40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent value in an alarm chronograph, June 9, 2006
This review is from: Pulsar Men's PM7001 Tech Gear Flight Computer Watch (Watch)
With the demise of my Philip Starck watch (surpisingly fragile for a stainless), I was in need of a solid watch for around $100 or less. My only requirements were that it be analog and have a countdown timer (a must-have for someone who cooks a lot, particularly around the barbecue). I looked at the Casio Solar Atomic, but didn't like the blue steel look. I'd had Casios before, and the huge rubber ones looked a little too toy-like. I was considering a Pulsar Diver watch, but it lacked a countdown timer, but was on sale for $48. But before I could buy it, the price went up to almost $70. The Citizen watches had analog and countdown timers, but the least expensive was around $200. Then I spotted the Tech Gear watches.
I'm a fan of Seiko watches, but could never afford one. Since the Pulsars are entry-level Seikos, I figured the quality would be on par. This model had the analog face as well as a digital digital world clock and the countdown timer I needed. The sliderule face looked like a fun piece of obsolete technology but the $104 price sealed the deal.
This watch is heavy and as the other reviewer noted, it screams durability. I'm the clumsy type (banging into walls and doorways, slamming wrists on desks while typing) so the solid construction is a must. The wristband looked like it could fit a gorilla, so I went to work with a thumbtack to remove 4 of the links, and it fit just right. After programming the analog clock and the digital one to the right timezone, I was set.
A couple of issues. Getting the A button to engage (holding for 2-3 seconds) to switch from alarm/countdown/lap timer can be frustrating. The backlight is fairly dim (if you're used to the bright blue of the Casios, you might have trouble reading this). And the analog hands occasionally obscure the digital info in the background. Other than that, if you want a solid stainless pilot's watch with world clock functions AND a sliderule computer and don't want to spend $200 for a Citizen or $400 for a Seiko, this Pulsar will get the job done.
***UPDATE***
The price drop to $80 makes this a steal. Highly recommended at that price.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sound watch without much sound, June 2, 2006
I'll go straight to the points, as other reviews give you great overall picture.
Pros:
1. Good price - Especially considering sturdiness and function.
2. World city codes - Displays different time zone, including UTC.
3. E6B - I honestly doubt general users will ever (try to) use this except on the first day, but it does have an E6B
4. Easy-to-read analog hands - Easily recognizable under low light
5. Smart one-time alarm - It starts from the next minute and forward (if it's 10:10 now, setup display starts from 10:11. A real time-saver.)
Cons:
1. Ridiculous alarm volume - Only way to hear the alarm sound is to prepare the watch near your ear shortly before the time. It makes hourly chime, two alarms, timer function virtually useless... unless you are alone in home office perhaps. My biggest disappointment. It took a star off on this review.
2. Can't setup a DST info into a specific city - Example. My home city is Seattle with DST during summer. While working I set UTC on display. Problem - I need to unselect DST and vice versa per each zone switching. I forget, then it's one hour off. At least they could have set DST option inapplicable to UTC. There's no DST for UTC!!!
3. Unable to keep city code on display - It shows month, day, or day of week only for normal display. City code shows up only during setup.
4. EB6 is not complete - No time axis here. But perhaps it won't matter for most users, including me.
5. Backlight too short - It brightens for only 2 seconds. Maybe enough to read time but not for alarm setup, etc.
Verdict:
1. I almost refunded this watch due to con #1. Upon hearing the alarm sound, my initial thought was wow-there-must-be-some-kind-of-alarm-volume-control. Of course there was none.
2. I change city setting about 4-6 times a day. DST on/off mistake can be costly (for my work at airport). Users like me would have liked individual DST setting per city. At least no DST override for UTC, for Greenwich's sake!
3. Then why am I wearing it? It's pro #1 and #2 - price and world city codes. In this price range, a function-rich watch in sturdy case is a rarity. Pro #4 is a definite plus, too. I decided these outweighs cons #1 and #2.
Advice:
1. Alarm sound can be a big issue. It's just not audible.
2. Those with X-man ears will appreciate the smart one-time alarm setup.
3. After all, the price may justify this flaw.
4. No buy if alarm function is critical to you.
5. No buy if you need/want full scale E6B.
6. Go buy if 4 and 5 don't bother you. At this price, it IS a steal deal.
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great watch with a few problems., June 8, 2006
This review is from: Pulsar Men's PM7001 Tech Gear Flight Computer Watch (Watch)
Bought this one after trying on the Citizen Skyhawk. Its much cheaper, and has features that I would use more: Larger digital displays and a backlight.
On a functional level, the only complaint is that the digital and analog displays drift in sync.
Also, dont know if its just my watch, but the metal band squeaks pretty often and is getting annoying.
Over all, this is a keeper.
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