The Pilot's Watch

So what are the attributes that make up the perfect Pilot's Watch? The most important thing that a Pilot's Watch has to do, is announce to everyone else that the wearer of said watch is indeed a pilot. A good Pilot's Watch must be BIG! After all, billboards are big and therefore effective in conveying the desired message. So a BIG Pilot's Watch will tell everyone within 100 feet that a pilot is in the vicinity.

A pilots watch should have a big dial with large easy to read numbers and numerous smaller dials to perform various functions a pilot might require at one time or another. These kinds of watches are often referred to as a chronograph. Due to the numerous smaller dials, the watch has to have several buttons to push which, in turn, cause all the smaller dials to set into motion.

Last, but not least, a Pilot's Watch has to have a circular slide rule around it's bezel, referred to as an E6B. The E6B allows the pilot to calculate ground speed, fuel burn, estimated time of arrival, and other very important pilot stuff while on the fly.

Perhaps the quintessential Pilot's Watch is the Breitling Navitimer, one of the most coveted Pilot's Watch of them all. And for just one year of your child's college tuition, you too could one of these fine time pieces.

Now it may come across to you that I am making fun of Pilot's Watches, which I am. But I have to say, I personally love watches and have a drawer full of them. While I have a few "Pilot's Watches" I can also admit how silly some of these watches are when it comes to their functionality.

So let's get back to the task at hand and define those attributes that make the perfect Pilot's Watch. I believe the first trait mentioned before that a Pilot's Watch has to be BIG, is a valid trait. Perhaps this attribute serves a purpose other than announcing to everyone in the FBO that you are indeed a pilot. The younger pilots will be quick to quip an answer with," a larger pilots watch will be easier to read in turbulent conditions". But as we all know, the real reason a Pilot's Watch should be "Big" is, the people who can afford to fly "and" own a watch are over forty years old and probably has the words "must possess" on his or her medical.

The second attribute referring to a chronograph might be valid, but I would suggest that a digital chronograph might be more functional than an analog watch while being easier to read. I think one feature missing on most Pilot's Watches is a light for night flying. Most digital displays have a backlight which comes in handy on those night cross country trips.

The third attribute mentioned referring to an E6B on the bezel of the watch is in my opinion completely silly. First of all, who could possibly read the thing in the first place. And second, who has actually calculated a flight plan since they passed their check ride? With onboard GPS and web based flight planning programs, the E6B has almost become obsolete.

So let's look at some realistic attributes which would make the "Perfect Pilot's Watch". Here is what I have to offer. As much as I love analog watches, digital watches offer more functionality. The problem with hybrid analog/digital watches is, the analog hands always seem to be covering the digital display when you need it the most. So here is a check list for a useful pilots watch.

- Large Face

- Large easy to read numbers

- Multi Time Zone Function

- 24 hr Chronograph aka Stop Watch

- 24 hr Countdown Timer

- Both 12 and 24 hour Format

- Backlight or Long Lasting Luminous Markings

- Price that does not exceed the price of an annual or more preferably the cost of fueling up the aircraft with fuel