I’d add the Islander Pilot watches. Sapphire w/ AR, screw-down, 100m WR, Seiko NH, great lume, multiple colors to choose from for Type A & B dials, great customer service, all for about 200 bucks.
The best part about an Islander Fleiger is that, traditionally, Fliegers don't have logos on the dial, so you can buy an Islander Fleiger and not have to look at their terrible logo on the dial. I had a Type B Islander Fleiger with full lume dial and date complication (they made a date watch for a hot minute) and it was very well made. Mark knows what he's doing. His watches are amongst the best specced, well thought out watches available, at an incredible price point, except for his logo. I'd own more Islanders if they didn't all have that stupid circle with the arrow in it pointing at 4:30pm. Dumb. Nice watches otherwise and definitely should have been included in this comparison.
Solar nomination: Seiko "Safarnie" SNJ029 Analog-Digital Prospex. Exactly $350 (Macys, USA), so probably can get it cheaper elsewhere. This was unexpectedly gifted to me, and has been very versitile tool watch. Khaki coloring makes it unassuming. The mini-Tuna case wears much smaller than it looks. Sharp baton style indices very stylish. Plus all the digital accoutrements afforded in the digital features. and of course .. the classic "Arnie" design
For those with smaller wrists II highly reccomend the Seiko SNK803 Tan Dial Edit, I've had one for 8 or more years without any issues, never been serviced, keeps time A1
I'll second the recommendation to look at the Islander pilot watches from Long Island Watch. I recently took advantage of a tremendous moving sale and got a heckuva deal on a green 42mm "Flieger type B" watch. It is amazing, really, that LIW can pack so much quality into an affordable package. Even at the retail price. They just dropped 8 new 39mm options too. Check 'em out!
I hesitated on the very last green 42mm type-b available in the sale. Decided to sleep on it and it was gone in the morning. Still kicking myself! I've been told they aren't coming back either :(
I just picked up my burgundy 39 mm Type B and it’s a great watch for $199 US. I love the look & quality & can’t help but feel good helping out a guy who built his own brand from an online sales start-up. Also nice to help a fellow Engineer who got successful nerding out on his after work hobby! Go Marc!
For next months 'solar powered' watch, I'll throw in one my favorite watch I own which is the Casio EQS 500DB-1A1 Edifice Tough Solar. It's one of the older models w/o bluetooth, therefore although it keeps very accurate time, it will not sync with your cell phone to adjust automatically. It's also a bit complicated because it's so feature packed, it might overwhelm some people. But being an engineer, I love it.
I have noticed one must pay a premium to get a fleiger with the historical sterile dial. Best solar watch, or at least my fave: G-Shock GWM5610. Band-6 and solar make it just about maintenance-free.
Escapement time, produced some amazing watches. I have one, and i also have some really expencive watches, but my simple Escapement time watch is just so nice that i almost wear it daily. By the way, a fliger needs to be big. The real size in WW II was 55 mm. not skimpy 37 or 39 mm.
Don’t know if it’s too late to add to next month’s list, but here ya go. The seiko SSC769P1 is an awesome solar quartz chrono. Sapphire crystal, comes in great colors (including panda), has their easy pin system which makes resizing the bracelet super easy (I have no idea why they don’t use this on all their bracelets). Oh, and it doesn’t have the relatively useless 24 hour slave dial. Next is the Citizen pro master GMT world time. Fantastic all-around, but is 42mm. I have the older model which is smaller, but discontinued. Finally Sieko spirit world time solar. Great-looking, sapphire crystal, multiple functions, great size. Again, another fantastic all-arounder.
Hi Dave.About a year ago I got the Escapment Type ''B'' Fieger,NH36 movement.No major issues with it,apart from the fact that it is hard to screw in the crown following hand winding or time adjustment. Keeps great time,overall I am happy with it.I would prefer the historicaly accurate Laco though (when I can afford it).As for solar watches,Casio is the way to go.If someone wishes to combine solar and aviator virtues,I propose the,relativly,older GRB-100,G-1500,GW-2000,GW-2500,GW-3500,as options.The ones produced after 2019 are too funky for me.One more thing,I agree with Ray Jaegers,LIW Fiegers should have been incuded as well.Great video,as always.
Citizen CB5874-90A, which I believe is JDM and priced at 325USD at discovery-japan which is a hidden gem for the E660 movement that can pretty much do everything. Too bad I missed out on the pilot watch recommendation, just score myself a Citizen NJ0100-89L and I'm very happy with it.
Apart from the omnipresent Citizen Nighthawk I'd say a nice solar watch is the Tanko, Seiko's SUP880, arguably the best Cartier Tank affordable alternative
I recommend Centric Instruments watches. They offer a solar field watch AND a solar chronograph, both with 100 meters water resistance, and both are priced at less than $300 USD! I have been wearing the field watch version for my daily the past few months and it has been a durable, steadfast workhorse. Also - both watches come with an excellent (very comfortable) elastic strap. Regarding the Casio solar 5610 - be advised, the strap is very small and did not fit my (22.8 cm) wrist, forcing me to get one of those cursed 'adapters' to fit a nato strap. I contacted Casio, and they do not offer replacement straps for that watch in longer lengths. Another solar watch that looks very interesting is the Momentum Steelix Solar, priced at less than $220 USD.
I have the Orient with a black dial, such a nice watch! Really love mine, and I got it for under $300 Australian, so well less than your $350 US budget for this video :) oh, and black dial has fully lumed numerals too. Upgraded the strap too from the black to a brown pilot strap with silver rivets. Looks the business.
Great review, and I agree about Jack Mason. I picked up one of their watches early in my collecting journey, and I still love it for what it is. However, their prices have jumped so high over the last year or so, about the same time they started marketing themselves as a one-stop "men's accessory" site, I don't even look at them any more. As for solar recommendations: you can't beat the Casio GShock 5610.
Not to worry, they're back. From what i understand they're one of the smaller companies on Ali's and demand simply overpowered their production capabilities.
I mostly think of Casio & Citizen for solar quartz. I love my Casio GW-M5610U (~$120), and the Casio Oceanus T200 (~$350) is great value at the price limit. I haven't owned a Citizen Eco-drive yet, but I'm sure I'll get around to it. Far beyond the $350 limit, Citizen also makes one of the nicest quartz watches you can buy.
For solar nominations: citizen eco drive BM8180-03E or any chronograph variation, any of those new solar Casioaks, Casio DW 5610, Seiko SUP855P1 although recently I have only seen the white dial version.
Interesting to hear the explanation for the 18mm strap on the Laco, because I always thought it should be wider. I have the 39mm automatic version, and the strap always seems to be too narrow and tapering, but I can see the reason now.
The Escapement Time team is on "vacation". They're known to temporarily close the shop whenever they need to take time off, their store is currently closed due to the current logistical disruptions in China due to the covid lockdowns in parts of China. Excellent timing with the video Dave, I seem to have caught the Flieger bug and looking for candidates for my next watch. San Martin and Escapement Time are currently on my short list. If only the Islander Flieger, new Seiko 5 and the Orient didn't have a date window. As for Solar watches, apart from the Nighthawk (seems to be the right answer, similar to "the answer is the Miata" in the car world). I'll suggest the Casio edifice EQB-1100. Solar, sapphire, chronograph, GMT, alarm, 100m WR & bluetooth, all in a package under 9mm thick Aside from colors and special editions, there are two versions, one for the Japanese market (EQB1100YD) & one for the international market (EQB1100D). The JDM one has a solid bracelet and mild clasp, it commands a $100 premium over the other one on eBay and whatnot, but you can probably get it for less since you're based in Japan and all. If you're not a fan of integrated bracelets, the EQB1000 & EQB1200 have the same movement, but with traditional lugs and they're a bit thicker.
Is what you said about Escapement Time true? I have been eyeing the Flieger Chrono for months only to be disappeared. The shop on Ali is barren with nothing.
I feel the most significant watch from Escapement time is their quartz King Seiko homage. I hope they will come back. If not, it will be a loss for watch enthusiasts.
Escapement Time store is closed because of COVID restrictions in China. Or at least that is what I was told. I had ordered a King Seiko homage from them around March & they messaged me that sadly my order had to be canceled =( they were closing because of the pandemic.
Try Aristo ... German flieger ... I have the 3H80. Not a spec monster, but great lum on my Type B flieger, Ronda quartz got it from LIW ... meets the 'German flieger' desire at a significant price drop from Laco.
For solar watches I'd have to go G-Shock GWM5610, and the Citizen AW0090-11Z or BM6838-09X. I don't have experience with either citizen watch but I find the design of those two much cleaner than a lot of the other watches they offer
Great video! Love my ET Type B. I have the 42mm NH35 version. I liked it so much I also bought a much more expensive flieger style watch - the Hamilton Cooper. These two are my absolute favorites. For the best solar watches under $350, I'd go with the GShock 5600 and any Citizen Ecodrive.
Great video! I've also found some excellent retro leather bands on AliExpress, for field and pilot watches; but, as noted, post-sale customer service and shipping times can sometimes be a drawback---the item has to be a great value for me to roll the dice! I tell everyone about this channel---consistently terrific video quality and content.
My top recommendation for solar watch would be Casio G-Shock GWM5610-1. Best entry-level solar, especially if you are a G-Shock fan. Someone we both know calls it "the best watch for the zombie apocalypse".
Citizen eco drive is an obvious choice in terms of solar powered watch. My pick is the Citizen Excalibur. It is an amazing grab and go diver's watch, really nice build quality, timeless design, but the 23mm lug does stink.
I'd recommend checking out the Seiko SAGZ083 since you're in Japan for your solar video.Retail price is a little higher than your budget, but second had is definitely within budget. Great dial and finishing, plus it's titanium and uses radio wave technology
The Flighty is such a great watch. The OEM bracelet that the SNA411 comes on is very bad, but it looks better on an NDC style strap anyways. My favorite flieger would be the Stowa Verus 40mm, but thats more a 1k watch. U picked very well in this lower price segment.
For solar powered watches, here are my recommendations: CITIZEN Eco-Drive Promaster Nighthawk BJ7138-04E, SKAGEN Henriksen Solar-Powered Men's Watch SKW6741 and SEIKO Solar Chronograph SSC621P1.
Hey Dave, I love my G Shock GW-M5610 and GW6900! I've been thinking about picking up a Seiko Arnie, Solar Tuna, or Citizen Nighthawk, maybe one of them will make the list haha!
Well that seiko has everything and the kitchen sink. Definitely more than I'd ever need but still awesome. Shame about escapement time, awesome value for money stuff. Hopefully they make a comeback. Great list
I’ve been thinking on the Flighty for quite some time now. And once I’ve decided not to buy one you pop-up with your brief review of this very watch and… I have to do the process once again ;)
Best solar under 350..... You can't go wrong with any gshock but I got to say the protrek prw30, prw50 and prw60 are fantastic watches. I just picked up a titanium prw60t and i love it. That was a little more than 350 though. The size is bloody miraculous for anidig ABC watches. I also own a prw30 and its my fav banger watch.
Hi Dave, for your solar watch episode I suggest the nice Seiko panda chronograph (with sapphire) SSC769P1. As a panda a bit difficult to read, but great value for money...
Ops, with the Laco last month ... I was ignorantly looking at the EUR prices here in Germany, where they cost 350EUR ^^" glad the quartz version is there.
Hi! i would reccomend as solar powered watch the citizen at8110-11a radiocontrolled, is my first serious watch and i think is beautiful all round for the price. Very underrated.
the Laco and the Orient, most especially the Laco, reminds me of the Casio MTP-V001L-1B. have you checked or seen that watch? I personally own one and the 18mm strap width is a bit of a bummer. I'm looking at B-Uhren straps right now and most that I can find are 20mm and 22mm, at least available here in the Philippines.
Love your t-shirt Dave. Great design. Too bad in Europe you have to pay so much import tax ... and yes, before I forget love your channel :-) :-). Keep up the good work.
Hmmm…pilot watches…. I come at this not from a fashion/style perspective, but rather from the perspective of a working B777 pilot that wants a watch for their work. I fly international routes to 5 continents and more countries than I care to count. So what I need is an actual “tool” watch, a watch that meets that actual needs of a working pilot. First, what I don’t need: A built in circular slide rule (too small to be useful and all current jetliners do all these calculations anyway), don’t need a timer or stopwatch (see above). Don’t need multiple sub dials….interferes with legibilty. Don’t need 200m water resistance, 50m will be fine. I do need: Reliability, accuracy, legibility, multiple time zones. How do we get there? Analog 3 hand dial. Solar atomic synced quartz. And High contrast hands/dial/markers. Best examples of these? Most of the Casio Wave Ceptor and Lineage watches check all the boxes. For a good example of what I’m currently wearing for my work watch; Casio LCW-M100TSE-1AER. Always precisely accurate time, legible, easy switch to any time zone I can think of. Really crushes the functionality of most so-called pilot watches currently being sold to non-pilots. A genuine pilot tool watch for the 21st century, our generation’s replacement for the GMT Master. I have other pilot styled watches for casual wear (Seiko Flightmaster, a sentimental favourite from the 1990s, and a Seagull 1963 for the historical interest), but when it’s time to go to work the Casio comes along. All the best Rick
I think you should check out the Seiko SNE 529 Solar and a sapphire crystal less than 200 bucks actually way less than 200 bucks And a 10 month power reserve
The Flightmaster is a one watch collection piece. It looks good with causal wear. It looks good with a suit. I wear mine for both every day and dressing up. It definitely is a pilot watch. An earlier version was standard issue for the Royal Air Force. It is an "homage" (French translation - Le Ripoff) of the Navitimer 1332412. Same size, same face. 5 percent the cost. Best solar watch - Citizen BN0150. I've got two of them.
I almost bought the Jack Mason Canton Day Date when it was $300 , and then, when I found out that they use the non hacking Miyota 8215, it boggled my mind. Living in DFW it would be cool to own a J Mason but I would never pay more than 150 bucks for any Miyota 8215 watch no matter how nice the design and built is. I probably would have bought one with a Seiko NH35 but with a 8215? No way. C'mon Jack Mason, $549. Really??
Great video as always, Dave. Although I like the German flieger style, I can’t pull the trigger on one, as I fear that every time I look down at my wrist I’ll be reminded of the Nazis. Closed minded I’m sure, since I doubt if I owned a vintage Japanese watch I would necessarily think of Pearl Harbor. Best wishes for the new year, and I look forward to what you bring to the channel!
That Jack Mason is a sweet looking watch but nobody in their right mind is going stump up that kinda cash for an 8215 jeez at least have the decency to put in a 9's & ask for it.
The looks on the Jack Mason are noteworthy, but paying more than a few hundred for a Miyota 8000 series? Sorry, no. The Seiko gets the honorable mention here for packing no less than three dozen tool functions into a watch with a 42mm diameter and adding 200m WR just to show-off. Nice.
3:24 200 mètres waterproof on a pilots watch is kind of bizarre. Because if you are already in the water, a waterproof watch is the least of your concerns 🤣. The Seiko is kind of overloaded for me, but it's each to his own, so I am not complaining, just mentioning. And the Chinese watch really is a Laco look-alike. Too close to a copycat for my taste, to be honest. But as a German I may be a bit biased... 😉
What I'll be saying here may be controversial to the watch community and is open to further discussion. I strongly believe that the earth's sustainability agenda should not only be the burden of big players such as Renewable Energy and EV car industries, but that the watch industry can make a huge contribution to greening the planet and lowering its carbon footprint by CEASING the production and sale of battery powered quartz watches. Instead, it should promote heavily the sale of solar / kinetic / mechanical / spring drive movement watches. Similarly, social media influencers can play a significant role by encouraging it's user base to move towards these watch movements instead of promoting quartz watches, no matter how tempting they are in the price point and luxury designs. I say this because the watch industry has a mature technology on these movements especially solar powered watches which can be mass produced to lower the cost further, unlike say the EV car industry currently. Secondly, using battery powered quartz watches requires replacement within 2 years, unlike solar powered batteries which can last up to 2 decades. Ceasing the production of new battery powered watches will significantly reduce landfills in the future unless an effective technology already exists to recycle ALL used batteries completely. Also, batteries used in quartz watches for the short term is akin to using coal to generate energy and carbon fuel for cars. Lastly, it's already bad enough to replace the billions of existing batteries in legacy quartz watches, so let's hope the watch industry will not burden the earth further with new releases of quartz watches! Personally, I haven't been purchasing new quartz watches and am slowly phasing out the use of my legacy quartz watch collections, i.e. I don't replace the batteries in dead quartz watches any more but instead use them as exhibition showpiece purely for their artistic design and aesthetics. Besides, quartz watches are not as fun to wear as alternative movements due to their lack of user interaction which gives a watch a "soul", I digress. Any comments?
@@JusttheWatch citizen is an early advocate of sustainable watch making since the 80s. Ironically, they still make battery powered quartz watches :-( th-cam.com/video/gGMw_Gak5qc/w-d-xo.html
That comment you showed on screen from Bob Smith hits the nail on the nose about getting the details wrong. I don’t understand why so many get it wrong, when it’s such a simple design. And then they go and stick a date window on there without any consideration for whether it looks integrated into the design (e.g. the Laco and the Orient in this video - at least the Jack Mason looks like they paid any attention to this at all). It’s no wonder so many people dislike date windows, when badly-done ones are so prevalent.
Great video Dave and great collection of fliegers too. I would also include, in true German flieger sense, the Junkers cockpit JU52 automatik (albeit with a miyota 8000 series movement). Real heritage here as the brand was actually making planes in WWII. Would also look at AVI8 as they have a wide range of pilot's watches.
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I’d add the Islander Pilot watches. Sapphire w/ AR, screw-down, 100m WR, Seiko NH, great lume, multiple colors to choose from for Type A & B dials, great customer service, all for about 200 bucks.
It s to bad they don t have Europeans sellers and not British one ....not member of Europe anymore
The best part about an Islander Fleiger is that, traditionally, Fliegers don't have logos on the dial, so you can buy an Islander Fleiger and not have to look at their terrible logo on the dial. I had a Type B Islander Fleiger with full lume dial and date complication (they made a date watch for a hot minute) and it was very well made. Mark knows what he's doing. His watches are amongst the best specced, well thought out watches available, at an incredible price point, except for his logo. I'd own more Islanders if they didn't all have that stupid circle with the arrow in it pointing at 4:30pm. Dumb. Nice watches otherwise and definitely should have been included in this comparison.
Agreed Playboy, I have an Island Aviator with a Type A dial and you'd be hard pressed to find anything better for the price.
Yep, I’ve got a couple of them. All the Islander watches pretty much rock
Solar nomination: Seiko "Safarnie" SNJ029 Analog-Digital Prospex. Exactly $350 (Macys, USA), so probably can get it cheaper elsewhere. This was unexpectedly gifted to me, and has been very versitile tool watch. Khaki coloring makes it unassuming. The mini-Tuna case wears much smaller than it looks. Sharp baton style indices very stylish. Plus all the digital accoutrements afforded in the digital features. and of course .. the classic "Arnie" design
For those with smaller wrists II highly reccomend the Seiko SNK803 Tan Dial Edit, I've had one for 8 or more years without any issues, never been serviced, keeps time A1
I'll second the recommendation to look at the Islander pilot watches from Long Island Watch. I recently took advantage of a tremendous moving sale and got a heckuva deal on a green 42mm "Flieger type B" watch. It is amazing, really, that LIW can pack so much quality into an affordable package. Even at the retail price. They just dropped 8 new 39mm options too. Check 'em out!
I own 3 Long Island watches and am completely satisfied with each of them. Outstanding deals on all L.I.W. watches.
I hesitated on the very last green 42mm type-b available in the sale. Decided to sleep on it and it was gone in the morning. Still kicking myself! I've been told they aren't coming back either :(
I just picked up my burgundy 39 mm Type B and it’s a great watch for $199 US. I love the look & quality & can’t help but feel good helping out a guy who built his own brand from an online sales start-up. Also nice to help a fellow Engineer who got successful nerding out on his after work hobby! Go Marc!
For next months 'solar powered' watch, I'll throw in one my favorite watch I own which is the Casio EQS 500DB-1A1 Edifice Tough Solar. It's one of the older models w/o bluetooth, therefore although it keeps very accurate time, it will not sync with your cell phone to adjust automatically. It's also a bit complicated because it's so feature packed, it might overwhelm some people. But being an engineer, I love it.
i recently traded my EDIFICE 300 in on a gst-200a gsteel. i loved it but i got bored with it.
I have noticed one must pay a premium to get a fleiger with the historical sterile dial.
Best solar watch, or at least my fave: G-Shock GWM5610. Band-6 and solar make it just about maintenance-free.
Escapement time, produced some amazing watches.
I have one, and i also have some really expencive watches, but my simple Escapement time watch is just so nice that i almost wear it daily.
By the way, a fliger needs to be big. The real size in WW II was 55 mm. not skimpy 37 or 39 mm.
Don’t know if it’s too late to add to next month’s list, but here ya go. The seiko SSC769P1 is an awesome solar quartz chrono. Sapphire crystal, comes in great colors (including panda), has their easy pin system which makes resizing the bracelet super easy (I have no idea why they don’t use this on all their bracelets). Oh, and it doesn’t have the relatively useless 24 hour slave dial. Next is the Citizen pro master GMT world time. Fantastic all-around, but is 42mm. I have the older model which is smaller, but discontinued. Finally Sieko spirit world time solar. Great-looking, sapphire crystal, multiple functions, great size. Again, another fantastic all-arounder.
Macchina Sportiva! I have the red dial, and love it
Hi Dave.About a year ago I got the Escapment Type ''B'' Fieger,NH36 movement.No major issues with it,apart from the fact that it is hard to screw in the crown following hand winding or time adjustment.
Keeps great time,overall I am happy with it.I would prefer the historicaly accurate Laco though (when I can afford it).As for solar watches,Casio is the way to go.If someone wishes to combine solar and aviator virtues,I propose the,relativly,older GRB-100,G-1500,GW-2000,GW-2500,GW-3500,as options.The ones produced after 2019 are too funky for me.One more thing,I agree with Ray Jaegers,LIW Fiegers should have been incuded as well.Great video,as always.
Citizen CB5874-90A, which I believe is JDM and priced at 325USD at discovery-japan which is a hidden gem for the E660 movement that can pretty much do everything.
Too bad I missed out on the pilot watch recommendation, just score myself a Citizen NJ0100-89L and I'm very happy with it.
Apart from the omnipresent Citizen Nighthawk I'd say a nice solar watch is the Tanko, Seiko's SUP880, arguably the best Cartier Tank affordable alternative
Second on the Seiko SUP880 I have it and love it.
A great solar watch would be the citizen Promaster.
loving the Laco, I think this is a safer bet for me rather than the much expensive sinn 556 i was eyeing.
I recommend Centric Instruments watches. They offer a solar field watch AND a solar chronograph, both with 100 meters water resistance, and both are priced at less than $300 USD! I have been wearing the field watch version for my daily the past few months and it has been a durable, steadfast workhorse. Also - both watches come with an excellent (very comfortable) elastic strap. Regarding the Casio solar 5610 - be advised, the strap is very small and did not fit my (22.8 cm) wrist, forcing me to get one of those cursed 'adapters' to fit a nato strap. I contacted Casio, and they do not offer replacement straps for that watch in longer lengths. Another solar watch that looks very interesting is the Momentum Steelix Solar, priced at less than $220 USD.
I have the Orient with a black dial, such a nice watch! Really love mine, and I got it for under $300 Australian, so well less than your $350 US budget for this video :) oh, and black dial has fully lumed numerals too. Upgraded the strap too from the black to a brown pilot strap with silver rivets. Looks the business.
Great review, and I agree about Jack Mason. I picked up one of their watches early in my collecting journey, and I still love it for what it is. However, their prices have jumped so high over the last year or so, about the same time they started marketing themselves as a one-stop "men's accessory" site, I don't even look at them any more.
As for solar recommendations: you can't beat the Casio GShock 5610.
Great options. I would include the Long Island Watch aviation range.
How the hell can Escapement Time be struggling? They were selling like crazy!
Not to worry, they're back. From what i understand they're one of the smaller companies on Ali's and demand simply overpowered their production capabilities.
I mostly think of Casio & Citizen for solar quartz. I love my Casio GW-M5610U (~$120), and the Casio Oceanus T200 (~$350) is great value at the price limit. I haven't owned a Citizen Eco-drive yet, but I'm sure I'll get around to it. Far beyond the $350 limit, Citizen also makes one of the nicest quartz watches you can buy.
For solar nominations: citizen eco drive BM8180-03E or any chronograph variation, any of those new solar Casioaks, Casio DW 5610, Seiko SUP855P1 although recently I have only seen the white dial version.
Interesting to hear the explanation for the 18mm strap on the Laco, because I always thought it should be wider. I have the 39mm automatic version, and the strap always seems to be too narrow and tapering, but I can see the reason now.
The Escapement Time team is on "vacation". They're known to temporarily close the shop whenever they need to take time off, their store is currently closed due to the current logistical disruptions in China due to the covid lockdowns in parts of China.
Excellent timing with the video Dave, I seem to have caught the Flieger bug and looking for candidates for my next watch. San Martin and Escapement Time are currently on my short list. If only the Islander Flieger, new Seiko 5 and the Orient didn't have a date window.
As for Solar watches, apart from the Nighthawk (seems to be the right answer, similar to "the answer is the Miata" in the car world). I'll suggest the Casio edifice EQB-1100. Solar, sapphire, chronograph, GMT, alarm, 100m WR & bluetooth, all in a package under 9mm thick
Aside from colors and special editions, there are two versions, one for the Japanese market (EQB1100YD) & one for the international market (EQB1100D). The JDM one has a solid bracelet and mild clasp, it commands a $100 premium over the other one on eBay and whatnot, but you can probably get it for less since you're based in Japan and all.
If you're not a fan of integrated bracelets, the EQB1000 & EQB1200 have the same movement, but with traditional lugs and they're a bit thicker.
Is what you said about Escapement Time true? I have been eyeing the Flieger Chrono for months only to be disappeared. The shop on Ali is barren with nothing.
Wow the full gear is the best of the bunch! Tritium rocks at night and those yellow hands set against that blue dial are amazing!
I feel the most significant watch from Escapement time is their quartz King Seiko homage. I hope they will come back. If not, it will be a loss for watch enthusiasts.
Escapement Time store is closed because of COVID restrictions in China. Or at least that is what I was told. I had ordered a King Seiko homage from them around March & they messaged me that sadly my order had to be canceled =( they were closing because of the pandemic.
Try Aristo ... German flieger ... I have the 3H80. Not a spec monster, but great lum on my Type B flieger, Ronda quartz got it from LIW ... meets the 'German flieger' desire at a significant price drop from Laco.
For solar watches I'd have to go G-Shock GWM5610, and the Citizen AW0090-11Z or BM6838-09X. I don't have experience with either citizen watch but I find the design of those two much cleaner than a lot of the other watches they offer
Great video! Love my ET Type B. I have the 42mm NH35 version. I liked it so much I also bought a much more expensive flieger style watch - the Hamilton Cooper. These two are my absolute favorites. For the best solar watches under $350, I'd go with the GShock 5600 and any Citizen Ecodrive.
Great video! I've also found some excellent retro leather bands on AliExpress, for field and pilot watches; but, as noted, post-sale customer service and shipping times can sometimes be a drawback---the item has to be a great value for me to roll the dice! I tell everyone about this channel---consistently terrific video quality and content.
Hey Bob, can you tell me some good straps to buy there? All I have bought so far were pretty much junk.
My top recommendation for solar watch would be Casio G-Shock GWM5610-1. Best entry-level solar, especially if you are a G-Shock fan. Someone we both know calls it "the best watch for the zombie apocalypse".
Citizen eco drive is an obvious choice in terms of solar powered watch. My pick is the Citizen Excalibur. It is an amazing grab and go diver's watch, really nice build quality, timeless design, but the 23mm lug does stink.
Citizen Nighthawk is another great pilot watch option, similar to the Seiko but solar powered.
I'd recommend checking out the Seiko SAGZ083 since you're in Japan for your solar video.Retail price is a little higher than your budget, but second had is definitely within budget. Great dial and finishing, plus it's titanium and uses radio wave technology
Amazing video. Aviation watches are a must have in the collection. Love the JOMASHOP shoutout too
For solar I would recommend you take a look at One Eleven's watches. I have a model CBOE 2028 that has served me well.
Citizen BM8560-11XE. Eco drive, titanium case and sapphire glas for under 250 USD. Really hard to beat at that price level.
The Flighty is such a great watch. The OEM bracelet that the SNA411 comes on is very bad, but it looks better on an NDC style strap anyways. My favorite flieger would be the Stowa Verus 40mm, but thats more a 1k watch. U picked very well in this lower price segment.
For solar powered watches, here are my recommendations: CITIZEN Eco-Drive Promaster Nighthawk BJ7138-04E, SKAGEN Henriksen Solar-Powered Men's Watch SKW6741 and SEIKO Solar Chronograph SSC621P1.
I would add the Edifice EF-257
Great video. The Orient second hand sweeps like an auto. I think you listed as a Quartz on the specs.
A couple more, if you’re interested, are the Vario trench ($368) and SGS eagle ($200)
For an even better value, look to Long Island Watch's Islander house brand and their Type A and Type B Fliegers
I got the gold Flightmaster.One of my favorite watches. Aviation watches are my favorite, diver’s second. Thanks bro. SEIKO IS KING !!!
I'll throw these in the ring:
* Citizen Aviator Eco-Drive AW1365-19P
* Casio G-Shock Tough Solar GW-M5610-1ER
* Casio Wave Ceptor LCW-M100DSE-2AER
* Seiko Solar SNE039P1
Hey Dave, I love my G Shock GW-M5610 and GW6900!
I've been thinking about picking up a Seiko Arnie, Solar Tuna, or Citizen Nighthawk, maybe one of them will make the list haha!
Lovely shot of a Zune player there at 16:04.
The Jack Mason is my favorite.
I love the case and crown so much.
280ish Euro for the Quarz is fair IMO.
Well that seiko has everything and the kitchen sink. Definitely more than I'd ever need but still awesome. Shame about escapement time, awesome value for money stuff. Hopefully they make a comeback. Great list
I’ve been thinking on the Flighty for quite some time now. And once I’ve decided not to buy one you pop-up with your brief review of this very watch and… I have to do the process once again ;)
Best solar under 350..... You can't go wrong with any gshock but I got to say the protrek prw30, prw50 and prw60 are fantastic watches. I just picked up a titanium prw60t and i love it. That was a little more than 350 though. The size is bloody miraculous for anidig ABC watches.
I also own a prw30 and its my fav banger watch.
I do think that the Escapement watch was the coolest looking aviation watch in your lineup, and the Jack Mason is just a bit over priced !
Hi Dave, for your solar watch episode I suggest the nice Seiko panda chronograph (with sapphire) SSC769P1. As a panda a bit difficult to read, but great value for money...
Ops, with the Laco last month ... I was ignorantly looking at the EUR prices here in Germany, where they cost 350EUR ^^" glad the quartz version is there.
My Addies 39mm 200m pilot watch has been on the wrist, and the options with this maker too. I have been more fortunate
with minimal issues.
I can recommend the fliegers from San Martin, super good value and build quality!
I’ve bought the “basic”. It’s going to be brilliant!
As much as I like my Flightmaster it rarely gets worn, just too hard to read the time on it.
Seiko's SRPB57J1 - if you can actually find one! - is a great piece, which I bagged for around $350 in 2020.
Hi! i would reccomend as solar powered watch the citizen at8110-11a radiocontrolled, is my first serious watch and i think is beautiful all round for the price. Very underrated.
the Laco and the Orient, most especially the Laco, reminds me of the Casio MTP-V001L-1B. have you checked or seen that watch? I personally own one and the 18mm strap width is a bit of a bummer. I'm looking at B-Uhren straps right now and most that I can find are 20mm and 22mm, at least available here in the Philippines.
The Seiko SNE range is my favorite solar powered watch ⌚️
For next month solar watch. I suggest casio protrek or orient neo 70
Laco has lum on second hand that is very long! I've never seen one. Hence, Laco is my pick.
Laco looks amazing
Love your t-shirt Dave. Great design. Too bad in Europe you have to pay so much import tax ... and yes, before I forget love your channel :-) :-). Keep up the good work.
My favorite solar watch atm is the G-shock GSTB400 series
Laco -- "Made in Germany" See Just One More Watch for that translation.
Hmmm…pilot watches…. I come at this not from a fashion/style perspective, but rather from the perspective of a working B777 pilot that wants a watch for their work. I fly international routes to 5 continents and more countries than I care to count.
So what I need is an actual “tool” watch, a watch that meets that actual needs of a working pilot.
First, what I don’t need: A built in circular slide rule (too small to be useful and all current jetliners do all these calculations anyway), don’t need a timer or stopwatch (see above). Don’t need multiple sub dials….interferes with legibilty. Don’t need 200m water resistance, 50m will be fine.
I do need: Reliability, accuracy, legibility, multiple time zones.
How do we get there? Analog 3 hand dial. Solar atomic synced quartz. And High contrast hands/dial/markers.
Best examples of these? Most of the Casio Wave Ceptor and Lineage watches check all the boxes. For a good example of what I’m currently wearing for my work watch; Casio LCW-M100TSE-1AER. Always precisely accurate time, legible, easy switch to any time zone I can think of. Really crushes the functionality of most so-called pilot watches currently being sold to non-pilots.
A genuine pilot tool watch for the 21st century, our generation’s replacement for the GMT Master. I have other pilot styled watches for casual wear (Seiko Flightmaster, a sentimental favourite from the 1990s, and a Seagull 1963 for the historical interest), but when it’s time to go to work the Casio comes along.
All the best
Rick
Love my Laco Aachen 42
I think you should check out the Seiko SNE 529
Solar and a sapphire crystal less than 200 bucks actually way less than 200 bucks
And a 10 month power reserve
Bertucci do a titanium pilot watch around the $270 mark that looks great.
Thanks for the great video!
Hi Dave could you do a top 10 best value for money watch?
Good luck getting the Flighty sna411 for under $350.00. In Canada anyway. They are closer to $750
The Flightmaster is a one watch collection piece. It looks good with causal wear. It looks good with a suit. I wear mine for both every day and dressing up. It definitely is a pilot watch. An earlier version was standard issue for the Royal Air Force. It is an "homage" (French translation - Le Ripoff) of the Navitimer 1332412. Same size, same face. 5 percent the cost.
Best solar watch - Citizen BN0150. I've got two of them.
I love too many watches from Orient 😲 I want them all haha!
Thank you
I really enjoyed the Laco quartz offering. Congrats on the rapid growth of your channel :)
I almost bought the Jack Mason Canton Day Date when it was $300 , and then, when I found out that they use the non hacking Miyota 8215, it boggled my mind. Living in DFW it would be cool to own a J Mason but I would never pay more than 150 bucks for any Miyota 8215 watch no matter how nice the design and built is. I probably would have bought one with a Seiko NH35 but with a 8215? No way. C'mon Jack Mason, $549. Really??
I almost did too! I kind of wish I had now that the price has jumped up on it. It's a great looking watch.
I really like the Laco but 18mm strap is a dealbreaker:(
Escapement Time is fantastic value
for best solar - g-shock gw-m5610 , citizen BM7100-59E and bm8180-03e
The best value Fliegerstyle watches out there are made by Tandorio and Addiesdive
I got the Laco Augsberg 39mm for about $240.000 and it's an automatic.
G-Shock G-5600E-1DR as solor watch !
The Mph ruins the flight master for me, wish it was km/h that would be more usable or knots as the unit of speed used in aviation
Great video as always, Dave. Although I like the German flieger style, I can’t pull the trigger on one, as I fear that every time I look down at my wrist I’ll be reminded of the Nazis. Closed minded I’m sure, since I doubt if I owned a vintage Japanese watch I would necessarily think of Pearl Harbor. Best wishes for the new year, and I look forward to what you bring to the channel!
Casio GW 9400 Rangeman
That Jack Mason is a sweet looking watch but nobody in their right mind is going stump up that kinda cash for an 8215 jeez at least have the decency to put in a 9's & ask for it.
The looks on the Jack Mason are noteworthy, but paying more than a few hundred for a Miyota 8000 series? Sorry, no. The Seiko gets the honorable mention here for packing no less than three dozen tool functions into a watch with a 42mm diameter and adding 200m WR just to show-off. Nice.
Really hoping to see the solar watch Roundup soon...
Me too! Had a big overseas trip planned (still out of the country) so it kind of got put on the back burner...
3:24 200 mètres waterproof on a pilots watch is kind of bizarre. Because if you are already in the water, a waterproof watch is the least of your concerns 🤣. The Seiko is kind of overloaded for me, but it's each to his own, so I am not complaining, just mentioning. And the Chinese watch really is a Laco look-alike. Too close to a copycat for my taste, to be honest. But as a German I may be a bit biased... 😉
Casio G-Shock G-5600 is a good solar watch
Timex expedition north solar
Outstanding choice.
What I'll be saying here may be controversial to the watch community and is open to further discussion. I strongly believe that the earth's sustainability agenda should not only be the burden of big players such as Renewable Energy and EV car industries, but that the watch industry can make a huge contribution to greening the planet and lowering its carbon footprint by CEASING the production and sale of battery powered quartz watches. Instead, it should promote heavily the sale of solar / kinetic / mechanical / spring drive movement watches. Similarly, social media influencers can play a significant role by encouraging it's user base to move towards these watch movements instead of promoting quartz watches, no matter how tempting they are in the price point and luxury designs. I say this because the watch industry has a mature technology on these movements especially solar powered watches which can be mass produced to lower the cost further, unlike say the EV car industry currently. Secondly, using battery powered quartz watches requires replacement within 2 years, unlike solar powered batteries which can last up to 2 decades. Ceasing the production of new battery powered watches will significantly reduce landfills in the future unless an effective technology already exists to recycle ALL used batteries completely. Also, batteries used in quartz watches for the short term is akin to using coal to generate energy and carbon fuel for cars. Lastly, it's already bad enough to replace the billions of existing batteries in legacy quartz watches, so let's hope the watch industry will not burden the earth further with new releases of quartz watches! Personally, I haven't been purchasing new quartz watches and am slowly phasing out the use of my legacy quartz watch collections, i.e. I don't replace the batteries in dead quartz watches any more but instead use them as exhibition showpiece purely for their artistic design and aesthetics. Besides, quartz watches are not as fun to wear as alternative movements due to their lack of user interaction which gives a watch a "soul", I digress. Any comments?
That's an interesting perspective I hadn't thought of! I'm surprised more watch brands haven't emphasized that before.
@@JusttheWatch citizen is an early advocate of sustainable watch making since the 80s. Ironically, they still make battery powered quartz watches :-( th-cam.com/video/gGMw_Gak5qc/w-d-xo.html
There is a fan base for high accuracy quartz watches so they will not be too keen..
@@yusufbest4475 there is also a high fan base for coal powered equipment. They are not keen what happens to earth 😉
Citizen BM8470-11EE,Bell & Ross type😊
@text me on telegram @just_the_watch 😊🙏🙏
Best solar: citizen promaster land bj7100-82e eco-drive gmt world time.
That comment you showed on screen from Bob Smith hits the nail on the nose about getting the details wrong. I don’t understand why so many get it wrong, when it’s such a simple design.
And then they go and stick a date window on there without any consideration for whether it looks integrated into the design (e.g. the Laco and the Orient in this video - at least the Jack Mason looks like they paid any attention to this at all).
It’s no wonder so many people dislike date windows, when badly-done ones are so prevalent.
It would be impressive to see a pilot run that flighty hard.
Great video Dave and great collection of fliegers too. I would also include, in true German flieger sense, the Junkers cockpit JU52 automatik (albeit with a miyota 8000 series movement). Real heritage here as the brand was actually making planes in WWII.
Would also look at AVI8 as they have a wide range of pilot's watches.
I am not sure if being original producer of watches for WW2 German pilots is something to be proud of.
It is bro chillax (chill + relax)