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| Juvat's Watch as in... P.S. Sarge...This is what a Fighter Pilot's watch looks like. |
It all began on Sunday, John in Philly brought up the subject of watches...
One of the approximately three gazillion settings on my G-Shock watch is an automatic DSL change and the watch successfully changed the time sometime during the night. (and yes, the G-Shock is a rather large and complicated watch, but as Freud would probably have said, "Sometimes a watch is just a watch." :)I responded with...
I used to have a G-Shock, loved it. Now I've got the fighter pilot watch. Hey, it's just a timepiece!Then juvat chimed in with...
And what "fighter pilot watch" is that, Sarge? Be careful, be very careful.....
:-)
So Monday, juvat hit me with that "This is what a Fighter Pilot's watch looks like" schtick.
So Your Humble Scribe came back with...
I'll show you my fighter pilot watch, probably tomorrow. Hint, it isn't made of rubber. :) (It's also, technically, a Naval Aviator watch.)Juvat, ever quick on the uptake, hit me with...
TOT was plus or minus 2 seconds. I didn't want to have to interpret how much time I had left. Hence the digital watch. I don't think there were many guys in any of my squadrons that still had dials for their working watches. Bar Watches was a different story.I get it, when one is rolling in hot, computing ± 2 seconds while looking at a digital readout is probably easier than tracking the second hand on an analog watch. Note the last sentence in juvat's comment - "Bar Watches was a different story. " (Paging PLQ, paging PLQ.)
Apparently what I have is a (ahem) Bar Watch, which is proudly displayed below...
Anybody care to guess which bar that is the background?
At any rate, our own Beans chimed in on watches as part of another of his epic comments -
As to the watch, do you find that the two planes and the pilot interfere with stuff when you're walking around or driving? You do know they make glasses with head-up displays for time, temp, heading, gps location and such, right? Or is that too modern for you?
Watches, I've broken more watches due to my extreme klutziness, so I just use time on the microwave, or in the car, or on the phone, or on the computer or on the tv or on the saw, or on the jug of milk or the bottle of soda or on the toilet paper roll... wait, no, no time on the toilet paper roll, may have been exaggerating on some other things (though I hear there are internet-of-things appliances that have, well, internet so everything has the time, weather, NSA spy app running 24/7 (or 23/1 or 25/1 depending on the DST date...)
That first sentence induced great hilarity in the cubicle farm yesterday. Well, from my little patch of said farm. (In reality, I refer to it as my hideout, very few people know where I sit now, I like it like that. I'm in a cubicle, in a lab, behind a security door, and most of the folks therein are systems engineers or IT types and I'm a software guy. I'm kind of a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma, because most of what I do is systems testing and documenting how the stuff works. At least how it's supposed to work, I haven't written a line of code in months. By choice.)
Anyhoo, Beans showed his disdain for watches, as did Skip -
I have several watches, but can’t and don’t want to find them... stopped wearing one even before the work thing ended.Kinda like this...
Or maybe more like this, substitute "watches" for "badges."
I swear, these retired guys...
Whose ranks I intend to join someday, someday soon!
In the meantime, here are two bloggers, on the loose, no spousal units in range, having a good old time at Hizzoner's old hangout.
Cuppla handsome guys, right there.
YMMV.
And yes, that last photo was taken a couple of years ago.
I will hazard a guess on the bar.... The one your were in when you took the picture.
ReplyDeleteHey, is that your callsign??? FRitz 117?? That is too cool!! (or maybe FRIed in 17, 16, 15....)
I'm like Beans, I kept getting the watch band caught on things and it finally became an issue....
I took the picture of the watch, but not the bar. I'll leave it at that for now.
DeleteThat callsign thing is pretty funny STxAR. At first I thought you had not had any sleep last night, then I looked at the watch. Good one.
I switched to the G-Shock for two reasons.
ReplyDeleteOne. My brand new Timex misted up after washing my hands. Apparently the force of water from a Philly spigot was much greater than the water pressure found at 100 meters. (100 meters rounds to 328 feet, and at the thumb rule of one half pound per foot we would get a pressure of 164 psi, .433/ft for purists)
Two. The full title of the Casio is "Casio G-Shock Atomic Solar Watch." We all know the watch doesn't contain any radioactive material, and that the word "Atomic" refers to the Atomic Time Clock.
But any nerd worth their salt would find the mix of "watch" and "atomic" irresistible.
My watch donning ritual sometimes includes humming the intro to a certain song, and my natural "talking with my hands" tendency seems a bit more pronounced when I'm wearing the Casio.
Yes, this song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHOq6Sl9u38
I do remember when having a Bulova watch that had a calendar, auto-winding, and was accurate to less than a minute a week was about as good as it could get.
My father was drafted into the Army a few months before Pearl Harbor, and left the Army Air Corp at the end of the war, I regret not finding out how he ended up in the Army Air Corp, when all I would have had to do was ask him.
Another very good post!
I did like my G-Shock, wasn't Atomic though, which is pretty cool. Your Dad was Army Air? Cool!
DeleteI like going into the pool wearing my watch and watching my friends freak out. I mean, it was tested in Philly using Philly water pressure. ;)
If my father's service record wasn't burned up in the big fire, I could probably get a copy.
DeleteBut there are things in my service record that I'm not proud of, and I would rather leave my memories of my father alone.
The young man that he was between '41-'45 isn't the person who raised me, and I would not like to be judged by the sometimes irresponsible young man I was during the first couple of years of my service.
I'm mostly sure about the Army Air Corps, and that's based on the comment he made that his wearing glasses got him rejected when he volunteered for aircrew. I loved his stories about when he was an aviation ordanceman at Randolph Field.
My own father went off to the Army when he was 17, talk about irresponsible, some of the stories he told! But who we are as young men isn't really who we become based on our experiences.
DeleteWe learn, we grow.
Part of the daily getting dressed ritual includes donning a watch, has been ever since one was gifted to me upon high school graduation. Not having it on, even moving the SUV in the driveway without being belted in or not having the PDW on the hip, makes me feel that I am.......... missing... something. Happen to like the look of an analog watch face, all the other info available is a good thing, if you like that, good for you, don't miss it myself.
ReplyDeleteI'm old school at times, like the analog stuff. Digital is okay for computers and the like I suppose. Apparently there are kids these days wo can't tell time the "old fashioned way," ya know, "Mickey's big hand is on the 12 and his little hand is on the 2, what time is it?"
DeleteProgress, I suppose.
I’m with Nylon12 on this one. Have worn a watch since highschool and it feels wrong without it. Granted, my phone can tell me to the millisecond what time it is, so I don’t NEED a watch...
DeleteSo my daily watch is one of these:
https://www.nixon.com/us/en/rotolog/A028.html?pid=A028&dwvar_A028_color=1107&dwvar_A028_size=00
I also have a watch that only has *one* hand, that rotates every 24hrs. It’s conceptually kinda like a sundial on your wrist, you know at a glance whether it’s morning or evening, but only precise to a couple minutes. Maybe perfect for you retired guys? :P
Sort of the polar opposite to EXTREME ULTRA ROLLING IN WITH SNAKE AND NAPE JUVAT WATCH. “Meh, the hand is vertical-ish. Time for lunch.”
Hahaha!
DeleteThat rotolog is kind of neat.
The only times I haven't had a watch on since I was 8, when my father gave me a self-winding Elgin that he'd found while mowing the lawn on Guam (I was 3 at the time -- too little to wear it), has been while swimming, in the shower, while working on electronics and house electrics. I had some digital watches, but prefer analog. In case of EMP, I have a self-winding skeleton watch that's surprisingly accurate considering it was made in China ("10th anniversary with the company" gift from Tektronix). Awfully big case, though, for what it's actually packing. I strongly suspect the works could be fit into an old Timex Expedition case I have.
DeleteI think I'd feel naked without my watch on. Like you say, I've been wearing one for a long time.
Delete"The bigger the watch...". Nah, ain't going there. I will admit that I recently purchased a "Gentleman Warfare" watch almost solely because of their anti Gillette (they of the "toxic masculinity" ilk commercials). Nice watch too. Yes it's large. I also shifted to Schick for all of my shaving products. I support "Get woke go broke" enthusiastically!!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of Gentleman Warfare watches before today. Those are some nice looking time pieces!
DeleteGWGB is one of my favorite mantras these days. It seems to work quite well, cuts down on shopping, dining, watching movies at movie theaters (with my weird hearing issues, movie theaters push too much bass for me to understand what anyone is saying within 10 minutes of the start of the show, and push my tinnitus up to Max+10 for days after, so no real loss as to not going to movies.)
DeleteWell, tinnitus and being able to pee on My schedule, not the theaters...
DeleteBeans #1, What?
DeleteBeans #2, Movies and the need to micturate, usually at an extremely critical plot moment which leaves one saying, "What?" for the rest of the film.
DeleteAlso, what is it with movies these days, the music booms at you like being on the ramp during a max sortie generation scenario, all the sound effects are the same, then all the bloody actors mumble their lines. What the Hell Hollywood? (Hhmm, I may need to rant about that...)
OldAFSarge, GWGB = Get Woke Go Broke. IE: Screw da bastiges, sideways, wid a chainsaw. Thus, GWGB.
DeleteJust referring to what the good Captain Steve was talking about when he said, "I support "Get woke go broke" enthusiastically!!"
Geez, Sgt. Acronym is failing at his job. Must be OldTimers or sumtin.
Ah, now I get it. I'm really only good with military acronyms, like SdKfz and PzKw, ya know, Kriegsdeutsch.
DeleteBut I'll add that to the list. I rather like it.
Sarge. Re: Movies and the need to go micturate at a critical plot point.
DeleteMy wife and I are watching "Flight of the Intruder" in the theater and I have to go just as the aircraft is heading for Hanoi.
I get done as fast as I can and head back to my seat. I'm watching the action as I walk down the aisle, slide into my seat and put my arm around my wife.
Two things flash through my mind.
First, my wife wasn't wearing a leather jacket, and two, my wife wasn't a male when I left to go the the bathroom.
I jump up, yell, "you're not my wife!" and hear my wife laughing loudly a few rows behind me.
In reply to my heated question of "Didn't you see me?" she giggles and says, "Yes, but I wanted to see what would happen."
We are so right for each other.
Hahaha!
DeleteNow that right there is priceless.
Besides catching the watch on things that stick out, I also am able to grind the watch face on the toughest watch into unreadability within a week of wearing it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I emit my own personal EMP field, which destroys small electronics (not as bad now that I am... old, but as a kid, yikes, I could kill a tv just by sitting next to it on and off for a month.) Battery watches would last about a month before they went Tango Uniform. Remember the old computer mice with balls? I could kill those in a month or two also. Wave my hand around sensitive monitors and watch the pretty light show. Freaked people out. Still freaks people out when my body is EMPing… So, no electronic watches. (And I don't have a cell phone surgically glued to my body. I only use CP when I am out of the house away from Mrs. Andrew (max 2 hours at a time.)
My own personal destruction field got so bad I could kill those old Seiko self winders. Apparently not the type of watch to give to a kid who shakes and vibrates constantly (effects of really gooooooooooood allergy meds fighting really strong allergies, result - InstaSpaz!) Such a joy not having gross motor control. Was great for gaming, though, as who needed dice cups when you've got Spaz Hands! Yay! (Note: Overall am much less spazzy, except during peak allergy seasons, but 12-15 Benadryl over a 24 hour period usually knocks me out so I only twitch while sleeping.)
Thus... No Watch for Beans.
Just wait till I ramble on about... shoes....
One was under the impression that you didn't wear shoes. I don't count flip-flops as shoes.
Delete;)
And you are rather due for a ramble/rant.
Shoes = Semi-rigid interface device that one walks on that then walks on something else. Socks aren't rigid enough. Thus socks aren't shoes. And thus sandals are shoes.
DeleteDo I need to draw a diagram?
But are flip-flops sandals? I suppose by your definition they are, which I'm good with.
Delete:)
Sandals are defined as WWJW? What would Jesus wear? Ifn he'd wear some open-toed flip-flop, tire sandal, cheap Birkenstock knockoffs, well, they're sandals.
DeleteApparently one of the side effects of walking on water is the lack of need for combat boots, corner shite-kickers, or other fully wrappable foot protection devices.
Not that I am saying I walk on water. Through water? Yes. Especially when Mrs. Andrew's not looking...
I wear Jesus Shoes (as my father used to call them) because they're better at not causing a raging case of trenchfoot in the hot and humid Florida heat. I do put on foot coffins occasionally, like when I'm doing things that can potentially damage my foot or going somewhere swanky that might actually... nah, screw that. Sandals all the way. Except around machinery, like grinding out busted rivets or such. For some reason, flaming hot chunks of metal splattered all over bare upper feet can get kinda uncomfortable. But it beats a chunk of hot metal splash touching the bald-headed twins and Mr. Happy. Boy, that was an experience at the blacksmith shop, trying to explain to Mr. Blacksmith why exactly I was half naked, screaming in pain and hosing 'Down There' with the water hose. Things I've done to myself... And a darned good reason to wear a real blacksmith apron or appropriate drape when futzing with hot flaming metal... I only had to be taught once...
Learning the hard way can be a very effective lesson, amirite?
Delete(Oh, I did know that first acronym, sort of...)
My wife and brother also only have to be near electronics to make them wonky. My wife will be sounding like Yosemite Sam with a potty mouth as her computer is doing weird stuff on its own while not doing what she's telling it do. I don't know how many times I've come in, calmed her down, then after figuring what she wants to do, carefully guide her step by step -- and it fails. Try again -- it fails. The cursing is starting again (I blame her Marine captain father for that). In a desperate attempt to head it off at the pass, I'll shoo her out of the chair, take a seat, and go through the steps (slowly, for her benefit) myself. And there is joy in the world! The peasants cheer their lord! A dove lands on my shoulder -- only to frightened out of its feathers as my wife squawks, "But that's exactly what I did! You watched do it! Why did it work for you??!!!" And I patiently and sweetly explain that, "It's because the computer likes me because I like it, while it's paralyzed with fear and hatred of you because it can sense that you want to ax murder it." Then the squawking and cursing really begin as I beat a hasty retreat, my job being finished.
DeleteWhat an odd phenomenon, perhaps some folks have an ultra strong magnetic field around them.
DeleteThough I suspect some folks are a walking EMP.
Where is that d*mned white courtesy phone, I hear that I've been paged.
ReplyDeleteBut as to watches, I use a pocket watch; which fits nicely in the watch pocket of my five button Levi jeans.
Thanks for the post.
Paul L. Quandt
Five button Levis? You're a class act PLQ!
DeleteAn actual pocket watch, nice!
I, along with all the other Juvats, bought a Casio digital when they first came out. Batman dispatched a two ship cross-country to Kadena and told the squadron to pony up the $20 or so that they were advertised for. The lucky foursome then had to go and buy 50 or so of them and transport them home (Not the first time we arranged for transportation of things which could not be obtained at the Kun, mind you.)
ReplyDeleteThe operation was successfully completed and we all had new Casio's. The following Friday in the normal aircrew meeting was interrupted for about a 5 minute period with various beeping sounds, starting with one, then a couple, then a crescendo, then tapering off. Batman stopped the briefing and issued an edict, Either he heard exactly 2 beeps or he heard none. We tried, oh how we tried. Eventually the beeping had to be silenced. A tragic moment for modern technology.
Ah yes, the beeps.
DeleteI remember that story you link to, it was a most excellent tale!
My watch comes with a tale, apparently there are only two non-pilots who have that watch, moi and Big Time's dad (Lush's father-on-law). Everyone else was a pilot in VFA-136. According to LUSH anyway.
Does anyone else remember the Saturday Night Live skit showcasing the latest digital watch? Large number of buttons and functions, some of which took two or three hands to operate? Good luck finding it quickly. "watch+snl" as a search term is useless because "watch" is overloaded with meanings. Adding "digital" seems to make it worse, not better.
DeleteFrom the 1970's, that is.
DeleteLarry - I accept the challenge, has to be a Dan Aykroyd sketch I'm thinking, one of those "I thought that was a real commercial bits he was so good at.
DeleteYes, the '70s, when SNL was actually hysterically funny all the time, start to finish.
DeleteWell, being a nurse, having to count pulse rates, as well as being spastic, I am unable to count while seeing numbers flash in front of my eyeballs. So I have an analog, with a second hand, in order to count said pulses, used when my pulse ox decides to die. (Stupid batteries) Indeglo Timex so I can see in the dark. So far I haven't been able to kill it yet...
ReplyDeleteJuvat's fighter pilot watch just looks a little bulky...just saying...
But, but, bulky watches are cool, and awesome, and, and...
DeleteMaybe it's a guy thing?
Bulky is one thing...just means you have old eyeballs and need bigger numbers on the watch face so you can see them. But to have 2 man figures and an airplane STANDING UP!! I would catch that on every doorknob, bedframe, and entry way I went close to at all!!
DeleteJust over the top is all I'm saying ;)
Ok, so it is 2 planes and 1 man figure, but still...would think it would catch on EVERYTHING!!
DeleteOld eyeballs, aye. Need that big watch face.
DeleteI see you got Beans' earlier comment, chortled at that one.
But how about the pain of driving those spikes in to hold the airplanes?
DeleteOWWW!
Sheesh, I guy tries to get a bit artistic with a picture (taken with a cell phone which is world renowned for depth and focus and after just having dusted off the airplanes and statue) and EVERYBODY is a critic. As for the watch, it's 1 x1/8" diameter and 3/8" thick. Just sayin'
DeleteHahaha!
DeleteThis is a caring and warm crowd, you know that...
No slack in fighter attack.
I will never forget this scene where a watch (actually two of them) - plays such a vital role...
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/0JPnR7C8mZQ
Man, great scene, great film.
DeleteGreat link!
"Bar watch"! New one on me but I never hung around fighter pilots.
ReplyDeleteNew to me as well WSF.
Delete