Breitling Emergency Watch (or the like)

Ted

Ted

The pilot formerly known as Twin Engine Ted
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I like cool watches. I got out of the habit of wearing one about 8 years ago when I started working on cars a lot. I've got an old Fossil watch that I like and need to get a new band for.

While window shopping at watches, we saw the Breitling Emergency Mission watch, which has the neat feature of a built-in 121.5 MHz ELT. I thought this was cool, plus it was a neat-looking watch. The one we saw was a discontinued version, and so I wondered if they made a new one that has a 406 MHz ELT as well as 121.5 MHz. At that point, you've got an expensive PLB that doubles as a watch.

Out of curiosity, has anyone heard of a watch like that, or is Breitling the only company that did something like that? Such watches cost too much for me to consider, but it's fun to think about. :)
 
The ELT was a gimmick as the power was pitiful. And to my knowledge there's no 406 version.

Don't get me wrong, I've lusted after a Breitling B2 for years.
 
Oh, I didn't figure that it was really all that useful, just that it was a cool-looking watch. :)
 
Breitlings are for self-serving weiners with too much bloody money. Want a cool watch? Try the one I'm wearing, a 14kt 17-jewel Waltham that's older than anyone associated with this site and still keeps good time.
 

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steingar said:
Breitlings are for self-serving weiners with too much bloody money. Want a cool watch? Try the one I'm wearing, a 14kt 17-jewel Waltham that's older than anyone associated with this site and still keeps good time.
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You have excellent taste. I love vintage watches. At one time Breitlings made real watches. They made some great chronos. I do not like the direction they have gone in the past 10 - 20 years. Yes, they still support aviation and advertise to the that audience, but they have become a "mall" watch IMHO and not a serious tool.

IWC's are excellent and also expensive. I prefer higher value "tool" watches that are not as well known. Brands like Sinn, Fortis, and Marathon. Well made, but not flashy nor even expensive looking. Just basic mechanical watches that work.

I don't think anyone else makes a watch like the Breitling Emergency, however, so if you want something with a transmitter in it, I think this in the only one.
 
steingar said:
Breitlings are for self-serving weiners with too much bloody money. Want a cool watch? Try the one I'm wearing, a 14kt 17-jewel Waltham that's older than anyone associated with this site and still keeps good time.
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I used to work with a guy who brought in an old pocket watch that used to belong to his dad. His dad worked for the railroad and carried it for his job. If you opened the back of the case, there were stamps in it that showed each time it had been calibrated.
 
steingar said:
Breitlings are for self-serving weiners with too much bloody money.
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Well, that's what most people say about airplanes, but we tend to disagree. ;)

I, too, prefer old watches. I also don't like carrying them around regularly. I'll end up being logical and just get a new battery for my Fossil and wear that, I'm sure, but the gimmic of the ELT watch peaked my interest. With the 406 ELTs now, though, it loses some of its niftyness.
 
Remember that Steve Fosset had a watch with an ELT in it. Didn't help anyone find him. My wife got me a Torgoen for my B-Day a few years ago. Has and E6B that is fun to play with and has a Zulu hand. look simple and sharp. I also really like the Citizens EcoDrive Pilots watch.
 
leah got the link fixed in my Citizen Eco Drive for our anniversary. We just got it back yesterday. I haven't worn a watch for several years and am now remembering how heavy it is!
 
AdamZ said:
Remember that Steve Fosset had a watch with an ELT in it. Didn't help anyone find him.
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The ELT watch has to be activated by the wearer by unscrewing a couple of antenna heads and stretching them out to their full length. Something I would imagine that would be hard to do if you'd just encountered rocks at airplane traveling speed. This watch would be more useful to a lost hiker in getting found than a crash occupant. When this watch first came out, you were "required" to show a pilot certification to buy it. I know this because my wife snuck my ticket out of my wallet and went and bought me one about 8 years ago or so. I still have it and wear it often but it's not something I would have bought for myself and there's other "nice" watches I'd prefer over the Emergency though Breitling makes some very attractive timepieces.

As for them being for people with "too much money?" No such thing. But if money was tight and I wasn't flying as much as I wanted and flying what I wanted - then a pilot watch would be the last thing on my mind. I agree they're kind of a silly waste of AMUs.
 
I have a clock on my computer, my stove, my microwave, my cable box, my alarm clock, my phone, my GPS, my second GPS, my clock in my plane, my radio in my car, my radio in my truck. I need a watch because..............?
 
PittsDriver said:
As for them being for people with "too much money?" No such thing.
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Nice to hear that some of us aren't into class warfare and full of envy. If you can afford it and enjoy a nice timepiece, I say why not!
 
Anthony said:
Nice to hear that some of us aren't into class warfare and full of envy. If you can afford it and enjoy a nice timepiece, I say why not!
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Are any of us in a different class? :rolleyes: though some are classier than others.

While I like old timepieces for their quality and beauty I prefer to wear watches with quartz movement that actually, you know, keep accurate time. I also have become addicted to tritium light source on the dial. I have a lightweight H3 military Traser watch with a 12 hour rotating bezel for everyday and a nice Luminox stainless. Both great pilots watches.
 
I love nice watches and own two Rolexes. Both are submariners. One is an all stainless with black face one and the other is a two tone gold and stainless with sapphire blue face and dial. I would like to sell the black and stainless submariner and get a GMT.
 
alaskaflyer said:
Are any of us in a different class? :rolleyes: though some are classier than others.

While I like old timepieces for their quality and beauty I prefer to wear watches with quartz movement that actually, you know, keep accurate time. I also have become addicted to tritium light source on the dial. I have a lightweight H3 military Traser watch with a 12 hour rotating bezel for everyday and a nice Luminox stainless. Both great pilots watches.
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This is all that I will say on the class warfare matter. When people make comments that buying expensive watches and implying making money is some how wrong, then I'd say yes to your question.

OK, back to the topic. Quartz is fine and yes it keeps better time than a mechanical watch. However, mechanical watches keep excellent time, mine are within seconds a day of my quartz watches. I do not need to tell daily time down to the second, and mechanical watches are fine for that. In fact, the watch used by NASA for EVA's and lunar landings is a mechanical Omega Speedmaster.

Rent "Apollo 13" and see what they use to time the burn in space.

Regarding tritium. I like them too and have a mechanical Marathon SAR which is an issued search and rescue watch in Canada and U.S.

I think you NEED this watch. :D They also make a quartz version of the same watch which is a bit less expensive.

http://www.countycomm.com/presar.htm
 
Anthony said:
Rent "Apollo 13" and see what they use to time the burn in space.
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As you mentioned that would be for two of the three Apollo13 guys the Omega Speedmaster, a very cool watch. Jack Swiggert was a Rolex GMT guy and that is what he was really wearing on that flight.
 
tonycondon said:
according to wikipedia Swigert had a speedmaster.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jack_Swigert_Apollo_13-70-H-475.jpg
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From a more authoritative source:
[SIZE=+1]The Issue of Jack Swigert's Rolex GMT...[/SIZE]
Information from James Dowling and Jeffrey Hess Rolex Book
In the book "The Best of Times: Rolex, an unauthorized History" James Dowling and Jeffrey Hess note that "It was a GMT-Master on the wrist of Jack Swigert that helped the crew of Apollo 13 to make it back to earth safely after their on-board Oxygen tank ruptured".
Dowling and Hess acknowledge that recorded history states that it was Lovell's Speedmaster that timed the engine burns that saved the craft. They state "It was a GMT-Master on the wrist of Jack Swigert that helped the crew of Apollo 13 to make it back to earth safely after their on board oxygen tank ruptured.". However they do not elaborate on how the GMT-Master was helpful. Jack Swigert later had this same watch mounted with a photograph of the splashdown, a mission patch and the note "To my long-time friend René Jeanneret who enabled me to always be on time. With sincere thanks, Jack Swigert". This is pictured on pages 276 and 277 in the book.
Dowling and Hess also state that it could be argued that the only reason the astronauts wore Omega's in the first place was due to a foul-up in the New York City office of Rolex. A lack of available GMT-Masters on hand allegedly forced NASA to go elsewhere for Astronaut watches.

​
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http://www.chronomaddox.com/moonmovement.html
 
I know a few of the astronauts used Rolex's on flights but I don't think they did EVA's with them. Scott Carpenter comes to mind, but I may be wrong. I am pretty sure the only watch worn on the Moon was the Omega Speedmaster, but never having personally been on the Moon myself (Tequlia excursions excluded) I may be wrong on that too.
 
Anthony said:
I know a few of the astronauts used Rolex's on flights but I don't think they did EVA's with them. Scott Carpenter comes to mind, but I may be wrong. I am pretty sure the only watch worn on the Moon was the Omega Speedmaster, but never having personally been on the Moon myself (Tequlia excursions excluded) I may be wrong on that too.
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Several wore their personal ones on their wrists. But I think the one on the outside of the suits was always the Omega.
 
scott that website says he probably wore both his personal rolex and the NASA approved speedmaster
 
tonycondon said:
scott that website says he probably wore both his personal rolex and the NASA approved speedmaster
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As I said the speedmaster was likely on the outside of his suit or on his right wrist as shown in a few photos, but on his left wrist he was wearing the Rolex. That is also what the website states too. Plenty of pictures that support that too. Therefore there was nothing wrong with my statement.

Here is a pic of him suiting up. Notice the Rolex on the wrist. Later the photo that you posted shows the Speedmaster on the outside of his suit:
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Post mission this photo was taken:
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And if you look closely you can see he is wearing two watches:
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He also had another Rolex GMT all in gold and that can be seen in the official crew photo. But I think it is clear that he was wearing his personal watch on the mission.
 

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If I were going to spend that kind of money my watch would say Tiffany, Cartier, Longinnes, or maybe Tissot.
 
EdFred said:
I have a clock on my computer, my stove, my microwave, my cable box, my alarm clock, my phone, my GPS, my second GPS, my clock in my plane, my radio in my car, my radio in my truck. I need a watch because..............?
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Because I like watches? :dunno:
 
EdFred said:
That's an acceptable answer. I just have a hard time wearing anything like a watch, ring, pantyhose, chain, etc...
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Watches are just an adornment or toy. People spend lots of money on jewelry or maybe their adornment is a gun that they like to carry on them. Same thing and nothing wrong with either. I just say to each his own.
 
All I need for a watch is a stick and the sunrise sunset charts. :D

I'm accurate to within 3 minutes...if the sun is out.
 
PittsDriver said:
The ELT watch has to be activated by the wearer by unscrewing a couple of antenna heads and stretching them out to their full length. Something I would imagine that would be hard to do if you'd just encountered rocks at airplane traveling speed. This watch would be more useful to a lost hiker in getting found than a crash occupant. When this watch first came out, you were "required" to show a pilot certification to buy it. I know this because my wife snuck my ticket out of my wallet and went and bought me one about 8 years ago or so. I still have it and wear it often but it's not something I would have bought for myself and there's other "nice" watches I'd prefer over the Emergency though Breitling makes some very attractive timepieces.

As for them being for people with "too much money?" No such thing. But if money was tight and I wasn't flying as much as I wanted and flying what I wanted - then a pilot watch would be the last thing on my mind. I agree they're kind of a silly waste of AMUs.
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Just curious how long are the antenas? What are they wires that are coiled in the watch? If so I suspect it would not be something you would want to pull out if not needed.
 
EdFred said:
I have a clock on my computer, my stove, my microwave, my cable box, my alarm clock, my phone, my GPS, my second GPS, my clock in my plane, my radio in my car, my radio in my truck. I need a watch because..............?
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Because looking at an good watch that keeps the right time is the best way of knowing the time. If you don't understand why that is, you don't have it and that's that. Sort of why one needs fine dining when one has Mikky D's.
 
steingar said:
Because looking at an good watch that keeps the right time is the best way of knowing the time. If you don't understand why that is, you don't have it and that's that. Sort of why one needs fine dining when one has Mikky D's.
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Actually the GPS clock is likely more accurate.

I can also get time more accurately on my cell phone since I can check against a NTP server.

A watch is not about having the most accurate time - it's about being able to quickly know the time by looking at your wrist without fumbling for a cell phone or whatever other device. I've gone through phases over the years - I buy one and wear it constantly until it breaks.. Then I go a few years without one.
 

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jesse said:
Actually the GPS clock is likely more accurate.

I can also get time more accurately on my cell phone since I can check against a NTP server.

A watch is not about having the most accurate time - it's about being able to quickly know the time by looking at your wrist without fumbling for a cell phone or whatever other device. I've gone through phases over the years - I buy one and wear it constantly until it breaks.. Then I go a few years without one.
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Actually, a quartz watch, even a cheap one, should be roughly as accurate as anything else. Mechanical watches may or may not be, depending on their quality and service history. But you are right, one does not wear a fine watch for accuracy.
 
steingar said:
Actually, a quartz watch, even a cheap one, should be roughly as accurate as anything else. Mechanical watches may or may not be, depending on their quality and service history. But you are right, one does not wear a fine watch for accuracy.
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A lot of the accuracy has to do with the watch being synced to an accurate time source in the first place - something that is not an easy task on most quartz watches.

Sure it might accurately know the length of a second but if you set it by hand to start it's not going to be anywhere near as accurate as the GPS clock will be.
 
jesse said:
A lot of the accuracy has to do with the watch being synced to an accurate time source in the first place - something that is not an easy task on most quartz watches.

Sure it might accurately know the length of a second but if you set it by hand to start it's not going to be anywhere near as accurate as the GPS clock will be.
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My Citizen Eco-Drive Skyhawk (Blue Angels edition) receives signals from WWVB every night. Sets itself. About as close as you can get. Did I buy it for myself? Nope, Christmas gift from my wife a couple years ago. Love the multiple time zones, really handy when traveling.
 
My Waltham receives no signal from anything, and doesn't know what a time zone is. But it is a fine piece, where art met technology so many years ago. A lost piece of American industry. Taken care of it will work for another hundred years. I really can't say that about anything else in my life.
 
I want an Omega Seamaster so bad. I don't even wear a watch, so I can't justify spending that kind of money just to tell the time, considering most of the time I don't care what time it is, but I still want one.
 
ScottM said:
17" is the antenna length
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It also renders the watch useless if you deploy the antenna and it's not something you can restore yourself. If you deploy the antenna, you send the watch back to Breitling and they send you a new one with a bill for a new watch - when my wife bought mine deploying the antenna was about a $3,800 maneuver. Unless of course, the watch happened to save your life and then they give you a new watch and I'm sure they'd love to use you in their advertisements.

They do include with the watch a nifty little test set that you can place the watch into and test the function of the ELT transmitter/battery. It sounds pretty much just like an ELT test when you listen to it on 121.5.

I should add that the watch had a two-fold meaning to me: the pilot aspect; and, I was the project lead for the contractor that developed the original SARSAT MCC software and the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center automation system back in the early/mid-80's.
 
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PittsDriver said:
It also renders the watch useless if you deploy the antenna and it's not something you can restore yourself. If you deploy the antenna, you send the watch back to Breitling and they send you a new one with a bill for a new watch - when my wife bought mine deploying the antenna was about a $3,800 maneuver.
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That is a hard lesson to learn. I wondered if the ant could have just been squeezed back in and then the cap tightened. I guess not! :hairraise::cryin:
 
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