Reply With QuoteNo, I just advance the hour hand forward or backwards as required - or if I’ve worn a GMT it’s set for both time zones before I leave the house.
For years, the arrival announcement from the pilot on board your long haul flight always contained the words "if you'd like to adjust your watches .."
As a long haul pilot, I too was caught up in that standard chit chat until a few years ago, a much younger co pilot asked me why I included that in my announcement since most people carried phones that automatically showed local time.
I tend to check the time off the GPS clock and give an accurate report .. "local time is 7 mins to 3" or similar only for that to be undone by the cabin crew follow up as people get off with an inaccurate update using their own Casio "it's almost quarter past three" etc.
My favourite was landing into an undeveloped country and hearing "if you'd like to adjust your watches, it's 40 years and one hour behind UK time".
My question is, does anybody adjust their watch to a time stated by the pilot on arriving in foreign climes? Is the information even useful in this digital world?
No, I just advance the hour hand forward or backwards as required - or if I’ve worn a GMT it’s set for both time zones before I leave the house.
It's just a matter of time...
You're asking the wrong crowd. Most of us will have bought a GMT just because we're getting on a plane.
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See...Originally Posted by Omegamanic
I generally change the time as soon as I’m seated, giving my brain, and body, a few hours to adjust to the local time at my destination. Found it work’s particularly well on long haul journeys.
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Yes I do as my phone is switched off until disembarking
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Landing here in PLS an AA pilot gave out the wrong time by 2 hrs , wouldn’t happen with BA !
I like to hear it on landing, particularly where there’s a multi-point itinerary + fatigue, it can avoid any issues.
When travelling on overnight trains etc I always feel more adrift till I’ve checked a couple of clocks at the point of arrival.
Nowadays I adjust my watch to my upcoming time zone before I leave so I can use my radio controlled clock.
After 30 years’ business travel, and despite owning a world timer and a phone, I do appreciate pilots giving out an accurate destination time. Thank you.
As my phone is usually off until I reach baggage reclaim, yes I find it useful. It helps to orientate myself after a long flight and several time zones. Thank you for continuing the practice.
Dave
Going by the number of 'help! I'm going on holiday!' threads on here I think most of us buy a new GMT every time we get on a plane!
"A man of little significance"
Good practice I think. Even if people are not adjusting their watches, good to know the local time, especially if you are travelling with kids so no time to look at your phone, or especially if you have an onward connection
Always useful. Keep it up!
Last long haul flight we had to BYOD to watch movies on and food was ‘extra’ to be booked in advance on a 10h flight. That’s another topic though
I tend to set it at some point during the flight. I think the announcement of the time and weather conditions is part of the fun. Imagine them saying “this is the captain, your phone will now have local time and the weather can be seen through the complementary windows!”
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I never did long haul flights, but in Europe, where maximum time difference is 2 hours, I set my watch to destination time zone soon after take off. And yes, I have a GMT watch for travel :)
Advice echoed by the (c’mon memory don’t fail me now) Argonne Labs anti-jet lag diet, IIRC.
I do appreciate the pilot announcement: a bit old-fashioned, and charming way to say, “We’re here!”
If on the rare occasion that I’m flying without my GMT I’ll set whatever watch I’m wearing to the destination time zone immediately after take off. I find that this helps me to adjust to the time difference more quickly as on a long flight, especially travelling east, I’m getting prepared for the sleep pattern of the new time zone whilst still on the flight. I find this tends to work for me and have always done it since childhood.
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It's exactly what I do, set my watch according to the hostie's announcement and leave it like that till I get home. At worst it'll be a couple of minutes out, and nothing I do will require to-the-second accuracy.
I am not so keen on relying on my phone. While it’s a very convenient way, in the minutes after landing it’s useless as you don’t know whether it adjusted to local time, or not.
A GMT is a perfect answer of course. But although I pay little attention to the announcement of the minutes (I don’t go to Venezuela very often) I always enjoy hearing the local hour on arrival as it validates my watch settings.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Brilliant
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I still do this! I have my phone and it does automatically update but sometimes it doesn't work, especially if I forget to turn it off airplane mode. Still useful information from the pilot.
Maybe sooner than you think!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44383220
They do this on the car ferry to the Isle of Wight
Although no trees were harmed during the creation of this post, a large number of electrons were greatly inconvenienced.
I thought I was the only one who did that.
And another here
Fly abroad pretty much every week and got into the habit of always setting the GMT hand when I've sat down after boarding.
I still listen to the pilot announcement - even if there seem to be more errors creeping in than I recall from years gone by.
Yes, my phone's usually in my bag overhead, so I adjust my watch when prompted by the pilots message.
Perfect excuse to add a holiday GMT to the stable, I got a Glycine Airman off SC recently, my excuse is its for a family holiday this year to Florida so the 24hr hand is already running -5hr, although now thinking of taking more than one watch...
And of course the age old naked dead pilot joke ..
"Gosh Inspector, how can you tell that the dead man, lying out there on the ramp, stark naked, was a pilot?"
"Easy, big watch, small penis."
I usually adjust mine and the wife's soon after take off.
Every time and I fly a lot.
Thanks all, I'll make sure my announcement includes the local time and I'll be looking at the GPS clock to make sure it's accurate, to the second!
At least once and sometimes several times every month I shuttle between GMT/BST and CET/CEST. My watch always stays set to UK time. But if I’m wearing one with a rotating bezel I keep that at 11 o’clock.
Usually wear a GMT of some sorts on long haul, that’s about 4 or 5 trips a month at the moment. Tend to set the hour hand to destination once I’ve settled into my seat.
Helps me adjust.
One destination, although only GMT+6 is circa 24 hours of travel time from leaving my London home/office to the destination hotel.
What I would really appreciate hearing is "the local time is 3.10pm and today I am wearing my GMT master II with coke bezel...."
But please carry on giving the time. It's a long tradition and still a nice touch. Like inviting the unaccompanied minors up to the cockpit to sit in the pilot's seat. I don't think they do that anymore
Do you watch movies with gladiators?
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Our airline does invite people up, not UMs though as they are usually being met at the door. If I see kids in the departure lounge with their noses pressed against the glass, I try to invite them (and parents) up to see the flight deck. We can do that as long as the engines aren't running, and as pre departure tends to be busy, it's usually after landing.
If anyone fancies a visit, (kids up to 100 years old accepted), then just let the cabin crew know to pass a message to the pilots and, at least in my airline, most pilots will try to accommodate.
Most common watch I see on colleagues is either a Breitling Aerospace or a classic Casio digital with metal strap. I usually wear my CWC G10 as the lume works well in the rest bunks.
Yeah keep doing it, my watch is usually set but I always appreciate the info.
Just taken my first gmt on holiday (first holiday after joining TZ...). Only having to change the hour hand makes the captains announcement more relevant, as it always annoyed me the inaccuracy in changing the whole time.
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Keep doing what you’re doing.
Personally I take two watches, one on UK time and the other preset to wherever I’m going (which is primarily Europe so only +1hr). I’ll swap over during the flight at some point.
Does that make me a little odd, or do lots of others do the same?
Surprises me how many on this thread do this - I thought that I was the only one!! It’s part of my pre-departure ritual for short-haul. I like hearing the crew’s confirmation that I’ve got things right at the end of the flight, so a vote for keeping right on doing what you’re doing for the OP.
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I appreciate the pilot letting us know the time on landing as it prompts the Mrs to throw her watch at me and say "change that" its part of the ritual of traveling we have, along side me having carrying all of the luggage, getting dragged around the shops and waiting for what seems like ages at security whilst she empties her hand luggage of all liquids. Because she didn't see that coming, after all we only we go away at least three times a year.
I too adjust the hour hand as soon as soon I sit in the seat. (prompting micky taking from her).
Ever since I bought my Seiko SUN 23 it has become my go to travel (holiday) watch, and I think the true GMT function is the perfect solution to a problem I didn't knew I had until I bought the watch. When travelling for business I wear my Seamaster 300 Master Co-Ax, not a GMT but the quick change hour hand is a doddle to use.
Now a question for the watch makers....
If you adjust your watch mid flight, could the lower air pressure in the cabin potentially have an affect on the watch once you land? After all most cabins have the equivalent internal cabin pressure of approx 8000ft at whilst at cruising altitude, therefore lower air pressure than sea level. Undoing a sealed screwed in crown on a diver watch would presumably reduce the air pressure in the watch and once the crown is screwed in the air inside the watch will be lower than the surrounding air once back to sea level. Could this affect the water resistance of a divers watch to be used diving?
Last edited by Sinnlover; 10th July 2018 at 16:10.
I like this so much!
My experience is that the time the pilot gives is often rather approximate.
I did a flight to the Maldvies earlier in the year and was genuinely surprised when the time he gave was spot on to the time I had on my wrist.
Often it can be 5 or even 10 minutes out!
Never really understood why it is - Do they just glance at an analogue clock and give a rough time?
M
Actually I generally find that if the pilot gives the time then it's accurate... if the cabin crew announce it then it's frequently all over the place!
To the OP: Please keep doing it. It's all part of the ritual/experience!
Simon
Yes a useful and worthwhile piece of advice to provide. I also set the destination local time when I sit down on my seat and for those of you with a GMT dont make the mistake that I once made flying back from Malpensa of mixing local with GMT..my relaxed demeanour of somebody with plenty of time before departure became a bit of a panic when I realised my error...the flight had already departed at that point and since then I've been very wary of GMT hands!
Keith
I always wait until we're in the air before I change the time - I've been bussed back to the terminal after boarding too many times to do it beforehand. Even then I've had one flight where we ended up back in Berlin because of an in-flight medical emergency. I always change at the start of the flight because the received wisdom amongst frequent flyers is to do that - I've never really questioned why though.
In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.
I’m working in Singapore for a week at the end of the month, I’m actually looking forward to finally using my IWC UTC watch for what it was intended for :-)
Though I’m a bit confused about my stopover in Doha as that’s obviously not the +7 of my destination so I’ll just use my phone for the local departure time and leave the watch set.
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