Pilots Watch - Butler Watches OOOI

This one is for all the people that have always admired the Breitling line of ana-digital pilots watches but could never afford one.

Fresh on Kickstarter and to be delivered in August 2017 comes this homage the the Breitling ana-digital watches for pilots. At first glance the dial looks really similar to the Aerospace and Professional line of watches. Although I am not a fan of homages, I am a fan of this. It is about time a company has come out with an alternative to the Breitlings. Although there are a plethora of ana-digital watches out there, nothing is as close to the style of Breitling Pilot watches as this one. The only other watch I can think of is the Orient CVZ00001b.

Starting at around $500, the OOOI houses an ETA 988.333 movement, a proven and popular quartz movement that is relatively affordable. The case, looks like a larger Rolex Explorer case giving in a very minimal look. The dial has has 12hr markings and on the outer ring, corresponding 12-24hr markings. The digital screen, looks just like the one on my Breitling B-1. Extremely legible and actually one of the few watches easy to use while flying! I have used my B-1 to time actual flight legs and I believe this one can be done just as easily.

The OOOI has the same functions as the Breitlings, albeit for a backlight. This maybe a problem while flying at night when legibility in the cockpit is intentionally reduced. However the dial and the hands feature SuperLuminova luminous coatings.

The features include:

• Hours and Minutes (hands and screen)
• Second, Date, Perpetual Calendar
• Day and Date in multiple languages
• Timer function
• Second Time Zone
• Chronograph 1/100 second
• Add or Split functions
• Alarm
• EOL (End of Life) indicator

These functions are all what higher end Breitlings include and you get it for 1/5 of the price of one. This is definitely a watch that has caught my attention on Kickstarter.

You can make a pledge and purchase the watch here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/812490532/oooi-analog-digital-wrist-watch-eta-988333-movemen

Choosing a Watch for Your Next Adventure

I have been trekking in canyons, desert of the Middle East, mountains of Bhutan and diving in South East Asia. There has always been one thing in common on these trips - watches. I have always brought a watch along with me. This guide will help you choose the right watch for your next adventure. Now this guide is formed from my opinion and experiences and you should use your discretion before taking and potentially destroying a nice watch on vacation. There are a few elements to consider when choosing a watch for your next adventure.

1. Geography. The climate of your next adventure is highly dependent on what watch you should bring. A cold climate is not favorable for automatic watches as the grease and lubricants may become more viscous or even freeze. An automatic is much better suited for tropical climates or warm water diving. For cold climates, I have had good success with a Casio Protrek (all digital screen) in up to -20c.
2. Budget. Budget will arguably make up 95% of all watch purchases regardless of intended use (the other 5% is watch investment or trading purposes). While I know some people who have taken their Rolex GMT Master II scuba diving, I do not recommend it nor do anything of that sort. Going on a trip that requires alot of outdoor work in harsh(er) environments than everyday city life, I would choose a watch on the cheap side you wouldn't mind scratching up because you will definitely scratch it up. If you don't are you really going outdoors?
3. Functionality. Another thing to consider is functionality. Do you want a triple sensor watch? Do you want to track multiple timezones? Are you diving? How deep will you go? Do you want a chronograph? Dive timer? While most adventures do not require you to track multiple timezones or even require any specialized functions a watch with a simple dive timer will do just fine. I have had good luck with a simple Seiko Monster on dive trips or even on treks. My Protrek in Bhutan was also nice for calculating temperature, altitude and pressure which is important to see your density altitude - how much oxygen is actually available to you given pressure and non standard temperature.
4. Waterproofing. While there are much more comprehensive articles on watch waterproofing. This section is here just for you to be aware of the issues and of those articles addressing them in much greater detail. Watch waterproof ratings may as well be a scam. First of all, no watch is ever waterproof. They are water resistant. And while there are definitely high end watches that are true to their waterproof ratings (some even go beyond such as the Seiko Tuna) most lower end watches aren't water resistant to anywhere near their advertised rating. For example, a 100m water resistant watch probably shouldn't be taken diving even if you are going to depths of no more than 18m.
5. Size. While size may not be everything it is more important than you think. There are definitely large watches floating around in the 50mm range that are marketed for to be rugged terrain companions. However bigger is not always better. A bigger watch makes it easier to clip and accidentally bang into things scratching it or just simply inhibiting you from certain movements. While my Citizen Ecozilla is rugged as hell, I would probably not take it into the desert or on a trek where I'll be constantly gripping to rocks or brushing past them.
6. Straps. This one is obvious, however some are not aware of this. A leather, crocodile skin or shark skin straps ARE NOT waterproof. I do not recommend you bring any of those straps on your next trip. Instead, try a rubber, NATO or even a rubber NATO strap (if you can find one). These are very rugged and durable. The NATO strap also have an advantage over traditional ones. They don't stress the pins as much as traditional ones. As for bracelets, while are perfectly fine for most rugged terrain, should be used with discretion. Mainly due to scratching and potential damages to the bracelet. If you really have to go with a bracelet, a mesh variant will do just fine. 

While this guide will only help you choose a watch for your next adventure, it is up to you and your discretion to select one that fits your criteria. 

Feel free to message me and ask if you have any further questions.

Bulova Moon Watch Automatic?

Why doesn't Bulova make an automatic Moon Watch? That is a question I have seen being asked around on countless forums and blogs. I have decided to answer this question once and for all.

Lets start with alittle history of the Bulova brand and the Moonwatch. Founded in New York City in 1875 by Joseph Bulova, it was the company to first manufacture the first fully electronic watch with a proprietary tuning fork based technology. Bulova then went on to create the 'Accutron' line up - the swiss made Bulova division. As of 2017, Bulova is owned by the Citizen Watch group and have made many different watches from a curved chronograph, the Bulova Curv, a Automatic diver, the Bulova Sea-king, the 7750 powered Accutron Gemini, and last but not least the Moonwatch. As is the case with most Bulova watches, somewhere on the watch is Bulova's tuning fork logo - arguably their most iconic development.

Why did Bulova take this beauty out of production? (Bulova Accutron Gemini Valjoux 7750)

So enough about Bulova's history; I'm not here to write a guide about Bulova. I'm here to discuss why one of their most popular selling pieces, the Moonwatch doesn't get the authentic treatment that the Omega Speedmaster got. As you may know, Man landed on the moon in the 1960s. During that time, the Omega Speedmaster was selected officially by NASA as the 'first watch on the moon'. During NASA's fourth manned mission to the moon, aboard the Apollo 15 was Commander David Scott. All crew member wore the Speedmaster, however since Bulova had been developing a watch to rival the Speedmaster (however didn't get the contract), Commander Scott was given a Bulova Chronograph Model 88510/01 and brought it along as a backup. During one of the excursions on the Moon's surface, his Speedmasters hesalite crystal popped off - requiring him to wear his Bulova onto the surface. After the mission, the watch sold for $1.6 USD while all of the Speedmasters worn by the other astronauts (which were government property) are still kept by NASA in various museums. This makes the Bulova 88510/01 the ONLY watch that a private citizen owns that has been to the moon.

So why didn't Bulova release a Moonwatch true to the original? I don't work at Bulova so I will only voice my opinion. Not in anyway an official Bulova statement. In my opinion, Bulova hasn't and will not release a true-to-the-original Moonwatch for a few reasons:

1. It's out of place for Bulova's line-up. If you are a fan of Bulova or an avid entry level watch collector you would know that Bulova's line-up is mostly comprised of entry-level and quartz watches with their selling point being UHF (ultra high frequency) quartz watches. Ticking at 262 khz, the Moonwatch uses Bulova's UHF movement. This makes the chronograph sweep and not tick - reminiscent of automatic pieces. Bulova slowly phased out their Automatic watches years ago and are now in the mid-end quartz market. A true to scale Moon watch just doesn't fit their brand image.
2. It may be too expensive for them to produce. I'm pretty sure that Bulova still has the original blueprints for the Moonwatch, however it may just simply be too expensive for them to produce. Look at the Omega Moonwatch - those are retailing close to $4000. A Bulova Moonwatch with a mechanical movement may retail for $2000 - about two times the cost of their high-end watch line. It may just simply not be feasible for them.
3. I'm stretching it abit on this one - but they may have deemed it to be 'not original' as Omega is doing the samething to their Speedmaster. I'd like to digress. What is there not original about the only watch that has been to the moon and is currently owned by a private citizen (none of the Omegas that have been to the moon are in the hands of a private citizen)? To me that is a huge selling point right there. There is alot of heritage behind it - the Moonwatch that never were, one that lost the race to the Moon.

Would I buy a Bulova Moonwatch if it were true to the original? HELL YES. Should Bulova release the Original Moonwatch? HELL YES. In fact, the only reason I don't have a Bulova Moonwatch yet is because IT IS QUARTZ! Now, don't get me wrong I have nothing about quartz watches - I own quite a few of them including the Breitling Chronometre B-1. But I just can't justify buying another Quartz watch as of the moment. Too many batteries to keep track of replacing!

Another watch Bulova developed worthy of a mention: Bulova Accutron Astronaut.