Firefighter/EMT Wrist Watch suggestions

[C-dub]

My "son-in-law" just finished his EMT program and takes his certification test in a couple of weeks. He already has his firefighter certification. Once he has both he can get on with a department.

I don't think the kid has a decent wrist watch, so I'm thinking about getting him something good, nice, and tough for the job. Any recommendations from any current or retired firefighters out there for what works and or things to stay away from?

[Tex1961]

If it were me and you don’t mind spending some coin. Assuming he has a iPhone. I would get an Apple Watch with a rugged case. I have something like this and it does everything I need and more. https://www.amazon.com/realproof-waterp ... echtank-20

[C-dub]

If it were me and you don’t mind spending some coin. Assuming he has a iPhone. I would get an Apple Watch with a rugged case. I have something like this and it does everything I need and more. https://www.amazon.com/realproof-waterp ... echtank-20

I'll have to check on the iPhone thing. I haven't paid that much attention to what he has.

A few of my laboratory coworkers have them. I've swung the other way and gone back to analog automatic watches without batteries. Is or are the apple watches suitable for a firefighter/EMT environment? How is their survivability?

[Paladin]

Casio G-shock has been the best watch I've ever had. Atomic time with solar. Always accurate. Battery has never failed. Rugged to the extreme.

[Tex1961]

If it were me and you don’t mind spending some coin. Assuming he has a iPhone. I would get an Apple Watch with a rugged case. I have something like this and it does everything I need and more. https://www.amazon.com/realproof-waterp ... echtank-20

I'll have to check on the iPhone thing. I haven't paid that much attention to what he has.

A few of my laboratory coworkers have them. I've swung the other way and gone back to analog automatic watches without batteries. Is or are the apple watches suitable for a firefighter/EMT environment? How is their survivability?

So far mine has survived swimming pool, and many, many range visits where it’s getting a lot of shock from shooting. Add a waterproof and shockproof case and I call that a winner. Most importantly quick access of important information stored on his phone. I teach up to three classes per week and being able to glance at my watch for texts, emails, notes, and whatever else one wants is much easier than trying to grab my phone. Especially when standing up in front of a bunch of students.

[LDB415]

G-Shock are tough as nails if you get one of the better ones and not one of the extra-cheap models. The really good ones cost as much or more than an Apple watch but other than once in a blue moon never run out of battery like the 'smart' watches. I don't have one of these and would like to as it would be wear and go and forget about it until I want to look at it and then in 3 years or so get a new battery.

Apple watch is great but requires constant charging. For his use that could be a drawback as it could run out of battery before he runs out of shift or a call comes in 3 minutes after it's put on to charge and has to be left behind as it's too low on battery. I've got an Apple watch and wear it for a few weeks at a time a couple times a year until I get too frustrated at having to constantly charge it.

You can get the top FitBit devices that sync and do most of what an Apple watch will do, cost half what the Apple watch costs, and have 2-4 times the battery life. That's still nothing to write home about but would last longer than any shift he would ever be on. I have one of these and wear it a couple of times a year for a few weeks until I get too frustrated at having to very frequently charge it.

Garmin also makes some top shelf smart watches that also have better (a relative term and not great in any case) battery life. I don't have one of these and suspect it would match my others.

Good luck figuring it out.

[srothstein]

I do not know much about how hard firefighters or EMTs are on their watch, but might I suggest two watches? As a patrolman, I was very hard on watches. I tried going to good heavy duty watches and found that the G-shock is one of the best. I also really liked the Citizen diver watches. They were nearly indestructible. But nearly is not quite enough when they cost a few hundred dollars and you buy one every year or two.

I went to buying very cheap Timex watches for duty wear and a very good watch for all other times. I use an Android phone and my Samsung watches have each lasted several years (last one I replaced for the new features and gave the old one to my daughter, so it is still working). The real benefits of the Smart watches are their other functions - pulse, step counts, exercise tracking, even ECGs to look for atrial fibrillation. And the one I truly love is that I am never without my phone this way. The watch is tied to the phone via bluetooth and if they get separated, all the phone calls are automatically forwarded to the watch. I have forgotten my phone or left it on my desk when I walked down the hall, but I always have my watch on my wrist.

[The Annoyed Man]

A couple of years ago, I gave up on electric watches and got myself a Seiko with a self-winding movement…this one. I paid $234 for mine at the time on eBay. It gains about 1 minute per week, which is fine for my purposes, and it’s impervious to EMP. It uses a plain NATO style watch band. Mine is tan, but you can get them in all kinds of colors for formal or casual occasions for about 10-$15 each, and they are easily switched out without having to remove the pins. The watch is shock resistant and water resistant to 100 meters. If I’m ever at 100 meters down, I’ll be dead and the watch will be irrelevant.

I have accumulated probably a couple thousand dollars worth of old electric watches of different kinds over the years that I stopped using when they quit working (other than needing a new battery)…including a couple of solar charged atomic clock-linked G-Shocks that gave up the ghost.

I finally decided to go back to using an old-school wind-up/self-winding watch. Been happy with it ever since. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this watch to somebody who was going to be in a risky and physically demanding profession…as long as he can live with it being off by a minute each week.

[Rafe]

I don't have any better ideas than others have offered, but I can think of one watch you might decide you wouldn't want. And, yes, it's real, available at Amazon...and, yes, made in China.

[LDB415]

Here's an interesting suspect. Some of the features won't likely get used unless he enlists but on the interesting side it has a built in flashlight which might be useful dealing with some calls and it uses solar so it extends battery life whenever he's near a good light source.

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/884414/pn/010-02805-13

[C-dub]

I don't have any better ideas than others have offered, but I can think of one watch you might decide you wouldn't want. And, yes, it's real, available at Amazon...and, yes, made in China.

That thing is off by what … 2-3 hours per day?

[C-dub]

A couple of years ago, I gave up on electric watches and got myself a Seiko with a self-winding movement

I’ve recently done that myself. I had a solar powered Timex Pathfinder for 10+ years that finally wouldn’t charge or synch at night with the atomic clock. Then I found a Rockwell Coloseum in kryptec at the Chris Kyle store in Midlothian and it was great for about 5 years when the band gave out. Not replaceable AFAIK and the light won’t light so it might need battery replacement that can only be done at the factory maybe.

Anyway, I found a company called Islander Watches up on Long Island that has an F-14 etched on the back of their Field watches. They are very close to where Grumman made the Tomcats and that the plane I did electronics on in The Navy. I had to have one of those! I’m also now looking at Hamiltons.

I had not previously considered an autowinder for him. I’ll start looking into something rugged that might be appropriate for him.

[Rafe]

I don't have any better ideas than others have offered, but I can think of one watch you might decide you wouldn't want. And, yes, it's real, available at Amazon...and, yes, made in China.

That thing is off by what … 2-3 hours per day?

From what I gather, it seldom knows the correct date, either. It also comes with a caution not to wear it on stairs or bicycles because it can cause a loss of balance.

[eyedoc]

My "son-in-law" just finished his EMT program and takes his certification test in a couple of weeks. He already has his firefighter certification. Once he has both he can get on with a department.

I don't think the kid has a decent wrist watch, so I'm thinking about getting him something good, nice, and tough for the job. Any recommendations from any current or retired firefighters out there for what works and or things to stay away from?

I am a watch addict. I even work on them. What is your budget?

This is a tough watch that was designed for Search and Rescue. I have two of them.

https://longislandwatch.com/marathon-gs ... -ww194006/

[eyedoc]

I also second a good Casio G-Shock. I use them on my trips over seas to primitive areas.