Travel clocks, timers, and timepieces
Quentin Burke of Holtville, California, wrote the following to ITN readers: “Is it preferable to carry a timer or an alarm clock when traveling? Mostly, we’ve found it better to simply set a miniature digital interval timer to ‘eight hours’ for a night’s sleep than fumble with teeny buttons and worry whether we got a.m. or p.m. right on a so-called travel alarm clock. Also, a timer is handy to have in the pocket in certain instances to signal ‘Got to get back to the boat/airport/bus depot in two hours.’
“What kind of timing device do you take on trips? What size is it and how much does it weigh? Does it glow in the dark? And what about watches? Do you prefer a mechanical or digital timepiece? Regarding the clock, timer or watch, what brand is yours and, if it’s reliable, where/how can someone get it?”
Shown below are responses received. If you have something to add, write to Travel Clocks & Watches, c/o ITN, 2116 28th St., Sacramento, CA 95818, or e-mail editor@intltravelnews.com (include the address at which you receive ITN).
The best watch I have found is a Skyhawk from Citizen Watch Company (800/321-1023, www.citizenwatch.com).
At the press of a large button, it gives the dates and times for all 24 time zones. It is an Eco-Drive watch, which means it has no battery and is powered by light. It also has three alarms, and they can be heard even when the watch is placed on a table next to the bed.
Mine is the titanium model, lighter in weight than the stainless-steel model. It’s five years old and was tagged at $500, though I paid considerably less. Skyhawk watches run $375-$795, but discounts of 25%-50% are not uncommon; check Amazon.com.
When traveling, I also take an alarm clock with a thermometer. Mine is from Brookstone (866/576-7337, www.brookstone.com). It weighs about three ounces, has large numbers and is easily set.
Ronald Ross
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
I use an L.L. Bean (800/441-5713, www.llbean.com) travel clock. I do not know the product number, as the clock was a gift and the box it came in is long gone.
Here are its advantages.
1. It has large numbers that are easy to see.
2. It’s easy to change the time and set the alarm.
3. The alarm will wake me but not the people in the next room.
4. The clock folds up to, when closed, approximately 4"x6"x¼".
5. At night, when I tap the clock the numbers glow for approximately three to four seconds with enough light to see the time. The night-glow feature requires two AAA batteries that are included.
I never leave home without it.
Ed Gorlin
Lexington, VA
If you are wearing a timepiece, make sure it’s made of nonmagnetic material like brass so it cannot magnetize and seize up or start running slower.
Matthew Taraska
Beaver, WI
So-called “atomic clocks,” often labeled “atomic scan clocks,” “auto-set clocks” or “radio clocks” or, for use both within and outside of the USA, “world atomic clocks” or “global sync atomic clocks,” adjust themselves.
From an actual atomic clock in a country’s central location, a radio signal is beamed that adjusts all these clocks and watches automatically, even accounting for daylight saving time in the USA, etc. (You do have to set it to the appropriate time zone in each location; e.g., “USA only” models initially default to EST.)
At this point, an auto-set radio clock or watch made for use in the USA will not automatically update its synchronization elsewhere where a radio signal is provided (a few countries in Europe and Asia), unless, I suppose, the same frequency is used as in the USA.
In those places, a “USA only” model will work as a normal clock; it just won’t auto-update itself. You would have to adjust it manually. To be on the safe side, you should ask for a “global sync atomic clock” or a “world sync atomic alarm clock.”
(There are longwave radio transmitters in Germany [DCF77], Switzerland [HPG], France [TDF], the United Kingdom [NPL and MSF], Japan [JJY] and the United States [WWVB]. Many other countries can receive these signals, but it depends on the time of day and the atmospheric conditions. JJY can sometimes be received even in western Australia and Tasmania at night.)
Typical radio clocks require placement in a location with a relatively unobstructed atmospheric path to the transmitter. Fair to good atmospheric conditions are needed for the time to be successfully updated. It is my understanding that the synchronization is performed once a day, during the nighttime, but this may vary from country to country.
While these auto-set radio clocks provide a way of getting high-quality, atomic-derived time over a wide area using inexpensive equipment, they are not appropriate for high-precision scientific work. There is a transit delay of approximately one millisecond for every 300 kilometers the receiver is from the transmitter. When operating properly, better brands of radio clocks normally are accurate to the second.
Many retailers market these modern radio clocks as “atomic clocks,” but that is a misrepresentation. There is no harmful, radiation-type stuff in these clocks.
Within these clocks and watches, the device that keeps track of the time between updates is usually a cheap and relatively inaccurate quartz-crystal clock, since it is thought that an expensive precise timekeeper is not necessary with automatic atomic-clock updates. Some clocks include an indicator to alert users to possible inaccuracy when synchronization has not been successful within the last 24 to 48 hours.
We have several radio clocks and even a watch. Our Seiko (Mahwah, NJ; 201/529-5730, www.seikousa. com) world traveler alarm clock will pick up signals from transmitters in the USA, Western Europe, Japan or the UK. It displays the month, date and day and has a 12/24-hour read as well as an alarm with snooze function, an EL (electro luminescent) backlight and a twist-and-turn base. Including batteries and a travel pouch, it costs $30-$50 and can be found online or in travel stores.
Asha Smithson, V.J.’s Exotic Safaris, Winfield, KS
I have bought two travel clocks, both from Magellan’s (800/962-4943, www.magellans.com).
The first one was a Seiko that automatically resets the time for daylight saving time, etc., and different parts of the country or world. I paid $39.95 for mine.
In the latest catalog I received, they made it a little larger (4¼"x2") and it costs $44.85 and has a built-in flashlight. The alarm wasn’t quite loud enough, so I returned it and ordered a Smart Lite Travel Alarm Clock with an ascending volume alarm (70-88 db). It’s smaller, at 3"x¾"x2¼", stays lit all night, requires one AAA battery (included) and costs $19.85.
I have ordered several items from Magellan’s and have enjoyed excellent service and assistance when I needed it. They are very accommodating and will let you return a product with no problem. They have almost everything a person would need as travel accessories. I heartily recommend them.
I have never used a timer while traveling, but I always leave a wake-up call with the hotel reception, just in case.
I wear only one watch. I just subtract seven hours while in Europe and then know what time it is at home (depending on the time zone, of course).
Bea Emanuel
Minneapolis, MN
My wristwatch of preference currently is a large-faced Suunto X-Lander (800/891-8490, www.suuntowatches.com) with all the bells and whistles, such as compass, altimeter, barometer, stopwatch, timer and countdown timer as well as audible alarms. It has two alarm choices, and it’s easy to change the time or set an alarm, whether to awaken us or as a reminder. This watch cost about $300.
My alternative wristwatch, Enduro, from Highgear (828/681-0335, www.highgear.com), is similar in design and functions but has a slightly smaller face. It does, however, have two time-zone settings, so I can easily switch from Home to There. This one costs $60-$80.
Both of these are water resistant to 50 meters and thus can be worn while snorkeling or the like. Displays for both can be in English or metric units.
In my travel kit I most frequently carry a small (3¼"x2¾"x¾"), lightweight (three ounces) clock, model 63-964, that I got a few years ago at Radio Shack (800/843-7422, www. radioshack.com) for about $30. It is kept adjusted by the over-the-air time signals.
Powered by two AAA batteries, it is easy to set the alarm or change the time, and, in the night, pressing down on it illuminates it. It displays date and (in your choice of °C or °F) temperature, the latter being most desirable when explaining to maintenance that the A/C is not functioning properly.
Radio Shack’s current model is the Presidian Atomic Travel Alarm Clock ($14.99). It is similar to the Light All Night model No. AC343 ($19.85 plus shipping) offered in the latest Magellan’s catalog.
Our alternative travel alarm is a Seiko “Global Radio Wave Controlled” clock that weighs in at six ounces and measures 4³⁄8"x3"x¾". Magellan’s has a similar one for about $40 (item number AC636). It, too, gives the date, time and temperature. The time is most often reset automatically an hour or so after we arrive at a new location, as the clock seeks the signals from the USA, Japan or Germany as appropriate.
Evans M. Harrell
Marietta, GA
When we were leaving for Africa seven years ago, I decided to leave at home my regular Seiko watch and replace it with something which I would not be upset at losing. The watch which had “everything” turned out to be a Timex Expedition (800/448-4639, www.timex.com). It appears to be made of hard plastic and is extremely durable to the point that, nearly eight years later, it is now my everyday watch. Its price today is $42-$65.
This watch has analog hands and a digital window for the date and a second time zone, which works very well with my habit of setting the hands to the time at our destination as soon as we board the aircraft while still having a digital reminder of time “at home” plus the date.
A backlight and luminous hands make quiet time-checks in a dark hotel feasible.
Also useful is the alarm system, which I have set on U.S. time to remind me to take medications. I have never figured out how to adjust the alarm, so it can go off at odd times in different time zones.
I have needed only two batteries in seven years, and it is very easy to change the battery myself.
The downside of the Timex is that its alarm is digital, and I do not dare to try to adjust it in the field. Therefore, we also carry a small folding clock given to us by Grand Circle Travel many years ago. It uses one AA battery, keeps incredibly accurate time and has a great alarm for those early departures. Brand? Simply “Made in China.”
Christopher Hartley
Ormond Beach, FL
Over the years, I have tried several methods of keeping time while traveling. I finally found that only the time where you are counts.
Not wanting to carry a timepiece of value, I have settled upon a Timex. Being of the older group of travelers, I need a clock face that I can easily read. I got a Timex Indiglo WR30M model.
Not only does it have numbers that are readable, it has an Indiglo face, meaning that when I push the stem the face lights up. I find that it provides enough light to see my way at night when nature calls and I do not want to turn on a light which disturbs my wife.
It has a battery that is guaranteed for 10 years, if you believe what they print.
It only keeps time; it has no alarm.
It is available in most department, discount and drug stores for about $25 (or less if you shop).
Thom Wilson
Scottsdale, AZ
For years, I have relied on my Timex digital watch for time and alarm information during our travels across the continents. My current Timex, model 866, is inexpensive ($43), water-resistant to 100 meters and easy to read in the dark. It has three alarms and shows two times, so I can leave one set for my home time zone and set the other for the time zone in which we find ourselves.
In 2005 I added a small, folding Sharp travel alarm, model SPC303, that is thin and flat and fits in my shirt pocket. In addition to the date, time and alarm settings, it also displays 12- or 24-hour time plus temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius. It also has a snooze/light button. I saw it at Target and at Bed, Bath & Beyond for about $10.
One caution — one has to be able to hear all these small, high-frequency alarms, which are high pitched and not excessively loud. (I prefer a quiet alarm.)
Gunter Arndt
Solomons, MD
I purchased a wonderful travel clock at Wal-Mart for about $10 a couple of years ago. It is a Sharp and can show the date and time at home at the bottom and the time wherever you are in much larger numerals at the top.
It is easy to set both the time and the alarm, and there is a snooze/light bar at the very top. It folds into a compact 2½"x3¾", but one side opens up to form a stand.
Nancy E. Whitman
Lincoln, NE
It’s not that big a deal to change your watch to the local time. That’s where you want to be, anyway.
For a travel alarm, I have a very inexpensive one (about 10 bucks) from Rite Aid Pharmacy, but you can probably get the same thing at any large pharmacy. It measures 2¼"x2¼"x1¼" and takes one AA battery.
It has a button on top to push to light the dial. It’s supposed to be phosphorescent, but that lasts for about 10 minutes. It tells time perfectly, and the alarm sounds at the time it’s set for.
It has been all over the world with me.
A word to the wise — NEVER, EVER trust the hotel for a wake-up call, no matter how many stars the hotel has. Even in the finest establishments, the calls are sometimes missed (I know; I work in a very fine one), and guests have missed flights.
Dori Portner
Larkspur, CA
For some 20 years we carried a Linden quartz alarm which worked like a charm — easy to set to local time, to set an alarm and illuminate the dial when desired (3"x2"x½").
When it died, it was replaced by a Magellan’s Light All Night Alarm Clock (No. AC434, at $19.85 on their website), measuring 2½"x4"x½". Again, the clock is easy to set to local time and set an alarm, and it does not need to be lit all night since it can be illuminated when desired. The three AAA batteries will last at least two years if you do not use the illuminated-all-night function.
For a wristwatch I use a Casio model DBC62-1 (800/836-8580, www.casio.com). It is black and very inconspicuous looking; in fact, it looks cheap and not desirable-looking to a thief. It costs $69.95.
The charm of it is built in. It has a world-time function, calculator, daily alarm, countdown alarm, stopwatch, tele-memo and schedule memo. The dial can be illuminated when desired, and it can display time in either a 12- or 24-hour format.
The functions I have used most often are the world time (I can select and display all of the 24 time zones), the alarm function and the calculator.
I have had difficulty getting the battery replaced outside of the U.S., so I make certain the battery is fresh by replacing it at least every three years.
Don Thompson
Garden Grove, CA
My husband, John, and I like to know what time it is, especially when on jet lag. After years of looking for an alarm clock that we could see at night without having to get a flashlight or waking up to push a button, we finally found one. It is called Light All Night Alarm Clock and it does just that.
This clock is nice and compact (3½"x2½"x¾"), with a plastic fold cover that protects it in a suitcase. It takes three AAA batteries that will last nine months if the light feature is used for eight hours a day.
It also has a 4-minute snooze function and an LED flashlight. The price is $19.85 through Magellan’s.
We are finally happy with our travel alarm.
Phyllis Mueller
San Jose, CA
As an international business executive in the aerospace industry and a pilot, I travel well over 100,000 miles per year and spend over 100 nights on the road in both industrialized and third-world countries. Therefore, the correct time is both a personal interest and professional requirement.
In general, I travel with both a wristwatch (imagine a “big” pilot’s watch with multiple time zones, dials, buzzers, etc., so I can show my face at the airport) and a portable “travel alarm,” specifically the Casio PQ15-1K. While I am not normally an effusive product endorser, I cannot say enough about this travel alarm clock.
Purchased almost 10 years ago, the PQ15 travel alarm has lived a hard life and yet has never failed to wake me from an 8-time-zone jet lag coma. While I will spare you the detailed specifications available online, this alarm is powered by two AAA batteries that seem to last forever (five-plus years) — so long, in fact, I sometimes get suspicious and change them anyway, fearing they might die on the road.
While its size and weight are a bit greater than those of some “portable travel” alarms, its size permits easy viewing of time, date and temperature, it has a usable backlit display, and its buttons are large enough to actually use accurately. The ability to toggle between temperatures shown in Fahrenheit and centigrade, the 12/24-hour clock, a prominent snooze button and piercing alarm all are appreciated features.
All controls are on the front of the alarm and can be “locked” to prevent accidental readjustment while fumbling in the dark. A wide and stable base folds closed, forming a cover to protect the setting buttons when the clock is not in use.
My only complaint, minor for me, is that the thermometer appears to be regularly off by plus or minus two to four degrees Fahrenheit. Nonetheless, I have come to depend on my Casio PQ-15 and have already purchased a spare in the unfortunate event something finally goes on the original.
I give it 8+ out of 10 stars. They are commonly available online (Amazon, JR Electronics, etc.) and from some retailers for about $10-$20.
Ken Weaver
Lancaster, PA
I have found the Casio No. 815 watch to be an invaluable travel tool. Not only does it tell the local time, but by pushing a button one can find the time in 23 major cities around the world. It gives the current temperature in both Fahrenheit and centigrade, stores its readings on the hour and records the last 24 hours. It has the average high and low temperatures for every month in the same 23 cities.
It is cool to be able to say how hot or cold it currently is and what it was at 11:40. When we are with a group, they soon learn who to ask for the temperature.
Another feature is the five alarms. Each can be set to a different time, allowing for one to be set at 7:00, one at 7:01 and, if we are very tired, a third at 7:02. We always hear one of them. It sets easily, so if we have to be back on the bus at a given time we just set the alarm.
There is also a stopwatch and a countdown timer.
It is water-tight to 100 meters so could be a dive watch. As a diver, I prefer a Velcro® brand hook-and-loop fastener band as opposed to the plastic strap that comes with it, so it is very comfortable to wear.
The lithium battery lasts three years, and the dial light gets dimmer as it ages — a good indicator as to when to replace the battery.
I am very happy with this watch, but I found that Casio does not make this particular model anymore. They have, however, incorporated many of its features on other watches.
Doug Rittenhouse
Port Angeles, WA
For several years I’ve traveled with a Casio PQ-10 travel alarm clock. It’s 2½"x1¾" and very lightweight. It has snooze, an LED light and an option for a 12- or 24-hour clock. I would hate to lose it, especially as Casio seems to no longer make this clock!
When it comes to watches, I (female) take the cheapest analog watch that I think looks okay. No point in tempting thieves with gold and diamonds!
On my 10-month ’round-the-world trip (2004-2005) I had to replace my watch twice, as working my arm through the strap of my backpack seemed to be hard on the watch strap. I paid €5 for a watch in Porto and then 270 rubles in Irkutsk for one that lasted another couple of years.
Kathy Wilhelm
Cary, NC
At home I now use my cell phone for the time, but when traveling I wear a Casio Databank DB150 watch. The memory is loaded with such things as phone numbers for airline reservations and lost credit cards, frequent-flyer numbers, etc. It’s also a calculator, dual-time/world-time watch, stopwatch/countdown timer, alarm clock (albeit with puny audible alert), etc. It costs $69.95.
On my old watch, everything had to be laboriously punched in with the tiny keypad, but newer devices can be synchronized with your computer.
Irv Smith
Missouri City, TX
After carrying various regular and digital clocks and folding clocks, etc., we have carried the Mini-Time Travel Alarm Clock (model AC413) that we found in the Magellan’s travel supplies catalog. It is still listed in the catalog we recently received and costs $9.85.
It measures 2½"x2½"x1" and uses one AA battery which lasts over a year. The time is easy to set, and the alarm makes enough noise to wake you up (which some do not) and is easy to shut off.
Merle Crow
Honolulu, HI
Virtually all cell phones have alarm clocks built in. If the phone cannot pick up signals in foreign countries, the correct time needs to be reset; otherwise, it is very convenient for wake-up calls, reminders, etc.
Ronald March
San Ramon, CA
Unless I am going to a place where I know my cell phone (and the phone alarm) will work, I carry a TimeVision Jumbo Super-Loud Alarm Clock that I purchased a few years ago.
At about 2"x5"x1½", it isn’t as compact as some, and it doesn’t have a lighted dial, but I chose it because it advertised an extra-loud alarm, which I needed, and it is, indeed, loud enough to wake the dead! (Sold by retailers specializing in clocks for the hard of hearing and visually impaired, it costs $27-$47.)
I only wear one watch, and I always reset it to the local time wherever I am. I can calculate what the time is “back home,” should I need to know, but I think it is more important to know the time where I am!
Dee Poujade
Portland, OR
My favorite travel alarm clock is the Shake Awake (888/602-9253; www.shakeawake.com). It measures 4"x2½"x1¼" and with batteries weighs six ounces. The cost is $24.95 plus $4.05 s/h.
It has all the features of other alarm clocks. In addition, it can be set to provide a strong vibration. Originally designed for the hearing impaired, this intense pulsation will awaken even the deepest sleeper. It can be put in a pillowcase or pocket and is great for waking one person without disturbing anyone else in the room.
I originally bought it for my husband, who has hearing damage in one ear. He can always be awakened with this device if he is traveling alone and sleeping on his hearing ear.
Fran Koort
Santa Barbara, CA