What’s the best watch to wear on safari?

[Inline6]

You bring up a good point! I’ve often wondered what I’d do if I ended up alone when knocking about the bush. Realistically it is a stretch that I’d wander off from the finest trackers on earth. Or end up the only survivor in a Land Cruiser wreck. But a GPS would be comforting.

I carried my Garmin that has the SOS button and the plan was paid up. If something bad where to happen, I at least had the ability to hit the button and make something happen vs wondering what to do. It has inreach too should that be a need.

May not bring a watch, does not mean I have nothing to work with.

Fair enough but thats kind of a cop-out though…
in that case, why pack bino’s? The ph will tell you what and when to shoot…

I'm there to taken in the sights and everything I possibly can. Who here is really worried about the time when you are stalking or tracking in the bush. Hell I don't care if I eat lunch when we are on a good track or in the middle of putting on a stalk. I'm just not worried about it. Why pack bino's? One I want to see the sights, two I want to see if I can spot the animals before the PH. Three they are my range finds as well. I'm sure most want to find the animals before the PH and the track. I can't speak for everyone else, I'll just say. It is a contest that is not won often by me.

 

[sestoppelman]

These watch threads always go the same way. Most reply with their preferred watch, then you get all the all other non sequitur answers.

I dont wear a watch, I'm on vacation, I have a phone, they reflect light, too heavy, makes noise, dangerous in JO, my PH has a watch, I'm retired, dont care what time it is,,, and on and on and on.

The question was whats the best watch for safari. It wasnt why dont you like to wear a watch.

Sheesh!

 

[Warren Knudsen]

I like the Garmin fenix 6

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

Luminox "Navy seal" watch. Leather cover when Leopard hunting. They last me about 3 to 5 years and then they are pretty well finished.

 

[Kalthoff]

I recently purchased an Elliot Brown Holton Nivo for hunting, hiking, fishing etc.

It was surprisingly hard to find a 3-hand watch, in a dark low reflective coating, with a timing bezel and decent lume, that is at the same time presentable at hunts.

The movement is a dirt cheap "swiss" Ronda 715 quartz moment. Mine is consistently gaining one second every 3 days. That is adequate for my use, but far from the chronometer standard for quartz watches.

The first scratch through the PVD coating down to bare metal, came with the first month of ownership. It will be interesting to see how well the watch takes to actual use.

 

[BeeMaa]

These watch threads always go the same way. Most reply with their preferred watch, then you get all the all other non sequitur answers.

I dont wear a watch, I'm on vacation, I have a phone, they reflect light, too heavy, makes noise, dangerous in JO, my PH has a watch, I'm retired, dont care what time it is,,, and on and on and on.

The question was whats the best watch for safari. It wasnt why dont you like to wear a watch.

Sheesh!

Something else these threads always do...have me looking at another watch. But seriously I think a nice thin and light pilot watch (no date or sub-dials) on a nato/leather strap would be nice. Maybe something like this.

I'll admit to being a guy who likes watches and have to admit that something is missing if I don't have one on. Even when I'm hunting I feel like I need it, regardless of what the location is.

 

[Ngonyama]

I don’t wear one ,sun comes up,coffee time,sun sets @ beer’0’ clock

 

[Pheroze]

I took a Garmin Instinct 2 Solar to RSA, and I use it when I hunt here. I have not had it run down yet. I like to know what time it is. But it has a "hunt" feature that tracks your movements and heart rate etc. You can see a map of where you have been, distance, altitude, calorie consumption, and other stuff. I thought it was cool to show my family, and I posted it in my hunt report. Great watch.

 

[Iclimb]

I carried my Garmin that has the SOS button and the plan was paid up. If something bad where to happen, I at least had the ability to hit the button and make something happen vs wondering what to do. It has inreach too should that be a need.

May not bring a watch, does not mean I have nothing to work with.

I'm there to taken in the sights and everything I possibly can. Who here is really worried about the time when you are stalking or tracking in the bush. Hell I don't care if I eat lunch when we are on a good track or in the middle of putting on a stalk. I'm just not worried about it. Why pack bino's? One I want to see the sights, two I want to see if I can spot the animals before the PH. Three they are my range finds as well. I'm sure most want to find the animals before the PH and the track. I can't speak for everyone else, I'll just say. It is a contest that is not won often by me.

Ok, bino‘s were maybe a bad example…..how about a knife in place of “bino“ in my statement. Hahaha jk

to all of the people Uber concerned with “weight” you might consider a Tudor pelagos, it’s a great watch made if titanium (the bracelet too). It can be had in a left had drive version too. This is nice, when worn on the left hand, the configuration keeps the crown out of the back of your hand. Titanium has kind of a grayish sheen to it and isn’t super polished so it keeps “flash“ to a minimum and looks great in general. The new ‘Tudor Pelagos fxd’ is another great model and the lugs are machines into the case ‘fixed’ so you needn’t worry about a spring pin failure and llosing the watch,

now I will also mention that if you are worried about the weight in such a small amount you better get to the gym!

i Enjoy seeing everyones timepieces of choice! Keep it coming!

 

[Safari Dave]

Since the day I graduated college in 1987 and every day since...


(unless I'm in a place where I think someone might hack it off of my wrist with a machete, then it's a Seiko SKX007)

 

[Finprof]

I have a assortment of fine watches including Jaeger-LeCoultre and Omega but haven’t warn any of them since I retired in September 2021. I wear a $9 black plastic Casio that is enough to keep my wrist from feeling naked. I used to wear a Hamilton Vietnam-era officer’s watch for hunting but the Casio is also non-reflective. I even wear the Casio to weddings and funerals.

 

[Challer]

Well, I've had most of them. These days the Apple Ultra gets the nod the bulk of the time. I like the ability to record where I've been and (unfortunately) for heart monitoring. Before that it was the Rolex GMT and SkyMaster, which I still have and use when the Ultra is not on the wrist

 

[Iclimb]

For reference….Tudor pelagos fxd…..titanium and fixed lugs in use by the ‘nationals marine’
(if interested thats with my Alan Davis folder, timascus and rosewood scales if anyone is into knives too x)

 

[saswart]

Here in Africa the idea of time is different than rest of the world.. Africa time, and no watch will help you.
Truth be told, you really do not need one on a safari… however and add a but, some of us in africa are lucky to get to hunt alone (meaning no tracker, no ph etc.) and in such instances, especially on farms you do not know, a watch with a gps or just a gps for that fact helps. I have used a Fenix 5 that is great for this and tracking

 

[JimP]

Ok, bino‘s were maybe a bad example…..how about a knife in place of “bino“ in my statement. Hahaha jk

to all of the people Uber concerned with “weight” you might consider a Tudor pelagos, it’s a great watch made if titanium (the bracelet too). It can be had in a left had drive version too. This is nice, when worn on the left hand, the configuration keeps the crown out of the back of your hand. Titanium has kind of a grayish sheen to it and isn’t super polished so it keeps “flash“ to a minimum and looks great in general. The new ‘Tudor Pelagos fxd’ is another great model and the lugs are machines into the case ‘fixed’ so you needn’t worry about a spring pin failure and llosing the watch,

now I will also mention that if you are worried about the weight in such a small amount you better get to the gym!

i Enjoy seeing everyones timepieces of choice! Keep it coming!

This past June on my safari I knocked down a cull impala and when the tracker got over to her she was not dead. I was having a problem when I over exerted myself so my PH decided that I didn't need to make the hike down a very steep hill and up to her and then back up to the vehicle. He then asked me if I had a knife? I handed him my Leatherman and he went off and over to the tracker to finish her off. I couldn't believe that neither of them were packing a knife.

I left the knife with my tracker when we flew home, I just wished that I would of had a better one to give to him but he was extremely happy to have a tool that did so many wonderful thing.

On the binoculars, I am naked without them when I am out and in the hunting woods. I never leave home without them and have a pair in each vehicle plus the ones that I'll sling around my neck.

 

[Inline6]

Ok, bino‘s were maybe a bad example…..how about a knife in place of “bino“ in my statement. Hahaha jk

A knife, well I never leave home without one. It is probably one of the most important survival tools to carry. I read a lot of survival books as a kid, we did not have the internet back then.

Nothing wrong with wearing a watch, some people get real enjoyment from them. For a long time I wanted a Jaeger-LeCoultre. Knowing the things I have done in the past, I bought a Tag for a test run. Just to see how well I treated it. I was shooting a match and some of my brass fell in between some rocks. I did not think twice about reaching my hand in there getting my brass. I scratched that watch up pretty good. At that moment in time, I made the decision I do not need a JLC. I am hard on gear, I don't abuse it. I'm just not going to be worried if my stock gets bumped on a rock, or goes through the thick stuff and gets scratches on it. I'm the wrong person to have "show quality things".

I'm happy for the people that can, my life is less stressful if I don't have to worry about my gear like that. Sorry for the around the world statement about a watch. I would also not let the thoughts of a few of us that don't worry about time get to you. We are just offering a different perspective on the way we deal with it. Sometimes you don't see that aspect because you never thought about it in those terms.

Most people on here will help anyone out if they have a problem. They also don't mind giving an opinion, or joke around when the right subjects come up.

 

[Pheroze]

The appealing feature of the more expensive watches is that they age nicely. The cheaper watches just get beat up. Fine craftsmanship with a patina is a beautiful record of one's life.

 

[Iclimb]

I don’t worry about it either! That’s where the patina comes from and the memories lie!
nah, mate…think what you like! I like bs’ing and offering the perspective that’s not been considered x)

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Before my Rolex I had a TAG Aquaracer which collected a fair few scratches despite utmost care. I got it totally rebuilt by TAG before passing it down to one of my daughters, she molly coddles it and it has remained smart. The Rolex seems to be far more robust, harder metal I suppose, and the ceramic bezel is scratch proof.

 

[Joker12]

Whatever watch we may choose to wear should be covered with some kind of wristband so as to not be reflective.