Watchstanding. Radio schedules.

I had a Timex Ironman with shake-activated Indiglo dial illumination. It was great when standing watch on a cold night, wearing gloves so I couldn't work the tiny buttons. I would just give my wrist a quick shake and the dial would light up. That watch lasted through two Hawaii round-trips, plus my everyday wear. It still works, but there is a little fogging that appears now, so I assume it's going to die sooner rather than later.

[roverhi]

Have had a couple of Casio Pathfinders. Both had altimeter, barometer, compass, stopwatch, waterproof to 100m, and last but not least, a display I can read without my glasses. The latest one has a photovoltaic charged battery so should go a long long time without problems. The watch part is quite accurate losing only a couple seconds a month. Has day as well as date calendar. For us retired types need something to tell us it's not Saturday every day. Have found the compass handy travelling under an overcast sky or at night in new place. The only reason I got a new one is the original got grossly beaten up working on the boat including epoxy on the face.

[Sindbad]

I bought a Suunto Yachtsman last year and so far I am happy with it. Additional functions are barometer, thermometer, compass and others, which I never use. Battery life depends on how often the back light is used.

[chuckr]

Originally Posted by Bash

Navigation? Diving? Keeping a logbook?

and remember what time sundowners start

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Sindbad

I bought a Suunto Yachtsman last year and so far I am happy with it. Additional functions are barometer, thermometer, compass and others, which I never use. Battery life depends on how often the back light is used.

I replaced my Casio Protrek with a Suunto Yachtsman. The casio was dying. I liked the trend graph on the Casio, but the Suunto is slightly smaller. The alarm on the Suunto is a little quiet.

I will not sail without a barometer, and since I sail OPBs I need a barometer.

I am also using it to time squash matches.

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by tinpusher

It's nearing that time where the wife starts asking "what do you want for Christmas?". Well I don't have a nice watch and can not seem to find any reviews from the last decade. I race a little and cruise a lot so I'm thinking barometer with trend display would be nice. Beyond that I don't have a clue. Any recommendations on models or features I should look for would be greatly appreciated.

Dont know if they still make them but the Avocet was a really cool watch that was designd for hangliding and it had all kinds of neat functions...The best part was the price, $125.00!! google it ,we used to call them Avocet flight computors...They would tell the temp ,altitude,barometer,distance traveled,acumulative facts,you could watch it and tell if it was going to ran and tell your friends that it was going to rain and they would say something like your crazy there isnt a cloud in the sky !then it would start raining and they were so amazed!never did tell them it was the watch...

[rebel heart]

I love my Casio. It doesn't show it in the picture, but the top left has a barograph so you can glance at it and see the barometric trend. I also refitted it with a nato "zulu" strap (pictured below). Favorite things:

- barograph (and spot check barometer; both are accurate)
- digital compass
- zulu strap lets you wear it over foulies or 7mm wetsuit
- i'd rather know what the drift is every month in seconds than have it adjusting itself via the atomic wireless stuff
- solar face, no battery changes

Casio Men's PAG240-8 Pathfinder Amazon Exclusive Triple Sensor Tough Solar Digital Watch: Watches: Amazon.com

[rebel heart]

For any of you guys with Casios, give some thought to that nato strap and switching out the Casio lugs to fit. It's a $20 change but it really makes the watch much more comfy, cleaner, and fits around big stuff. More bulky but I've never had it snag anymore than a big ass watch does already.

[Lake-Effect]

In my normal activities, and when I'm around the boat, I am just too hard on watches, so I seldom spend more than $50 for a Timex or Casio diver-type with analog hands and inset digital. Day/Date is nice, and I used to use the alarm feature regularly, when travelling (except I can't remember how to set my current one - a Casio).

I also have a nice Swatch chrono in stainless steel that i got half-price... nice for dressing up.

All of my cheap watches over the years have kept time better than maybe 5 seconds a year.

If Timex or Casio came out with a basic slightly chunky and genuinely sturdy stainless watch with the look of a TAG HEUER, I bet they'd sell like hotcakes.

[boatsail]

As a USMC RECON diver, most of us back in the late nineties and early two thousands wore the g shock.... Tough watch and the one large button got the light was awesome even with gloves our cold fingers

[delmarrey]

Had my self-winding for 43 years. Can't complain. Makes a great weapon if need be.

.

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

Had my self-winding for 43 years. Can't complain. Makes a great weapon if need be.

.

Nice ,those old autos are bringing good money these days...

[GaryMayo]

Wristwatch? Seems like such an old fashioned notion.

I am never without a smartphone and weather apps give much more detailed accounting of the weather than a watch could.

Purchased a Rolex SubMariner II at a second hand store 20 years ago for $300 and sold it a year ago for ten times that. Never used it anyway.

[Ex-Calif]

I have fancy watches - I don't wear them. I got a really cool Suunto Mariners watch as a gift (~$300) - it failed in 6 months.

My goto watch?

$28 bucks, big characters, chono, countdown timer, multi alarms. 100 meters depth. Plastic so it won't spark me. It comes with a compass on the strap - forget it - fell off in 2 days - LOL...

I like to go to Thailand and when I am offered copy watches show my Timex and ask for a copy Timex - some laugh, some look at me with the RCA Victor dog look.

I get the fancy watch allure so probably shouldn't even be posting here.