High End Quartz Watch

[CHIP]

One day I would like to own one high end quartz watch. Why? Not sure Just think that it would be kind of cool.
In order for me to buy a quartz watch it has to be a tool. It has to posses functions that no affordable mechanical could have.

This is the criteria:
1. Swiss Made
2. Tool Watch
3. Multifunction
4. Alarm

What would you pick?

[worktolivelife]

Breitling Superquartz model

steve

[jeanmichel]

admin said:

One day I would like to own one high end quartz watch. Why? Not sure Just think that it would be kind of cool.
In order for me to buy a quartz watch it has to be a tool. It has to posses functions that no affordable mechanical could have.

This is the criteria:
1. Swiss Made
2. Tool Watch
3. Multifunction
4. Alarm

What would you pick?

That is a question I have asked to myself quiet a number of time and let me summerize you my conclusions

my very first choice for such a quartz watch in the 90s result in the purchase of a Breitling Aerospace , a watch I have appreciate a lot ... but with 3 weak points

- the difficulty to access to functions with the "crown only" system, specially because I am left handed and do wear my watch on right wrist but many RH owners have complain about it

- The complication of accessing functions and the no so easy method to set the watch , each time I have changed time from travelling I needed the manual

- The very very WEAK alarm sound , not beeing abble to weake me up in the morning and worse of all a countdown sound not noticable at all as soon as you are in a noisy environement : this was not at all acceptable for me as I use sometime the countdown for my professional activity

The plus of the Aerospace is its very slim design , a reconized elegance and an excellent readability , another minus is no backlight for the LCD display ...

then ... Omega introduce the X-33 ... took me a little time to get used to its look ... but when I have seen the watch in real and test the functions , I have not buy ONE , but TWO of theses ! one for my father and one for me

the X-33 is IMO the ULTIMATE quartz watch tool it gets ALL the functions you might whish and more

it definitly solve the 3 major bug of the Aerospace :

- VERY easy access to functions even for a LH person
- VERY easy to understand logic , you'll never need the manual at the exception of rarely used functions
- VERY noticable alarm ! that is incredible ! can be even too noisy it you are in a meeting

the other plus of the X-33 are
a reduced mass due to the use of Titanium
an incredibly powerfull backlight which can be used as a small torch
long timing function with the "mission time"

IMO the only real competitor of the X-33 is the Breitling B1 BUT for what I was looking for it is :

- too "bling" for my taste : I do not like polish finish for a tool watch and prefer satin finish
- not offering the simplicity of the X-33 for access to functions
- a less powerfull backlight
- no "very long timing" function
- more heavy than the X-33

the plus of the B1 is beeing thermo compensated but my X-33 have an incredible accuracy and I do not ask for more

so what are the minus of the X-33 : not so many

- a "special" look some might take time to like
- a stupid polish bezel on the first serie ! , hopefully this bezel is now replaced by a satin finish one, and I have make myself the satin finish on mine
- a too long backlight IMO : 10 seconds : this draw the battery and 5 sec would be sufficient ...
- failure of some pushers on the very early models (my fathers one had the problem , mine never had but was retrofitted)
- I would whish the X-33 to be 100 meter water resistant but it would probably mean a weaker alarm ... and I prefer this very loud sound

fit it with a Laser and you have the ultimate James bond tool !



so :

- It is indeed 100% swiss made : caliber 1666 built by ETA exclusivly for Omega
- It is a REAL tool watch ... even a space tool watch
- It is multifunction
- It have the BEST alarm on the market

I think you've found what you are looking for

cheers
JM

[erik]

I own a Girard Perregaux (1976), with "one of the best Quartz movements ever made" the rapairer did not see a lot of these.
But it is no tool watch... (it needed to be repaired, glass was broken and much more after falling)

A Breitling like steve...
Or the X-33

[Sam]

The Breitling Aerospace would be my choice. JM makes some very valid points though. What I like about the Aerospace is....

1) Thin 10mm case
2) Love the all brushed Titanium finish
3) With the black dial and the digital display off, it looks just like a plane old analog watch
4) I don't have a Breitling yet ;D

[worktolivelife]

steve

[CHIP]

Thanks guys!
And thank you JM for the in-depth reply!

It looks like you guys are on the same page with me. All I could think of as well was the two breitling models or the Speedy X-33.

If only that Speedy would be $1000.....

[mamas]

Chip.. have a look at ebay.. found this one there from jmrishi.. who seems like a good seller for around that mark..
cgi.ebay.com/OMEGA-Speedmaster-Professional-X33-Mars-Watch-3291-50_W0QQitemZ5054323456QQcategoryZ31387QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[MartynJC (UK)]

admin said:

One day I would like to own one high end quartz watch. Why? Not sure Just think that it would be kind of cool.
In order for me to buy a quartz watch it has to be a tool. It has to posses functions that no affordable mechanical could have.

This is the criteria:
1. Swiss Made
2. Tool Watch
3. Multifunction
4. Alarm

What would you pick?

Breitling B-1 Review

Last Updated: Wed 4 August, 2004 14:27 v1.1

Review


The B-1 is definately a tool watch. It the following digital functions which use the two digital displays on the watch face:

• Time of Day (Local Time)
  
• Alarm Local Time, alarm repeats twice at intervals if not cancelled
  
• Date with calender programmed to 2100 - displaying
• Day, Date, Month, Year which can be formated in US / UK formats
  
• Chronograph with Split Second display counting up to 99d23h59m59s in 100th second dispayed increments
  
• Count Down Timer is second intervals down from 99d23h59m59s down to --d--h--m01s with alarm that repeats twice at end
  
• Second Time Zone
  
• Second Time Zone Alarm, repeats if not cancelled
  
• UTC time - independant of Local or Second Time Zone, adjustable by 15m intervals sychronised with seconds
  
• Adjustable for ENG/ESP/FRA/DEU languages
  
• Hour mark / Count down Hour mark / Audible tone on|off for pushers
  
• End-of-life flashing display for battery
  
• 'Sleep' mode that reduces battery load when off-wrist for extended periods
  
• Backlit digital display (colour compatible with night vision googles)
  
• In addition is the Navitimer style slide-rule with various additional conversion functions built on the scales

The styling is functional, rather than easthetic - though personally I like the styling. The standard bracelet is the 'Fighter' bracelet with brushed central links.

The Bezel is brushed steel, the case is shiny steel which makes for a pleasing contrast.

The second hand has a red tip and the applied breitling logo is gold. Apart from the red '60' and '10' markers on the slide rule the face is black and white.

The 12,3,6,9 glow in the dark quite nicely after switching off the light, though after 6 hours later the glow is fairly dim. Of course the back light can be activated by depressing the crown if you need to read the time in that case. The second hand pauses while the ligh shines, "to conserve battery power".

Items that drain the battery most are: Light and Sound in that order.

In terms of accuracy. I have been keeping a log of my SuperQuartz version since I purchased it at the beginning of December 2003.

Data was taken from 3 reference sources. 1) Time signal by telephone; 2) Time given by atomic synchronised clock; 3) Time given by UTC timezone.

Notice that so far (at the time of writing) the variance in 7 months is +2sec between Dec and July so that works out at an average of gaining less than:

+4sec/year

I think I can live with that!! SQ is meant to be +-15sec/year by Breitling standards so this watch is well within specification.

Waterproof to 50m - so that makes it ok to shower with, maybe surface swimming depending on if you want to risk it. Personally I don't swim with it and I take off all my watches while showering anyway. I wash it with soap and water and an old tooth brush from time to time.

It is built very solidly. Quite a large watch being 42.20mm Diameter, 16.50mm thick and weighing in at 95.70gr, though it fits comfortably on my 6 3/4" wrist. Some people find it's thickness takes a little getting used to, I find it fine.

I'd like to try it with a croc strap for a change, though I'm quite happy with the OEM bracelet with it's double safety fastening clasp making it a safe option to keep it on one's wrist.

(end of review 2004)

Since then I have kept timings and in it's full second year again it is performing about +4 sec / year accuracy.

In Summary - A total tool watch - a brute, built like a tank with a built in sliderule for those holiday xchange rates - I love it!

[AntonisCy]

id go with a Tag

[JIM]

Tag Kirium F1


Tag Kirium Chronograph

[mamas]

Martyn.. must have missed your post.. great review!
mamas

[worktolivelife]

I like that F1 jim, my all gold Tag SEL I've had for some 13 yrs now has done me proud, I hope my latest can live up to it!!!!, It even survived being thrown in the pool in Ibiza with me attached ,on a lads holiday my mates with a fake wasn't so lucky his looked like he had a fish bowl attached to his wrist I speak as i find and my tags have done me proud!!

steve

[CHIP]

Thanks guys!
Great review Martyn!
Since I just picked up the Speedy, anything else will now have to wait a long while.

[JIM]

Hey Steve, I agree all the Tags I've owned have a been very good watches, never a problem. Thats a funny story about the pool.

Chip we always say its gonna be a LONG time before we buy another, but we know better. ;D