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 Pulsar Men's Tech Gear Flight Computer Watch #PM7001 By: Pulsar Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 63 More Information Great price, not a great timekeeper.  On: 2008-04-07Good: Price!, Features - everything that makes this an aviator watch including what HAD been missing from the Citizen models... a light! Bad: How simply can I put this... It keeps horrible time. I had to get a new time-hack every week. And annoyingly, the digital seconds never match the sweep hand; True, to most wearers those 10-15 seconds lost/week makes little difference but if youre responsible for time control to the second, you care. (And yes, I tried a new battery) Always an eye catcher  On: 2008-01-07The watch is nice. Always getting asked to see it by others. After purchase I had to replace the battery. Oh ya it has two of them. One for the digital and the other for the analog. You notice when a battery goes bad when the times become further apart. With new batteries no problem with keeping both on current times. The watch has every feature necessary including a cool back light which is green (not a eye blinding indiglo). I have owned this watch for almost a year now and still like it. poor battery On: 2007-12-22I like the watch. It has a nice "curb appeal". The black/silver metallic strap is really catchy. But the battery life is poor. I had to change the battery within 6 months. It supposedly comes with a 3 year warranty (batteries included). But the cost to ship the watch to Pulsar/Seiko is more than what a local jeweler will charge to replace the battery. Plus, one would be without a watch for 2-3 weeks minimum if you ship it out. after 18 months it's dead  On: 2007-11-22I liked this watch for the first year. It had little flakinesses, but did what I wanted and wasnt terribly expensive. But recently the buttons got too sticky to work any longer. I cant adjust it without a pair of pliers to pull the buttons back out after pressing them. Then yesterday the analog hands just stopped. I cant get them going again. Possible the battery is low, but the digital portion is going fine and its not old enough that the battery should be going. Im going back to Casios products, which always lasted me at least twice this long. pulsar return  On: 2007-10-24pulsar tech #pm7001 shows incorrect dimensions. much too big.case dimensions are 44mm wide not 37mm thickness is 14mm not10mm. found correct dimensions from competitor i also requested expedited delivery which i am sorry for.ninelooking watch though and nice functions. Thoughts after 1 year with the PM7001 On: 2007-10-22I bought this watch a little over a year ago. I have previously had Casio and Timex watches, and decided that it was time for something better. With the (at the time) deep discount on this watch, it was a no-brainer. I have worn it for a year now, and Ive been very happy with it. Yes, there are some flaws, but they can be overlooked or overcome. I admit that I dont use the E6B and probably never will, but its good to know that its there...just in case. The Good: Great look, great feel, plenty of data displayed, one-time alarm is very handy, backlight is bright enough to read, subdued enough to not distract others. The Bad: As many have noted, the alarm is *very* quiet. So quiet that I have occasionally looked around to see whose alarm was going off before realizing that it was my own. I had the hourly chime on for a while, but never noticed it. If you need a watch to wake you up, this is not the one. Of course, in the age of cell phones with their plethora of alarm options, thats not necessarily a big deal. The other annoyance is the drift between the analog and digital. Setting the digital to match the analog is extremely simple, but having to do it every few days is unfortunate. In conclusion, Ive been pretty happy with this watch and will continue to use it regularly. After a year of almost daily use, it shows no scratches or other evidence of heavy wear. Ive gotten used to its minor problems, and have no plans to replace it as my main timepiece in the near future. BTW: If youre looking for the manual on the Pulsar site, youll need to select "Rest of the World" from their opening page. The manual isnt on the USA page. On the actual "Instructions" page, the "calibre number" for this watch is NX14. Disappointing Product  On: 2007-10-16I purchased this watch about 3 weeks ago and I am have problems with it already. The second hand tends to get stuck consequently causing the minute and hour hands to stop as well. After a few hours or so it may decide to start working properly. Fortunately the digital clock on the watch still works, so far. Im just waiting for that to go soon. I dont think I could get a bowl of soup for this watch! I miss my Citizen. I suppose I dont have to say it but I do not recommend this watch at all, unless its a gift for someone you dont like much. Maybe Ill give it to my father in law {;o) Perfect On: 2007-08-17Correct and beatiful. Heavy enough (I like heavy watches). The two clock (the digital and the hands) differ about 1 second per day. The analog is more exact: the analog is fast by 3 second, the digital is slow by 18 seconds during a one month period. I dont only understand one thing: why doesnt each man wear this watch? GREAT FLIGHT WATCH On: 2007-07-05If you are buying this watch for a flyer, GO FOR IT. It is a great watch. One of the biggest advantages over the other flight watches is that it has a back light. Also, the flight computer is easy to use and incredibly accurate. Easy to use and comfortable to wear. I could not have asked for a better watch. I think I will buy another one, just to have as a spare. Great Watch! On: 2007-06-02This is a great watch, especially for the price. Keeps good time, looks good and has tons of features. Nice watch for the money by: Anonymous On: 2007-05-13 I like this watch quite a bit. Its a little complicated, with all the features. I cant remember everything that this watch does. It seems like youd have to keep the owners manual with you at all times. The backlight isnt the brightest, but Ive found very few conditions where the watch isnt readable. I like the look, feel, and just overall versatility of this watch. It shares time (no pun intended) with the rest of the watches in my collection, and I find myself looking at the time quite often when Im wearing this watch. Its a solid watch without being overbearing, and its keeping time quite accurately. losing no more than several seconds a month. I would definitely say that this is a nice watch for the money. Nice watch overall On: 2007-05-12Most people have said many of the same things in their review, but there is one main thing that hasnt been said. This watch while heavy is very comfortable. Much more so than my Rolex Submariner so I now wear it every day. Pros: Comfortable, and a good every day watch. The dual time is great for traveling. Cons: Display is hard to read in mid to low light without the light. The analog and digital times are not syncronized. Great Value! On: 2007-05-12Has everything, the look, the performance and a price you can not match. Love it. The E6B Slide Rule is good. A little bit difficult to read but, it is a great value altogether. An Awesome Watch On: 2007-04-17I purchased this watch and received it in Perfect working condition. When I opened the box I was blown away with its Gorgeous, Stunning and Masculine Look. I read the reviews before purchasing and I only thing I found was it took longer removing the links to adjust to my wrist then it was setting up its features, actually everything was set except the analog & digital time. As to one reviewer mentioned that he couldnt sync the analog with the digital time, I would suggest to set the digital first and then the analog with the pull out button. Other then that this was the best investment I ever made and as for some watches I was also interested in, This watch was cheaper and more Stunning. Thanks Amazon Nice Watch... A little on the bulky side though by: Anonymous On: 2007-04-11 Great Watch! The watch weighs more than most watches im used to. pulsar Tech Gear Watch On: 2007-04-03The directions on how to use the watch are unclear but it is simple enough to figure out. The watch is high quality and it performs well. A good buy. Great watch for aviation. On: 2007-03-25Finally a flight watch that has a light. I also had a Citizen Skyhawk, which I love, but after countless times trying to view the dial at night I purchased this one. I really like the big digital display. I have UTC time always displayed on the bottom for my aviation work. Im a flight instructor so the E6B dial is VERY useful although the numbers are pretty small. Count down timer is handy as well. The manual that came with mine was pretty skimpy, nothing at all on the digital functions but Im sure I can get one from the web. All-in-all I would highly recommend it for the price! Great buy, Beautiful appearance, good functions On: 2007-03-24When I open the box I surprised, looks much better than in pictures. Bright, solid, beautiful and shine mineral crystal, beautiful satin bracelet. I enjoy his functions and easy to operate. His bidirectional E6B pilots slide rule is very functionally, if you never have use it, you can learn in few minutes with easy examples in manual. I recommend it for practically people that enjoy the technology. (and heavy wearing watch) The reason I dont qualify with 5 stars is because the alarm sound is too low, the backlight is not enough brightness and its impossible to synchronize the digital time with the analog time. Choose another one On: 2007-03-23This watch is really good. But, it has one big deficiency, the analog watch and the digital watches are not synchronized. In detail, the analog watch is getting earlier every day. I think if I do not synchronize them once a week, after a year, analog watch will catch the digital one. So, which one I should follow? Analog or digital one, which one is the correct one? The other things are great. But what I expect from a watch is to show me the time correctly and to show me only 1 time, not the option of two different times. Great Watch On: 2007-03-17I have owned this watch 4 months and wear it everyday. I love it. The components are strong, not plastic. I travel a lot and love how easy it is to change timezones. The alrm volume is fine for me. I leave it on the night table and have no difficulty hearing it. The colour scheme of silver and black makes the watch stand out and looks more expensive than what I paid for it. All in all excellent value for the money. Pulsar flight computer review On: 2007-03-08The watch keeps relatively good time but critcism must be levelled at the fact that the literature states that the watch has a screw-in crown. This is not so and the watch could possibly leak if immersed in water. The other hassle is that its difficult if not impossible to synchronise the analog and the digital readings. I have tried several times and have not been able to get this right. Time will also tell how durable this watch really is. I can say that I am not impressed with it. Tech Gear good for the price On: 2007-02-23At only $100, this watch couldnt be passed up. Wish the analog and digital syncd and the times shown on analog and digital can be swapped . . . I have the Citizen SkyHawk which where the digital and analog are syncd. SkyHawk also allows the analog and digital times to be swapped so can use the analog for 1 times zone and digital for the other, then switch which times zones digital and analog represent. Nice to have the backlight for reading the digital - and analog actually too - at night on the Tech Gear. Glad I made the purchase. Even with the flaws - which are only slight - the Tech Gear packs a lot of punch for the price. Nice Watch, but what about parts? On: 2007-02-14I purchased this watch last month. I returned it yesterday. I didnt actually wear the watch. Clearly, its a gorgeous and robust timepiece, easily worth far more than 99 bucks.......so why did I return it? Parts availability. I explored the possibility of replacing the metal band with a simple rubber (resin) band. I checked with 2 watch servicing shops; they couldnt help. I called a jeweler, who said the watch would have to be sent to a freelance "craftsman" for a quote. I checked online--Pulsar watchbands are impossible to find. So I returned the watch.....please note that the same watch IS available with a resin band, for even less than 99 bucks. Pulsar is touted as a less-expensive alternative to Seiko and Citizen. Fair enough. But be warned--Pulsar repairs are just as expensive as the premium brands. Assuming you can find someone to do the repairs. My favorite watch On: 2007-02-14The only difference between this and one with a stainless band is the middle row has been painted black. None of the paint has chipped off in the past year, though. So, it must be good paint. The watch is pretty heavy, the crystal is pretty scratch resistant, I have a few nicks, though. I like all the features especially the "one-time" alarm function. Pulsar Flight Computer Watch #PM7001 Rocks! On: 2007-02-10An excellent watch delivered right on time. This watch is designed to deliver the time at a glance. Properly portioned hands on a black background. The Background display lights up modestly for easy viewing without disrupting your night vision acuteness. My favorite feature is the "one time use" alarm. When you set it it preloads the current time making setting the alarm time very brief for near time alarms (in three minutes turn left to 270 and enter the pattern). All flight style watched are NOT the same. This one stands well above the competition. Thank you Pulsar! Outstanding and more than I expected! On: 2007-01-30I purchased this watch at 50% off the suggested retail price and I have been very pleased. It works perfectly and is very user friendly. The band is very comfortable with smooth edges and a breathing surface to prevent sequestering moisture. The crystal is bright and durable as well as its band. The face is interesting with a nice mixture of style and logic. I have no criticism and I cannot help but feel I have purchased a watch that is equal in appearance and function to those that cost thousands of dollars more. I highly recommend this watch, especially on sale. Pulsar Men's Tech Gear Flight Computer Watch #PM7001 On: 2007-01-16Sent it back. Main reason: digital display is only visible lit up in the dark. Photography in the ad made it looked great, but it isnt practical in normal lighting. Also, has a standard battery with 2 years life expectancy quoted, I believe. These days, and for the price and quality of this watch, I expect much longer, up to 10 years. Men's Pusar Tech Gear Flight Watch On: 2007-01-16After having a favorite watch for 15 years, the watch finally gave out and was too expensive to fix. My husband travels worldwide and loves a watch that will automatically change time zones. This watch is nice looking, sturdy, has great features. The watch was reasonably priced for all the features. The first thing he did when he opened the box was he said how nice it looked. It was a great Christmas present. The only thing he doesnt like about it is the back light that could be a little brighter at night. Great Watch On: 2007-01-15This is a great watch. The detail & workmanship far exceed its price range. Looks better than in the pictures. Some have commented about lack of contrast in the digital display, but this enhances the black-out design of the faceplate, and is still easy enough to read once youre wearing it. The watch is heavy on the wrist, but you get used to it. Part of this is due to dual batteries which should extend the change-out frequency. Overall, very satisfied. Too expensive & not durable On: 2007-01-12I purchased this as a gift for my fiance, but after sometime the light inside the watch would not turn on.... & we have to pay $30.00 to repair it & it would stil do the same thing... it was very embarrassing for me.. If you want features and compliments, this watch is for you. On: 2007-01-12This is one of those watches where you either buy it for a special function, or to draw compliments from others - as this does both! However it is a slightly mixed bag that may or many not be for you. Pros... very flexible alarms, quick time zone switching, selectable/customizable digital display (can even be left dark), nice metal band. Lastly this watch does draw compliments often - its a real looker when its new. Cons... Complex setup - youll need to use the manual if you really want to use the functions. Rather dim backlight that cant be held on (cycles off very quick). Analog and digital watches (which is what this is - two watches in one) are independent, and thus must be set separately. As a result, digital time and analog time often go out of synch. Crystal scratches fairly easy. Overall, I am giving this 3 stars due to a high number of shortcomings vs. positives. The crystal does scratch easier than I expected and the band shows wear soon as well - so it isnt a real looker for long if you wear it a lot. Would I buy another one? No. Excellent buy! On: 2007-01-11Great watch. Most people have already talked about it so I will just address a couple of points: It is not excessively heavy (compared to other watches of this stature) and the LCD display is fine to read as long as you are in the "viewing angle". Think of those old projection TVs where you had to be perfectly aligned with the screen in order to see the picture clearly. Same thing here, so unless you experience some sort of movement restrictions, the LCD display should not be a problem. The only gripe I have is that the analog pointers do (sometimes dramatically) obscure the digital display. It also would have been nice to have an atomic version but for the price you really cant beat it. Also, make sure you buy yours from an authorized Pulsar dealer or you wont get the 3 year clasp-to-clasp warranty (Everything-- even the crystal-- is covered). A really good watch at a bargin price. On: 2007-01-11Everything I hoped it would be. I like both the analog and digital display. Sharp looking. Pulsar Watch On: 2007-01-09Pretty nice watch, looks and feels good. Also the price was pretty good compared with department stores. Pulsar Tech Gear Computer Watch #PM7001 On: 2007-01-09This watch is solid and heavy, but I like that. The workmanship is excellent and a very classy looking watch. The push button controls are a little finicky to use, and the LEDs are very hard to read in bright light/dark. I have heard others say the audible alarms are hard to hear, but I have no problem at all. Overall, a very cool watch! Fabulous, PULSAR On: 2007-01-09Pulsar, a brand of SEIKO well i liked the watch alot. It was delivered on time, well packed, with warranty card and people at Amazon really did everything on time. The watch is very cute and working fine, bit heavy in terms of weight as compared to other watches of similar type in this category. Of all i rate Amazon 5 stars and PULSAR 5 star. Awesome! On: 2007-01-09The Flight Computer watch I just purchased is an addition to my over 35 wrist watches I already have in my collection and it comes in very handy specially in my travels. I can program it to have a dual time showing both the "home time" and "local time". Good purchase. A Great Watch On: 2007-01-09I am a watch guy and this is a nice watch. Very substantial for the price. I like the digital display. It is a little dim if not in direct light. I really like this watch. James Bond would be jealous. Fine but not wonderful On: 2007-01-03The watch is good and for 75 box I recomended the phurchase, but you can see tehe same watch in a regular store for 115 box so you dont have really the discount the say in the web. The ligh is almost to see the watch in the dark, because during the day you cant see anything (i see perfectly every other things) Amazing On: 2007-01-03"Amazing" is what my son said when he received this watch for Christmas. He just completed Basic Training for the Airforce and this watch will help him in his training to be a pilot. The flight computer and world time will be a great help to him, where-ever he goes. Plus, it comes with a 3 year warranty, is scratch resistant and water-proof. I know he will make good use of this watch and treasure it always. I would highly recommend this watch for all Airmen. Sweet.... On: 2007-01-01This watch is a great piece of accesory to own... Its looks very classy and feature packed.. u can read the time in any lighting and the back light is adequant even in very dark areas.. the alarm on the watch is not that loud but then again it is a watch and its not meant to be loud...... its only for the big framed guys thought the dial is big and heavy..... Pulsar PM7001 Heavy, but a great value..... On: 2006-12-16I shopped for several months and kept coming back to this watch as the features this watch offers for the price is unbeatable. I ordered the watch and have been very pleased with it..... the only thing I will say as others have mentioned in reviews is that it is heavy, if you can get past that then you cant beat it for the price. - I had read several comments about the visibilty of the digital displays and I cant say that I have had a problem viewing it.... - The watch has no plastic parts... all of the moving components seems solid. - I like the black stripe on the band.... (something different). - Digital display gives you a lot of view/display options based upon what you like to see... Excellent watch On: 2006-12-08Im pretty picky when it comes to watches. I never really liked to use them, but this one Im enjoying it a lot. Like the other reviews says its a little heavy, but thats okay, it doesnt really bother me. Its a nice watch, looks like much more expensive then the 80 bucks it costs, never had a problem with it and its definally a keeper. On a functional level, the only complaint is that the digital and analog displays drift in sync depending on the time. However, I liked the way you change the time, if you miss the right time you can use other button to go backwards, not just forward like the normal watches. (Example, you want to set to 7:35, you just missed, you are in 7:37 now, you can use the back button to go back to 7:35, no need to go all the way to 00 again.). Its good also if you are a overseas traveller you dont need to keep changing the time, just change the time zone and thats it. Highly recomended if you are looking for a inexpensive watch that works. Good purchase overall On: 2006-11-25The watch looks great and feels solid and well built. However, the contrast reflected by the digital display is not the one you see in the pictures before the purchase. The contrast may vary depending on the lighting conditions, but it is in fact quite poor on most situations. If this is a major issue to you, then refrain from buying this one. Out of this, the watch is cool. Be advised: Considering the investment, this is an excellent purchase. For the price, this is what you get, its not a Breitling. Nice watch, good value On: 2006-10-27I liked this watch from the get go. Its great looking and has a nice feel to it. Is it heavier than alot of watches out there? yes. Am I leaning to one side because of the weight? no. As for the ease of use I had no problem at all. The manual walks you through everything, and as long as you can read there should be no problem. Others reported having problems with the back lighting and alarm volume. I can honestly say that I dont agree. I can see everything with a push of the button. The alarm isnt that loud but then again, I dont plan on using any watch for an alarm clock Pulsar PM7001 - Flight Computer Watch On: 2006-09-29I have to agree with all the negative remarks about this watch. I too am a cargo pilot who bought this watch for use a night (when I happen to fly the most). Its fairly good to look at, but totally useless when it comes to reading and accessing the time at night! I depend more on the built-in clocks on my GPS and Nav systems than on this watch. Combine all the negatives with the fact that its made in China...and Id have to advise against purchasing this watch. Keep looking. Heavy Dude On: 2006-09-26This is an expensive looking watch for under $80. I will agree with some of the other reviews that it is heavy. If that is a problem then you should keep looking. The diameter of the dial face is also on the large side. I found the directions to be refreshingly straightforward though. I would buy again! excellent watch On: 2006-09-07this is an excellent watch for the price i purchased it for... the only drawback that i see is that there is a little trouble reading the digital display.. but that problem can be overcome by turingn on the backlight to read the digital display which i really dont need much as it is.. overall, i would say it is a nice deal for the price i paid for it... nice watch for the price On: 2006-08-26I really liked this watch. Though it is not equal to the standards of other wathches by seiko, but its really good for the price. Some drawbacks- The dot matrix display is not very readable,and the backlight is also quite dim. The alarm sounds quite faint (i dont use it neways). But overall, a very nice watch to have. bad quality watch. On: 2006-08-24i made a big mistake not purchasing this watch with amazon,i would have returned it.the only thing going for it is it;s size.digital display is useless almost unreadable, the same applies to the bezel only worse, the back light could be allot better.when buying a watch dont go by how it looks in a photo. as i have said buy your watches from amazon. spend some extra money as the cheap ones will only disappoint you. like it !! On: 2006-07-20Got mine today. First thought, its heavy!!! compared to my Ironman. Spend the last hour playing with it. The side keys are a little insensitve, had to press hard to change settings. The digital display is a little dim. The manual couldnt be anymore useless... I have CST on the analog and DEL(DELHI, INDIA) on the digit after some fumbling. Overall I like the watch for its features and is worth the money. Pulsar PM7001 Review On: 2006-07-15I just received the Pulsar PM7001 Tech Gear watch from Amazon.com and its going back. I was looking for a dual time zone watch since I will be traveling alot for business and thought the PM7001 had the right features for a reasonable price. I expected a certain level of quality from Seiko/Pulsar. Heres what I found: My biggest issue is with the readability of the digital display, or rather, the lack thereof. Its almost unreadable in any lighting situation. Ironically, you can see the display best when its completely dark and the backlight is used. Unfortunatley the backlight is relatively weak, so it doesnt help in just dim lighting situations. The images on the web site show a display with very good contrast, unfortunately the contrast is poor in real life. I really feel Pulsar, and anyone else that shows those web images, is misleading potential buyers. Having the "reverse LCD" characters on a black background aggravates the problem. Things are made worse if you try looking at the watch with polarized sunglasses. More minor issues that make the watch seem lower quality: The quality of the black finish on the center bracelet links is questionable. It appears to be painted on, and only on the top surface. The finish doesnt cover the entire link, and so you see the stainless steel on the edges. The only black finish on the inner edges of the link is whatever drips down during application. The digital display and analog display dont track - the second hand and the digital seconds counter dont show the same values. The movement of the seconds hand is not aligned with the markings on the dial, which, in my opinion, detracts from the perceived quality of the watch. The plastic buttons and crown make the overall watch look cheap. Although Im not a pilot and dont intend to use the rotating bezel to calculate anything, apparently Pulsar doesnt expect anyone to, since its not mentioned in the owners manual (although it is downloadable from pulsars website). Also, the watch is very heavy and thick (about 14mm). Hopefully this review will help anyone considering the PM7001. It probably keeps decent time, and it has alot of good features, but, in my opinion, it just doesnt measure up to the quality I expected for a watch of this price. DO NOT BUY THIS WATCH!! On: 2006-07-15Im an Air Force transport pilot and own several worldtime/chronographs. I thought this would be a sturdy, inexpensive addition to my collection, but Im returning it. Its practically impossible to read in any lighting condition. There is no easy way to cycle through and display different city times. Also, the most ridiculous feature is that daylight savings time correction is applied to all time zones at once including UTC! Hence, making the watchs worldtime feature inaccurate half of the year. Pulsar has the potential for a good watch, but until the digital programming and lighting is fixed - dont buy this model! good watch for the price On: 2006-07-13This 7001 watch is a good size watch, quite sturdy and/but heavy. It does look funky cool with a curved glass. The analog and digital parts have no connection at all, so all the time zone, stop watch, alarm etc. are all digital functions. Digital read out is not that clear (hard to read at certain angles). Backlight is kind of dim and alarm is not loud (dont use it as the alarm clock). For the date /day function, you can only select either the month or day or date. The resolution of the dot matrix display (top) is kind of low quality. Bracelet is sturdy, edge is smooth. Made in China. Quality is not up to the seiko ana-digi standard but it is good quaility for the price (especially I paid $80 delivered). . Not perfect, but good watch for the money. I am happy with the purchase. Not a real world time, but some nice features On: 2006-06-30I bought this as a possible replacement for an old Citizen Promaster Wingman (no longer available) that I beat up badly in 10 years of heavy international travel. That was a GREAT world time watch: You could set which cities you wanted to display on the LCD as you cycled through them, you could set each city to have summer time on or off, and you always had correct zulu time (GMT) available. The Pulsar pretends to have this functionality, but it doesnt. The worst feature is that summer time is either on or off for ALL cities, including zulu time, which makes no sense at all. When summer time is in effect in the northern hemisphere, it isnt in the southern and vice-versa. And theres no such thing as summer time for GMT. Any world time watch has to reflect these realities. Trying to actually check the time in another city with this rediculous summer time fault is more confusinig than helpful. Also, theres no way to turn individual sities on or off, so youre stuck cycling through a LONG list of cities to find the few youre interested in. Having said that, now that Im retired, I no longer travel that much or make many international calls, so Im mainly looking for a GMT display for my flying, and for that, this watch is terrific. The LCD panel that shows time is by far the biggest, clearest one Ive ever seen. Much easier to read than my old Citizen. (It uses sharp, individual line elements for the numbers instead of a dot matrix.) I just leave the digital display showing GMT in the lower window and the date (which therefore is the date in Greenwich, not here in San Francisco) in the upper window. This is 95% of my need right today, and this watch - at a bargin price - does a better job than anything else Ive found. If I need to know the time in some other city, I just use the time zone chart in my wallet. Its faster than all the button pushing and potential summer time confusion . If I still needed a watch for international travelling, I guess Id spring for the extra bucks and get a Citizen Skyhawk. One warning: this sucker is THICK and heavy .. more so than even many pilot watches. Wonderful On: 2006-06-20Own it for an year now. Had no problems ever. Works good and impressive Buen equipo por el precio On: 2006-06-10Compre este pulsar, buscando un reloj deportivo, que tuviera cronometro de mas de 30 minutos (como casi todos los Chronograph). La función de hora mundial es excelente, un poco engorrosa de usar!!. El reloj es un poco pesado, pero entendible por todas las funciones que tiene, pero se ve muy robusto y solido. Sorpresa dos 3 dÃas después de recibido el reloj bajo de precio a 79,99 de 104$ que lo compre hace una semana. Cons: Mal embalaje y excesivo maltrato de la caja en el envÃo, menos mal que es acero, sino hubiera llegado totalmente destruido. Conclusión: Buena pieza por el precio, excelente para fines de semana. Great watch with a few problems. On: 2006-06-09Bought 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. Excellent value in an alarm chronograph On: 2006-06-09With 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 didnt like the blue steel look. Id 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. Im 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. Im 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 youre 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 pilots watch with world clock functions AND a sliderule computer and dont 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. Sound watch without much sound On: 2006-06-02Ill 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 its 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. Cant 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 its one hour off. At least they could have set DST option inapplicable to UTC. Theres 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 wont 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 Greenwichs sake! 3. Then why am I wearing it? Its 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. Its 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 dont bother you. At this price, it IS a steal deal. An excellent value for an alarm chronograph. On: 2006-05-10With 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 didnt like the blue steel look. Id 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. Im 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. Im 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 youre 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 pilots watch with world clock functions AND a sliderule computer and dont want to spend $200 for a Citizen or $400 for a Seiko, this Pulsar will get the job done. It is not totally impractical On: 2006-02-07If you want to look like a true professional pilot, go buy a cheap Casio or Timex. One of the more popular models is the Casio calculator watch. Relatively few professional pilots wear "pilot watches." After years of wearing a Casio calculator watch, I decided to try to get something a little more upscale. The rationalization for the purchase was that on a foreign layover, the other pilot pulled out his currency converter which was essentially a cardboard E6-B. I thought, "hey, this might provide some rationalization for one of those pilot watches." The rotating bezel is actually a form of a circular slide rule commonly called an E6-B. Do a web search for "E6B manual". If you dont have an E6B, search for "printable E6B." Dont ask a real pilot how to use the E6B unless he has just taken his private pilot written exam. It has been years since most airline pilots have used an E6B. The watch version will only do distance and speed type of problems-no wind problems. However, if you learn how to use it, you can do any multiplication problem. For example, I can rotate the 10 on the outer bezel over the 60 (12 oclock) and roughly compare my old pay scale over my new pay scale on the inner dial - ouch! I can place 10 on the outer bezel over the 12 on the inner bezel and read Euros on the outer scale and Dollars on the inner scale (this assumes the Euro at $1.20). I dont know if this E6B function on a watch is practical. Remember, the inner scale on the face may be in a shadow and be hard to read. If I really need to make a calculation, Ill pull out my PDA or look in the FMS (Flight Management System). However, it does work and even though using an E6B is a lost art, it is really a pretty clever device. On a practical level, the digital portion of the watch has a back light and it is easy to set to different time zones. Both are very necessary. Anyway, I just had to rant for a bit. Neither the Pulsar PM7001 or PM7003 (different band) can beat my old Casio calculator watch for practicality or economy. However, the Pulsar is a good looking watch that is practical and not ridiculously priced. Great watch for this price range. On: 2006-01-05This is a great little watch for the price range. As much as I would love to drop $5K+ on a Breitling that does the same thing as this watch, for the price, this watch gives you everything you need and more. Besides, with avgas prices, Id rather use that extra money for flight time. Anyway, I digress...This is a good solid watch with some hefty weight to it that cries out durability. The most important feature of this watch is the E6-B on the bezel, which is a must-have for any pilots watch. It took only a little bit of getting used to how the E6-B is arranged on this watch, but it doesnt take much to adapt. The only drawback, if you want to call it that, is where we would be used to seeing times expressed in hours and minutes along the innermost ring, its absent on this watch. But thats really no big deal. One the goodies in this watch includes having all the worlds timezones, whereas with analog pilots watches you can only have maybe one or two other timezones displayed. I have mine always showing UTC underneith the local time analog hands. It has the chronograph, timer, one alarm, and calendar included. Its not the most expensive watch in the world, and it wont break your budget. I tend to be rather hard on my watches, so having something really durable is a must-have. It IS a big watch, so small-wristers be aware. Its also a HEAVY watch. Its stainless steel casing and everything thats packed into it gives it a good heft, and you can definitely feel the weight on your wrist. |