Military look? (1)

Good question actually as the so called “military” watch is somewhere between a rainbow and the Holy Grail! Such a maligned term and used as a descriptive on so many watch models that often the models referred to can make me laugh out loud, or make me cry . . . ( don’t you love mixed metaphors!).
But seriously what is it that we want from a so called “military” watch? And that’s a problem from the outset – do you consider the actual current Military Specifications (US, UK, Sweden, France, Germany etc.) and bearing in mind they tend to differ. Or perhaps instead you take the all purpose loose term of “Military style” as your guide.

Timex Expedition T49976 with easy to fit Zuludiver camouflage NATO — Timex Expedition T49976 with NATO. Military look and difficult to beat.

Personally I take the latter, as so many of the legitimate “Military Spec” models actually don’t do it for me at all. And that’s mainly because the only important criteria for me when considering a Mil Spec or “military” model is – will it do what I want it to do? – is it reliable, really legible day and night, does it have a conventional strap fitting (if it breaks can I replace it easily), if battery powered – how easy to change, how tough is it in my circumstances, does it have the functions I want or need and is it easy and intuitive to use.

And the trouble with the above wish list, which incidentally for me is as good as I need, is that we all want something different because it IS very personal and our circumstances are very different as indeed are our requirements. So a “military STYLE” model is obviously the way to go.

I already have a few and as you see not all would meet the true (but variable) Military Specs that are around. But I’ve discounted that anyway in favor of what suits me and perhaps what I consider good enough to be called in my book “Military styled” Or maybe we should forget the military description bit altogether and simply look out for a “suitable for me” watch . . . which fits my lifestyle and seems to make sense.

The very affordable Timex Expedition T49976 (which I have had for a while myself) with it’s neat black/green resin shock case is a pretty good example of a “military style” watch that on the face of it, is difficult to beat. The supplied strap is resin/rubber camo with a non reflective buckle with standard lug fixing – hence the NATO strap fitted here – took about 3 minutes to change it over. This model is digital only, has excellent day and night vision with one of the better incarnations of Timex’s Indiglo, has chrono, alarms, timers and so on and is very easy and intuitive to use. I particularly like the Shock case which on the upper bezel above the glass is a softer compound than the main case, almost rubbery, so top protection is very good indeed. The watch is also a sensible size even though shock protected at just 45mm diameter and if you include the slanted pushers barely 47mm. Lug to lug is commendably short at 48mm, so this watch will fit the smaller wrist without looking like macho man. 14mm depth is also OK and the overall look of the watch is quite unobtrusive with no shiny bits at all. 100m Water Resistance and a CR2016 battery (available almost anywhere) completes the specification and to tell the truth I could stop this Post right now. It’s about as good as it gets at a very affordable price of around £45 in the UK. It works, it’s tough, easy to use, neat, any strap will do and has the no fumble top mount Indiglo pusher for the back light – no searching around with fingertips looking for it or even remembering which pusher it is (unlike many a Casio).

So this is my top tip. For further info see my Post HERE.

So after mentioning Casio just a second ago, what can they offer? I first looked at a similar “camo” military style model – the Casio GD120CM-5 – a digital only model, which came out earlier this year (2014) which has a similar function set plus World Time. It is a T-Shock model.

Casio DG 120CM-5 Camo Digital only - but is BIG — Casio DG 120CM-5 Camo Digital only – but is BIG

This Casio also like the Timex has an excellent display with a good standard blue back light for night use and with positive digitals it’s good to see in the day also. A tough case, dull finish, shock resistant, water resistant to 200m and plenty functions from chronograph to Alarms + World Time. It is however considerably larger than the Timex at 51.2mm wide and lug to lug at 55mm and with an unfortunate hefty depth of 17.4mm, this is one big watch. As a digital only military style model priced at $130 or £85 it’s a nice enough watch but certainly not as good value as the Timex (£45) which in my personal opinion is simply better.
So overall although it looks the part, in comparison to the Timex it’s overpriced, the strap for me in a problem and the large overall size is not ideal for me. So no cigar!

My third pick was gong to be either the gents Nixon Unit SS or the ladies Nixon Unit 40 in black – the only difference being the gents is 44mm diameter and the ladies 40mm, the latter being perhaps the better fit for my small wrist.

The Nixon Unit 40 - Ladies model! — The Nixon Unit 40 – Ladies model!

But whilst it looks the part (even the smaller ladies one) and it’s features – are up there with Casio and Timex –

“indestructible polycarbonate case, a positive or negative display segmented dial layout, hardened mineral crystal, good visibility day and night (back lit), 100m Water Resistant with screw case back and a standard silicon style strap with locking polycarbonate buckle. Function wise it features Time and Calendar plus Seconds, 12/24hr selectable, Chronograph, Dual Time, Timer, Hourly Chime and Alarm and nicely sized at 40mm diameter. And the Unit 40 option is under £90 – which is good value”. . . .

– and it looks great and so on – I have one reservation – and that is the legibility or clarity of those digits. I’ve not seen this model “in the flesh” as it were, but looking at the odd review on You Tube, I’d say the clarity of the digits might very well depend on the angle it’s seen from – and that is no use to me. So as often the case I would advise any prospective purchaser to check out “in your hand”.
I know the images here look great – BUT so often we’ve been fooled by those enhanced web images. So CHECK IT before you buy. And IF it’s OK, then there’s no doubt this could be a sweet watch – and if really like the image shown here – could easily be a winner.

And on the same subject – A friend of mine swears by Suunto brand models and whilst I’m not too familiar with them, I have seen them on occasion in the odd high Street store and had them in my hand and found their readability disappointing and for that reason I won’t include them here.

Anyway these are 3 possible “military style” models that might suit and first one, the Timex Expedition T49976 for me is the one to judge all others from. Basically from Price to functions and to practicality and indeed “look” it could be difficult to find anything else that can match up – Mil Spec or not.

In my next Post I hope to check out some more “military” look or inspired models that I think might, just might fit my criteria – so as ever – Watch this Space.

A shock a day?

Seems to me when you talk about shocks they appear to come in waves. A bit like their planetary namesakes the Earthquakes/shocks, which apparently number somewhere a round 500,000 per year! Well obviously not in the same league here, but it would appear to me that Casio G-Shock models change and evolve just about weekly. New versions and new technology every time and somewhat expensive if you have to have the latest thing and I’ve known a few collectors in my time who did just that!

Anyway here’s one I’ve just spotted – the G-Shock Gulfmaster Triple Sensor Black/Blue . . .

And I like this one as it seems to not only add a few wrinkles but has improved the night capability lighting and comes now with the addition to the usual ABC sensors, a Tide Graph and Moon complication. It also uses the newish “smart Access” crown switching system which apparently makes it easier to use – and that has to be a good thing. Solar Tough, so no battery issues, Radio Controlled with 6 Receivers and that Double LED lighting system in a case where the dimensions are not too bad for once.

Full LED double light system - much better at night. — Full LED double light system – much better at night.

44.9mm wide, 55.8 lug to lug and maybe still a bit thick at 16.2mm – but it looks smaller. I particularly like the analog time functions with decent solid hands, large hour markers and the numerical bezel, which incidentally make it look more like a conventional watch than most G-Shock models – and I like that. It also manages a reasonably uncluttered dial and that’s also good.

See what I mean about the night clarity – looks much better if this image is anything to go by and not before time in my opinion from Casio.

Price point is around $500 or less if you can get one so relatively light on the pocket and it’s still a light weight wrist item too at just 101 gms. So all in all I have to say I’m impressed.

But what to do with all my existing ones is a problem, which I have to say is an issue I’ve never had with my Patek Philippe! So maybe I’ll just watch and wait for the next one as there bound to be another shock tomorrow!

Magnificent 7 . . !

The technical wizardry of the 175 years celebration model from Patek Philippe is the Grandmaster Chime 5175. 7 years in development and 2 years to construct, this video give just a hint at the incredible vision and skill to produce such an amazing timepiece. One will stay at the Petek Philippe museum collection, so that makes 6 (only 7 are to be completed) – so maybe that Christmas present you were agonizing over is not too late?

The details I’ll leave to my friends at “A blog to watch” as it’s just a tad over my budget this year . . . . . . Another friend of mine said that it was about the size of his watch but heavier, I mean what’s better than my G-Shock? he said. . .

Of course I shot him and buried him just last Tuesday! Well he wanted another shock . . . 😉

If you haven’t seen it yet – here’s the video . . . .

Price I understand is (if you have to ask you’re out of your league) around $2.6mil – and no dud checks please!

Masterpiece for a Lady

Another model for the woman in your life, especially if you are not concerned about price. Nice if you have no concerns, though for the rest of us mortals who worry about bills, then I’d look elsewhere – but of course dreams and love are what makes the world go around, so who knows?

This is the Lady F from Laurent Ferrier – a Mother-or Pearl automatic masterpiece which includes the Galet Micro-Rotor. The case is a rounded 39mm to ensure a closer fit and comfort for a ladies’ wrist. As you see the dial is actually Mother-of-Pearl which in this case is stylized in texture and features “voluptuous arabesque motifs” according to Ferrier, “delicately interwoven foliage or refined detail of exquisite embroidery”. The dial also has a diamond @12 to enhance readability. The case itself is a beautifully sculpted affair with wonderful side panel in goodness knows what in stones (the web site doesn’t elaborate) though whatever they are, they look terrific. I also note the elegant little cabochon on the crown which compliments the dial. There is also an awful lot more going on in this watch than can be seen just in one image, but you can be sure it’s a special piece. Just got to make sure my better half (Wife) never sees this . . .

I’m dreaming . . . !

Note – For a mother-of-pearl dial ladies watch perhaps in a more realistic price range there is always the Certina DS Podium, which I featured recently. From one of the better Swiss Watch companies it makes extremely fine models across a varied price range. The DS Podium is a lovely watch, practical Quartz, elegant and yet very affordable.

Smith & Bradley Ambush

Compass watches are always of interest to me, whether current or as in this case a Kickstarter project – which I understand is already fully funded and November this year should be available. Smith & Bradley are a fairly new US Company run by watch enthusiasts who decided that there was a niche in the market for a seriously practical model that might well be suited to the Law Enforcement profession or indeed any outdoor enthusiast too.

This is the “Ambush” analog/digital model (I have a love of combi’s I admit) and this one appears to be pretty well specified. It uses a Swiss Quartz movement a digital display not unlike a Breitling Aerospace and a compass step motor function not unlike the Tissot T-Touch (though without the touch display). On first looks I rather like it. The 316 Stainless Steel 44mm diameter case (ex crown) is black PVD coated and the crystal is a coated Anti-reflection Sapphire. The case back is stainless steel and screw fit. Function wise it features Alarm, Digital Compass using the analog hands as pointers, Dual Time and Chronograph.

Great night vision - Superluminova analog and digital back light. — Great night vision – Superluminova analog and digital back light.

It also caters for night use by having SuperLuminova analog hands and also a selectable blue digital back light which seems pretty good. Battery life is around 39 months (Renata) and there is a low battery indicator. The Compass mode uses the Minute hand to point to True North (there are declination settings you can set) and interestingly the Hour hand with the red dot shows your heading in compass mode. The digital display will show all data for direction and heading in degrees.

I also like the fact (as in the night image) when the digital function is being used the analog hands will move out of the way to a default 10 -2 position, thus not obscuring the displays ( a feature of the Tissot T=touch also).

So an interesting watch on many levels for me in that they are non mainstream and yet have put a lot of thought into their watch. They have used a solid Swiss ana/digi movement and planned out the features very carefully and avoided the pitfall of many larger Brands – dial clutter. This dial in comparison is neat, functional and very legible – and they have my congratulations. Another feature is they use standard lug strap arrangements so NATO and other standard alternative straps can be easily used. Again well done!

This model also feature a 10Bar (100m) Water Resistance.

Sadly I never spotted this watch or indeed the Kickstarter promotion when it first appeared, so am very late to the table, but I’m sure once it appears and hopefully (or eventually) available to the general public – I’ll be there!

The elegant watch (8)

Once again I’ve chosen a watch model that represents not only a traditional elegance but also a masterpiece of Swiss watchmaking, the Laurent Ferrier Geneve Galet Traveller. This first appeared back in 2013 but as so often the case with true elegance models, is still as relevant today as it will be in 100 years.

Laurent Ferrier Geneve Galet Traveller classic — Laurent Ferrier – Geneve – Galet Traveller classic

This particular model is quite unique in it’s approach to dual or world time and use an interesting complication which at the same time is very simple to use. A single press using one of the two oblong push buttons on the left side of the case move the central hand forwards + or backwards -. At the same time the Date @3 automatically changes at midnight, to reflect your new setting, and the subtle 24hr Date @9 shows your true Home Time day and position.

The case is either white or red gold and the solid silver dial is in midnight blue with those elegant hour and minute hands plus a sub dial seconds @6. Note the centre of the dial is vertically brushed compared to the circular brushed minute ring, such is the attention to detail.A self winding automatic calibre with an offset micro rotor which encompasses the dual time functionality took over 2 years to fully develop, such is the technical challenge of this movement. Accuracy is exceptional and is certified Chronometer by Besancon Observatory.Each year another masterpiece appears from this excellent maker, though if you have to ask the cost, then you are unlikely to be able to afford it. But when you consider such a timepiece with many of today’s resin cased quartz complication watches – well there’s simply no comparison at all, for this watch is timeless perfection and as a collector – wow! (just checked my Stocks – and things are not looking good!) 😦

Swatch choices

As everyone knows the Swatch watch is a bit of a collectors buzz. Watches that have color and whacky design features but that never stray off the fact that these are – watches. Their almost always easy to read, easy to ear and easy on the pocket. Some folks of course wouldn’t wear those cheap looking plastic things on their wrists if you paid them – but conversely will wear the latest G-Shock which if course if made from – you guessed it – plastic resin. However one of the good things about Swatch models is that invariably they do actually feature decent Swiss made quartz modules and some are surprisingly good. I am not going to talk about their new System 51 Automatic mechanical range, which I will touch on in a later Post.

Swatch xxSpeed model Chronograph Date watch.

Now I’m not a collector of Swatch (not their branded watches anyway, though I have Brands that are part of the Swatch group, though really feel I should be, being eclectic in my choices, so perhaps I’ll look at these a bit closer and maybe get one or two, just for fun.

I’ve picked out three I like the look of and here they are –

First is the Swatch xxSpeed Chronograph & Date model which is the largest one I’ve selected at 42mm width x 14mm depth. It features as expected a Plastic case, Silicon strap and plastic clasp and buckle and a Swiss Quartz movement. It also in the price range of under £100 at around £70 online, so is pretty decent value for money. I feel when considering sub £100 models that each should be more than just a watch telling the time. I like it to be as practical as possible, so tend to specify a Date function as a minimum requirement and this one has a bonus with the Chronograph.

Swatch "Once Again" model with White on Black. — Swatch “Once Again” model with White on Black.

Second is the Swatch “Once Again” White dial on black strap model GB743 and this is a very neat watch at just 33mm x 10mm depth, so is very much Unisex I suppose, but is a really clear reader AND has not just the Date but also the Day – AND magnified too, which is a good feature on a small watch. It has Luminous hands and once again a plastic case and silicon strap, 30m Water Resistance and weighs in at a featherweight 18 gms and is quite striking on the wrist with the stark white/black contrast. Swiss Quartz movement of course and costs around £32 online.

The third and final model in this selection is the Swatch AUOB709 Day and Date and is the medium sized one here, also a Day and Date unmagnified this time, but very clear with it’s contrasting colorway and luminous hands. 41mm x 10mm depth it is quite slim so will fit the wrist rather well. even if small.

So decent Swiss quartz and all for just £47 it is as the others and pretty decent value and all three I think look pretty half decent on the wrist and regardless of what you are doing – out and about or dressed to kill and off to dinner in the old Tux! And because they are liberally spread about in the celebrity world and used by so many these days, they are always in fashion.

And that’s always a good trick if you can do it . . . .

Note – The original Swatch Watch concept came into it’s own in 1983 and started a revolution in the Swiss Watch Industry when they used just 51 parts system in quartz models and a fully automated assembly line production process. This resulted in an amazing and very affordable range of models.

——————————————————————————

NEWS –

Thirty years later Swatch have expanded that idea and produced what they consider is another breakthrough by introducing the Sistem51, which applies now to mechanical automatic movement watches. This is an Automatic (self winding – no batteries) movement with just 51 parts. Comprising 5 separate modules which are welded into a single unit and centred on a single screw. When you consider that conventional mechanical movements have at least twice that number of components and some 500 or 600, it is in many ways a mini-revolution in watch production. This series of watches are produced by maybe the first fully automated assembly process in the World.

However for me it seems rather ironic that with less movement parts you’d be forgiven for thinking the watch would be smaller – well, from what I’ve seen it’s not – isn’t that odd? – However, maybe time will tell and it’s early days.

Like most automatics the movement is wound by the movement of your wrist, but unconventionally and controversially, in my opinion, the watch movement is also now hermetically sealed. It is also anti-magnetic too with the use of copper, zinc alloy and nickel AND the watch never (can’t) needs serviced AND it has a huge 90-hour Power Reserve!

This of course sounds great, though personally I’m disappointed by the first range of the Sistem51 models, which dial wise I find difficult to read owing to dial clutter. This is a pity as has nothing to do with their new movement concept at all, but perhaps a poor visual design of dial features and colours etc.

Hopefully this will change with new models coming out as I write and I hope to feature a few of them in a future Post.

Note – All watches featured in this Post are Quartz and NOT Sistem51 which are automatic mechanical watches and which I hope to feature in a future Post.

And here’s some more Quartz Swatch models –

Swatch "Summer Socks" SUON110 quartz — Swatch “Summer Socks” SUON110 quartz – Approx £45 online.

Swatch "Generation 31" with Date indicator. Model SUOW400 — Swatch “Generation 31” with Date indicator. Model SUOW400 – Approx £47 online

Swatch "Dr Swatson" Chrono and Date model in Aluminium. Model: YCM006AG — Swatch “Dr Swatson” Chrono and Date model in Aluminium. Model: YCM006AG – Approx £115 online.

Quartz favorites

As an eclectic collector of watches the subject of favorites is always somewhat fluid, simply because my collection changes. Some models are sold on, others bought and so my “favorites” might change over the years, though I confess that over the last few years my two favorite Quartz models have remained unchanged. However with my latest addition of the Tissot Expert T-Touch Solar, I might have to make it three favorites, though it will still be on probation as it were. It takes time for any watch model to gain this exalted position and I’ll see how it fares in 6 months time. I know my two firm favorites will still be there, but will the Tissot?

Anyway here are my two established favorites and with the reasons (to me) of why they are my favorites.

My Quartz favorites - The Breitling Aerospace and the Citizen AT World Time — My Quartz favorites – The Breitling Aerospace and the Citizen AT World Time

The first, on the left, is my Breitling Aerospace model that I bought about 15 years ago and effectively my daily beater ever since. It’s well traveled, having been around the world a few times and often in places that you wouldn’t send your dog. A fitting testament to the longevity of a Titanium case and solid bracelet is that it still looks great! It has one bezel screw missing I note and I’m pretty sure that was when I had it in for a service some years ago, though I never noticed until about 6 months ago. The sapphire crystal is unmarked with not even the tiniest scratch on it and the casing and bracelet seem almost as new. I do note the bezel has a smoothness to it which has to be cuff wear (if you could call that wear) and that’s about the only thing that says it’s not showroom.
Why I bought it in the first place was that this was a multi-function model with only a single crown (I don’t like much the conventional chronograph pushers) and the dial clarity stood out even in the shop window. The fact that the deceptively exterior hides a really good digital function set and a high quality movement was of course the true bonus. In fact I’d set this against any of today’s quartz models.
It’s over a year since I last adjusted this which was during the Winter to Summer Time change and instead of just moving the Hour, I corrected the time as well and checking it today, it’s running just 32 seconds fast – and that’s impressive.

Breitling Aerospace Quartz - one of the clearest dials you'll ever see. — Breitling Aerospace Quartz – one of the clearest dials you’ll ever see.

However back to the watch – First the standard dial view shows the Time in analog and I have it set to show the Day and Date on the highly visible Fluorescent digital display. Using the center crown you can show the Seconds plus Date, the Time in Hours, Minutes and Seconds, Alarm Time, Chronograph, Dual Time or T2 in Hrs/Mins/Secs, and Timer. When setting the Time, this is done via the crown which has both turn and push functions and the analog hands follow as required. Each function is accompanied by an icon/text on the upper digital display to confirm your selection and all functions are selected and controlled by that single Crown.
For night use the hands, indices and numerals are coated in excellent and effective luminous material, though there is no back light so there is no digital vision in the dark. However I only ever want to see the time at night so no worries for me.
The Breitling is also a very neat size at 40mm diameter and with only 9mm depth is sleek to say the least in comparison with more modern watches, even Breitling. The Sapphire crystal with anti-reflect coatings plus the dial layout with no inner reflections make this one of the clearest watches you will ever see and the minute hand with it’s pivot overhang gives a subtle clarity when reading the time.

Probably if honest this is my absolute favorite and it certainly gets the most wrist time of all my watches.

————————————————————————

My second “favorite” is this quartz Citizen Eco-Drive World Calendar A-T CB0020-09E and in my opinion one of the best models ever produced (and still produced) by Citizen. It is 45mm diameter including the crown but only 11mm in depth and at 49mm lug to lug and whilst it appears larger is actually an easy fit even on small wrists. Stainless Steel case and 200m Water Resistance with screw down crown, Radio Controlled (5 receivers) and Solar Powered (Eco-Drive) it’s a true wear and forget watch. No battery worries, always accurate to the second and has a superb World Time analog function that’s simply unbeatable in operation.

Good luminous hands and indices, a Date aperture @3, which features a Perpetual Calendar plus a quick indicator of the Radio Control state. It will receive a signal starting at 2am and with this particular watch even worn continuously it manages to pick up the signal every time (no need for standing on a window ledge overnight), despite a considerable distance from the nearest transmitter in Germany ( I live in Scotland). This is a point I have noticed before when checking Casio and Citizen – the Citizens appear to have greater sensitivity. The signal can be verified using the pusher @4, one push and the Second hand acts as a pointer and indicates on the option window @9 (yes or no) and of course there is a manual option which is – push and hold. Summer and Winter Time adjustments are Automatic, but have an ON/Off option and if you pull the crown to position 2 it will indicate if this is selected on the small window between 4 and 5.

The Citizen AT World Time - the very best for traveling. — The Citizen AT World Time – the very best for traveling.

For travel it’s simplicity itself. Simply pull out the center crown to position 1. The Second hand will instantly point to your Home Time Zone (in the UK it’s London) which is noted around the fixed bezel. The Time Zones are also marked on the outer ring within the dial. To change the Time Zone, simply turn the crown and the seconds hand will point to the City Time Code you wish, then push in the Crown. The analog hands will immediately move to the correct time for that Zone – and that’s it – done! Possibly the easiest travel time setting you’ll ever meet – I love it.

Now - does the Tissot T-touch warrant a "favorite" title - well maybe time will tell . . . — Now – does the Tissot T-touch warrant a “favorite” title – well maybe time will tell . . .

My model has a very flexible Citizen rubber/silicon deployment band with a twin button release and is very comfortable and I almost forgot, IF you need to change the Date (though you should never have to as it’s Automatic and Perpetual anyway) it can be adjusted with a small pin push just above the crown.
I’ve had this watch now for 5 years and it’s never missed a beat and is as good as new – what can I say? In fact if honest I rarely use the many functions that are available on watches these days and the Citizen does what I want. And as I do travel a bit to various Countries even today, the Time Zone change function is perfect for me.

So for a good few years now those two have been my wearable “favorite” quartz models and I’m toying with the idea of adding the Tissot Solar T-Touch Expert – though that’s a still a “maybe” for at least the next 6 months. But one thing I do know – the two models featured above will still be there as my quartz favorites whatever the outcome of any new acquisition and that’s a fact . . . .

Autodromo Stradale

The most stylish and refreshingly “wow factor” model I’ve seen from this new Brand, which once again is inspired by the 1950’s Italian roadster racing cars and in this particular color combination is my favorite model.

Unlike the last model, the Monoposto which sported a Meca-Quartz hybrid design movement, this is a full mechanical automatic, the Miyota 9015, which I have always reckoned a very good movement indeed. It has useful features such as – seconds hacking, 24 jewels, quick date correction, second hand reset and good shock resistance. I also prefer the styling of this model, though I personally love every model that Officine Autodromo have produced so far. I understand the Brooklyn based Company was founded in 2010 and the first models launched in 2011 by designer (industrial) Bradley Price and there are some designers I reckon – and he is one of them.

Exhibition back view of the Miyota 9015 Automatic

The Stradale is a really stylish and beautifully finished model with Sapphire Crystal and is a neat size at 40mm diameter by only 10.8mm depth. The “floating” appearance of the K1 glass numerals disc gives the dial a subtle “depth” and clarity. And the slightly eccentric vintage position of the wire attached lugs being low on the case, give the watch a real stand out look on the wrist and coupled with the 18mm padded leather strap is just perfect.

Best described by simply seeing it’s picture.

It’s really nice to see a watch a million miles away from the macho, high tech look of the ubiquitous “military” style shock this and shock that, which seem to dominate the market today. I know as I have plenty of them! But this – is something rather special.

Wow! I think I MUST have one! (at around $750 (£550) – it’s a lovely thing) . . . . 😉

Addendum – One of the problems I tend to find, with a watch like this one – it’s so good, that I can guarantee you won’t find it anywhere, say in a couple of years time. So, if you want this one – my advice is – get it now!

Combo nights (1)

My last Post featured the fashion watch Infantry but got me thinking. One of my passions today is the combo watch, that is one with both analog and digital displays and I also like the concept of the “military” watch and whilst maybe not the official Mil Spec, I like to get as many of the same attributes I can. What I’m NOT looking for here is a “fashion” watch, but one with serious features and functions that work as they are supposed to.

The finding of a serious military combo watch however is surprisingly difficult as so many models fall short in some manner. Such as back lights that don’t illuminate the dial data effectively, or luminous hands that are not, or over cluttered dial configurations, or even lack of intuitiveness requiring an instruction booklet with you at all times! Now the watch can be simple or complicated but it has to have the basics right, such as good Water Resistance, shock resistance, solid case preferably matte and non-shiny, good night legibility and a sensible function set.

Now funnily enough it’s quite easy to find a digital only model that fits the requirements and one of the better ones (and there are quite a few I have to say) is the Casio 120CM-5 and @$130 easily manages the brief – as do many of it’s variants.

Casio120CM-5 Camo Digital only — Casio 120CM-5 Camo Digital only

So when looking for my ideal “Mil Spec” style “military combo” model, whilst I could list the requirements, it’s actually easier to check out what’s available and then judge them accordingly as OK or not OK and say why . . .

I checked out quite few Casio models and was surprised when it came to combo watches that this was much more difficult than first thought. Often the models had non luminous analog hands and many were skeleton and often not easily seen against considerable background dial clutter, what with all the various indicators on the dial face. Needless to say none of those interested me at all and each for one or other of these reasons failed to meet my requirements

One feature that really annoyed me was the apparent lack of decent illumination for night use. Without luminous hands Casio have attempted to light the entire face with a light at the edge of the dial, which was only partially successful if, at all – lighting analog hands from the side just doesn’t work too well. But in providing such a dial light the digital display was left in darkness without a dedicated back light. Now OK that doesn’t bother me too much as at night I basically want to see the time, not fiddle around with digital settings and so on.
However this is a poor do – conventional watches with luminous hands, if decent quality, are fine for night use, whereas many of these modern analog/digital models don’t feature luminous hands at all – and I don’t understand why not. Surely specifying luminous hands eliminates the need for a dial light and by having it allows for the usual relatively simple Casio digital back light (as the Casio 120CM-5 watch shown here). Surely this makes sense?

But it doesn’t appear so as almost all current models feature rather poor dial and digital lighting and few luminous anything – indeed judging my comments on many video reviews it’s a bone of contention, though tacitly accepted whereas I won’t accept it at all. And this is a shame as I’ve discounted most combo Pro-Treks and the majority of G-Shocks for not only that issue but a few other basic reasons as well, such as lack of clarity either owing to dial clutter and/or poor night use, or for being too large. Two downsides it has to be said with many G-Shock case covers is that some models are too big for my wrist and the control buttons difficult both to find and operate amongst what I see as over-protective shrouds.

So, did I find anything that does suit me and meet my basic needs – and here I look at alternatives to Casio first.

Leaving the G-Shock style for a moment this Divers model from St Moritz – the Momentum Format 4 is actually a very good combo and though not military in any sense, it certainly features many of the required elements and does them very well.

St Moritz Momentum Format 4 Combo Divers model

Good broad luminous analog hands and numerals, an excellent clear pair of digital displays and a decent function set too, such as World Time, Chronograph and Alarms etc. It also has a very tough construction stainless satin finished case with screw down crown and 200m Water Resistance. For night use this combination of lume plus excellent digital back lighting is not far short of perfect and is well worthy of consideration in my view.

Another Brand to consider obviously is Timex and this model, which I’ve owned for some time now is the Timex Expedition T49967. It has a decent analog dial with luminous hour/minute hands and a digital display, shock proof resin case construction, 200m Water Resistance, non-reflective body and what I’d call a sensible function set of Chronograph, Time and Alarm, which is fine for most of us and in my opinion a really underrated model and at around £60+ mark is still currently great value.
As for night use, it uses the patented Timex “Indiglo” back light system. This is a light source behind the dial and everything is read in silhouette and within the digital display the black digital numerals intriguingly stand out light against a dark background, which is the opposite to what shows in daytime. It also has a standard strap fitting which I replaced with silicon deployment strap. I can confirm I’ve been very, very pleased with this Timex ever since I bought it as it’s a get and forget type of watch, good value and I’d recommend it to anyone.

There are some other models around that I’m also interested in, one of which has to be the new Tissot “Touch” Solar which could well be in a class of it’s own (watch out Casio – it’s ABC, neater, smaller, light and at night it’s brilliant). Not available till September though, so in the meantime I’ll feature another combo model, which I’ll review possibly in my next Post. And this is a Casio again and currently has to be one of my favorites. And with so many variants of G-Shock, Solar Tough and Pro-Trek it’s sometimes overlooked, though has an interesting function set – and at night it isn’t too shabby . . .

Watch this space . . .