I am getting ready to retire my 10 year old, everyday wear Seiko wristwatch and am looking to replace it with something more rugged and more functional that I won't need to take off for outdoor activities.

I have looked at everything from standard analog military style field watches to the 2.5" dia, 1/2" thick wristop computers by Suunto and High gear. In an effort to streamline my EDC, an integrated compass is a feature I am looking for. I can't decide on a watch with this function built in (Ex: Suuto Vector) or a simpler watch, less prone to malfunction with a clip on button type compass. What do you all use and/or suggest?

Dynamo:

I'm not a watch connoisseur, so I tend to go with what's inexpensive but reliable. I use a Timex Expedition and a Suunto Clipper compass.

It's simple, works well for me, and isn't a tragedy to lose or replace.

Bear

It may not be glamorous, but my Casio G-Shock has never let me down. Although If I were going to replace it, I think I would prefer something with an altimeter. I really don't want an electronic compass. I just watched Primal Quest and one team got lost by using electronic compass...I think a clip on bubble would do me just fine.

I broke few Luminox watches in the past and wanted to switch to anything else but Luminox unfortunately once you get used to the illumination there is no going back. I experimented with Chase Durer UDT watch but that didn't feel right. Its metal band was either too loose or too tight and since my wrist has different thickness especially after full day of paddling on the river or carrying the patient down 10 flight of stairs I gave up on that. I tried Marathon Navigator but with it's dome crystal after few weeks my watch looked like a 10 yo piece. I went back to Luminox but instead of buying the usually "all plastic" model I got the one with carbon fiber. It is holding well so far. I also like Seiko Divers even if illumination sucks. For some reason I prefer bands like Rino (RIP) and nylon straps but in my field where there is a lot of body substances I can't wear them and need rubber straps.

I like the Suunto time pieces but they eat a lot of power and are big.

Well I got tired of having watches go south on me after the batteries started to go or never running right after the battery was changed. So I went back to the automatic.

Now I know there will be watch snobs out there who will turn their noses up and think I have taken a step backward but this watch just runs and runs. I keep it adjusted and on time by syncing it with the atomic clock in Fort Collins Colorado every couple of weeks.

My buddy’s automatic watch is about 20 years old and is still ticking away even after “forgetting” to take it off to run a jackhammer for several days.

My watch is not as accurate as the newest quartz watch out there but it will be with me for many years. I will not have to worry about it unless I’m in a lot deeper water than I ever hope to be in.

As for a compass I have several in my different kits and bags as well as a couple to wear around my neck. For day-to-day stuff this is good enough for me. I have had several on my watchband but they have never lasted very long. They tend to break or get lost in creative ways.

For a wrist computer with compass, altimeter, thermometer, baraometer and a whole lot more, I like my timex helix.

[img]http://us.st3.yimg.com/store1.yimg.com/I/botach_1836_27052658[/img]

For a more elegant looking watch that is still rugged and has an integrated compass i prefer my timex expedition

[img]http://www.timex.com/bin/image.tmx?image=753048122011[/img]

this is another variation on the expedition, if you prefer leather

I'm looking for a watch too and I have an eye on the Swiss Army Officer's which looks easy to read :

http://www.swissarmy.com/webstore/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=3394&category=31

What do you think of this watch?

Besides that I'm wondering if a GMT hand would be a useful feature.

Frankie

A GMT hand would be useful if you do something that uses GMT, like flying across multiple time zones.

I have worked up a small collection of wristwatches, both analog and digital. I must say I have been the most satisfied with this analaog Timex Expedition.

It does everything I want. It keeps excellent time. I was down and out for about three week in February with a nasty headcold my doctor called Flu-Lite.

By the time I was recovering and back at work, my watch had lost only a second or two. Can't say that about my other watches, especially the supposedly super-accurate digitals. Those lose several seconds every week.

-- Craig

I have a Tissot T-Touch that has been excellent. Really an impressive watch, expensive, but really impressive and really durable.

I have a hard time deciding between watches for outdoor wear. My main watch is a Marathon SAR with cyclops and the optional steel bracelet (http://www.countycomm.com/presar.htm). It has a high-end Swiss automatic movement that is accurate to within COSC spec, is water resistant to 330 meters, has great night illumination and is built like a tank. It is vastly in excess of any sane timekeeping requirement that I will ever have, and I have total confidence in it.

I also have a Casio ProTrek PRG70-1VDR (http://world.casio.com/asia/wat/protrek/triple_sensor/prg-70.html#PRG-70T), which has a slew of time, compass, altimeter, barometer and thermometer functions and is solar powered to boot. I got it from www.chronograph.com.

The SAR is significantly more indestructible than I am but only tells time, and the Casio does a lot of useful things but isn't anywhere near as water resistant and indestructible.

I should probably wear both <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />.

I guess I am a watchaholic! I have loads of them all over the place! Daily I wear an Omega Seamaster auto with a black dial. It is very accurate and looks nice. Most important to me is it feels good on my wrist. I do not take it on outdoors trips though, cost too much for me, anyway.
If I am going on a field trip I have a Luminox "Navy SEAL" with a custom dial that does not say Navy SEAL on it! It was worth the $25 or so I paid for the dial! I like the watch for camping because it was relatively inexpensive, it is accurate and it glows better than any other watch I have seen with the tritium. You can get lots of good inexpensive watches like Timex, Casio, etc. Just ask yourself what you want it to do, tell time and be expendable is mostly my criteria for a field watch. I like my Seiko divers also, some glow well and some don't glow much at all, depends on the model. The common auto diver is the SKX-007K which sells for a little over a hunderd bucks and glows well enough to read the time all night. Guess it all depends on taste, budget and so on.
Hope you find something that you are happy with. Cheers.

Thanks to all for your recommendations. I have an 1960s era Omega Speedmaster and the 10 year old Seiko Sports 100 that I mentioned earlier. I usually alternate between these watches for everyday wear, but they have aquired some sentimental value and I don't take them into the woods for backpacking and rock climbing. I've got a really cheap digital Timex Expediton that is always screwing up, and which I cannot get the day (not date) set correctly. It drives me crazy.

Anyway, like I said, I am looking for something that I can wear everyday and not take off for the outdoors. Furthermore, as I am always trying to streamline my EDC, I wanted to have a compass on the watch to free up some space in my altoids kit. I keep a base plate compass on my BK7 in the attached pouch in my trck which would be my "go to" compass, but redundancy in this area is important to me.

I have decided on an analog field watch with date and maybe alarm (a hard feature to find) with a clip on button compass. The wrist top computers are great and all, but I feel that failure is a real possibilty with them due to either the lack of ruggedness, or batteries.

The finalist are:

Timex 41031 Simple watch, can replace the leather strap with webbing.

Timex 48221 Good basic watch. I like the webbing strap.


St. Moritz Pathfinder More money, but has alarm and is made of titanium. How can you go wrong with titanium? <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

The St. Moritz Pathfinder Ti looks interesting. It seems to even have a GMT hand. Titanium is lighter, has a high melting point and is non corrosive thus good for saltwater activities. It looks like the perfect field watch.

But the Pathfinder model has no rotating bezel. I'm wondering to what extent it would be a desirable feature. The original function of it is to keep track of elapsed time underwater (for diving... I've never dived but I guess it has something to do with decompression, etc.) You rotate
it until the pointer at the top of the bezel is even with the minute hand, then as the minute hand moves you can read how many minutes have elapsed on the bezel... But I think it could have other practical uses:

- for timing your cooking;
- to keep track of the last time you took your medication;
- some math. calculations;
- for parking meters...

Could you come up with other uses?

There's the St. Moritz Transformer ti but it's a solar cell. I'm wondering if those automatic, kinetic "auto relay" or solar cell are really worth it. You don't have to change the cell but on the other hand the capacitor may break after a couple of years which would be more expensive to change than a simple battery.

Then there's the St. Moritz Format 2, etc.

Thanks
Frankie

On a dive watch the bezel only rotates one way so you will not accidentally turn it while on a dive and extend your time under water. If it is moved the one way bezel only allows you to shorten your time under. (Longer could kill you, Shorter will not)

The automatics are an old and proven system. The solar watches seem to work well. (Wife loves hers 4-5 years old) The kinetic ones seem to have problems last time I checked. Spent several hours doing searches on line to see what problems they were having. Short of it was the generator spins at many thousands of RPM’s and does not last long. They may have improved them but I would go solar between the two.

oh okay the extra hand is the alarm feature... anyways

I used to own that exact watch and now I own the version with the stainless steel band and slightly beefier face. Both are excellent. The stainless version is my current edc.

The only watchband that ever felt perfect was called a Fastwrap, or something like that. I have small wrists but Timex watchbands fit me the best.

Yeah, the extra hand is the alarm. Not something you see everyday on an analog watch. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I, personally, cannot think of any reason why I would need a rotating bezel. Diving and timing are the only the only things I can think of using them for. For either of those situations, I'd probably want a chronograph of some type.

I just want something that tells the time and date, is tough, won't break the bank, has a band upon which I can put a compass, and, as an option, has an alarm. Not goofy looking is another consideration.

Dynamo,

Here's what I use, since I destroy wristwatches:

Dakota Angler II

It's got a compass, red led light, stopwatch, alarm, calendar, and it's water resistant. I keep it clipped to my belt loop. For 70 bucks, it's not too pricey, either.

According to the redondancy principle, I guess you should wear two of each !
Don't you have two wrists and two ankles ?? <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Good thread. I have been thinking of getting a watch with a compass, but having never had one--are they really any good??? It would be great to have a good compass in your watch--IF they work!

A few years ago, I bought a Seiko kinetic. Nice looking and the kenetic system appealed to me. The price was then in the 450-500 US dollars range.
I was very disappointed when the kinetic system failed after about 3-4 years.
It has been repaired, but I don't know how long it will keep working.

My previous Seiko, much cheaper - coin cell operated - is still working, after some 25 or 30 years. At least the analog part is OK ; but I no longer can set the digital time and date ! I haven't tried to get it fixed.
Anyway, it worked correctly for a looong time and is well paid off...

I don't know if it's any good, but I like the looks of the LL Bean "Field Watch" ($89) with a black face:

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/...onent=undefined

I am with you on having a less expensive watch for the field! I can't tell you how many semi-expensive watches I beat to death in the Army! I also have a St. Moritz "Zero" model on a nylon strap. They are ok timpieces. One thing to keep in mind about watches, some that offer "Swiss movements" and all that are good watches however, some of those Swiss movements are not that expensive. What I mean by that is, there are loads of $200 and up watches that have $30-$70 movements, usually ETA Swiss movements. They are good movements for sure, but why pay $400 for a watch that really could be priced at $150? Always do some research on potentially expensive purchases! I learned the hard way over the years!
Even the new Omega Seamaster Pro that sells for close to $2K retail only has a modified $300 movement in it.
Anyways, I think your field watch choices are good ones!
Cheers!

Frenchy:

You have to be very careful about wearing (2) watches.

People might think you are a two-timer! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Bountyhunter

Or that it's 2 o'clock. <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Two watches reflecting your image at the same time would make you TWO-FACED.

Bountyhunter

Fordwillman,

I just set it on my desk, and it's pointing north. Granted, it's button-compass sized, but it's better than nothing. In a true survival situation I'd want a real compass.

Check out Countycomm Government Products Group for some current issue US military watches. Also, Harold Marx at West Coast Time has some interesting stuff...

Plastic dome crystal that gets easly scratched. After few weeks that watch looks like it is 10 yo. But the illumination is great. Also strap tends to soak out your sweat and it stinks. Yes I'm familiar with activity called washing but still. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I should know better than to "tick" bountyhunter off in a punning contest.

I use the Timex Expedition as well, you can set the digital compass easily if you change areas <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Goatrider:

Since we are all interested in this "case" where there is no proof of em"bezel"ment due to spilling from the "quartz" container, I suggest we let the "watch band" play on so that the path of the "post retaining springs" flows quietly through the universe.


Gimme a break guys, it's 11:30 on a Saturday morning and I'm flakey just being awake this early, let alone writing anything meaningful. <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

"Watch" out, bountyhunter is just getting "wound" up!

Goatrider:

Even when I get "wound" up it still takes me "fifteen minutes" to do the "quarter hour". At my age the "spring" into action takes "time" beyond its "face" value of "half past" whatever number "the hour is at hand". <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

I quit !! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

That's too much for me to follow .....

Isn't anybody going to lend me a "hand" here?

I would like to ... but I'm not up to.... I guess I would be "out of synch...."

I can just have a "good time", reading your posts....

<img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Frenchy:

I do believe I am beginning to feel a "jeweled movement" here which at my age is welcome at any level. The "crown" is not subject to a "revolution" by the "self winder" so Royalty can suffer less "tension" in the "spring". So many things "stem" from history.

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Stop it ! I can't follow the "movement" .... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />