Big Idea Design makes some high-quality pieces of gear out of titanium. The strength and light weight of that metal make it well suited to items for everyday carry (EDC).
The Big Idea EDC item that I like the most is their Ti Field Watch. It is rugged, light-weight, and accurate.
With a price at the time of this writing of $499.99 at BigIDesign.com , it is definitely not inexpensive. But it is by far the best watch that I have ever owned. If you can afford a watch in the mid-price range, this one would be an excellent choice.
Background
One of the biggest differences between pre-industrial and industrialized societies is the amount of emphasis that they place on the precise measurement of time. For pre-industrial societies, the sun, moon and stars provide a sufficiently accurate marker of the passage of time. For industrialized societies, more accurate tools are necessary in order to coordinate the activities of a more complex and interdependent civilization. These tools, in turn, create psychological dependence in those who become accustomed to them.
Cruel people have noted this psychological dependence and utilized it for their own evil purposes. One method used to help break down torture victims emotionally is cutting them off from any input that allows them to measure the regular passage of time. This creates disorientation and increased psychological distress.
If a short or long-term grid-down situation occurs, many of us will be better oriented and less distressed psychologically if we can continue to accurately measure the passage of time.
Many common tools used for measuring the passage of time are grid dependent. When the power goes down, many clocks go down as well. Back in June of 2021, I wrote an article for SurvivalBlog about timekeeping when the grid is down. Among other grid-independent timekeeping devices, I talked a little bit about my Seiko 5 automatic watch. An automatic watch captures the energy created by the motion of the wearer’s arm in order to power the watch’s movement. For as long as I had it, I enjoyed my Seiko 5.
Then in 2023, I lost my Seiko. The band came loose while I was bucking logs. By the time I noticed that it was missing, the watch was buried somewhere in an expanse of sawdust, broken twigs, and mud.
I replaced the Seiko 5 with an Invicta 29178 automatic watch, which I described in an article on SurvivalBlog in June of that year. The Invicta served me well with one exception: it was too shiny. I not feel that it was appropriate for field use because it might make me conspicuous when I wanted to blend into the background.
Recently while doing some reading online, I ran across the Big Idea Design Ti Field Watch. The green nylon and brown leather straps that came with the Field Watch were less conspicuous than the highly reflective stainless steel band of the Invicta. The stonewashed finish of the titanium case of the Field Watch was less shiny than the glossy stainless steel case of the Invicta. The titanium case of the Field Watch was stronger and lighter than stainless steel case of the Invicta. Thus, it seemed that the watch would be better suited for field use than the Invicta.
For the sake of this article, I would say that watches fall into three major price ranges: budget (under $100), mid (from $100 to $999), and high (over $1,000). I have to admit that almost every watch I have ever owned has fallen into the budget price range. I have been primarily interested in watches as tools for keeping time, and many budget-priced watches keep time extremely well. But the strength and weight advantages of a titanium case attracted me to the more expensive option of the Field Watch.
I contacted Big Idea Design, and asked if they could provide me with a sample of their Ti Field Watch for testing and evaluation. They were kind enough to agree. Shortly afterward, a 10 x 10 x 5 inch shipping box arrived via USPS Ground Advantage from Big Idea Design LLC, 7001 Shallowford Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421.
First Impressions
There was a long, narrow, thin envelope in the top of the shipping box. It contained a brown watch band stamped on the back with the words “Horween Genuine Leather.” (A well-known company in Chicago, Illinois.)
Beneath the envelope, wrapped up in brown paper and sealed in shrink wrap, was a 6.25 x 3.5 x 2.5-inch black paperboard box. Inside the paperboard box was a nicely crafted wooden box with a sliding top which was emblazoned with the Big Idea Design logo. Inside of the wooden box on top of everything else there was a manual. Beneath the manual, nested in a cushion of black velvet, lay the watch. The watch is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship.
The wooden box has a folding stand attached to its back so that it can double as a display case for the watch. I feel a little ambivalent about the wooden box. On the one hand, I feel that resources should be invested primarily in the product, not in the packaging. On the other hand, I recognize that companies are probably wise not to tailor their packaging to appeal to old grumps like me.
Reading the Manual
I do highly approve of including a manual with the watch. Many watches today come only with a card imprinted with a QR code for accessing the manual online. I prefer something written in black and white that I can read it without the help of an electronic device.
The manual is 24 pages long including the front and back covers. I noted a lot of interesting information in the manual:
The watch has a screw-down crown. This prevents unintentional changes to its setting and provides a greater degree of water resistance.
Although the watch is automatic (self-winding), the movement can also be manually wound when the crown is unlocked.
The manual includes a QR code and URL for accessing video instructions. I don’t mind this, since it is designed to supplement rather than replace the information in the manual.
The titanium case makes the watch lighter, more durable, hypoallergenic, and more corrosion resistant than the stainless steel cases of most watches.
The watch includes a bi-directional rotating timer bezel: there is a mark on the bezel that can be used to indicate a start or desired stop time for the second, minute, or hour hand.
The hands are illuminated with a Swiss Super Luminova finish. This non-radioactive, non-toxic finish is charged by exposure to light.
The watch uses an SII NH36A movement, which has a 41-hour power reserve when fully wound. (The manual did not mention this, but the movement is made in Japan).
The case is made of Grade 2 Titanium. (The manual did not mention this, but the case is made in China).
The watch has a double-dome AR Sapphire Crystal and a Sapphire Crystal case backing.
It is rated for water resistance down to 200 meters. It weighs 1.7 ounces without the strap.
Big Idea Design also makes a solar-powered model and a slightly smaller automatic model with the date but no day.
Testing
I wound the watch, set the date and time, and took the watch into daily use. I also used the pasteboard box to wrap my wife’s Christmas present (I made her a certificate committing myself to pay the cost of having her Bible rebound.)
The light-colored hands on the dark face provided excellent contrast during daylight hours, making the watch easy to read. I think that was the feature of the watch that I most enjoyed.
The band was quite long, allowing it to fit even the biggest wrists.
The use of a nylon strap and a titanium case made the watch feel significantly lighter than the Invicta that I had previously been using. That made the watch surprisingly comfortable to wear.
After 19 days of daily use, the watch had lost about 30 seconds, so I reset it. During the next 23 days of use, the watch lost a total of 89 seconds. That was significantly better than the Invicta, which lost about a minute a week.
I did not do a formal test of water resistance, but I did give my dog a bath while wearing the watch. That is about as good a test of practical water resistance as you are likely to find. The watch passed the “Tucker the Beagle Dog Bath Test” with flying colors.
I did not find the Super Luminova finish on the hands to be especially legible in the dark.
An automatic watch should exhibit good shelf life when stockpiled. It is water and corrosion resistant, and has no batteries to decay. Even if you depend on a battery-powered quartz watch for everyday use, I would recommend getting a good automatic or manual-wind watch for long-term storage.
Conclusions
The Big Idea Design Ti Field Watch is an outstanding timekeeping device. It is durable, lightweight, accurate, easy to read, and comfortable. It is by far the best watch that I have ever owned.
If you can afford a watch in the mid-price range, this one would be an excellent choice.
Disclaimer
Big Idea Design was kind enough to provide me a sample of their Ti Field Watch for testing and evaluation. I tried not to allow their kindness to interfere with my objectivity in this review, and I believe that I have succeeded. I did not receive any other financial or other inducement to mention any vendor, product, or service in this article.
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