Hotter take: G-Shock will be a distant memory long before any of those other watches you mentioned will.
this post was submitted on 16 Nov 2023
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I love my Seiko Arnie.
i never find anyone who buys speedmaster because:
"they wanna be astronauts"
they buy it because its the moonwatch, the watch that went to the moon, the history of it.
and 2nd reason is because they like the looks.
You're downvoted only because folk doesn't want to accept its irrationality coming to watches. Good take imo.
To qualify my reply, I’m a former Navy strike fighter pilot.
I’m admittedly not a huge watch buff. Got a couple $3000+ watches, but nothing crazy. I would never fly with anything that does not glow constantly—which rules out most digital/LCD watches.
I tried flying with digital watches, but it was frustrating at night. When you’re flying, you need to be able to just glance at your watch—most watches with LCD displays require you press a button to illuminate them—this is a problem when you’re flying in formation, in the clouds, at night. You do not want to take your hands off the controls. Bad things follow.
I settled on an analog watch with tritium glow for the hours and both hands. An analog watch with large hands is also easier to scan quickly than a small digital display. I can glance and know the time, day or night.
I also want something robust that will remain in place during a high-speed ejection. Ejections often result in the loss of visors, entire helmets, gear from survival vests, and watches with flimsy bands.
A metal case and band watch with tritium fits the bill.
Lastly, this is something that most people don’t think about. But if you’re ever in an evasion scenario post-ejection where you need to pay off a local to hide/transport you, an expensive watch is like carrying many hundred to a few thousand dollars in cash on your wrist. Your time piece is a bargaining chip, and a G-Shock isn’t going to carry nearly the same weight.
When you are operating in truly unforgiving environments, there is far more to a time piece than its ability to keep accurate time.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Can I ask some follow up questions?
I'm really surprised that any fighter pilot in the last several decades actually needs a wristwatch on a mission. Does the aircraft itself not have this kind of display built in, and in a way that is more accessible, accurate, and reliable than looking down at your wrist (which I assume if you are right handed would be down by the pilot's side on the throttle, HOTAS style?)
Post-ejection, sure I can see that, but in flight on a mission, are there not on board systems that do the job better?
For money, I never understood this either, isn't a stack of USD $100 bills more recognizable and valuable in most places than a watch, even a Rolex?
isn't a stack of USD $100 bills more recognizable and valuable in most places than a watch, even a Rolex?
Where on a pilot's G-suit do you expect him (or her) to stash several thousands of dollars' worth of bills?
I totally understand the frustration with digital watches - I find them difficult to read even for lap swimming, especially when I have tinted goggles on, so I don't use them.