16 replies to this topic

[Charlie Hein]

A Watch for the Stars!

By Jeff Martin

[JLP]

I've had my Kundalini since 2006, and I just learned about the pointing to the moon tip! I love my YES watch! Bjorn (owner) is a great guy to chat with (lives in San Diego, changed my battery) too. Thanks you, Jeff, for the review!

Jeff

[ScottAz]

Looks like fun! Guess I'll have to pick up one for everyone in the family ... thanks for the cool review!

[Philler]

I bought a Citizen Navihawk watch last year. This series is the official watch of the Blue Angels,(that does not mean that is what they actually wear necessarily). I didn't intend it for astronomy, but I have almost always worn it when I go observing. The dial is very luminous and stays luminous all night (I think it's called Superluminova and I think Omega and Rolex also use this) and easy to see the time in the dark. The watch gives UTC, it's a chrornograph, has a pilots slide rule on the bezel, and will give the correct time for any timezone in the world. They come in different size dials, mine it about a 40 mm dial size and I wear it with a nice comfortable water resistant leather strap. As I remember I bought last it year on ebay for about $350.

[SteveG]

Love my Yes watch! I picked mine up last year, and was surprised to see an email from Yes with the link to your CN review.

One thing not mentioned about the Cross Quarter days is that they are the mid-point between the solstices. Handy to know, and I always wish people a "happy LLamos", or "Samhain" when the watch indicates these days.

I found the release mechanism on the steel band to be very uncomfortable. I spent a little time online and found a good, clasp-style replacement that matched up well for about $35. It even has the radius edge that matches the watch radius.

[JGlo66]

Got a Cozmo last July. Love it! I've gotten compliments/questions about it. With clocks all around now (computers, tablets, smartphones, car dashboards, etc.) it's neat to have something that tells the time with a different twist.

[ehallspqr]

Great review. Absolutely love the Yes astro watch. A sucker for astronomy theme watches in general. Thanks again for posting this review.

Picked up the Accurist Celestial planisphere GMT watch and really like it. Its a licensed copy of the Citizen Astrodea and Citizen makes these for Accurist watch company of London. I will probably do a review on it when I get a better camera. Photo I used from the internet of my watch.

Video of Astrodea in action.
https://www.youtube....h?v=nxWIemOM66k

Attached Thumbnails

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[CollinofAlabama]

Thanks, Evan! The Citizen Astrodea is more in my price range. I think the Yes Watch is a fantastic, innovative company with great product, but the cost of ownership is a bit too Questar-ish. I need something more in the Astrodea budget. Wouldn't mind about half their cost, to be honest, but at least the Astrodea is more TeleVue than Questar. Actually, I'd rather have a belt clip watch than wrist one. Oh well, just have to keep using my iPhone.

[ehallspqr]

Thanks, Evan! The Citizen Astrodea is more in my price range. I think the Yes Watch is a fantastic, innovative company with great product, but the cost of ownership is a bit too Questar-ish. I need something more in the Astrodea budget. Wouldn't mind about half their cost, to be honest, but at least the Astrodea is more TeleVue than Questar. Actually, I'd rather have a belt clip watch than wrist one. Oh well, just have to keep using my iPhone.

Hey Collin. Actually the Accurist Celestial is just as much $'s as the Yes Watch World. The difference to me is digital-high tech style of the Yes Watch vs. Accurist Celestial with it's old school plainisphere dial. The actual "unatainium" Citizen Astrodea is more like $800 for a used one. They became collectors items and are impossible to even find. That's why I suggested the Celestial GMT which is actually a Citizen Astrodea with an Accurist logo.

It doesn't matter I want both and will probably buy a Yes Worldwatch when the funds come available LOL. The Yes World is just such a cool Astronomy watch.

[SteveG]

I picked up my Yes Worldwatch for $400 (shipped) on a Christmas sale.

[ehallspqr]

Been looking at them on ebay. There are several models of this watch and I haven't figured out which one I want. Do they all have the astro functions like the World? Have to do a little research I guess.

[mfulmer]

Recently acquired a Astro II Constellation watch for my anniversary. Nice watch, very classy. Mildly useful, but it always puts my mind on astronomy, which is never a bad thing. A lot of info packed into it - you need a 8x-10x magnifying loupe to make full use of it. We opted for the Astro II because it didn't have a metal band - hairy arms = ouch when I wear metal bands...

[EricR]

Excellent review. Presentation grabbed my interest and provided a lot of useful info. Similar to the author, I'm a diver from Southern CA (...more like ex-diver these days) and often regret that I go through phases where I loose track of the Moon. (Sorry for the bad pun). I'm not really a watch wearer anymore but was interested enough to search out the Yes Watch website to check prices as a possible gift. Prices are a bit out of my range for this but sure some would find these watches worth the cost.

Got me thinking -- most of us have our phones with us all day long so it's probably time for me to go searching for a good iOS app (or widget or something) that keeps me reminded of the current Moon phase and timing of next new moon. (I know I have some apps installed already but never really use them so should find something quick and simple that's always visible, or something like that... but I guess suggestions should really be another thread).

[S Gazer]

Great review with useful feedback comments too.

The Worldwatch looks trivial to read at a glance. So it is useful all the time. At about $600 I'll have keep a look out for sales.

A planisphere watch is geeky cool, but I could have used one years back before my near vision started to deteriorate.

[Jon Isaacs]

Jeff:

 

Great review.. I am not sure my fat fingers and aging eyes can make use of such a fancy gizmo but it sure seems like it works for you.

 

Jon

[wtc]

I can hear the howls now if I lit off the watch's blue backlight on the telescope deck in the observatory.  I wonder if they make one with a red backlight.

[Andre Germain]

Anyone know what battery the Astrodea takes? I have the CAL-4P97 aka AST97-1001 and someone misplaced the battery.

 

Regards