Altimeter watches

About 25 years ago, back when I did my first steps in mountaineering, altimeter watches were a rare thing. During those days the instrument of reference for altitude measurement and weather prediction was the analog altimeter.

Basically it was a aneroid barometer (quite similar to those I would find in the maritime industry years later, although smaller) with a regulable needle, to allow the calibration of the instrument to a known reference altitude (the condition needed to have accurate readings in the future).

Later came the digital altimeters (I remember the pioneering ones from Avocet, particularly their Vertech line) and the game rules started to change. The developments of electronics drove to achievements in miniaturization and, as a consequence, systems integration. And the first altimeter watches started to appear. But like every time when we are face to face with evolutions or revolutions, there's always that moment of doubt. Our conservative side. Dependent of the technologies that, regardless of being dated, we've learn to trust. Will it work? And more important than that... will it be reliable?

Well, my two cents worth on this subject is that what was new and doubtful twenty years ago is now a more than tested mainstream technology.

If there's a nation that can take Mankind's best technological ideas, make them even better, mass-produce them and sell them at a cheap price, it's Japan.

And in this particular market niche, due to its genial politics of functions integration, Casio was always on the lead.

So, when I bought my first altimeter watch, about ten years ago, among all the (few choices) on the market, the Casio brand was the most obvious. The company had, until then (still has), a record of well engineered, reliable and durable timepieces. So choosing Casio was a no-brainer.

Therefore I bought the Casio G-Shock DW-9100ZJ-1T Riseman. The G-Shock armour made the watch look ugly as Hell but also made me confident that it could withstand a nuclear explosion, if needed.

But since I bought it mainly for its altimeter function, my biggest question was: how accurate the altitude sensor was?

Didn't have to wait too long to find out. A few weeks after buying it, I was standing in the Torre plateau, in the Portuguese Serra da Estrela, at a geographic altitude of 1993 metres, and the watch on my wrist (still on factory calibration!!!!) was showing 1990 metres. Now, considering that the altimeter function in these watches is a sub-function of their barometric sensor and, therefore, the altitude of a given place is measured by the particular air pressure detected in that spot (which is hardly the same everyday), we have to take our hats off to the competence of the engineers that designed this product and to the perfection of the software included in it.

I was so amazed with that measurement, that I left it untouched on the watch memory for months. Just for the sheer pleasure of looking at it.

Honestly, you would have to use a Differential GPS to have better accuracy. Because the conventional one don't go nowhere as near.

A couple of years later, however, I had to change its battery for the first time. So I send it to the Casio repair centre in Lisboa. Together with replacement of the battery, they performed (mere routine) the hydrostatic test, to confirm its water tightness. And with that I lost its factory calibration forever. From then on, I would have to calibrate it manually, in a place with a known altitude, before starting my mountain activities. But, performed that procedure, the measurements remained always accurate.
Now, the watch is starting to show its age. First the watch band, due to the intense use, was damaged beyond repair. So I bought a new one. However, a few months after the band replacement, the bezel (made of some kind of rubberized plastic) started to crack itself near the sensor, the joints and in the more pressure subjected areas around the fixing screws. For that damage there is no easy repair, except replacing the entire exterior carcass. However, the watch is already discontinued for several years. And spares for it are not easy to find.
So, I've decided to buy a new one. Its younger brother: the Casio Riseman GW-9200J-1JF. This is, basically, the same watch. However, there are some major advances. It still is based on the same dual-sensor architecture: One sensor for atmospheric pressure and another one for air temperature. The altimeter, as I have said previously, is a sub-function of the barometer sensor. The new model, nevertheless, is a clear improvement of the old one's characteristics with the addiction of a few more. It's now a solar watch, so goodbye cell replacements; it's also a world timer, with a memory of up to 33 different time zones; it's an atomic time-regulated watch, meaning that (depending on the world region where you are) it can receive, automatically or manually and several times per day, a radio signal from reference stations, thus keeping the watch with an almost atomic precision.
For the outdoor use, the altimeter has now a range from -700 mts to 10000 mts (the early model had a range from 0 to 6000 mts), meaning that the barometer range was also extended (from 260 to 1100 mbar, contrary to the old model, which range was from 460 to 1100 mbar).
However, the thermometer of the new model is a little short (from -10º to +60º Celsius), when we compare it with the older one (from -20º to +60º Celsius). For outdoor activities, and in particular for mountaineering, this is not nearly enough. Minus ten degrees I have in the Portuguese mountains, during Winter time, and they are not, by any mountaineering standards, particularly cold. What would say about that a climber in the Alps, in the Rockies or in the Andes? This was clearly a step backwards, Casio. Why?
Meanwhile, while I was looking, searching the web for the Riseman's best price, I stumbled over a curious offer from Pulsar. Also a twin sensor watch, with temperature and pressure gauge, the Pulsar/Seiko PS7001 caught my eye. Cheaper than the Casio, this Alti-Thermo offer from Pulsar has a stainless steel bezel and, therefore, a more conventional (nevertheless elegant and stylish) look than the Casio. It's also a cheaper option. So I ended up buying both.
Yesterday, I went to the highest peak in Madeira to test their accuracy. After calibration of the two units at sea level, close to home, I hiked to the top of the island to check with my eyes the competence of these small wrist computers.
No surprise to me, they both performed very well. Both watches allow for manual calibration of the altimeter and thermometer functions. And that, as you might imagine, is quite important. The barometric sensor might become inconsistent with the aging of the equipment. It's not a defect. It's a technological reality. So, a sensor unable to be calibrated is useless in the long run. However, only the Casio watch has the ability of, besides the altimeter, manually calibrate (in full mb units)  the barometer function. In mountaineering activities, an exact barometer is not truly needed. As long as it's consistent, doesn't really matter if you have 1020 mb of pressure or 1010. The atmospheric pressure in the high mountains is completely different (lower, naturally!) than at sea level. And for weather prediction (supposing that you stay at the same altitude enough time - at least twelve hours -  to get sufficient data for interpretation) you just need to read the graph tendency: if the curve goes up (pressure rising), you will have good weather, if it goes down (pressure falling)... be aware.
However, I'm a professional mariner. And, for me, a barometer has to be exact. That's the reason why we send the ship's barometer and barograph every year ashore for calibration. To get, as much as possible, accuracy in readings. I'm prepared to accept five or six millibars of error as long as I know how much error do I have and if it is up or down. Much like the chronometers on board. They don't have to be exact. Actually, they never are. But we always know their errors. And the knowledge of that error makes a great difference in astronomical navigation.
So... that is a failure in the Pulsar that I cannot accept. On the positive side: the Pulsar data refreshing rate is faster, while the Casio is lazier. The Pulsar calibration is in full units (1596, 1597, 1598... etc) while the Casio altimeter is calibrated in multiples of five (1590, 1595, 1600... etc). Both units calibrate their thermometers in full units. To me, honestly, the multiples-o- five altimeter calibration in the Casio is not really an handicap. Like I've said before, you will be lucky, at any given place,  if you get a GPS accuracy for altitude of twenty meters. So, if you can get a precision of five meters with an alti-baro, we are already on the surrealist level.
In this point both units performed remarkably well.
So, in the end both are very interesting offers. The Pulsar is not as rugged as the Casio. It's a dressy Alti-Thermo. Looks nice, either with crampons or with a sporty suit. Its WR of 10 Bar is half of the Casio. Its altimeter only?! reaches 9000 mts, against 10000 of the Casio. And the displayed temperature (between 0 to 50º Celsius) is a tad more limited. On the other hand, the Casio is a legitimate heir of the G-Shock name. With a rugged design, you'll either like it or hate it. Environmentally speaking, it's a watch built for rough use. And abuse. And with a solar cell, it has the autonomy of a lifetime. For me, personally, if I had to be on the mountains everyday, I'd choose the Casio. Hands down. Surprisingly, on my daily near-the-sea-level routine I find myself grabbing the Pulsar quite frequently right after awakening.
Truth be told, you will be happy with either one.

The Casio Riseman GW-9200J-1JF and the Pulsar PS 7001, side by side in Madeira's highest peak (Pico Ruívo, alt. 1862 mts above sea level), showing their altitude measurements. Three meters error for the Casio and two for the Pulsar. Both units were calibrated at sea-level, several hours before. Sadly, since I don't have a precise meteorological thermometer, I wasn't able to check their temperature sensor accuracy.

Picture taken with Nikon D40X and Sigma EX DC 18-50mm f/2.8 Macro HSM, with Cokin Series P Linear Polarizer.

Post-processing in Adobe Photoshop CS3.

Perigáum Automatic - The ultimate cheap automatic watch?

I was thinking about buying an automatic watch for quite some time. With a few analog quartz watches already and some digital ones with various applications, I, curiously, decided to take the plunge and buy a classic one, because, as a fellow seaman once said to me, they are very interesting machines.

However the most famous and reliable automatic mechanisms are from Switzerland and, together with fame and precision?!, they always bring attached a nice price tag. At the other end of the spectrum lie a few oriental watchmakers, but not a single one of them (except the more expensive Citizen and Seiko) with unanimous favourable opinion among users.

Refusing myself to pay more than one or two hundred dollars for a watch, I excluded, for obvious reasons, the Swiss ones... normally starting at ten times that price. So, for now, and while I'm waiting to win the jackpot, I forget the Rolexes, the Omegas, the IWC's and even the (comparatively) modest Tissots. For the moment, I just keep as my only official import from Switzerland the chocolates. So, after (quickly) forgetting any dreams of grandeur I started to do some research on the net for the right product, among a few obscure, but nevertheless (so I thought) trustworthy, European watchmakers.

For starters, I had a general concept of my ideal machine:

1. Not more than 150 Euros.

2. Automatic movement.

3. Gold plated (I know it sounds kitsch, but I have already a few stainless steel watches).

4. Large case (bigger than 40mm in diameter).

5. Water resistant.

6. Visible mechanism on the back and also forward.

7. A few complications (just to look nice!).

8. Leather strap, and... lastly...

9. ... a precise mechanism.

You probably think that the search was easy. And, in a way, it was. I forgot the E-Bay market for starters. I know, I don't really have any formal complains about E-Bay. In fact, I've bought over the years many items with them. Mostly Chinese photographic accessories. And not even once E-Bay failed me. However, I decided to buy my watch from Amazon. But since I'm a European citizen, I immediately forgot Amazon.com and choose instead the UK branch. That way, within the European Union, I had automatically the tax problem solved.

So, I started the search. And eventually that led me to the Perigáum 1972 watchmakers.

About whom I didn't know anything. A quick search on the web led me to their website ( http://www.perigaum.com/). However, although elegant and formal, the website is short on words. Witch is a shame, because with a better information they'll get (I suppose) more clients.

However, between the lines, I have manage to understand that the company is German and it was founded in 1972 (no sure about this, tho... could be the door number). However, there are a few interesting models by this watchmaker on the web and the prices are also interesting, lying around the numbers I was pointing at.

The very positive reviews I was reading were enough for me to take a leap of faith and so I decided myself for a watch of this brand. The fact is that Perigáum has a few models that go well over the one-thousand Euro mark. And at that level a watchmaker must know what he is doing, because the competition is already fierce. There are several "classic" brands with products in that price tag. So, to compete at those prices with well established brands Perigáum has to duel with the same weapons. As I've told you, I didn't wanna so much. My only hope is that they apply the same engineering standards to their lower-level models. The ones I was targeting.

Finally, I've decided myself for the Perigáum 1972 Monaco Automatic P-0505-GS.

The Amazon professionalism was, as usual, perfect. The order was placed at 01:44 of the past 30th of May on their website (the seller store was Watch-Shop) and yesterday (first of June), around 16:00, the UPS courier was calling me with the package. From UK to Madeira: about 62 hours. Not bad.

Now... about that watch.

Well, it's nice. Don't be expecting something that it's not. But for 98.62 £ (package included), I guess I got a little bit more than what I've payed for.

Pictures please:

The watch comes in this nice black case with the User's manual/Warranty certificate. All this protected with a white cardboard box with the Perigáum logo on the cover.

The watch itself is somewhat elegant, without being flashy. The crown is not screw-in. And it serves two purposes: when completely closed, and if you need to start the mechanism, just turn it gently, clockwise, five or six times to acquire a little reserve power. Then you just need to slightly shake the watch to start the movement. If you pull it out one (and only) step, it works as a regular time setting.

There are two additional buttons on the right side. The upper button sets the date (by mere pushes) and the lower one sets the month (by the same procedure). The blue ink you see on the crown is, I think, a production mark. It's easily clean.

The case see-through back, with the mechanism visible by means of a mineral crystal window.

The black leather strap, with the Perigáum logo and the words "genuine leather". This might not mean a thing. However using genuine leather in such an inexpensive watch is, to me, a watchmakers commitment on quality. They could easily have gone for any synthetic product.

Another front view of the watch in review. The open balance spring gives the watch it's elegant touch. The dial is in black colour and, besides the hour, minute and second hands, you'll find on it the day of the week (on the left) and the month (on the right). On top, under the roman numeral XII, you'll find the date window (in Arabic numbers). Just don't expect that these hour and minute hands are easily seen at night time. Contrary to my Citizen Divers that almost hurt my eyes in deep night, the fluorescence of these two hands is kinda week. Anyway, this is mostly a "urban" watch. So the designers probably thought that we are going to use it in well lit places. Somehow I have the feeling that they were correct.

The watch case, in nice golden colour, with a third button, almost hidden. You can use any pointed tool to (carefully) push it. And it serves the purpose of setting the weekday.

At the end of this review, there are a few questions that remain to be answered. For instance: will the golden colour survive the test of time? Or is it going to wear out and show, sooner or latter, the stainless steel underneath, like so many cheap Rolex and Omega imitations from the Far-East? How accurate is this automatic mechanism and where is it from? The most expensive automatic Perigáums clearly state "Swiss made" on their dials, regarding their origin. Is this a Japanese automatic movement? If so, it was not a bad approach, since many of them, judging by the many positive opinions worldwide, are more accurate than the Swiss ones. Dear gents at Perigáum, we, your clients, would love to know the answers to these questions.

Meanwhile, while we wait, I'll try to find the answers to some of them myself.

Cheap diving watch for the working class

Humans have a thing for technology. We get amazed with the myriad of gizmo's and gadgets the world has to offer nowadays. However, one of them is already a secular fascination: watches.

Watches were born first as an important tool. It allowed us to organize our time and to interact with each other, pardon the pun, in a timely basis. In my profession, seamanship, it was more important than that. In its chronometer version, maritime clocks were the revolution that succeeded the Portuguese "astrolábio" (the precursor of the modern sextant). No more navigation in latitude or by sheer dead-reckoning. The maritime chronometer gave us with great precision the coordinate that was missing: longitude.

From those days until now, a lot has changed. Clocks are still important. Chronometers also. But for our daily life wrist watches became a tool of relative need. We do now have the chance to check the time in our laptops, in our cellular phones or in our I-pods. So, wrist watches were condemned to extinction? No. Although their function as a tool became less indispensable, their affirmation as a symbol of status of the owner started rising. I remember, many years ago, in a interview, a Portuguese musician of the eighties saying that he might be walking in the streets with just a simple jeans and a t-shirt. Anonymous. But if he was wearing a Rolex in his hand, he was already somebody. At the time, owning a Rolex (even a stainless steel one) seemed to me an impossible dream. Much like owning the moon. I remember walking with my mother on the Amoreiras Shopping Center in Lisboa (1984? 1985? I don't know for sure) and entering in a jewelery shop with the firm decision of tasting a Citizen Aqualand, at the time the most advanced diving watch in the world. In those days this watch was priced (in today's money) at 280 Euros. Still to much for a kid studying in the secondary school and with the available money more important for other things. Regardless of that, the shop assistant was a pal and, noticing that I was truly interest in diving watches, had the idea of showing me a Rolex. The pure stainless steel Sea Dweller. Until those days, that watch existed only in my dreams and in the pictures of the Newsweek, at the time subscribed by my father. Believe it or not, the watch had a price tag at that time of 1150 Euros. I still dream of it. And until the present days, it was the only Rolex I've held in my hands. However, the dream of owning a true diving watch was still alive. More mature now, I also think that spending thousands of Euros in an artifact that, by itself, requires an insurance policy to walk around with it in the streets, doesn't make any sense. So I started looking for the cheap alternatives. Still ignorant about the characteristics that a diving watch should fulfil, I made some research on the net. And I've found a very nice and comprehensive article about that on the Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diving_watch). Reading all about the ISO 6425 standards for the manufacture of diving watches, I began to understand that, although they are now exhibition pieces more than anything, wrist diving watches are still made with very tough specifications and with a primary vocation as a working tool. Watches like this abound. Rolex, Panerai, Omega, Technomarine and so on. But they are also overpriced. And one can always ask if the quality they have justifies the over prices. In my modest opinion, it does not.

Particularly when I've set my eyes on the Citizen Eco Drive Professional Diver, model BN0000-04H. One and a half year ago this watch was priced at 130 British pounds. But regardless of its relative low cost, this watch is packed with all the characteristics that makes it a very reliable tool.

For starters, you have:

Screw-down crown

A solid one piece case (no way you can access to the mechanism)

A one-way rotating bezel

Case in stainless steel

Water resistant to 300 Mt's (30 atmospheres)

... and last but not least... never needs a battery, because it comes with the Eco-drive mechanism (the watch display is actually a photovoltaic panel that drives and stores energy for the quartz mechanism).

The watch comes with this elegant, although simple, case, bringing inside two booklets. One is the instruction manual for this specific model and the other one being the international five year warranty and general instructions. Please pay attention that there is another model on the market, very similar, but with a case width of 33mm. It's the Citizen Eco Drive Professional Diver, model EP6000-07H. That's the ladies version of the watch here shown.

The watch, outside of the case (case width: 43mm), showing the rubber bracelet with the No Decompression Limits table.

The aft part of the watch. The crown protection is easily seen here and also the engravings around the symbol. Between those engravings lies one that separates children from men: the word "Diver's". This means that this watch fully conforms with the rigorous ISO 6425 and is recognized as a diving watch by the industry. Not a bad achievement for such an accessible watch.