chango Posted April 20, 2013 Report Posted April 20, 2013 Seems like all the pilots I see on commercial flights wear digital watches. Even when doing my side gig as a transport medic all the life flight pilots I come across wear g-shocks mostly--fixed wing and rotary. Is it an accuracy thing? Durability? Fashion? Only once have I seen a pilot actually wearing one of those Citizen chronos with hundreds of sliderule numbers on it. As an aside, one of the female flight attendants on my recent flight did have a nice stainless ladies datejust.
gtanak Posted April 20, 2013 Report Posted April 20, 2013 Gd question.. I think this applies more to military pilots.. They need the bigpilot or B&R kind of dials.. <br />
Nanuq Posted April 20, 2013 Report Posted April 20, 2013 Pilots used to need the ability to make calculations and then time their progress along a route. Now their avionics do it for them, and being in controlled airspace they're basically flying bus routes. VFR flight may be different but then, those pilots usually already know where they're going and how long it takes to get there. So long story short, the old analog sliderule chronos are basically man jewellery babe magnets now.<br /><br /><br />
gtanak Posted April 20, 2013 Report Posted April 20, 2013 But i think the most relevant watches to commerical pilots and Not to military pilots ... GMT <br />
Admin Posted April 20, 2013 Report Posted April 20, 2013 Wouldn't any watch be a pilots watch on the wrist of a pilot 2
chango Posted April 20, 2013 Author Report Posted April 20, 2013 Good point Chief! The GMT hand is something I didn't think of. In fact, sometimes our dispatchers are given ETAs in zulu time. And they're like, "huh?"
SCM Posted April 20, 2013 Report Posted April 20, 2013 Most wear watches that costs less than $200. Typical watches are timex and g shock. Occasionally you'll see a breitling emergency or other lower price range of the breitling group watch. To see a non digital watch is rare and to see a watch worth more than $500 is very rare.
chango Posted April 20, 2013 Author Report Posted April 20, 2013 Out of curiosity, any particular reason for that SCM? Are digitals more accurate or easier to read the time? or does it not matter at all?
SCM Posted April 20, 2013 Report Posted April 20, 2013 Does not matter on the least. Pilots are generally cheap and do not care about wasting money on a watch. We are required to wear one, that's why most do. The airplane has a clock right on the panel, usually synced by GPS and is digital with local, Zulu and the date.
Nanuq Posted April 20, 2013 Report Posted April 20, 2013 The airplane has a clock right on the panel, usually synced by GPS and is digital with local, Zulu and the date. Dingdingding!! Dah Winnah! it's in the avionics. ADS-B needs a good clock, and air traffic needs ADS-B.
frankt Posted April 20, 2013 Report Posted April 20, 2013 The bar girls in Olongapo used to have a saying:"You can always tell a navy pilot......Big watch....tiny weenie!!"
icoopernicus Posted April 21, 2013 Report Posted April 21, 2013 My buddy had a plane and anytime we flew anywhere (usually for a party or night on the town) we both wore our Citizen Skyhawk, him because it was his only watch, me because it made me feel cool
1680 Posted April 21, 2013 Report Posted April 21, 2013 I've been flying a lot the last weeks (Lufthansa) and I saw mostly Rolex (GMTs, Daytona and Milgauss), Breitling and one Omega.
gtanak Posted April 21, 2013 Report Posted April 21, 2013 Wow.. Ur a pilot 1680? And u wear reps? Do your colleagues know or compare?
SCM Posted April 21, 2013 Report Posted April 21, 2013 Im flying today and I'll be wearing a WM9 16610 to Chicago and back. No one knows it's a rep because not once have I even been asked. Only once has my watch even been mentioned and it went down like this.... Him- "Nice watch." Me- "Thanks." I sometimes wear a Laco Flieger or one of a few Citizens (I do own the blue angel one). I love their Eco Drive and the sky hawk has a quick set time zone option. I bought the sky hawk as a new pilot because I thought it was cool to own a "pilot watch" and thought the E6B was a necessity (never used it.) Pilots are cheap but will spend money on a hobby, for 95%+ that is not watches. Some golf some have boats and some own Sunday cars but wear G shocks. A guy I flew with was left a "nice watch" from a family friend who passed. His daughter said he wanted him to have it and it would be sent to the dealer for a solid service. He was wearing a timex iron man. Flew with him again and I saw the watch a mile away...it was a 1675 Pepsi dial in 99% condition fresh from the AD. He asked if it was a "good Rolex" or even worth anything because it was so old. I offered to take it off his hands for $1000 AND buy him a new timex of his choice. Sadly he knows me too well. I filled him in on what he owned.
kbh Posted April 21, 2013 Report Posted April 21, 2013 Most all the commercial pilots I've ever known are too cheap to buy an expensive watch. That's why they always wear quartz. I do know one that wears a Submariner but I have no idea if it's a rep or not. I've always assumed gen but he's owned since he was my flight instructor many years ago. And pilots no longer need pilot watches. Just like divers no longer need dive watches.
SCM Posted April 21, 2013 Report Posted April 21, 2013 True. While we don't need a "pilot" watch, we are required by our company manuals to wear a watch.For the above reason, I can write off a watch during tax season. My job requires it and they don't provide it or reimburse in any way.
Nanuq Posted April 21, 2013 Report Posted April 21, 2013 And pilots no longer need pilot watches. Just like divers no longer need dive watches. True, and IMHACO, we're the worse for it. We have computers to do the calculations for us so arguably we're safer. Until the computer craps out. Then, if you don't know the math you're toast. Lots of Boy Scout troops use GPS now for adventures and it's the same thing, their safety relies on batteries. Once you teach the use of maps and a compass and math, the boys are safer. Old school rules baby!
SCM Posted April 21, 2013 Report Posted April 21, 2013 I can still work a steam gauge and ded reckon'!
SCM Posted April 21, 2013 Report Posted April 21, 2013 Ill drink to us. Sadly though my daily driver is glass and FMS with auto throttles.
Watchmeister Posted April 22, 2013 Report Posted April 22, 2013 Now I have started looking at Pilot's risk when I travel. The older guys have a fair number of Rolex Subs and the younger ones are waring random cheap ones. Guess Pilot pay isn't what it used to be.
panerai153 Posted April 22, 2013 Report Posted April 22, 2013 Now I have started looking at Pilot's risk when I travel. The older guys have a fair number of Rolex Subs and the younger ones are waring random cheap ones. Guess Pilot pay isn't what it used to be. I believe you are dead on. What with all the mergers and fleet cutbacks, pilots have been squeezed . I read a story a year or two back, about the crappy pay and terrible schedules of younger pilots working for some of the commuter airlines. Some guys were sleeping in their cars because they were assigned to flights that came and went far from their home. They couldn't afford a place to stay. I would hate to think that the guy flying the plane flew in late the night before and slept in his car overnight!!! No wonder those guys/ gals can't afford a decent watch.
gtanak Posted April 22, 2013 Report Posted April 22, 2013 So they're not cheap... Just grossly underpaid! Maybe you can judge how well an airline does by the watches their staff wear... Then again, they might all be reps<br />
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