Most everyone on this board has their "if I had the money" desire. Cars, bikes, guns, etc. Mine is a Breitling Emergency watch.

I do a lot of solo-camping and also canoe The Boundary Waters. It pains me to say that I am closer to 50 than I'd like to admit (holy shit ) and am considering making it my gift to myself.(I'll have to find a used one)

Anyone on the board ever part of being rescued because of the watch, or at least personally know someone who has? I've read all the stories their website has, but wondering if someone here has a personal experience with the watch?

I once used the reflection of the sun off the glass of my watch face to signal a jet fighter in a stew field.

That team that rescued Richard Hammond when he used the watch did not inspire confidence.

Holy Hire A Sherpa Batman!!!! Are these things really 15 grand???

Bought one of the first generation Breitling Emergency watches (with the old 121.5 mhz transmitter) about 8 years ago at a sheriff's sale on the local courthouse steps for $300 IIRC. Some real estate developer owed an aircraft charter company some tens of thousands of dollars and that was one of the items he was forced to sell.

Don't particularly care for Breitling's designs, and I was a little paranoid about accidentally setting it off (although Breitling claims there haven't been any accidental activations), so I sold it on a watch forum for a decent profit.

Sorry (or maybe not!) that I don't have any more personal experience to relay. I understand the new ones use 406 mHz, which carries farther and gives more precise location information to emergency crews. You can get the same functionality from a ~$300 EPIRB, though. Do these new Breitlings have a battery expiry date like regular EPIRBs? That would be one of my concerns if I were in the market for one to wear for real.

quote:

S600MBUSA

Thanks for the post. Similar to you, if I buy one it will have to be due to the need to sell of the current owner.

It's a neat watch in that James Bond and Batman utility gadget kinda way...

But, for solo hiking, I wouldn't rely on it. The issue is that someone's gotta be out looking for you, and they've gotta be doing it by plane, monitoring that frequency, for the short period of time the beacon is triggered.

Personally, I'd go with a professional grade Rolex like an explorer or GMT II, and then pair it with a Garmin inReach or Spot II communicator for hiking.

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:
It's a neat watch in that James Bond and Batman utility gadget kinda way...

But, for solo hiking, I wouldn't rely on it. The issue is that someone's gotta be out looking for you, and they've gotta be doing it by plane, monitoring that frequency, for the short period of time the beacon is triggered.

Personally, I'd go with a professional grade Rolex like an explorer or GMT II, and then pair it with a Garmin inReach or Spot II communicator for hiking.

I believe that there is a satellite network listening for the 406 MHz ELTs. The 406 MHz ELTs also send a gps position hack, so (assuming everything works like it is supposed to) the right folks should be looking for you in the right place. All that said, I would not be looking for an ELT watch. A Spot or similar would seem to make a lot more sense to me.

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:
It's a neat watch in that James Bond and Batman utility gadget kinda way...

But, for solo hiking, I wouldn't rely on it. The issue is that someone's gotta be out looking for you, and they've gotta be doing it by plane, monitoring that frequency, for the short period of time the beacon is triggered.

Personally, I'd go with a professional grade Rolex like an explorer or GMT II, and then pair it with a Garmin inReach or Spot II communicator for hiking.

The Cospas-Sarsat satellite network will pick-up the 406 MHz signal (like that used in the Breitling Emergency II and stand alone locator beacons) anywhere on the planet. The information gets sent to the appropriate mission control center in whatever country the beacon is activated and then on to a rescue coordination center (Langley AFB in the lower 48) that directs local SAR assets.

I'd go the same way as far as having my watch and beacon separate (for a number of reasons), but systems like Spot and inReach are not a substitute for a proper 406MHz beacon. As I understand it, they use a weaker signal that requires line of sight to the satellite. Since they operate on a proprietary commercial system, I've heard them compared to home alarm systems in that the distress signal/alarm first goes to the company monitoring the system who then has to pass it along to the authorities who will actually respond, adding another layer between you and "the cavalry." They do have more options as far as messaging and some other features, but this usually requires a monthly fee unlike PLBs/EPIRBs, and adds complexity that might make these units less reliable. Cospas-Sarsat has been operating in various forms for decades with thousands of lives saved, a track record the commercial systems simply can't match.

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Originally posted by cslinger:
Holy Hire A Sherpa Batman!!!! Are these things really 15 grand???

In the world of luxury watches, 15 grand isn't really all that much.

It's unlikely that you could set if off by accident, as it involved [on my 12 y/o model] undoing the screw-down and hauling out the antenna.

Another reason for not trying it out to impress your buddies is the $15K fine for misuse, although I'm told that it has now gone up substantially.

tac

Dude you have already talked yourself into it.

When you post onto SigForum about buying something it's like a 90% chance that you buy it, right?

You are just looking for reasons to NOT buy it.

And I will say say BUY IT.

Repeat BUY IT.

I have an AeroSpace and a Navitimer. My wife has a mother-of-pearl-automatic.

If the name says Breitling I say BUY IT!!!!

Your mileage may vary, of course! :-)

My obsession with the Breitlings. :-)

I don't have the watch, but I have taken several lickings and keep on ticking!

I also have a 1970 Model 806 Navitimer that I was given in return for a bag of .58cal Minié bullets - G*d's truth.

It WAS in kit form, mind, but less than a Benjamin later it was up and running, and has been doing so with astonishing accuracy since 1989.

tac

tacfoley that is awesome!

I hope you still wear that thing every so often!

I rather have new kitchen cabinets. Hopefully one day I can afford something like that, probably still stick to my "expensive" watches in the $500-$1,000 range. That thing cost more than every car I've ever owned except my current one added together with enough left over to buy a brand new SIG and a couple thousand rounds of ammo.

Sorry to be Debby Downer.
You are likely better off carrying one of the units made by ACR, McMurdo, and others. All are small and well under $1K. Do carry air evac insurance if you travel to odd spots.

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Originally posted by furlough:
tacfoley that is awesome!

I hope you still wear that thing every so often!

It is on my wrist as I write this resplone.

Email me and I'll send you a pic!!!

tac

quote:

Originally posted by slosig:

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:
It's a neat watch in that James Bond and Batman utility gadget kinda way...

But, for solo hiking, I wouldn't rely on it. The issue is that someone's gotta be out looking for you, and they've gotta be doing it by plane, monitoring that frequency, for the short period of time the beacon is triggered.

Personally, I'd go with a professional grade Rolex like an explorer or GMT II, and then pair it with a Garmin inReach or Spot II communicator for hiking.

I believe that there is a satellite network listening for the 406 MHz ELTs. The 406 MHz ELTs also send a gps position hack, so (assuming everything works like it is supposed to) the right folks should be looking for you in the right place. All that said, I would not be looking for an ELT watch. A Spot or similar would seem to make a lot more sense to me.

Yes, 406 HZs is what you want and what all of the EPIRBS I know of used on ships use. You can get an EPIRB for $200 now a days..... Not sure I'd want to use a $15,000 watch to go camping with. Also the EPIRBS i use have to be recertified every few years (new battery), I would think the watch would be similar and it's a touch pricey.