Watch for a month in Australia

[whatmeworry]

Ooooh, Mondaine?

[ckot]

Here's a stupid question: How does one set the month and year on these simpler "perpetual calendar" watches, if they are supposed to keep track of correct days? I can see in the Seiko Premier and bigger Citizens that they have leap year counters, but are these simpler ones *really* perpetual?

TIMEX

Of course, to tempt you back from the dark side, there is a barely used CW C5 MKII on the CW sales forum: Christopher Ward Forum • View topic - C5 Aviator Mk II Black - For Sale (if they won't ship to the US, I'm sure we can think of someone who could act as intermediary...)

I can't really visualize how a flieger style would look on the wrist at 38mm.

There is also the Orient Aviator or the 38.5 & 41 mm pilots watches from Aristo...

[whatmeworry]

TIMEX

Of course, to tempt you back from the dark side, there is a barely used CW C5 MKII on the CW sales forum: Christopher Ward Forum • View topic - C5 Aviator Mk II Black - For Sale (if they won't ship to the US, I'm sure we can think of someone who could act as intermediary...)

Did I hear my name?

[skywatch]

Ooooh, Mondaine?

Hmmm, quite an interesting thought!.....

That CW C5 is a form of torture, you know? I would buy that, merely because it's a great looking watch, but I would feel really bad bashing it around in the dust at the Rainbow Serpent festival with a bunch gear to pack up after. That's the main reason for seeking quartz. I already have a ton of great Auto watches. Nevertheless, a C5 much like that could be in my future, as are so many great watches.

[skywatch]

TIMEX

Of course, to tempt you back from the dark side, there is a barely used CW C5 MKII on the CW sales forum: Christopher Ward Forum • View topic - C5 Aviator Mk II Black - For Sale (if they won't ship to the US, I'm sure we can think of someone who could act as intermediary...)


I can't really visualize how a flieger style would look on the wrist at 38mm.
There is also the Orient Aviator or the 38.5 & 41 mm pilots watches from Aristo...

1) That Timex document is interesting. You do enjoy your research, don't you?
Sounds like they have a little microcontroller with some stepper motors in there. Very nifty.

2) Aaaarrrgh! Must...resist.... too...many...nice...watches...

3) Well, there must have been 36mm fliegers back in the wars, but now they mostly seem 44mm, like the Orient. 41 would be fine. I don't think I found an Aristo lume dial with quartz movement yet. (?) I figure I'll end up getting a lume dial at some point in the near future, but I have been eyeing the Komandirskie K-34 and I wouldn't want to beat that up in the Aussie dust. Or there's the limited edition Glycine KMU48 full lume.... So easily distracted, you know?

[ckot]

3) Well, there must have been 36mm fliegers back in the wars, but now they mostly seem 44mm, like the Orient. 41 would be fine.

Some were huge, to be worn over flight suits, but many were also sub-40mm.

I don't think I found an Aristo lume dial with quartz movement yet. (?) I figure I'll end up getting a lume dial at some point in the near future, but I have been eyeing the Komandirskie K-34 and I wouldn't want to beat that up in the Aussie dust. Or there's the limited edition Glycine KMU48 full lume.... So easily distracted, you know?

Yeah, that Komandirskie is cool, but I want the titanium, so black dial it is...

[Seele]

skywatch,

First of all I hope you will have a great time in Australia.

In the months of January and February, it can get pretty hot. If you are to wear your watch all the time, and envisage manual work like lugging equipment, it is probably worth checking that your watch can withstand having a film of your sweat between its back and your skin too. But for me, I have no problem with chromed case as I wipe down my watches as soon as I take them off.

Generally speaking the man-in-the-street here is not really bothered with knowing much about watches, including those on other people's wrists. Just wear whatever is not absurdly inappropriate for the occasion and attire and you'll look sharp enough in other people's eyes. But no moonphase please: as the sky in the southern hemisphere is very different from the northern half, you would find the moonphase function runs backwards!

Also get a pair of sunglasses with full spectrum UV blocking, the sun here can get really vicious, less-good "tinted glasses" would get your eyes fried: in Australia, sunglasses are classed as protective equipment.

[skywatch]

In the months of January and February, it can get pretty hot. ...

....Generally speaking the man-in-the-street here is not really bothered with knowing much about watches,

....Also get a pair of sunglasses with full spectrum UV blocking, the sun here can get really vicious, less-good "tinted glasses" would get your eyes fried: in Australia, sunglasses are classed as protective equipment.

Hi Seele! Thanks for the input. It's very helpful. I have about six concerts around the south-east (Melbourne, Adelaide, Sidney, etc.) and I know it'll get hot. That's one reason I'm planning to use a zulu or nato strap. And trust me, Aussies aren't alone in not caring about watches - we here on this forum are freaks in our respective cultures, and we know it. But ... well... I just want to take a watch that I like, that won't bust on me, and the autos I have would probably get a bit shredded with live performance. I'm not exactly Trent Reznor throwing mic stands around, just a humble synth guy who has to set up gear in dusty festivals occasionally. That's why I think quartz is still probably best. With this mechanical obsession so many of us share, I find myself owning very few cheap quartz, and with an opportunity to shop!

I must say, the Mondaine 40mm Night Vision is really tempting (Thanks WMW!). I also came close to jumping on a Citizen Eco GMT with sapphire that just went on the sales forum. I'm not stressing out about this. I think it's fun. I'll probably wait for a good deal to pop up for a cool quartz beater - in the meantime, the search is a pleasure!

Good tip about the glasses - thanks. (I wear transition lens eyeglasses, but I also have some prescription sunglasses I should take.)

All the best - RR

[Seele]

skywatch,

Look at it this way: if the locals here can lug heavy gear and bounce around on stage wearing pretty much any watch you can think of, I do not think it would be too much of a problem if you use an automatic!

Another thought: since you will be crossing the equator from colder climes, you might need a bit of time to acclimatize yourself, in the mean time there is a good chance you will perspire a lot. A sweat-saturated NATO might not be too comfortable after all, to my mind. But if you elect to use a leather strap, just put on an inexpensive aftermarket one, especially one with all three flaps stitched down: I once had a watch fell off my wrist as one of the glued-down flaps gave way, but that was when I was living in Hong Kong in the middle of summer, and the strap was truly saturated.

Of course we are talking about the worst case scenario, which is possible but not very probable. After all, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney are not little hamlets out in the middle of nowhere, where you are not allowed to eat anything unless you have been running after it for seven hours!

[baronrojo]

You know I'm a fan of Zeppelin watches...and the Flatline you posted is artsy enough in its Art Deco influenced dial and dressy at the same time. In my opinion...the watch has some personality to it...would complement a musician nicely.