Pilot Watch Is More About Function Than Fashion

A simple device can be your best bet for timing training flights.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at 09:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Aa basic device that you can easily read, like a stopwatch or basic wristwatch, will work in the cockpit for most pilots when it comes to timing flights. [Credit: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

Using smartphone or iPad timers during flight can cause student pilots to fall "behind the aircraft" due to the time it takes to activate the devices.
Expensive, complex pilot watches are unnecessary; a simple, easily readable stopwatch or a basic analog wristwatch with a sweep hand is sufficient for accurate in-flight timing.
Recommended solutions include panel-mounting a basic stopwatch with Velcro, wearing a large-face watch on the underside of the wrist, or using an inexpensive analog wristwatch to note engine start and shutdown times.

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Question: I am a student pilot who has just started the dual cross-country phase of training. The analog clock in the airplane doesn’t work very well, and it’s hard to read. So I tried to use the timer on the iPad and smartphone during the flight, but I ended up getting behind the airplane. My CFI recommended I get a wrist watch to do the time calculations instead.

I really can’t see myself getting one of those big expensive pilot watches with the confusing dials. Is there an easier way to time a flight and still stay ahead of the airplane?

Answer: The purpose of a watch in aviation is to help you determine ground speed, fuel burn, and distance covered. While the iPad and smartphone timers are good tools, in the time it takes to tap the device awake and functioning it is possible to get behind the aircraft—especially when you are learning.

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You don’t need a fancy watch for flight. A basic device that you can easily read, like a stopwatch or basic wristwatch, will work. Several of my clients use stopwatches that they panel mount with Velcro. Others have large face watches that they wear so the face is on the underside of their wrist.

A few have acquired inexpensive, yet durable analog wristwatches with a sweep hand that they wear strictly when training, as they’ve learned to note the time at engine start and engine shutdown at the end of the flight.

Did you know that because pilots fumbled with pocket watches that led to the creation of wristwatches? In the early days of aviation you needed two hands to control the aircraft, and pulling the pocket watch out for use could be a challenge. Watch manufacturers, Cartier and Hamilton, for example, developed wristwatches—and they caught on and stayed.

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