Gorgeous, functional, travel companion

I’ve wanted this style of watch for a long time and I’m glad I finally got it.

The atomic time function is what it’s all about. Having the time radio transmitted to the watch daily, the “Official Atomic Time,” is the big draw, knowing that the time on your wrist is exactly correct is the reason for having this watch. The reality of it means adjusting the time manually is a slightly complicated process and automatic adjustment requires a radio signal which isn’t always available. For example while traveling in Greece I am out of radio range of the European transmitter in Germany so I get no updates. Good thing I had it properly set in NY before leaving.

I like Eco-Drive watches. It’s great never having to worry about watch batteries dying and I like that this watch has a charge indicator and power saving features.

The water resistance is rated for 20bar or 200 meters, it has been more than adequate for swimming and snorkeling and daily washing and bathing.

The overall functionality is excellent. Having two alarms is convenient and useful. Being able to simultaneously display time in two time zones (3 really if you count UTC) makes communicating easier as there’s no need to remember the number of hours ahead or behind you are. I find that the chronograph and timer are invaluable tools that I use multiple times a day.

The digital displays are somewhat difficult to see in dim light but press the nightlight and they glow in bright easy to read orange.

The controls are easy to use once familiarized, mostly just requiring the crown to be pulled out and twisted to select the mode, further adjustments are made by a combination of pulling and twisting the crown and pushing the two buttons.

I always wanted a watch with a slide rule. Now that I’ve had it for a while I think it’s a function I can do without. The slide rule is easy to turn with the 8 o’clock crown but the numbers and marks are small so it’s hard to see and use. Also remembering the various points used for conversions and calculations takes lots of practice. It may become easier to use with time but for now I think it is just a neat curiosity. The only real downside is that it complicates the face and makes it busier than if it was absent.

The watch looks nice on the wrist, the brushed finish on the body contrasts nicely with the coin edged polished crown. The luminosity of the hands and hour marks is excellent, bright and long lasting. The layout of the face is crowded and some of the dials seem unneeded, particularly the 24 hour and UTC but the overall vibe is of aircraft instrumentation so jam packed is part of the charm. The chainlink bracelet is very comfortable and doesn’t pull my arm hairs which was a concern. The clasp is solid and somewhat large and bulky, combined with the relatively inflexible bracelet I found that I need to have the bracelet slightly longer than I normally would to maintain my preferred tightness.

Overall I love this watch.