Fire & Rescue Watch Help

[tankerjohn]

Okay -- got a slight follow up. I think I'm leaning towards the divers....and @Ivo4u2 you read my mind with the Duro. And I agree with the comments of Quartz over Mechanical. Amazon has one for under $50 ($48 to be more precise), and that feels like a "can't go wrong price". I did want to ask about the Invicta Pro Diver (Quartz)....also inexpensive and seems to it's "lovers" and "haters". The Invicta appears to be smaller 39'ish diameter, but despite the 44'ish of the Duro, most seem to indicate that it wears fine on smaller wrists.

Personally, I would go with the Casio, unless the size is really a deal breaker. Re the Invicta: IMHO, the "love" is mainly for the automatic version that is about the cheapest watch with a Seiko hacking/winding movement. The "hate" is mainly due to 1) Submariner purists who don't think any other watches should look like a Submariner 2) the obnoxious branding on the side of the watch or 3) general dislike of Invicta because their other watches are gaudy and terrible

 

[Whiterook]

I would suggest the Orient Mako II or Ray II, but they are automatics. I don't know how much bashing they will endure. I do know that the lume is quite good. I am not a fan of quartz movements, but I understand their advantages.

 

[hairless wonder]

I would suggest the Orient Mako II or Ray II, but they are automatics. I don't know how much bashing they will endure. I do know that the lume is quite good. I am not a fan of quartz movements, but I understand their advantages.

I have an Orient Mako, an Orient Mako USA II, and an Orient Triton (renamed Orient Neptune). The original Orient Mako can still be had for around $100. It's a decent beater watch (and I actually love the iridescent blue dial), but the seconds hand is not lumed. For the OP's purposes this would probably not be ideal. Worse, the bracelet has really bad hollow end links that bend the springbar and can cause the watch to fall off without notice. That said, is easily remedied by slipping the watch on a strap and replacing the springbar.

The Orient Mako USA II solves both the non-lumed seconds hand problem and the bent springbar problem. It is also a gorgeous watch (mine has a white dial) and should meet the OP's specs, except for price. That said, the bezel on my watch popped out randomly and without warning.

My current daily driver is an Orient Triton (renamed the Orient Neptune). Its blue dial isn't as brilliant as that of the original Mako. It is a sturdy watch and has served me well for years, including going fishing with me, swimming, and doing yardwork. However, it also costs well over $100.

A similar watch to the Orient Mako II would be the Orient Ray II. I would encourage him to look into that watch if he's interested in getting an automatic dive watch.

 

[rfm8os]

Late to the party, but look at Bertucci: Bertucci Ultimate Field Watch - A-2T Luminous Classic - https://www.bertucciwatches.com/Bertucci/A2TOClume.html

That was the recommendation I was going to make. Bertucci are great watches for field use. They are fairly rugged, very legible and great illumination on some models, classic simple field watch looks, have decent water resistance etc...

 

[Multum in parvo]

I have an Orient Mako, an Orient Mako USA II, and an Orient Triton (renamed Orient Neptune). The original Orient Mako can still be had for around $100. It's a decent beater watch (and I actually love the iridescent blue dial), but the seconds hand is not lumed. For the OP's purposes this would probably not be ideal. Worse, the bracelet has really bad hollow end links that bend the springbar and can cause the watch to fall off without notice. That said, is easily remedied by slipping the watch on a strap and replacing the springbar.

The Orient Mako USA II solves both the non-lumed seconds hand problem and the bent springbar problem. It is also a gorgeous watch (mine has a white dial) and should meet the OP's specs, except for price. That said, the bezel on my watch popped out randomly and without warning.

My current daily driver is an Orient Triton (renamed the Orient Neptune). Its blue dial isn't as brilliant as that of the original Mako. It is a sturdy watch and has served me well for years, including going fishing with me, swimming, and doing yardwork. However, it also costs well over $100.

A similar watch to the Orient Mako II would be the Orient Ray II. I would encourage him to look into that watch if he's interested in getting an automatic dive watch.

Just to illustrate your points...
I love my Orients but besides price they are 40mm upwards.

 

[Lefonque]

Lots of good divers watches out there.

 

[StillShaving]

Also maybe a cheaper smartwatch? Or an older generation model? The huge downside is the durability and need to frequently charge which would dissuade me, but I was thinking about something that could have an always on display. As I am starting to doubt that a lume watch will work well enough in an emergency. Since reading the lume is all about your eye's sensitivity to light and you will be in an environment with flashing lights, constricting your pupils making it harder to read what would otherwise be viewable. But of course you are a better judge on all that.

Given that there may not be a great solution, you might want to consider something basic like the Casio W-800H for less that $20. It is digital but I am 99% sure it will display both the time and chronograph at the same time which is nice (which the F-91W will not do). I have gifted this watch before, and was thinking of getting another one.

 

[hairless wonder]

Just to illustrate your points...
I love my Orients but besides price they are 40mm upwards.
View attachment 1249182
View attachment 1249183

True, but their lug to lug is kind of small. They also tend to wear small, in part because of the bezel. Shortly after I got my Orient Mako, I also got an Orient Symphony. IIRC, both watches's widths measured about 42mm. But the Symphony wore larger because the dial was larger.

The OP really should try on some of these watches before buying them to see how they look and fit.

 

[Ivo4u2]

Maybe crazy idea
Some of the smart watches have an always on display so it is illuminated
They display analoge or digital
Again there are small models (my wrist is not big either).
But they are pricey
And my Apple does not last more than 3 days on a charge. So you have to remind to charge just as your phone.
And how is the warranty. We have 2 years. But is it no questions asked (shattered displays etc) or more like you should not have pushed that glowing metal with it....
Hiked with it, hammered with it, swimmed with it, used several heavy vibrating tools like sanders it survives
Oh and I bought it used....

 

[StuMcB]

Maybe crazy idea
Some of the smart watches have an always on display so it is illuminated
They display analoge or digital
Again there are small models (my wrist is not big either).
But they are pricey
And my Apple does not last more than 3 days on a charge. So you have to remind to charge just as your phone.
And how is the warranty. We have 2 years. But is it no questions asked (shattered displays etc) or more like you should not have pushed that glowing metal with it....
Hiked with it, hammered with it, swimmed with it, used several heavy vibrating tools like sanders it survives
Oh and I bought it used....

Amazfit bip, cheap massive battery life and has an always on display like my pebble watches in fact I picked up an amazfit Neo off the bay a few weeks ago. Twenty days battery, looks like a casio 80's digital watch. Both excellent watches. The Neo was £25 delivered, unwanted gift apparently.

 

[Ivo4u2]

Amazfit bip, cheap massive battery life and has an always on display like my pebble watches in fact I picked up an amazfit Neo off the bay a few weeks ago. Twenty days battery, looks like a casio 80's digital watch. Both excellent watches. The Neo was £25 delivered, unwanted gift apparently.

and afaik see for the original poster an analogue display is possible.

 

[Flintstone65]

You guys are throwing out some great stuff, and I absolutely appreciate the help. I've been thinking about a SmartWatch -- most of the EMT's and Paramedics wear them, and we have a few firefighters that do as well, although I'm not sure they have them on their wrist when making entry into a burning structure.

The lume vs light thing is a really good point. If the dang light would stay on until I turn it off, that would be nice. Or if the light charged the lume -- that would also be great. I'm still leaning more towards analogue display (with lume) than digital. I think I'm going to start down the low cost rabbit hole -- meaning, I may pick up a few things: Casio MWR 200h -- doesn't look like a fabulous watch, and will likely be a "bust", but it's around $20.

I don't think I can handle having a large watch on my wrist, and large for me will probably be 40mm or more. While I'm not a fan of the "homage" concept, the cheapest thing I can find in a 38 to 39mm size (in an affordable diver) is the Invicta (or any of the Aliexpress watches -- which I know are risky at best). I like the look, but I'm not a "watch guy" so I wouldn't know a Rolex Submariner from an Omega Seamaster without looking at the maker name....so I'll probably forget who it's "knocked off" about month after I have it -- I only know now since I'm watching A LOT of videos. I just really like the size, I've seen one person say the lume is good, most say the lume is pretty lousy. I only need 30 seconds (preferably a minute) for seeing the second hand on a medical call (after charging with a flashlight)....I'm not sure how well it will work when I'm doing fire stuff, but for under $50 for the quartz, I won't cry too hard if it's a complete bust. I know the under $80 for the auto version with the Seiko movement would probably be a more interesting watch (and I prefer the smoother sweep of the minute hand), but I really think a quartz has a better chance of surviving the banging around and vibration that happens when driving large trucks on dirt and gravel roads.

I'm waffling, but I'm thinking going cheap -- which also means a digital casio may be interesting to throw in the mix -- is the way to go.

One of the reasons I'm sticking fast to the Diver is I think I can use the bevel to help me keep track of how long I'm on a call. We're supposed to keep track of when we go "enroute", we get "on scene" and when we've "cleared the scene". My google maps tells me when I've gone on scene -- since putting in an address in my phone is the first thing I do when I hear a call that I'm going on. Then I do some simple math later, adding the travel time to the departure time to get my arrival time, then the 911 dispatch will tell me the time when I'm leaving. But I'm thinking that when I get on scene, I'll turn the bezel to the minute hand, and then when I call to clear the scene, I'll know how long I've been on scene by looking at the watch. I've got all my time keeping covered now, but I'm thinking it may actually help me keep some things straight. Or it could be that I just want to play with the bezel.

 

[Ivo4u2]

You guys are throwing out some great stuff, and I absolutely appreciate the help. I've been thinking about a SmartWatch -- most of the EMT's and Paramedics wear them, and we have a few firefighters that do as well, although I'm not sure they have them on their wrist when making entry into a burning structure.

The lume vs light thing is a really good point. If the dang light would stay on until I turn it off, that would be nice. Or if the light charged the lume -- that would also be great. I'm still leaning more towards analogue display (with lume) than digital. I think I'm going to start down the low cost rabbit hole -- meaning, I may pick up a few things: Casio MWR 200h -- doesn't look like a fabulous watch, and will likely be a "bust", but it's around $20.

I don't think I can handle having a large watch on my wrist, and large for me will probably be 40mm or more. While I'm not a fan of the "homage" concept, the cheapest thing I can find in a 38 to 39mm size (in an affordable diver) is the Invicta (or any of the Aliexpress watches -- which I know are risky at best). I like the look, but I'm not a "watch guy" so I wouldn't know a Rolex Submariner from an Omega Seamaster without looking at the maker name....so I'll probably forget who it's "knocked off" about month after I have it -- I only know now since I'm watching A LOT of videos. I just really like the size, I've seen one person say the lume is good, most say the lume is pretty lousy. I only need 30 seconds (preferably a minute) for seeing the second hand on a medical call (after charging with a flashlight)....I'm not sure how well it will work when I'm doing fire stuff, but for under $50 for the quartz, I won't cry too hard if it's a complete bust. I know the under $80 for the auto version with the Seiko movement would probably be a more interesting watch (and I prefer the smoother sweep of the minute hand), but I really think a quartz has a better chance of surviving the banging around and vibration that happens when driving large trucks on dirt and gravel roads.

I'm waffling, but I'm thinking going cheap -- which also means a digital casio may be interesting to throw in the mix -- is the way to go.

One of the reasons I'm sticking fast to the Diver is I think I can use the bevel to help me keep track of how long I'm on a call. We're supposed to keep track of when we go "enroute", we get "on scene" and when we've "cleared the scene". My google maps tells me when I've gone on scene -- since putting in an address in my phone is the first thing I do when I hear a call that I'm going on. Then I do some simple math later, adding the travel time to the departure time to get my arrival time, then the 911 dispatch will tell me the time when I'm leaving. But I'm thinking that when I get on scene, I'll turn the bezel to the minute hand, and then when I call to clear the scene, I'll know how long I've been on scene by looking at the watch. I've got all my time keeping covered now, but I'm thinking it may actually help me keep some things straight. Or it could be that I just want to play with the bezel.

Regarding the call time
Most have an excercise option which tracks time location and usually has a running second timer.
on some models it might be possible that you can change the t

and yeah mechanical can not even handle hammering nails you will end with burrs on the jewels and hanging hands. Exception citizen pulsar and Seiko make quartz watches with a mechanical dynamo behind it called kinetics. But pure quartz is better and cheaper.

 

[StillShaving]

...
meaning, I may pick up a few things: Casio MWR 200h -- doesn't look like a fabulous watch, and will likely be a "bust", but it's around $20.
...

I like the look and functionality of the Casio MRW-200H, I bought one of the bright colorways as a gift about 3-4 years ago. The giftee enjoyed the watch but the band broke after about 1-2 years. The bezel is bi-directional and does not click, but it was functional so no complaints there. One of the biggest negatives is that the lume on that watch is quite weak. IIRC on most colorways it is only the hands which have any lume and again it was pretty weak. I believe one model was fully lumed, I cannot recall which one but it may have been the white dial version, though I never saw it in person, just reporting back what I had read. You may want to investigate further.

 

[Flintstone65]

I like the look and functionality of the Casio MRW-200H, I bought one of the bright colorways as a gift about 3-4 years ago. The giftee enjoyed the watch but the band broke after about 1-2 years. The bezel is bi-directional and does not click, but it was functional so no complaints there. One of the biggest negatives is that the lume on that watch is quite weak. IIRC on most colorways it is only the hands which have any lume and again it was pretty weak. I believe one model was fully lumed, I cannot recall which one but it may have been the white dial version, though I never saw it in person, just reporting back what I had read. You may want to investigate further.

Yep, you're quite right on the lume issue for this one...*sigh*.

So I've been circling the Invicta 38mm (listed as 37.5mm) Pro Diver. There are no shortage of videos on this one, and 99 out of a 100 reviewers seem to agree that the lume is w-e-a-k; but it is present (such as it is) on the second hand. I like it's size, I think the white hands on a black background should work okay for my eyes -- I've given up on the black on white background format. It's a quartz, and while I'd rather have an auto or mechanical, I think a quartz will have a better survival rate in my environment. And I'm okay with the price (~$50) -- although I'll want to put a silicone/rubber strap on it, so that will increase the cost a bit. What's holding me back (aside from the lousy lume) is a concern that a very cheaply made quartz will be as fragile as a mechanical. It's the old cost vs durability arguement. Losing $70 (with a strap) isn't as bad as losing $100, or $200 or more; but I really don't want the hands to pop off the first time I jump off the back of an ambulance or engine. But no one can really tell me how any watch will hold up to whatever specific abuse I'll be putting it through, so I probably need to just bite the bullet and see what is what.

 

[ByMyBeard]

Okay -- got a slight follow up. I think I'm leaning towards the divers....and @Ivo4u2 you read my mind with the Duro. And I agree with the comments of Quartz over Mechanical. Amazon has one for under $50 ($48 to be more precise), and that feels like a "can't go wrong price". I did want to ask about the Invicta Pro Diver (Quartz)....also inexpensive and seems to it's "lovers" and "haters". The Invicta appears to be smaller 39'ish diameter, but despite the 44'ish of the Duro, most seem to indicate that it wears fine on smaller wrists.

So, I own both the Pro Diver (auto) and the Duro (wearing it today). I can tell you that the Pro Diver is the ONLY watch I own that seem to consistently charge the lume through normal wear. I'd imagine if you intentionally charge it, it'd be ok. Not sure if you have a "typical" time that you'd need the lume to work, but I'm sure you can find videos breaking down how long it lasts.

 

[Flintstone65]

So, I own both the Pro Diver (auto) and the Duro (wearing it today). I can tell you that the Pro Diver is the ONLY watch I own that seem to consistently charge the lume through normal wear. I'd imagine if you intentionally charge it, it'd be ok. Not sure if you have a "typical" time that you'd need the lume to work, but I'm sure you can find videos breaking down how long it lasts.

Thank you -- that was the info/nudge I needed.
If it lasts a full minute to 90 seconds, I should be fine. Most of the vids I've seen do seem to get at least 60 seconds -- it's not Seiko-like-lume (in terms of brightness), but I'm hoping it'll be bright-enough for me to see.

Okay, I'm taking the plunge....you'd think I was buying a Rolex Submariner as much as I've been toiling over this decision. I'll keep you all posted on the watch and how things go.

Quick strap question -- anybody replace their Pro Diver strap/bracelet with something else? I think rubber/silicone is the way to go, and I'm learning towards Barton Elite.

 

[ByMyBeard]

Thank you -- that was the info/nudge I needed.
If it lasts a full minute to 90 seconds, I should be fine. Most of the vids I've seen do seem to get at least 60 seconds -- it's not Seiko-like-lume (in terms of brightness), but I'm hoping it'll be bright-enough for me to see.

Okay, I'm taking the plunge....you'd think I was buying a Rolex Submariner as much as I've been toiling over this decision. I'll keep you all posted on the watch and how things go.

Quick strap question -- anybody replace their Pro Diver strap/bracelet with something else. I think rubber/silicone is the way to go, and I'm learning towards Barton Elite.

Man...now I feel like I'll get the blame if this goes poorly.

I 100% suggest changing out the stock bracelet. Of course, my bias is that I've yet to find a bracelet I like, so take that for what it is. Since I got the auto, I didn't want anything covering the display initially. Got a suede strap that I really liked for the winter, and currently have it on a 2 piece nato. I have a "tropical" style rubber strap I'll switch to soon as well to give that a try. Circling back to your intended use...you may consider getting a NATO of some sort. My experience has been that spring bars can be the weak point of your watch. A NATO style strap will keep the watch attached to your wrist even if one of the spring bars breaks/falls out. I had one break on me while doing some hammering, so it can certainly happen. I haven't bough a rubber strap from Barton, but have one of their leather straps and it is the most comfortable strap I own. Also very well made.

 

[Flintstone65]

Man...now I feel like I'll get the blame if this goes poorly.

Absolutely!!! Just kidding, of course! The great thing about this place is you can get lots of comments and thoughts, which are great inputs, but ultimately everyone's likes/dislikes, preferences, environments, and economics drive the ultimate decision. I do truly appreciate everyone taking the time to weigh-in here, and for all of your thoughts and recommendations.

 

[hairless wonder]

Thank you -- that was the info/nudge I needed.
If it lasts a full minute to 90 seconds, I should be fine. Most of the vids I've seen do seem to get at least 60 seconds -- it's not Seiko-like-lume (in terms of brightness), but I'm hoping it'll be bright-enough for me to see.

Okay, I'm taking the plunge....you'd think I was buying a Rolex Submariner as much as I've been toiling over this decision. I'll keep you all posted on the watch and how things go.

Quick strap question -- anybody replace their Pro Diver strap/bracelet with something else? I think rubber/silicone is the way to go, and I'm learning towards Barton Elite.

Get a NATO or ZULU strap. Since they're cloth, they won't feel hot during summer nor cold in winter. Best of all, they're cheap and can be washed. You'll appreciate the latter when you start to perspire (and given your line of work, you're all but guaranteed to do so). Silicon and rubber straps straps will be a tad bit more "sticky" and less breathable. Metal bracelets will be even worse (especially in the summer). Sure, you can probably adapt to them, but why bother? Get some NATOs or ZULUs and enjoy changing up how your watch looks every now and again.

Oh, to make changing the bracelet easier, get yourself a good springbar tool.