Working offshore and working offshore: All in all it depends of what you are doing…
Are you siting in the office and going out sometimes for a round on the field to take a look?
Are you a Process-Operator with a bit of screwing, mostly sitting in process-rooms with computer work?
Are you working mostly in a roomy and clean workshop?
Or are you on the field beating the crap out of some rusted bolts&flanges, doing the horse job and working constantly in very tight places, exposing your watch and fingers to regular beating like I was doing?
When I started to work offshore, I had already been onshore 7 years in refineries&plants, screwing and beating 12h/day: Everything is huge there compare to offshore installations.
Had like 30 watches to choose from in my collection: Would never had taken any expensive watch to be ruined there.
I was scratching/chipping crystal, cases etc...
Take for example a Rolex Sub there and after few missions: Crystal edges are chipped, bracelet clasp ripped and case is scratched and dented down. Lost value as hell. For what?
First 2 years onshore I had a Tissot Seastar 1000(previous model) with 2824-2 ETA: Never failed me.
After for the 6 next years I used some home-made beaters made with cheap asian "Sea-Dweller" cases: The first one had a 2801-2 ETA and after 3 years, I got fed-up of cranking it by hand each day so I switched to a 2824-2 ETA movement(same movement with an automatic module)
I used those SD asian cases because it´s cheap, strong, water tight, small, light and slim so they don´t hook everywhere you fit your hands.
I was a Pipefitter and hydraulic bolt tightener: Worked with sledge hammer of any sizes, beating bolts&nuts, supports, using often pneumatic screwing hammers and even beaten the watch accidentally sometimes.
My watch never failed me and it did cost me in all like 2500 Kr in parts to make it: No service.
I used a mesh bracelet because it don´t stink like an old sweaty Nato, it breaths and dries fast: Feeling more comfy than a usual bracelet.
Here´s my last "beater" when I just made it: After 2 years of hard beating offshore, it´s still working perfectly holding "COSC timing".
But if you want some fancy shit because your job is not exposed… Your choice...
This is what happened to my crystal after his first trip to Norne FPSO: Chipped in 3 places already.
Because the crystal is higher than the ceramic bezel and exposed…
