What are some watches that might be good or great in a survival situation? Ones with lots of interesting features…

Interesting is bad. It means lots of gimicks and a manual the size of a phone book. When you are cold, wet, tried, and hungry, you aren't going to remember any of it.

You want a simple watch. One with hands.

I'd love to get a Breitling Emergency. Has a built in 121.5 mhz emergency transmitter.

Price is outrageous though...

I really like my Timex Expedition. It is my true EDC. I wear it to work and out in the woods and everywhere in between. It has hands AND a compass. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Not to mention one button operation, so it would be pretty hard to forget how to operate the compass no matter how badly you've lost your wits. If you can't remember to push the button (either the top or bottom button... both engage the compass) then odds are you have bigger problems that a compass won't fix anyway. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />



I bought it at Bass Pro for $98 IIRC.

Personally, I have never had a simple Timex Ironman fail on me. That being said, I love my Polar AXN500 Outdoors Watch. It has a reliable compass, altimeter, barometer and thermometer. With the added Heart Rate monitor feature for my workouts it is a one unit does most watch! It is easy to use and accurate as long as you calibrate it often (once a month or so). I have often used the compass for quick hikes or runs and it is right on, I don?t go to the field without a ?real? compass but it is accurate enough that I use it almost exclusively on the fly.

The key to any watch that does more than telling the time is to use it when not stressed out? a lot? so that it becomes second nature when you are, like running in the cold at 7500??
<img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I´d like to have a watch that doesn´t have too many things that could fail. My choice was a Seiko automatic watch. No battery, traditional hands, glowing markers. The automatic design spares the winding.

My EDC watch is a Marathon quartz from Countycomm.com. They are currently sold out, but they regularly restock. You can also find this watch on eBay.

It's the basic military issue watch. NSN 6645-01-318-9833.

Expect to pay about $100. Tritium capsules in the face and hands, so it is easily read in the dark. I can read this watch at night even when my other hand is busy or disabled.

On the band is a Suunto Clipper compass. It isn't readable in the dark without some other light source. Even the model with a luminous bezel isn't really readable. However, it works well otherwise and is always there.

Black watch with a black face on a black nylon band doesn't get much attention, whether in T-shirt and shorts or a business suit.

Bill

I use a Suunto X-Lander when hiking and camping. The main functions are easy to scroll throught, and the light is just bright enough not to ruin your night sight. The barometer forcasting function (which is always showing) is fairly accurate. Watch, stopwatch, timer, alarm, altimeter, barometer, and compass all in one (big but light) package.

Ive always found Sieko's the most reliable watches.
My EDC watch is a Seiko pilot watch with a E6 flight computer around the bezel. Basically its a ritary slide rule optimized for a pilot. I find I use the slide rule all the time.
Sometimes I use a Casio Sea-Pathfinder with a compass, barometer and temperature for bushwalking and camping. I dont use the temperature, but Ive found that it works fine, but a bit bulky.Its a little heavy on bateries, but later models have solar power now.

Aside from the formula for determining North- and I can never remember where Mickey's hands should be: What is a watch good for in a survival situation? Movies love to show the changed value of Anthony Hopkin's watch to make a compass or Tallullah Bankhead's diamond bracelet for a fishlure. The ETS member who names both movies gets a medium popcorn <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> A watch can measure time and distance for navigation and determine if natural phenomenon occur at a regular basis. Even knowing what loved ones are doing at specific times can be a moral booster( Aunt Hermionne is serving that wretched garlic and tuna casserole tonight. But at least being stranded in the desert means I avoid it and MMMM these bugs are delicious.) A watch needs tobe robust and relatively accurate. Unless you plan on a nuclear blast which will knock out most systems ( including us) except a mechanical or the battery goes dead it is personal preference. I have an old Marathon mechanical wind. When My cat was a kitten the ticking substituted for his lost mom's heartbeat until he got used to this really wierd looking substitute <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I believe they were The Edge(?) and Lifeboat , respectively. Hold the butter on the popcorn though, I'm counting calories. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I wear a Timex Helix. It has a built in thermometer, barometer, and altimeter. I have not had occasion to seriously use the first two yet but they seem to be reasonably reliable and would give me some rudimentary forcasting ability.

> Buy those Suunto wrist mounted compasses, altimeter and thermometer...and stick them on
> the watch band.

I had a wrist-mounted compass, but I found it too obtrusive. I kept knocking it. Now I have a Casio Sea pathfinder, which is solar-powered and has compass, barometer and thermometer.

The compass is better than nothing, and it does save me carrying a separate one on my keyring, but I don't really rate it. It can give misleading readings if I don't hold it level (which usually means taking it off my wrist).

The barometer is not as good as the one on my previous Casio because you have to press a button to see it. In practice it doesn't get used. Also, it has no altimeter (which suprised me).

I've never used the themometer. Normally it gives a reading somewhere between my body temperate and the room temperate, which is useless. The only survival use I can think of is if you have to sterilise water by heating and can't boil it.

I am undecided about the solar power. The power is of course stored in some kind of battery, so I doubt it will last forever. A good replacable battery watch might be better.

For my recent skiing holiday I left this watch behind and took my previous Casio instead. The older one is less bulky, has a better barometer, and also has an altimeter which could be more valuable in mountainous terrain.

I like having an objective measure of time. I should think it would be useful both for elapsed time (eg how many hours have I been walking?) and for absolute time (how long til dusk?). It can help plan and allocate resources, and coordinate with other people.

It is pretty much essential to have a watch with you for alpine skiing, because the lifts close at 4pm and missing that deadline could be the start of a bad night. The guidebooks say as much: each person in the group should have their own watch and piste map. Sometimes, a watch gives the first indication that you are in trouble.

Speaking of mechanical watches, what do you think of Hamilton watches? I think they have an Swiss ETA movement but are put together in China and are originaly designed in the US and were issued during WWII. They also have a hand wound mechanical field watch at a very affordable price and they have sapphire crystals as a bonus. What do you think about a hand wound watch in a survival situation, would you think about winding it? Anyway they have a big crown so that the pilots could wind them with gloves on I guess... They also have automatic movements (with a rotor like the Rolex). In about the same range there's Glycine Combat watches. The point is that military mechanical watches look interesting.



Frankie

Most all 'good' mechanical watches have an ETA movement, brands like Glycine will just encase an ETA in a custom case. Expect to pay a few to several hundred dollars. Only with really stratospheric watches (Patek, Rolex etc) will you get a movement made by someone not ETA.

A good alternative is a Seiko mechanical, some in the military or diver style are very reliable and durable. They can be had from hong kong via ebay for less than a hundred dollars. Be advised that some entry level automatic winders cannot be manually wound, so you have to wear them every day to keep them running.

For a truly comprehensive coverage of high end mechanical watches see:
http://www.timezone.com/
For info on less expensive watches:
http://www.pmwf.com/cgi-bin/Forum/webbbs_config.cgi

I'm NOT certain in the case of Hamilton, but I know this is true of Benrus and some of the others so I just pass this along. Some of the great old names in watchmaking actually left the business for whatever reason. Then years later (now) companies with less stellar credentials have bought the company names and are producing watches using the previously respected name. That doesn't necessarily mean the product won't be good, but it does mean it might not be what you think it is. I bought a couple Benrus watches of this sort. They have been OK. I discovered what I have just recounted through what someone told me and then researching Benrus on the web. I have been told other company names have suffered similar fates.

I used to have a Helix and really liked it until I broke the "switch" that disengages the knob to keep you from unintentionally changing modes. I have often thought of replacing it with a comparable model from Suunto. Perhaps eventually I will.

I like mine too except that the light on mine has an annoying habit of getting locked on. If I don't notice the beep right away then it drains my battery. <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

In a "survival situation"?

How about fleshing that out a bit more?

Hmm. I think pretty much anything:

- rugged and reliable
- waterproof
- easy to read

Would be good. It might be helpful to have a date feature.

-john

Brangdon, what Sea Pathfinder models do you have?
I have the older model SPF-40 and I find it pretty good, but bulky, and a little heavy on batteries.
I would be interested to hear of which models you have and a little comparing how you like their features.
I was thinking about updating mine shortly so I'm interested inwhat you have to say about them.

Only watch worth considering is the Sunnto Vector. Quite simple to use and reliable. Digital compass on it is very easy to read. If you cannot afford one then buy a reasonable analouge watch. At least you can use it to make a rough estimate as to direction. As a last ditch option having lost your compass, back up mini compass and the button compass from your PSK.....

I have the SPF 70, and no other Sea Pathfinders. At the time I wanted something solar powered and with compass - those two criteria restricted my choice enormously.

As you say, it is bulky, but it does have a large, clear (digital) display so at least the space is good for something. As its solar powered I can't comment on battery life, but I have noticed that in winter its state of charge has dropped to "medium".

Apart from the features I've already commented on, I like that the timer will count down from up to 24 hours. I have known other watches which only counted down for an hour, or didn't have the feature at all. It has multiple alarms, which I'd find more useful if I didn't use my phone for that kind of thing nowadays. I use the stop watch for timing lunch breaks.

That watch looks pretty nice and full of features (not to mention Titanium). Thanks for the tip!

I was thinking about the SPF70 or the PRG80 model.
I like the timers and alarms on mine too.
I am surprised that Casio took out the Moon and Tide functions in the SPF70. Ive used that a few times on my SPF40. Unfortunately through it is a bit simplistic in its tide predictions. We get a funny tide here, but I have forgoten its name. The tide predictions are fine untill we get that tide, and then they are out untill we get the funny tide again. Its ok if you can remember the delay factor for both, and manually change it to suit.

My watch left earlier this week on one of my mates wrist. He is cruising through OutBack Australia somewhere out near the New South Wales and South Australian border on a motor bike.Thats nearly 1000km from here and he has his 2 daughters aged 9 and 12 riding along with him. Before anyone gets alarmed about girls that young riding motorbikes on roads, I should point out that they are on cattle stations and the nearest road to them would probably be close to 200km away. There is also a couple of other riders and a beatup old suzuki 2-stroke 4wd as their support vehicle.

He got a message back to me earlier today saying that he loves the watch, so I guess we are going shopping late next week when he gets back.
So I guess so far mine has passed as a good survival watch.

I found the PAW1200-1V and the PAW1200t-7V both interesting. I wish it had the moon and tides thing, but I think I'd rather have the altimeter vs. the depth (just more likely to get used by me). Anyone have any suggestions as to reliability of these two?

How about choosing the Titanium vs. Rubber and how well the compass works?

When I head outdoors I'm always torn between my Marathon SAR (to a Rolex Submariner what a HUMMVEE is to a Range Rover; see here for details ), which is my EDC and which I love with a depraved, unholy passion, or my Casio PRG 70 which is highly nifty and has all sorts of bells and whistles, but lacks the SAR's utterly indestructible total confidence factor.

I think the Casio would win if I'd be going in with foreknowledge, but given that survival situation are usually unexpected, I'd likely wind up wearing the SAR.

> I'd rather have the altimeter vs. the depth

Yes - I've not mentioned the depth gauge because I'd forgotten it. I've never used it and I doubt I ever will. It is not rated for proper scuba diving. In fact I'm not sure what it is for. An altimeter would be better, although I'm not sure I'd really trust it.

I would like moon phases and when I lived near the coast I would have liked tides. I couldn't find a single watch that did everything.

Yes, those two look interesting. There seems to be more choice than I found last time I looked (about a year ago). Those have a down-timer which is only an hour, and I'd prefer longer.

I have a Ti strap but I'd prefer rubber as it's easier to adjust. I'm fairly sure my wrist changes in thicknes through the day.

I cant see much point with the depth guage, and the altimeter seems to be too fiddly. You would have to retune it all the time when the barometric pressure changes.

My SPF40 has the rubber strap, and I find it a little uncomfortable. I was hoping that the Titanium band would be more comfortable. My wrist changes size through out the day as well and I find the metal link bands suit me better after I have initially set them up.

Yes they look interesting. We dont get them down here, because we dont have the atomic sync system.
After a quick google search, they seem to be getting good reviews.

I find the compass in my SPF40 pretty good. Its nowhere near as good as my Silver/Brunton or Recta orienteering compasses, but for what it is it is good and reliable.

Well, I ended up getting the PAW1200-1v.

After some thought, it has most everything I need, and I'm pretty sure you can keep time regardless of the atomic signal. Anyway, the Altimeter isn't really that necessary, but neat if it works. The compass, thermometer should work out great.

I chose the rubber because I can adjust throughout the day. I too believe my wrist changes sizes slightly. And for some jobs you want your watch tight, and others, relaxed and loose. The Silver bezel seems to have a more "urban" feel and should still fit in nicely with outdoor gear. To top it off, I have several metallic bands and they all seem to grab at my arm hair.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestion - I really wasn't planning on buying a new watch, but you know how it goes with always wanting new gear.

I'll be sure to post a review once I've spent some time with it.

actually I find the thermometer utterly useless. While its on your wrist it gives mostly your body temp. You have to take it off your wrist and let it stabilize for accurate readings. The book says 20 minutes, but it doesnt take quite that long.
That defeats the purpose of having it on your wrist, im not going to risk loosing or leaving it behind.
I find the barometer my most used feature. It works well around this area because I spend 90% of my time in reasonably flat terrain.
I find that my metalic bands once adjusted sits on my wrist ok even if it grabs the odd hair. They seem to stop grabbing after a while. It does go from slightly loose to snug fit through out the day.
I made a small black mark in the pattern of the rubber band of my SPF40. After experimenting I found that this hole was the most comfortable to start the day, but I spend the rest of the day moving between that hole and the next loosest hole to stay comfortable. The metal links easily form around my wrist, but the rubber isnt quite as forgiving. My wrist seems to sweat and add to the discomfort with the rubber as well.
I also seem to swap wrists a lot too on hot days with the rubber strap.
They may have improved the bands since I bought mine, and you might find it suits your wrist better.

Well, the place I ordered from has the watch backordered for 5-10 days so I won't be able to test it for a while. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I'm not sure how often I care what the temp is, but at least it works if you take it off for a while.