What’s the best watch to wear on safari?

I feel naked without a watch so I use an old Timex Explorer as my 'beater' for stuff like hunting, diving, skiing, running etc. I've had it since I was 11 and it survived all through secondary school plus a load of fairly rough treatment for hiking, sky diving, scuba diving, a motorcycle accident, rugby, sailing, festivals, hunting, cadets etc so I'm confident in it's durability. I'd be sad, but not devastated if it got lost or broken so I don't have to think about it if I'm crawling around in the dirty or scratching it up.

For daily wear I mostly gravitate towards my Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean. Still pretty bombproof, but I would be sad to see it break, so it mostly goes to the office, on drives and out and about on the town and sees nothing more strenuous than a swim or a walk. I have scuba dived with it a bit though, kinda seems a shame not to if you've got it. I have a couple of other pieces that fill a similar role, but the Omega gets the nod more often than not.
 
Speaking for myself... I pack binos, always, and did on my one trip to Africa.

Light enough to see kinda dictates hunting. But no binos? I'd feel naked.
 
I wear my 12 year old Citizen Eco Drive (solar/fluorescent) with a leather band 24/7. I've broken the crystal twice and had it serviced twice and replaced the band half a dozen times. I have a couple of other watches, but I like wearing this one with the leather band. I've worn it in minus 16F and 108F and it still worked. Seems nowadays, the younger generations use their cell phones to check the time until the battery dies or extreme temperatures either freeze or fry their phones. LOL
 
I wear my 12 year old Citizen Eco Drive (solar/fluorescent) with a leather band 24/7. I've broken the crystal twice and had it serviced twice and replaced the band half a dozen times. I have a couple of other watches, but I like wearing this one with the leather band. I've worn it in minus 16F and 108F and it still worked. Seems nowadays, the younger generations use their cell phones to check the time until the battery dies or extreme temperatures either freeze or fry their phones. LOL
I had one of those for a while, it actually lasted quite a long time in my profession…exponentially Longer than the gshock that replaced it…I found it a bit small if I was to be honest. It may have been a deferent model, it was a three handr with a date and was ecodrive. a comfortable piece to be sure!
 
Never saw the need for one. From the moment you leave camp until it’s too dark to shoot, you’re on safari. The PH will let you know when it’s time for lunch and when it’s too late to shoot.
 
Never saw the need for one. From the moment you leave camp until it’s too dark to shoot, you’re on safari. The PH will let you know when it’s time for lunch and when it’s too late to shoot.
I understand what you're saying, but when I'm hunting anywhere else on "Safari" except Africa, there is no PH or guide. Even on my one trip to Africa, my GPS marked landpoints in case the SHTF. We almost rolled the vehicle once and I'd like to know in which direction to crawl back to camp? LOL
 
I was going to ask what people (who can tell time by the sun) do in areas where regulation dictates legal shooting times? ok, I get safari is one thing but…
‘anyway this was more for fun and to find some enjoyment out of others time pieces and the stories they carry…same as I admire some rifles I definitively cannot afford!
 
My watch story will not match many others. Went to Namibia in 1998 bought a Casio that did everything a watch could back then.. altitude, humidity, and I can't remember all the other things. The first morning we went out, I realized I didn't need to know all those things let alone the time. By being aware of the things around you you can tell if it's going to rain, who cares what the altitude is or the time. End of the story is I took the watch off and haven't worn a watch since 1998. I'm a veterinarian and had to do things on time. Clocks are everywhere if you need them and you may have more of a clock in your head than you realize.



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Ok, not sure how many watch nerds there are here….
what is the best watch for safari? Best watch for hunting in general?
maybe the most nostalgic watch for safari?

are you a “one and done” kinda guy?

recently i had a customer that dropped by and we were bs’ing about sheep hunting…I noticed a Rolex ‘pepsi’ gmt on his wrist. I’m guessing a mid 80’s model. It was well worn with much patina! I could tell this was his go to watch! It got me thinking…how many miles that thing has endured, been a part of, experience’s akin to.
I envy those that take a minimal approach! Buy something fantastic and then use the hell out of!

currently I’ve been rocking the new Tudor ranger on a bracelet! I kinda love this thing! Comfortable, light, simplistic…. It has character, it’s a great balance of luxury and ’tool’ watch, in many ways it embodies the “minimalist“ mindset mentioned above.
A Rolex explorer 39 or a gmt (maybe a 116710ln x) might be a better Option… I don’t know… but I’d like to know if anyone has something better or at least to call me crazy to think up such a question. Have you ever thought about it?
This new model Tudor ranger is certainly one I could nominate!
 
Mrs BeeMaa really enjoys her CK2998 Speedmaster while I prefer a 1974 Speedmaster that belonged to my father. We have other Omega watches, but these top the list for daily use.
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But hunting is different. We typically wear Casio G-Shock solar atomic watches with NATO straps to prevent from drawing unwanted attention to ourselves. Plus if it's lost or stolen...no big deal.
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my typical hunting is away from vehicles for days on end, in country with lots of topo…i Don’t pack a cell phone anywhere…I assure you the amount of time I spend in the woods, I am attuned with what’s going on (I do agree with you)…
I often laugh at the amount of shit people who have little experience in the woods pack esp on a day trip…
modern outdoor industry has commercialized about every aspect of the sport that can be done…it’s more common than not that I see (in videos mostly) people packing monster backpacks that look to be stuffed with god knows what…draped in harnesses of all type, and pant pockets equally stuffed…
all to head out for 1 day or 1/2 of a day In country that if turned around could easily be covered ending up somewhere they could be found.… to each there own!

I do find a watch necessary for all I do even without a set “schedule”. probably much of it habit…if I didn’t have one I damn sure wouldn’t be caught asking another grown man “what time is it” every time I wonder or need to time/pace something I’m doing x)

I do like the idea of having something of value that is a common thread to lots of adventures
 
I understand what you're saying, but when I'm hunting anywhere else on "Safari" except Africa, there is no PH or guide. Even on my one trip to Africa, my GPS marked landpoints in case the SHTF. We almost rolled the vehicle once and I'd like to know in which direction to crawl back to camp? LOL
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.
 
If I’m going off what I should wear when roaming the earth…https://www.breitling.com/us-en/watches/professional/emergency/E76325221B1/?watch=E76325221B1E1

However, I do a good bit of orienteering and I’ve found that I navigate as much by time as I do pace. I like to have the redundancy of an extra compass and an altimeter is a very useful tool in the mountains, assuming it’s calibrated and accurate. Many watches have inaccurate systems. My baseline is a GShock…but I have used Sunto watches a good bit. I think the Garmin watches are solid, just not sold on having to charge them. They have an exceptional reputation and their systems are good. It’s probably what I should be using.
 

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