Hi All

Hope you all had a good Christmas was after a bit of advice on the best sailing watch to buy as santa didn't bring me one had all new sailing kit but forgot the watch I am torn between two the Magic Marine Tack watch and the Musto watch in Northamton sailboat as it is on special I don't like Casio as have pulled the strap out twice on to new watches


Any help Please

Cheers

James Taylor MR2293

THe very best sailing watch because it has an instant fly back second hand is the Omega Chronostop which was actualy especially made for the Apollo 11 Astronauts it's almost bullet proof (Although one did go wrong on the moon!)has the advantage it is wearable as an every day watch without looking posy and is as accurate as any clockwork watch i. Downside only available 2nd hand. Price and has to be wound up. Upsides apart from those already listed, collectable, the best non posy. Price arounf £500.00 though I did one of my six in Bombay in the watch shop nearly next door to the Royal Bombay Yacht Club for 6,000.00 rupees (about £100.00.) There a wee man in Burnham on Crouch and onother lille herr in Copenhagen who understands the repair, regulation and serviceing of these time pieces.Another of mine belonged to Bizz Aldrin I'd like to think he wore it onthe moon but I'm sure it was a spare he put into a charity auction! Still it WAS Buzz Aldrins watch. No none of them are for sale!
M

I tried the Musto it broke after a while. If you want a pure sailing watch then the Ultimate (same features as the Msuto but bigger) is great. But you can't wear it on the street.

My day watch is a Citizen EcoSystem Sail Hawk, which is really got everything you need including battery free and wind up free existance, and fly back second hands. Beware, though, this is a heavy watch (some said - is it dual purpose - tells the time and used to knock peopl out with) so not suitable for dainty people. Cost £299 here but see my next post.

I bought it from the place below, even after shipping and duty and Vat, and DHL do all that for you, at todays exchange rates it would cost approx £160.

Ultimate, Ironman or Suunto depending on application, style, range of use and budget.

Had two Mustos and both failed fairly quickly - not good quality for the price.

Suggest buy a cheap Casio and aim to replace every few years: current one has gone on for 3+ years.

I have a Seiko alarm chronometer - analogue.  Downside is that it doesn't beep and ping like the Casios, but I do find it quicker to look at an analogue watch in the pre-start.  It has been robust; I have dropped it on tiled floors and spent some time in cold water with it and no problems with accuracy.  The last one I had worked faultlessly for 4 years till I smashed the glass and submerged it - I don't think you can blame it for giving up at that stage!  Cost £115 and you are getting a watch you can wear when not sailing, the alarm also gets you up for the early Mill Bay ferry after a night in the Yacht Club bar

At the end of the day, it's not a good idea to spend a fortune on a watch that may fall off and end up at the bottom of the estuary. All you need to be able to do is tell the time and have a countdown timer (preferably one that beeps every minute then every ten seconds in the final minute)
You could probably pick one of these up for £20!

Thanks all 
In that case I think I will try the Magic Marine no one has sayed a bad word about it so I think I give it a try
cheers 

James MR 2293

I use the musto which is great - hasn't failed on me yet.  I used to use those Timex Ironman Triathlon watches though - cheap and, essentially the buttons are on the front so none of that stopping in the middle of a tack malarkey!

The Seiko strap has a safetycatch affair on the clip - I have accidentally unclipped this in the heat of the moment but never the actual clasp.  The (good) Casio I had I caught the strap on the shroud pulling the boat out & it disappeared into the river, but for economy the Casio/Magic Marine is probably the best solution

BREITLING

Keep it simple get the Omega its a gentelemans watch!

You could kill two birds with one stone and get a Taktik compass. It has a good watch mode, visible by either crew from anywhere aft of the mast, and switches itself back to compass mode after your countdown finishes. Reliable, waterproof, accurate, runs on free sunlight, spots windshifts and doesn't fall off your wrist.

No but the last 3 cost more than a 40 pound watch I think it is called a budget

second hand kookoo clock. Its cheep, and when yer ding yer boat you can use the wood to repair it.If you got a budget dont sail a Merlin.

SPLIFF

The Thing about sailing is you can sail any boat on a budget and still have a lot of fun. e.g my Merlin cost me 4p with every think just a bit of hard work and a lot of fun.

You don't need to watch the clock with a good count down and the watch is for the crew my girlfriend!!

You’ve broken a golden rule.  Never conduct ‘relations’ with your crew, or have your significant other crew for you.  One bad boat handling moment, a bit of ‘advise’ offered from the back and you don’t get any action when the bar closes.

Watches first Beecher Moore could judge 5 minutes to the second in his head, as to sailing Beecher Sailed with Bobbie enough but Cliff Norbury always said if you want to stay sailing stay single. Maybe that's why I have so many ex wives! Same sex boats are easier if you are married!

Get a crew with a watch and spend the money you save on lager beer. You should be too busy at the start with starting to be looking at a watch. You’re wasting your money and (Language please - Chris) up your start at the same time.