You mean a tachyometer? Because that's not for telling time at all.
Miltiary Watches Thread
Cooper Fisher
Adrian Edwards
Yeah, your pic is retarded. Clearly meant for fashion and not to actually tell the time. By "minimalist" I meant straightforward design without gimmicks or unnecessary elements. Here's some I found from an image search (no pics on tor, sorry):
farfo.com
upload.wikimedia.org
farfo.com
To be sure I don't think these are great watches, they just illustrate my point of not cluttering the face with gimmicky, "just for show" dials and gauges. I'm not against all extra features also, for instance a sunset/sunrise gauge, day/month, moon phase, etc. if you actually use those frequently, but it seems silly to have 100 m sprint timers when you don't do any sprinting or have some rotating ring to mark time intervals when it's easier to just remember a time.
for instance has three whole dials dedicated to a chronograph (if I'm reading the manual right). I happen to have a job where I often need to time actions with second precision - it's always easier to just look at the normal second hand of my watch than use the chronograph. In theory the chronograph on this watch can measure down to 50 ms, but in my experience it's hard to even click a mouse with less than 0.5 sec precision, and pushing watch knobs is even slower. So if you really need sub-second precision, I suppose the chronograph is justified, although your measurements will have huge error so the precision is mostly wasted. And how often do you really need to measure things that precisely? Many times I've set up devices that required sub-second precision to operate, but I've always used a specialized apparatus for timing rather than relying on my own reaction time, which would have been far too unreliable and inaccurate. Obviously my own experience is limited, though, so perhaps I'm missing some significant application of this 50 ms precision chronograph, but the marketing of 99% of these watches seems to regard it as just a gimmick nobody will actually use.
Or for example, (again not to knock it but just to illustrate the point): Why have a whole separate seconds dial when you can just put the second hand in the main dial where the markings are much easier to distinguish? What purpose does this serve except to clutter up the display and make the seconds hand less useful? Maybe some people like the aesthetic but to me it seems like a watch meant to look good to people who don't understand how watches work.
If you look at the Амфибия, the rotating bezel is just the same 0-60 subdivisions that are already present on the watch face, and hence are superfluous. But ignoring that, what indeed is the utility of a tachyometer? A whole mechanical computer just to do a division you can easily do in your head, or on paper? A memory aid that can only store one variable? If you really need to do calculation that often, you would carry a dedicated mechanical calculator like a small plastic slide rule or precalculated table. And if memory is an issue the better solution is a notebook and pen which can store any number of values and also aids in calculation.
Yes, but you wouldn't want a swiss army knife of a watch. Each feature should be balanced in terms of how likely you are to use it, how well it works compared to a dedicated tool and how much space it takes on the watch. Besides actually telling time, I would love to see some watch functions that actually work well and are useful in your actual life, not "just in case" of some contrived scenario like being shipwrecked on a deserted island. Closest thing I've heard is basically an astrolabe, which (assuming you know how to use it) allows you to navigate and determine the season without access to electronics, which is still a bit contrived but at least clearly useful in an SHTF context (or if innawoods and too cheap to get a proper GPS device).
Isaiah Allen
I've had this watch for the last four years and it's been great. Now I'm heading to basic and just wondering if any of you know whether it should be rugged enough for whatever I'm supposed to be doing as an infantryman. I mean, I've smashed it on concrete once or twice and nothing's gotten fucked except for some paint around the bezel I threw the band out as soon as I got it and rotate a few different leather straps instead but I imaging it would be scratched to hell as well so I think it's fairly tough, but still, do any of you have experience with how these Citizen watches hold up?
Anthony Cook
opps
Jackson Jones
Citizen Ecodrives are usually pretty good in general, their promaster and ISO certified divers (the promasters seems to be blurring between divers and what used to be their skyhawk\nighthawk lines) have good reviews and track records. That one is not to my personal taste but the spec list of sapphire and 200 wr is pretty good. But!
I'll tell you the same thing when another user asked similar question. Leave that nice watch at home in a safe place, get a cheap (preferably under a hundred bux) and tough and easily replaceable and obtained, so a casio or timex, something rugged functional and cheap enough you won't cry over if it gets smashed scratched or stolen.
I use the divers timing bezel on a daily basis to time my work breaks. :*) Technically I know that compass trick with using an analog dial and the sun but fuck it in actual real life I never found that method to be reliable, an actual compass would be a lot better to have.
I use and still use that vostok amphibia but never abuse it, it's holding up so far but from what I've seen it can be a bit of a specimen lottery.
Nathan White
What would you recommend for a tough military watch that's also fashionable? Preferably with a metal band.
Chase Butler
There is a lot of watches that fit that description. Just get this one. Its my fave
Damasko da863
Read up on it. Has a lot of integrated neat mechanical things that makes the watch hella bulletproof/shock and magnetic resistant. Only problem is normal charge up lume. I like tritium.
Colton Sanchez
its water resistant to 5 atm. u can wash your hands with it and go in water but don't go to deep.
"The normal atmospheric pressure at sea level is 1 ATM (short for Atmosphere) or 1 bar. The seal in a watch rated for 5 ATM can withstand being submerge under normal swiming conditions which doesn’t go beyond the depth of 40m or 130ft. "
Liam Roberts
Thanks fam. Anything Swiss, with a sweeping second hand?
Noah Clark
why would you want a metal band, don't they pinch your arm hair? go for leather