Thread: Ideal watch?
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  #11  
Old December 18th 03, 03:16 PM
Jay Honeck
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1) Analog hands and second hand for timing things
2) Digital clock set to Zulu time so I don't have to bother my small brain
with those pesky conversions
3) Backlight so I can see it when I'm flying at night
4) Vibrating alarm so I remember to do routine things like switch tanks.
5) Nifty E6B ring around the outside that I really can't see, but really
impresses the chicks at the bar


I agree with what you're looking for in a watch. I even thought that I had
finally found the "almost perfect" flying watch in the Casio "Data Bank"
line. It does everything but #4 and #5 (I don't need a watch to pick up
chicks anymore.... :-). It even "projects" the digital display onto the
glass in front of the analog face, eliminating the need for a separate
"window" in the back of the watch -- which makes for a nice, compact sized
watch. It was even cheap, at around thirty bucks.

Unfortunately:

1. Under the store's bright lights, the display was clearly visible. Under
average lighting conditions, however, the "glass" that displays the
projected digital information is too dark, and obscures the hands of the
analog watch. As a result, to see what time it is indoors I usually have to
push the backlight button. This is unacceptable.
2. The menus are absurdly complex, and require WAY too much futzing around
to use the timers and time zones. Thus, I don't use them.
3. The control buttons are too similar and are thus easily confused.

So, I'm back in the search. You wouldn't think it would be so hard to make
a watch with those four (or five) features, but it has eluded me for many
years.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"