Wrist watch???

After WWI watch technology had reached the point where smaller movements were as accurate as larger ones, and could be small enough to wear on the wrist. While the needs of American railroads lead to massive technological innovation in timepieces (that all took place in America) none of the mechanical movements could hold a candle to the cheapest quartz movement (so long as it has a battery) or a solid-state movement. Some of the higher end watches are still mechanical, though.
 
ScottM said:
Nope he is a rightist. If he was a lefty he would wear his watch on his right wrist.
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Actually, he is a lefty. I seem to remember seeing a video of him signing a bill left-handed. Therefore, I would expect the watch to be on the right wrist, too. But in the picture, it's clearly on the left wrist. Weird.
 
rpadula said:
Actually, he is a lefty. I seem to remember seeing a video of him signing a bill left-handed. Therefore, I would expect the watch to be on the right wrist, too. But in the picture, it's clearly on the left wrist. Weird.
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I think you are suggesting that he is playing to the right to mask his leftyness?? :D:D
 
ScottM said:
Nope he is a rightist. If he was a lefty he would wear his watch on his right wrist.
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Everybody is born right handed. Only a select few overcome the handicap. And, yes, I wear my watch on my right wrist. :D
 
ScottM said:
Nope he is a rightist. If he was a lefty he would wear his watch on his right wrist.
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Actually, he's left-handed. I remember him and, I think, Nancy Pelosi(?) talking about it on inauguration day, because she's a lefty too.

I wear a Casio G-Shock water resistant watch on my right wrist. I'm right handed.

:)
 
Ghery said:
Everybody is born right handed. Only a select few overcome the handicap. And, yes, I wear my watch on my right wrist. :D
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Add another lefty. (No political lefty just left handed). Also when someone comes up to me and asks what time it is I always tell them one of......one of the reasons you need a watch. :goofy:
 
Obi Heed Kenobi said:
Ironically, there was an article on the Denver Post website this morning containing a list published by some private school about things that are different for each class.

One of the things for this year's class was "never wore wristwatches."

As to myself, I'd wear one, but I've lost every single one I've ever had.
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Ironically I read that article this morning and that is what got me thinking about it.
 
steingar said:
After WWI watch technology had reached the point where smaller movements were as accurate as larger ones, and could be small enough to wear on the wrist. While the needs of American railroads lead to massive technological innovation in timepieces (that all took place in America) none of the mechanical movements could hold a candle to the cheapest quartz movement (so long as it has a battery) or a solid-state movement. Some of the higher end watches are still mechanical, though.
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I prefer the sound and feel of mechanical automatic watches. I wear a Sinn EZM3; it is accurate to +4 seconds per day. It never needs a battery, but it does require servicing every 5 years or so. As long as I wear it daily, it never needs winding either. I'm going to say that most of the higher end watches are mechanical automatic.
 
fgcason said:
Earlier this summer someone asked me what time it was. I said June. It was July. Apparently the middle of July from their comments. I looked at the sky and said it was mid afternoon sometime and that's close enough. They were irritated because they thought I was goofing on them. I was absolutely serious. I didn't know what month it was, much less time to the nearest tenth of a second.

I have a fun wrist watch with an altimeter and everything. I use it when flying which hasn't been in a while. The only other time is when running shows in the theatre where I have to know what time to start things. Even then I use the house manager as a timer and a stopwatch to keep things running on time.
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I like that. Since I quit working in April I sometimes loose track of time. I usually know what day, month, and year it is though. What do you do about dentist appointments, doctor appointments, and getting your taxes filed on time? What about your friends. Most of my friends still work.
 
shenanigans said:
I used to wear a watch, but the strap on my watch broke and I haven't gotten around to fixing it. Several times I've wished I had it on and someday I'm intending to get the strap fixed and resume wearing it.
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Same here. In my case the spring loaded pin that holds the band in place got twisted off. I got another, but the new one went flying when I was trying to install it. No chance of finding it where I was working on it, so decided to go watchless and see how I liked it (Had been a wearer since my early school days). In short, I don't miss it. The time is always available on the cell phone - so why have a duplicate source? For flying I have a watch/timer - and the GPS has the same functions as well. I probably won't go back to wearing a watch.

BTW - I put the phone in "Airplane Mode" when flying on the airlines (turns off the radio frequency parts of the device).

Dave
 
Maxmosbey said:
I like that. Since I quit working in April I sometimes loose track of time. I usually know what day, month, and year it is though. What do you do about dentist appointments, doctor appointments, and getting your taxes filed on time? What about your friends. Most of my friends still work.
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File taxes within a week of the time you get the employer tax information in the mail - never late, always done, no stress. When someone says be somewhere at a given time, if I'm on the road or nearly so, I first ask what day it is. Actual arrival time at a location is approximate to the sun angle and I plan to arrive early. For regular schedules that happen, your body has an internal clock that can be reasonably accurate after a week or so of repetition.
I met up with a friend this summer and our conversation went along the lines of "Our routes are crossing soon, any chance you'll be near X in a week or two?" Then later we updated the arrival time to "be at X the day after tomorrow and I'll be there too." Neither of us knew what day it was. Maybe it's partially our lifestyle however any refined arrival time within 12-18 hours is close enough with my friends. It's all about how you approach things and what the expectations are. Some people require time to the nearest 5 minutes or less, others are good within a day or week though those type people are few and far between. Sometimes a clock is necessary for a specific thing however when it's not, it's no big deal.
 
I have a Rolex Lady Datejust for dressy occasions, but mostly wear a more casual- style watch for everyday (Fossil, Swatch, or Zoppini). It's fun to change out watches to match what you are wearing that day. Swatch watches are great for that!
 
I generally don't wear one, as I have a tendency to destroy them, especially on the job. :rolleyes2:

But I find it handier to check the time on my wrist than to have to dig in my pocket for the cell phone... very useful, too for keeping track of my glider-ing time (no clocks mounted in the gliders). I currently sport a $100 watch that I got on sale for $25. :D

I've often used a wristwatch as a primary clock when flying power by compass, clock and chart... one of these days I want to get me one of them pilot watches with the built-in whiz wheel. :D
 
rottydaddy said:
I generally don't wear one, as I have a tendency to destroy them, especially on the job. :rolleyes2:

But I find it handier to check the time on my wrist than to have to dig in my pocket for the cell phone... very useful, too for keeping track of my glider-ing time (no clocks mounted in the gliders). I currently sport a $100 watch that I got on sale for $25. :D

I've often used a wristwatch as a primary clock when flying power by compass, clock and chart... one of these days I want to get me one of them pilot watches with the built-in whiz wheel. :D
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The only reason I have a watch with the whiz wheel is because my wife got it for me for Christmas a couple years ago. I'm too cheap to buy myself one and she (rightly so) thought the watch I always wore was looking a little ratty. I'm an engineer, so there's little chance I would have noticed on my own. :-)
 
bluee said:
I prefer the sound and feel of mechanical automatic watches. I wear a Sinn EZM3; it is accurate to +4 seconds per day. It never needs a battery, but it does require servicing every 5 years or so. As long as I wear it daily, it never needs winding either. I'm going to say that most of the higher end watches are mechanical automatic.
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Very true. Quartz watches are more accurate than mechanical, but mechanical watches are still very accurate and reliable. Quartz watches have batteries and batteries die, sometimes at the worst moments and without warning. A quality mechanical watch while more expensive will last a lifetime with relatively minor servicing at blue indicates. It also will not die from a spent battery. Many are self winding (automatic, as they are called).

There is also just something about having a little, precise machine on your wrist that is satisfying to some.
 
Fancy vs functional

I have two Citizen Navihawks (bought one and received another as a gift) and they both work great, but the wiz wheels are so small they're not practical to use. The process to change time zones, set timers etc. is also so complicated that I can't remember how on the rare instances when I need to do it. That means digging out the tome manual, printed in 5 point type (appropriate given the size of the wiz wheel markings).

I also have a Rolex DateJust, but it's starting to loose accuracy and I'm too cheap to spend the $300 plus to get back up to specs again.

What I wear almost all the time now is a $50 Casio Waveceptor. It is solar powered so no batteries to change, and it picks up time adjustments from the atomic clock transmitters. It has a high contrast analog dial with a small backlit LCD for the multi-time zone, timer, day/date and several other functions I never use.

The main thing is that I can actually tell what time it is on the thing. What a concept...
 
Re: Fancy vs functional

PilotStu said:
I also have a Rolex DateJust, but it's starting to loose accuracy and I'm too cheap to spend the $300 plus to get back up to specs again.
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You might be underballing that figure. As the owner of three Rolexes I can tell you the price for servicing has increased. BTW there is a service center in Dallas, very convenient for you.
 
ScottM said:
I still wear one. A Rolex Submariner in stainless and gold with a sapphire blue dial faceMy watch is what the elitist corporate Wall Street robber barons wear. Of course they probably bought their with TARP bailout funds from that they got from their Republican lapdogs in Washington DC. :D:D


How was that Bill? :thumbsup:
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I wore my Rolex stainless steel with black face, Submariner for years, then I decided with the economic downturn, it was probably not helping my picture framing business with me wearing a four thousand dollar watch.

I bought a Citizen solar powered watch with canvas strap for $85.00. I actually like it a whole lot better than the Rolex. It keeps perfect time, never needs winding, and is easy to read. The Rolex lost about five minutes a month. The only thing I really like about my Rolex is that it can take a beating. The crystal never scratches, it always looks brand new.

If things go even further south, my Rolex will have some monetary value.

As far as wearing a watch, it is something I have always done since my military years. I feel funny without it. A wrist watch is also a handy flying tool, very accessible.

John
 
flygirl34q said:
Swatch watches are great for that!
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Wow, I didn't even know they still made Swatch watches. I remember they were popular back in the 1980s. I had a few.

After having and ruining a number of mid-priced watches I now stick to the Timex variety which are inexpensive enough to be more or less disposable. I also like having both the day and date and two time zones.
 
John Baker said:
As far as wearing a watch, it is something I have always done since my military years. I feel funny without it. A wrist watch is also a handy flying tool, very accessible.

John
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I always wanted an Omega. I saw one in the PX back in the 70s. I thought about this when you said you had worn a watch since the military. So for my 60th birthday my wife talked about buying me one. For years I lived by the watch. When I retired I took it off. Even though I lived by it, it wasn't anything special. Just an old Timex. Now I have not worn a watch for years, so why buy something that expensive when I probably wouldn't even wear it? Four years ago I did buy a Pulsar chronometer with a whiz wheel on it just to wear when I was flying, but I can't read the whiz wheel even with bifocals, so it pretty much is worthless for that. It just kind of says "pilot" when you are wearing it. I have become so accustomed to not wearing a watch now, that it feels good to take it off and throw it in the flight bag. Right now the cell phone works fine for a time piece. Most days I don't need to know what time it is anyway.
 
Everskyward said:
Wow, I didn't even know they still made Swatch watches. I remember they were popular back in the 1980s. I had a few.
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I bought one in the '90s. In the Zurich airport. I was headed out and the watch I had at the time gave up (it was a broken/unrepairable wrist band). Only shop at ZRH that had anything reasonably priced was Swatch. Something well south of $100 US.

That watch lasted a couple of years... and I've graduated to the more expensive Swiss brands....
 
I'll stick with my Casio G-Shock, solar rechargable, with the automatic time-setting from Ft Collins. I've had it about 5 yrs or so, it replaced the Timex Ironman that I had forever. I've beat this watch up pretty good, but it has held up perfectly.

Plus, the auto-backlight is pretty cool.
 
Matthew said:
I'll stick with my Casio G-Shock, solar rechargable, with the automatic time-setting from Ft Collins. I've had it about 5 yrs or so, it replaced the Timex Ironman that I had forever. I've beat this watch up pretty good, but it has held up perfectly.

Plus, the auto-backlight is pretty cool.
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Yup. That's the same one I have. Bought it when my old "dive" watch started leaking the day before my certification deep dive. Not the prettiest piece of jewelry, but a good functional piece for about $40 at Costco a few years back.
 
rottydaddy said:
I generally don't wear one, as I have a tendency to destroy them, especially on the job. :rolleyes2:

But I find it handier to check the time on my wrist than to have to dig in my pocket for the cell phone... very useful, too for keeping track of my glider-ing time (no clocks mounted in the gliders). I currently sport a $100 watch that I got on sale for $25. :D

I've often used a wristwatch as a primary clock when flying power by compass, clock and chart... one of these days I want to get me one of them pilot watches with the built-in whiz wheel. :D
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Timex Expedition, 1st analog face watch I have had for probably 25 years.
got it because it has a metal case, I have been breaking the plasic case watch pretty regularly lately.

2nd the need for it in the glider, When flying a 150 miles from home I need to know how much time I have before sunset so I can determine when I need to turn around to get home before sunset.

Brian
 
vontresc said:
Yeah I need a new watch. My current timex ironman looks like hell, and thw wrist band is failing badly.

I did come across this one recently, but I just don't see what it had to do with a Ka-6

http://www.zeitfluegel.com/en/chrono.htm
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I have a Rolex Submariner stainless, black face, factory serviced and then not worn I would be willing to sell. It goes for $6k new and I would consider letting it go for $4k
 
Luv my Rolex... it was a gift from my father, so don't really know what it is worth, but I know they can be quite pricey. Mine has a white face with diamonds? at each hour position and a channel set diamond bezel around the face. Gold and stainless steel? two-tone metal band that I had to get adjusted at a jeweler's because I have a smaller than average wrist. Remember the jeweler did say that it was a very nice watch to get as a gift. :)
 
I have almost every one I've ever owned, though some don't do so well keeping time. I hate throwing things away. The missing one was one I bought from Sears when I was 17. Dropped it on a shoe box and it spun off at an hour a minute. When replaced, I lost it at a party. It was expensive and cheap, all at the same time!
Current daily wear is a Citizen's Ecodrive Navihawk in Blue Angels colors. The last one was the previous version.
I also have a couple of Seikos and one Pulsar which used to be my brothers. Yeah, I collect old discarded watches; adopting them like stray dogs.
 
Timex Expedition analog.
I use Dr. Bruce's trick of wearing it on my "other" wrist when flying to remind myself to close my flight plan.
 
I have used a pocket watch for almost 40 yrs.its too hard to get out while sitting so I carry a stop watch/clock around my neck & in my breast pocket while flying. . the cell phone is zipped in the flight bag. I also have a clock set to Zulu on my knee board. Dave
 
Ddayle said:
I have used a pocket watch for almost 40 yrs.its too hard to get out while sitting
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It's funny, I've gone to the modern version off a pocket watch -- a Droid smart phone. Haven't worn a wrist watch since moving to the island last April...
 
Dan Thomas said:
I have no idea why someone wouldn't wear one, at least when they're at work.
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Because I have the time everywhere I go on my cell phone. It's also right in front of me in every vehicle I drive and on the GPS. And it's on the GPS, the panel mounted clock and the Westbend timer when flyng.

Dan Thomas said:
And cellphones don't work in many of the areas we fly.
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You may not have reception but the clock still runs.

What's a wristwatch? Oh, yeah, I remember those contraptions from the last century. I think I even have one somewhere. It's probably tucked away in a box with all my 8 track tapes. :wink2:
 
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timwinters said:
What's a wristwatch? Oh, yeah, I remember those contraptions from the last century. I think I even have one somewhere. It's probably tucked away in a box with all my 8 track tapes. :wink2:
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Do you really want to be grabbing at your cell phone when you have a total electrical failure? Its happened to me twice and being able to just glance at your wrist, and use a whiskey compass is comforting. Plus, they are just cool little wrist machines. Cell phones are well.....SOULESS.
 
Anthony said:
Do you really want to be grabbing at your cell phone when you have a total electrical failure? .
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No, don't need to. I have the original 7 day wind-up clock in the panel...or is it 8 day? Had it overhauled a few years back. Could have bought a digital cheaper but I like the original look of the wind-up.

And the Westbend clock/timer on the right yoke is battery powered and so is the clock in my 396 (which would be the last choice).

I'd take a quick glance at the panel or right yoke and the cell phone would stay in my pocket. :wink2:

If you like wrist watches, then great. To each his own. But I never did. I destroyed them too quickly.
 
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