New watch for caving and other activities

[blakey]

Hello All,

I need a new watch, had a Nixon one for a few years which I love!! But have had to send it back to France to get the strap replaced several times......BALL ACHE!! Fully fed up now!

So requirements are:
Hard wearing
Waterproof
Tells the time
Suitable for Mountaineering, mountain biking, caving etc etc
Doesnt need to be fancy just functional
Not ridiculously priced, but, I also dont want a cheap one that will break in a month or so.
Ideally not a metal band.

Thoughts?

Cheers

 

[Emsy]

What you need is a Casio F-91W with built in light bulb. Or if you is a bit posh you could go for the indiglo version 
Dirt cheap but generally last for years and you can even take them diving.

 

[mr conners]

Casio g shock mudman. If they still make them.
Bulletproof

 

[Les W]

Had my Lorus Sports for years now, on my 4th battery,  second glass and fifth strap... 
I wear it everywhere, caving, shower, working on engines, even cleaning the drains.
It is waterproof and hard wearing. Plus for me is it has hands rather than digital but others may see that as a minus. I have had it now for around 10 years, it has proven very reliable. It has a hard wearing cloth strap which is easily changed and can be bought cheaply from most jewellers shops...

If it ever breaks I will certainly be buying another similar 

 

[simonsays]

Been using one of these day in, day out for about 5 years now

http://www.argos.co.uk/m/static/Product/partNumber/9277102/Trail/searchtext%3ECASIO.htm

Goes through the shower and sumps with no water ingress and is as tough as old boots.  Battery life is claimed to be 10 years and it was only 20 quid.

 

[glyders]

Personally I can't stand wearing a watch when I am active. For mountaineering I clip one to my rucksack strap gear loop or to climbing harness gear loop. For caving I have the body of a watch (which the straps fell off) at the bottom of my emergency kit bottle so I can see it.
I don't like bulky watches and would prefer to be able to quickly read a digital time, with date and alarm options.  I tend to go with cheap Casio numbers (eg. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000J34HN4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B000J34HN4&linkCode=as2&tag=weblinks0a-21) as they can almost be regarded as disposable.

 

[Fulk]

I've had a ?100 Traser watch for donkey's years now; it's very good ? shockproof, water-proof, simple, down to earth, tells the time, but the 'material' or whatever-it-was strap rapidly succumbed to damp conditions, and I replaced it with a decent metal strap ? which, for me, is good, and I can't understand your aversion to them. Still, what do I know. 

 

[Jopo]

I've had a ?100 Traser watch for donkey's years now; it's very good – shockproof, water-proof, simple, down to earth, tells the time, but the 'material' or whatever-it-was strap rapidly succumbed to damp conditions, and I replaced it with a decent metal strap – which, for me, is good, and I can't understand your aversion to them. Still, what do I know. 

Many years ago a digital watch - forget the make - was sold with a solid stainless steel strap. A guy wearing one fell in DYO and it made a lovely deep wound to his wrist when it snagged. He still has the scar 20 years on. Moral. If you are wearing one caving make sure the strap is rubber or leather.
Rings can rip a finger off pretty swiftly as well.
I am one of those who always wears a watch and my current Weiner Swiss Army (with a replacement rubber strap) seems indestructible.

 

[cap n chris]

I usually get through at least 2 a year. Like Jopo I recommend rubber straps as I want something that'll break before it hurts me if it gets snagged. Purchasing on Ebay or Amazon, really cheap stuff, works for me. A watch for under a tenner, including postage. Doesn't matter if it gets broken or lost/falls off. Makes sense to me.

 

[dunc]

I've always gone for the cheap and cheerful route. Last couple I've had have been Casio waterproof, rubber strap, no more than a tenner. Worst problem is after a while the buttons clog with mud and don't work too good, but then never really use them as I only use the watch for checking the time..

 

[Juan]

Compass function is useful when you're exploring new stuff.

 

[jasonbirder]

Casio ProTrek I got one off Ebay for ?40 (Don't know if they're still made) bombproof and has a compass and altimeter function...

 

[Fulk]

Hmmm, I take on board the points made about the capacity for injury of a metal step. But I've stuck with mine because I've had several 'soft material' straps rot through. Maybe I should look for a rubber one.

 

[Roger W]

Compass function is useful when you're exploring new stuff.

Point the hour hand at the sun, half way between the hour hand and 12  o'clock is due south (allowing for BST).

Drat!  That doesn't work underground....  :-[

 

[Nigelh]

Timex Expedition.

I've had mine a few years now and it's been through everything that caving, climbing and mountain biking has thrown at it. It's waterproof, shockproof and has a velcro strap with a stretchy bit if you catch it on something. It also has an electronic compass that I've never bothered with and a 'moonglow' nightlight thing.

I'm a cheapskate so I don't think I'd have paid more than ?20 for a watch I knew was going to be used underground.

Recommended.

 

[KevinR]

I spent 10 years working in Marketing for Casio (so maybe a bit biased and I got free watches) But the Casio G-shock watches are very bomb proof. But many of the cheaper Casios (as long as they are marked as 100M water resist or more) should be fine.
It sounds like overkill I know but 30M water resist can leak when doing the washing up!
50M is the minimum for swimming, and in a sump (even free diving) given the force you could potentially put on the watch (by arm movement) best go for 100M
(all watch manufacturers use the same ISO standard BTW)

On straps; metal can cut in badly and the "rubber" ones can wear out. The key is the small metal pins that are designed to pop under load (ideally before your hand gets ripped off) which is why you should not do the strap up too tight.

Casio did do some fabric straps (as on some Pro Treks) which were a compromise.

Casio also did some altimeter watches, which (if zeroed before a trip and weather was stable) would record depth underground.

There: my 10p worth
Kevin

 

[estelle]

I have a ladies casio g-shock and while the watch itself may be bombproof, less can be said for the rubbish strap and connections which have fallen apart several times and i've had to replace the pins quite a few times. I gave up on using that for caving in the end in favour of an old citizen ladies dive watch, which seems to be really robust.

 

[Speleofish]

I still have a Casio (basic, w/proof to 50m, cost about ?10) that I was given in 1984. It went on several expeditions, did a bit of (gentle) diving, survived a 30m fall in the Berger (fell off wrist at the top of Aldo's) albeit with a crack in the face but still survived a trip to the Andes and 'normal' army use for several years after that. It lasted ten years or so (with at least one battery change) before I mislaid it. So I bought another one. When I came across the original a few months ago it had, finally, stopped. Out of sentimentality, I'm tempted to get another battery put in to see if it will start again....

It's not the most stylish watch I've ever seen but it may be the best value.

 

[Speleofish]

Oh yes. The strap. (Which is why it fell off in the Berger in the first place). Estelle may have a point... I did have to replace that a couple of times.

 

[Hunter]

I've had Pulsar and Casio watches off & on over the years and used then for both caving, cave diving and general day to day stuff. The only reason I've replaced them is down to sheer wear & tear knocking them about so they look like they have been dragged behind the car & I fancied something a bit tidier. Both makes have some nice looking pieces that are 100M water resistant for well under ?100 quid & Argos, Amazon etc often have them on offer so worth checking there. I'm on a Timex Expedition at the moment only because I didn't like the look of anything the others had on offer at the moment.