DMode, Author at RK Watch Service

Pilot watches – esoteric functions – useful?

I’m not a pilot.

I own a Hamilton Flight Timer ana-digi watch.

Mainly for the looks and fantastic time functions, alongside ease of use.

It has a “flight log” function and displays ISA temperature at various altitudes. I never use either.

It got me thinking – do pilots actually use functions such as these on a wrist-watch, in the real-world? My guess is that they don’t but I’m unqualified to say for sure.

Other examples with such functions are the Omega Z-33 and Omega X-33.

I also came…

Pilot watches – esoteric functions – useful?

Pilots' & Military watches

Breitling B-1 – movement B68 (ETA E20.331)

The Breitling B-1, launched around 1998, has had three variants as per the table below (not mine, taken from another website).

The movement was originally the B68 (ETA E20.331) which was then replaced by B78 (ETA E20.341).

B78 / ETA E20.341 is a known TC movement, and so eligible for and meets the COSC spec, and is a potential HAQ candidate.

However, what I can’t square off is B68 and the fact that it was bestowed COSC status post-2001, despite not (apparently) being TC.

I’ve checked the…

Breitling B-1 – movement B68 (ETA E20.331)

High Accuracy Quartz watches

OT: World’s most accurate clock – yours for $3.3m

Notable enough to have featured on a news bulletin on the radio this afternoon.

Japanese firm Shimadzu Corp. has put the “Aether clock OC 020” on sale for $3.3m. Apparently accurate to one second every 10 billions years. It’s 100 times more accurate than caesium atomic clocks.

They’re aiming for 10 sales over the next 3 years.

www.barrons.com

Japan Puts World’s Most Accurate Clock On Sale For $3.3 Mn

Resembling a squat, wide fridge, the world’s most accurate clock went on sale for $3.3 million in Japan on Wednesday.

www.barrons.com

High Accuracy Quartz watches

Most hair-raising or surprising expense

Not particularly interested in expensive watches as a total unit per se.

But any experiences that you’d care to share about costs or quotations related to your watch collection, that were a lot higher than you’d expect or hope, and how you proceeded.

Reason I ask: I’m looking to purchase the metal bracelet (I know, I know – should have bought it with metal in the first place) for one of my watches which is fairly high-end.

OEM – they’re asking >£1,200.

Now, it’s for a watch…

Most hair-raising or surprising expense

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