Watch or time piece?

[svmariane]

Originally Posted by ontherocks83

I wanted to throw this one out there and see what kind of watches people recommend or use when sailing. I have been trying to find a quality watch for a while that looks decent, is functional on a boat (i.e. maybe has but doesn't need to have but can also take the abuse of sailing, swimming, doing repairs on board, getting banged into things, being thrown across the room by my 2 year old etc.

I currently have a cheap $50 timex that I wear because it is low profile and I don't worry about damaging it. The problems are it scratches easy and if I am going somewhere nice/dressy it is definitely sub par.

So what kind of watch or "time piece" do you wear and why?

Rolex Submariner.

Now just all of you stop chortling and hear me out, k?

Way back when, we sold the house, sold the cars, sold the kids. Got a boat. Sunk it later on {but that's a different story} and got another. Well, for insurance & registration sorts of things my wife got majority ownership of the new boat {sigh} and me... I got a Rolex.

Durable? That Rolex survives anything thrown its way: routine maint, haul-out maint, bumps & bangs and smashes and whatnot. Little bit of polish & scratches just disappear. Waterproofing seals last at least 20 years despite all words of warning. Well, YMMV. But when I free-dove to check the prop no problems ensued. Actually, t'was an xmas party aboard another sailboat and later - after much schnaps - I fell out of me dinghy. But no matter. The Rolex survived!

Accurate? Heck, she's as accurate as sunrise! Tho' since sunrise time changes daily, well, you know.... But isn't that why they broadcast UTC on 5, 10 & 15 Mhz HF? So's we can set our watches?

And man, a Rolex is dressy as needed for those "Yacht Club" type functions. If you're into that kinds thing. Then again, since most places that WE go have a bit of a rep, the Rolex lives in me pocket when ashore. Still....

We're not exactly competing in the Whitbread 'round the world tho' - right? {Sorry - Volvo Ocean Race.}

Here's what works in the cockpit while underway - no batteries required:

[Niagara Les]

Second the Suunto- bought one this spring for an offshore passage from Bahamas to Annapolis. I bought the Ambit Peak 3 as I will use it for land-based sports as well. While on passage, i would have the alarm wake me for my watch. Before even attempting to remove myself from my bunk, I could look at my watch and check compass heading, gps coordinates (to get a feel for progress made while asleep), boat speed in knots, as well as graphed barometer trends- all while in my sleeping bag!
The thing is a fairly high-tech piece, but don't bother with it if you're adverse to sifting through menus to get it set up the way you'd like.
Another possibly useful feature- syncs with cell phone/pc via Bluetooth, and when prompted can upload gps data to their proprietary social media site ( Movescount it's called). Movescount sends an email to whoever you'd like to update your progress to ( or can send straight to fb), and they get a googlemap with your trail. We plan on using this feature this summer to update family as to our daily whereabouts while on a 600 mile sailing trip in mid- July (provided we have cell signal of course).
Anyway nice watch- it's not mega-sized for my scrawny arms, good battery (recharge once a month via usb), also like the fact that the brightness is adjustable for night watch. Would have been too bright on the default setting. Also not thousands of dollars, several hundred though!


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[secrabtree]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Right, this watch is practical for a sailor.

I have two of them at the bottom of lakes in Mississippi and a several others under the surface on the Gulf Coast near Pensacola, Ft Walton Beach, Panama City, or Ocean Springs................

Racing small catamarans is tough on watches but you need one for the start sequence etc...................

To say nothing of the welcome(?) you'd get from the wife when you got home after a race and told her you lost your Rolex. Much better to say you lost your Timex or Casio.

[bnizette]

If I am in ocean a Breitling Emergency (love the epirb, but unfortunately the Emergency II is not available in Aust YET)

If harbour racing the Breitling Chrono Shark - race timing

or if diving the Rolex Deep Sea

Watches are my passion, especially Breitling.

Brian@breitling.org.au

[RolfP]

parhfinder my best watch ever. 5+ yrs

[Pete P]

As I'm compiling a prep list for a TransAt next year, a watch isn't something I'd considered, but I'll be adding it to the shopping list now.

Day to day I haven't worn a watch for years. I have a phone that tells me the time if I can't see a clock, but on board that isn't going to be very practical - the risk of dropping it overboard is reason enough to have it mounted on a fob chain.

It looks like Casio are the favourite manufacturer for not cheap, not expensive watches that can take a knock and a soaking.

[hellosailor]

"The Rolex is reliable and it never needs to be wound, but it's time-keeping is not overly accurate, regularly gaining a minute a month or so..."
In fact, that is far more accurate than the chronometer standard (two minutes per month) and well within the best possible accuracy a SHOP can set it to. With all mechanical watches, except the expensive "tourbillion" movements, the watch rate is affected by gravity. If you wear the watch on the inside or outside of your wrist, the rate will change by 2-5 seconds per day. If you take the watch off at night and place it "face up" "face down" "stem up" "stem down" "noon up" "noon down" each of those position changes can also change the rate by 2-5 seconds PER DAY.
And in fact, a watch owner who wants to change the rate of their watch by some small amount, can easily do just that. The amount of the rate change and the position to use, often found on the web.
The only way that a SHOP can make the watch more accurate, is if you can tell them precisely how fast/slow the watch is, after you've worn it for a month. Then they can compare the "bench" rate it runs at, with the amount of change you require, and they'll make a calculated adjustment to change the bench rate. Which may need to be done more than once, depending on how uniform your activity and habits are.
If you don't wear the watch all day every day...all bets are off, the rate cannot be consistent. And after a year or two, if it isn't lubricated and cleaned? Right, it is expected to change again, anyway.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

With all mechanical watches, except the expensive "tourbillion" movements, the watch rate is affected by gravity.
...
If you don't wear the watch all day every day...all bets are off, the rate cannot be consistent. And after a year or two, if it isn't lubricated and cleaned? Right, it is expected to change again, anyway.

Which is one reason why I prefer a "cheap" quartz watch. In general they are more accurate that all your fancy, expensive Rolexes etc.

[The Smokester]

I've had a Casio Pathfinder PAW-1300. Solar, atomic synch, barometer, compass, backlight, timers, alarms, multiple time zones. I love it. Had it for 8 years. Had it synch to Ft Collins from as far away as Equador, but not India.

[FamilyVan]

Timex Ironman. They take a licking and keep on ticking. If money was no issue, well, that would be another thing, I'd replace my $50 Timex Ironman every 10 years then.

Sent from my SGH-I547C using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[mstrebe]

Casio Pathfinder PAW-1500. Barometer with graphs, temp, tides, compass, solar powered, titanium available. Best sailing watch I've ever found, and looks good too. Also has moon phases and altitude, but those aren't all that necessary for sailing. Having tides on your wrist is good for determining what side of the dock you'll drift into or how much you need to worry about shallows. The Barometer is good for detecting rapidly deteriorating weather conditions. Compass is a compass, nuff said. Solar powered means it works literally forever, no battery changes ever, no charging, no nothing, ever.

Garmin Quatix is expensive and sluggish and has to be charged all the time, but it will give you any data you want from your NMEA2000 electronics right on your wrist. I use it to watch SOG while I'm trimming the mainsheet in real-time. Otherwise not very useful.

Apple Watch is surprisingly useful. With an iPhone connected to the B&G/SIMRAD/Lowrance GoFree WiFi adapter and running the NMEA app, you can get instrument data right on your wrist, just like the Quatix but easier to see and if you're a gadget geek you might already have the necessary equipment.

I have the titanium citizen above, it's a great watch and solar powered, but doesn't have instruments specific to sailing.

The various mechanical Yacht Timers are very specific to starting sail races and do nothing else useful. Plus they cost an amazing amount. I have the Frederick Constant Worldtimer which is nice for travel and the Rolex Sea Dweller which is useful for diving and costing a lot of money to keep running. Mechanicals are kind of useless for sailing. If you like to waste money like that, check out the Frederick Constant Alpina Seastrong Yachttimer. Best functionality for the dollar of any yacht-timer and better looking than the Breitling or Rolex IMHO. I do love the Breitling Unitime TransOcean but haven't convinced myself it's worth $12K.

Just get the Casio. It just works, and its the cheapest of the bunch.

[hsi88]

I guess if you were racing or attempting to navigate using the sun and stars a watch might come in handy. I haven't worn a watch in well over 20 years. On a boat, it gives you a nasty white tattoo around your wrist. I do have an LCD Thermometer below that also displays the time. Can see it from the cockpit (with a little squinting). Cost about $10. The time has been dead on since I set it. Has not needed any adjustments.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by hsi88

I guess if you were racing or attempting to navigate using the sun and stars a watch might come in handy. I haven't worn a watch in well over 20 years. On a boat, it gives you a nasty white tattoo around your wrist. I do have an LCD Thermometer below that also displays the time. Can see it from the cockpit (with a little squinting). Cost about $10. The time has been dead on since I set it. Has not needed any adjustments.

I do like the LaCrosse weather stations that show barometric pressure with a 24 hour trend line, temperature, relative humidity and the time.

I still like my watch with its barometer.

It is not an either / or situation.

[svHyLyte]

Relative to my earlier post (#25) bemoaning the premature demise of my Casio Sea Pathfinder, last evening my "girls" gave me an early Father's Day Gift of a Garmin Quatix watch as a consolation gift. I attempted to demur given the cost of the darned thing but they insisted saying I might as well wear it as it's been paid for already, otherwise it will merely sit in the drawer next to my other rarely worn watches. So,this AM I unpacked it and have been spending (quite) some time acquainting myself with its functions, which are pretty elaborate (needing a 22 page Owner's Manual to explain!). On first sight,it is pretty neat however. For example, with the wifi function it will trigger a MOB alarm/way point marker on our other devices if I take an unplanned dive over the side. N'any case,I shall report my impressions of this device once I have used it for awhile,

FWIW...

[Russ]

Heh Slick new watch. What is range of Wifi trigger, i.e how far from mother ship will it work and and is the MOB function automatic ( water triggered or hydro pressure) vs manual. THAT is a function worth paying for!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Russ