Which watch

Watch for buttons

Whichever watch you buy, try and find one where function buttons are not too proud (unlike my Suunto).

I can think of several occasions when the morning seems to be going very slowly - only to find I've been glancing at a barometric pressure of 1056 instead of the time which is now about half-twelve!
 
gregmlucas said:
Whichever watch you buy, try and find one where function buttons are not too proud (unlike my Suunto).

I can think of several occasions when the morning seems to be going very slowly - only to find I've been glancing at a barometric pressure of 1056 instead of the time which is now about half-twelve!
Click to expand...

1056!!!!!!!!!!!!
Crikey, where are you?
 
Phideaux said:
I'd quite like not to feel embarrassed when wearing it to work or meeting clients
Click to expand...

Perhaps you can do as my dad does, and have separate "work" and "fun" watches?

Can't advise on a £200 watch - £25 is about my limit, and I wear jeans to the office :-)

Pete
 
gregmlucas said:
I can think of several occasions when the morning seems to be going very slowly - only to find I've been glancing at a barometric pressure of 1056 instead of the time which is now about half-twelve!
Click to expand...

I once had a cheap watch which inexplicably included a button to reset the minutes to zero. You didn't even have to hold it down - one accidental touch and the watch was changed to anything up to an hour slow. This wasn't a fault - it was mentioned (though not justified) in the instructions.

As soon as I realised what was going on, I opened it up and cut the switch.

Pete
 
I think whatever you choose you should be able to wear it with a certain pride if it is brought for sailing ;-)

I would always want something waterproof (obvious - sorry) but with sapphire crystal as the glass so any hard knocks wont break the glass. Mind you, some of the watches like G-shock look built to withstand heavy abuse - I dont know if they have sapphire crystal, and there are probably plenty of watches that dont have sapphire but can handle hard knocks. A good outdoors specialist should be able to advise. Seiko and Sekonda seem to have dramatically raised thier game in the last decade or so.

Also, self winding so no reliabilty on batteries, and reliable time keeping. My Omega seamasters were appalling at keeping good time, so you are right to not consider them. <ducking the flak in readiness>
 
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Obi said:
I think whatever you choose you should be able to wear it with a certain pride if it is brought for sailing ;-)
Also, self winding so no reliabilty on batteries, and reliable time keeping. My Omega seamasters were appalling at keeping good time, so you are right to not consider them. <ducking the flak in readiness>
Click to expand...

I agree with you about a having a certain pride in sartorial elegance. Whatever is said about 'substance' and 'values' the fact is that we are judged by appearance, wealth, contacts, power and influence (and I can't wait to see what discussion these comments evoke).

I've never tried Omega watches, although they appear quite nice.

All I want is a watch that is:
• Waterproof to 10m (I wear it 24/7 inc the shower and popping under the hull)
• Has large numerals so I can see them when got I've driving rain in my Sunnys.
• Has multiple alarms so that I can set times to wake me for duty, advise about waypoint checks.
• Count down timer
• Count up timer
• Day/date
• Mother's birthday (I forget sometimes :(. It's really best to avoid this situation).
• Can be backlit so I can see it at night (red is nice).
 
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Phideaux said:
Also, GPS shows your position against ground; over longer distances and tides you have to plot both course through water and course over ground.
Click to expand...

I can understand and share your fondness for paper charts but I cant for the life of me work out how you would plot your course through the water on one.
 
Treat this with the contempt it deserves.

Treat this with the contempt it deserves but… which watch?

One that wakes you up with a pleasant mug of whatever you prefer.
Always keeps the boat clean & tidy.
Relieves you early when on passage and especially in winter during the First, Middle & Morning.
Keeps a good lookout.
Carries out a true, factual and comprehensive handover.
Completes any corrections and work he/she is able to do during their watch. :eek:
 
Bosun Higgs said:
I can understand and share your fondness for paper charts but I cant for the life of me work out how you would plot your course through the water on one.
Click to expand...
I'm still a novice at this but:
In theory COG is a straight line but in practice allowing for the movement of water it tends to be a curve (or series of curves) as the currents move water (and your boat) over the ground. If you ignore COG and go by CTW you get the most direct route, you just need to calculate how CTW changes against COG. CTW is a time series of vectors allowing for currents.? I'm not explaining this very well, but I draw pencil lines that show how my course steered is influenced by tidal streams, which on a Channel crossing of 12 hours gives me a curved course over ground but is actually a straight course through the water? I had to explain this to someone and demonstrated by having two charts - one was fixed =ground and one that I slid right and left to mimic how the currents moved the water (and the boat) as we crossed the Channel. I think it worked as he stopped using COG to programme his auto-pilot and we made better time for the return crossing.
 
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Phideaux said:
I'm still a novice at this but:
COG is a straight line.
CTW is a time series of vectors allowing for currents.? I'm not explaining this very well, but I draw pencil lines that show how my course steered is influenced by tidal streams, which on a Channel crossing of 12 hours gives me a curved course over ground but is actually a straight course through the water? I had to explain this to someone and demonstrated by having two charts - one was fixed =ground and one that I slid right and left to mimic how the currents moved the water (and the boat) as we crossed the Channel. I think it worked as he stopped using COG to programme his auto-pilot and we made better time for the return crossing.
Click to expand...
Cross Chanel in an S is a compass course init :rolleyes:
 
sailorman said:
Cross Chanel in an S is a compass course init :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Crossing the Channel in an 'S' is 4 tidal cycles so 24 hrs (approx) to track about 60Nm through the water. Rather a slow crossing with average speed of 2.5 Nmhr-1. The only two return crossings I've been on averaged 6-7 Nmhr-1 so no 'S' but a 'C' course.
 
Phideaux said:
I'm still a novice at this but:
In theory COG is a straight line but in practice allowing for the movement of water it tends to be a curve (or series of curves) as the currents move water (and your boat) over the ground. If you ignore COG and go by CTW you get the most direct route, you just need to calculate how CTW changes against COG. CTW is a time series of vectors allowing for currents.? I'm not explaining this very well, but I draw pencil lines that show how my course steered is influenced by tidal streams, which on a Channel crossing of 12 hours gives me a curved course over ground but is actually a straight course through the water? I had to explain this to someone and demonstrated by having two charts - one was fixed =ground and one that I slid right and left to mimic how the currents moved the water (and the boat) as we crossed the Channel. I think it worked as he stopped using COG to programme his auto-pilot and we made better time for the return crossing.
Click to expand...

Phideaux said:
Crossing the Channel in an 'S' is 4 tidal cycles so 24 hrs (approx) to track about 60Nm through the water. Rather a slow crossing with average speed of 2.5 Nmhr-1. The only two return crossings I've been on averaged 6-7 Nmhr-1 so no 'S' but a 'C' course.
Click to expand...

We have a fast yacht , expect sub 10 hr passage.
The cog will then be determined by the tidal stream as sail the compass course & having laid off the aggregate tide
 
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Out of curiosity why are we criticising a bloke for using charts and not wanting a GPS?

The man wants a watch not life tips.
 
OPtimum sailing watch

After some research on watches I bought an Optimum sailing watch in September. I mainly liked it because nice big numbers I can see without reading glasses and light to see at night. I do not like that one cannot set an alarm to wake you for the next watch.

Just come back from holiday. Had to swim to clear the mooring buoy pickup line. Did not dive. Watch no longer works and has signs of water ingress. After a bit of googling I found a thread suggesting that this is a common problem with Optimum watches http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5293&PN=2&title=optimum-time

So although rated as water resistant to 5 atm, and therefore meant to be fine for swimming, it seems that not safe to immerse, making it rather pointless for a sailing watch that may be worn by dinghy and yacht sailors

Will try to get a replacement and will then be stuck with a watch I am afraid to get wet!

TS
 
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