Watches in boot camp? Rumors?
 

Good morning guys,

Little bit of confusion about wrist watches in boot camp, I'm hearing that you can only wear them if you are in a div leadership position. Is this true?

My brother went through RTC in 2010 and he always said it was important to have a watch to get yourself up before reveille to get a sink before everyone else and shave. That was his experience and not sure if what he was doing was ok or his RDC let him do that, but can someone who has been through RTC recently let me know?

Thanks!

I also am wondering about watches. I have a "indestructible" one that I really want to bring with me just to have something that belongs to me.

I'm with you on that. I am somewhat of a watch enthusiast. I have 3 casio g-shocks, 2 of them are black and all of them are pretty much indestructible.

This is something that depends heavily on your RDCs, I've heard division leadership and I've heard no one was allowed at all and I wouldn't exactly be surprised to hear that some RDCs didn't care, although I've never actually heard that. In the majority of cases they're reserved for leadership positions. I could only wear mine after I became head laundry PO.

If you want to wake up before reveille just ask whoever's on watch at that time to do it.

Understand also that IF you are allowed a watch..it cant be fancy or like gold band and such...plain black band simple face...now once you are in fleet they wont care.

My RDCs only let those of us in leadership positions wear watches... and we all had to purchase the same watch at the recruit NEX during our first visit. It's all about uniformity.

There's the answer.

Roger that, I have a walmart timex (black, standard with the stopwatch/alarms/timer) and have purposely saved it to take to RTC. If it gets shipped home it gets shipped home lol

You can always keep it in your A&B drawer... I kept my $600 Citizen watch in my drawer (I wouldn't personally recommend keeping something that valuable, but it was a gift from my family and nice to look at some nights).

Citizen Eco drive? I want one of those SOOO bad man. I'm not really a clothes or shoes person but my one thing is watches

My experience was similar. Here's an extra tidbit: Even if you are recruit leadership, you CANNOT wear a watch during inspections (except RCPO alone). But the good thing is, no matter who you are, nobody can stop you keeping it in your drawer, wearing it at night to wake yourself up, and putting it away in the morning.

During our first NEX visit as a division with our RDCs, only our division leadership were allowed them. I think ship's staff all were allowed to get them as well. After awhile, they weren't really checking our bags and anyone who wanted the watches could get them.

I wouldn't advise buying one from the NEX. Buy something conservative before you leave, and stow it with your valuables. I brought my own from home. The watches at the NEX aren't necessarily bad, but you can pay a lot less if you just pick one up at Wal-Mart.

I'll be packing the 25 dollar walmart timex special for sure, takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin!

I don't know a lot about watches but the vibe I was getting was that the G-Shocks they were selling at the NEX are marked down a lot from their normal prices...

The bigger and fancier your watch, the more noticeable it is. The more noticeable it is, the more likely someone's going to catch you wearing it in uniform and come unglued on you because it's not conservative enough.

I'd save the G-Shock for the fleet. No one will care then (it's actually a pretty popular watch). Go with something basic and cheap for RTC.

Thread is a little stale, but only leadership positions are allowed to buy watches at the NEX, or wear the regulation watches stowed in their A&B drawer. The caveat is that once you finish battle stations and become authorized to wear your 8 point cover, you can wear a watch that is regulation. The prices on G shocks were a lot lower at the NEX, so I splurged and got one that I still wear on the boat.

Yes and no.

If you came to bootcamp with a watch you are permitted to wear it. But if you didn't and you're stuck at boot eventually wanting a watch, you aren't permitted to buy and wear one unless you have a collar device. I was a YN of my division so I was given a crappy Casio watch by my RDC, but eventually bought a decent one at the NEX once we were given a little more freedom. But typically yes, only with collar devices. It depends what RDC is processing you. While I was getting processed, the Petty Officer didn't make some of the females take off their watches when they sent their clothes and items home.

You can keep the watch you come with but you will have to have permission from RDC to wear it. But honestly you don't really need a watch in bootcamp - there is a clock in a compartment, in every classroom, in a galley.