Which watch?

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GruffT

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Please could the forum recommend a 'sailing' wrist watch? I cruise and do a bit of racing (trim usually). I also use a stop watch for work so if it could do that too – great. If the stopwatch bit could operate silently – even better!

There seem to be lots on the market with all sorts of features (tides, compass, etc.)– are the extras worth getting and are there any particularly good models?

I wouldn’t necessarily want to spend a fortune (so unlikely to buy a Rolex) but also don’t want to waist £50 on something useless.

Thoughts appreciated.
 
I have one of those big yellow watches. It is good for starts although it does beep during the countdown - that's useful if you're just using it for racing. I've not tried setting it to silent and don't have it with me to try now.

It does look as though it would take a knock but I don't take it with me if I know I'm just trimming rather than doing tactics. Sometimes I combine trim & tactics and wear it and I've not managed to break it yet.

It doesn't show the seconds when it is displaying the time so no good for astro nav.

Being big & yellow it's also not really the sort of thing you'd wear about town.
 
I always like to have a tide indicator, not so much for use on the boat but because it's handy living in a place where I often find myself by the sea.

I researched thoroughly and the options seemed to be a Timex analog the size of a boot polish tin for around £100, One by Rip Curl and a whole series by Casio from a cheap and cheerful digital for under £10 up to an analog/digital version for around £45.

Pretty well any digital will give you stopwatch and timer. 'sailing' watches usually give you a countdown though these days the standard 5/10 minutes may not be much use with shorter race start countdowns.

I also have a watch that contains a barometer/altimeter (won in a YM competition and never used) that You could almost eat dinner off.

I'm always tempted by the big macho-looking chronographs but a rational look shows they give less info than a cheap digital.
 
I have one of the big yellow ones too. They are made by "ultimate time" (google). I have the simplest which cost about £40, but they do fancier ones which obviously cost more. As GruffT says you would not wear it around town, but the strap is elastic and very long so it can be adjusted to go over your oilies jacket.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Please could the forum recommend a 'sailing' wrist watch?

Thoughts appreciated.

[/ QUOTE ]Nothing off the shelf, I've tried putting a mast and sails on my Rolex but did wonder if I might lose it.
 
I had a Casio Yacht Watch ... excellent ... had yacht race timer for starts and also a stopwatch for normal stuff. Some b#$%^d nicked it ... and I could never find that model again. The replacement model they produced is nowhere near as good.
 
Thanks for all the replies.

There does appear to be a fair few models of Casio - which ones come out tops?

Also - anyone tried the "big blue" as opposed to the "big yellow" from Optimum?

Thanks, GruffT.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I had a Casio Yacht Watch ... excellent ... had yacht race timer for starts and also a stopwatch for normal stuff. Some b#$%^d nicked it ... and I could never find that model again. The replacement model they produced is nowhere near as good.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dont kid yourself, you must have lost it, no one would nick a Casio! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
I had it on a ship and I used it for sights .. but wore my Seiko like many other MN people !

It was excellent for sights with the big numbers etc.

In Singapore when we were in Dry-dock ... cabins were raided by Malay workers brought over as cheap labour. We lost watches, camera's .. all sorts. I lost a Seiko Chronograph and 35mm camera ... and the casio ... Dry Dock management replaced all but the casio as it was no longer available.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Dont kid yourself, you must have lost it, no one would nick a Casio!

[/ QUOTE ] They might, so just to be on the safe side I bought a Timex!

51075NWCQEL._SS500_.jpg

Just had to have a battery in the thing and the bloke round the battery shop couldn't get the back on. 2hrs in the ice box and a quick squeeze in the vice and Bob's yer uncle. Bet you wouldn't do that with a "Rolemega Seamoyster"
 
I've stopped taking my nicer watch out sailing with me. Couple of years ago whilst picking up the mooring I unclipped the strap by catching it on the guard rail. The watch slipped over my wrist, down the boathook, luckily it caught on the end. Now I wear a cheap watch with a buckle type strap.
 
My Tissot if it's not put in the "vice" - the back comes off ... when I saw the guy out here do it - I thought he was mad !! Then he explained ... and why the UK watch people were at fault when they failed to get it to fit properly !
 
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