WG comments: “…own that.” sounds better than “…buy that”. The difference is as much between desire and want.
Q. Dear Gonzo,
In my humble opinion, you are not someone too-aged although with a fair amount of good taste in watches. So it’s obvious why I write. For your convenience, here’s a little bit about me. It will make absolutely clear of whereof I speak.
I won’t mention my age since I don’t know your. But I’m fine letting you know I’m a professional pilot with a proven, sizeable flight-test background and who still flies more often than you buy your watches. I’m big time physically active, too. So solve this riddle.
To put it mildly, my love for a proper G-Shock has made me sell the Rolex GMT I bought earlier. Which do you think made Casio hit the home run? I want to own that. Period!
A. Hello, Mr. Pilot. I’m honored that you indeed took the time to write and ask my opinion on your next buy, but you missed out on a wee bit of info, which is the price. I assume money is not a bar and you are not asking me to crack the nut at less than $250.
IMHO, you are not going to use the watch to check time; there will be a GPS-tied clock in the cockpit unless you are flying a WWII antique. So I guess it’s your love for complicated watches that is speaking, but do not expect one that will brew you the coffee or cook your dinner.
I also noticed you didn’t mention if you like it purely analog; digital or an ana/digi combo. My suggestion is: Go for a fully digital piece if you want to use it while flying and an analog if you want to look the pilot while on the streets or when you are parachuting, sky diving or even bungee jumping. Not that an analog G-Shock is any less worthy of the praise, but you won’t be able to read the fine, split measurements as much as with the digital, something crucial to tactical flying. If that’s not a concern, choose anyone from the Sky Cockpit lineup. A personal favorite is this one; it also has a compass. Or, you may go the way Royal Air Force jet pilot Nathan Jones went.
Whereas on the other hand, a large, simple digital display leave little or nothing to imagination. Some are genuinely fascinating and take my word, you won’t be disappointed. Try the Casio G-Shock Frogman multiband or the Casio Rangeman Atomic 30th Anniversary edition. Or, if you prefer something dang simple, this Casio G-Shock Tough Solar might be what you are looking for.
Enough ranting! I’ll end it here but before I do that, I’ll direct you towards this very special G-Shock. The costliest of the lot I spoke about here and also the one packed full with premium features. It’s LED-infused, got Gel dampeners and made of metal. Call it the G-Shock that stepped into the luxury world!