(Article originally published on Pack Config)
I can’t deny, I really like cool gadgets. So when Patrick announced his PDW wrist watch compass I knew I had to get one! The first batch of the silver one sold out within minutes and unfortunately I was not lucky enough to get it. So with the second batch I was a bit more prepared and grabbed mine, finally! When it arrived and I opened the box… oh boy, how cool was that! What you get is the compass (of course) in a protective plastic container and with silicone carrier, which protects compass when not on your wrist and also allows to put it on a backpack/strap/MOLLE.
It arrived just in time – a couple of days before my short trip to the seaside. Technically it fits straps up to 22mm, BUT I had no problem squeezing my 24mm two-piece ZULU strap into the mounting slot, so I’m happy to tell you – yes, it’s Panerai compliant, which was actually my biggest worry. I wear the PAM000 as my adventure watch so if I’d be not able to use them both… ouch! But it fits, so no problem.
Of course, before any serious use (it’s a tool after all) I had to make sure it was really working properly and showed true magnetic North. So I took my good old M2 artillery compass and just checked PDW carefully. I expected nothing else frankly speaking… it’d be hard to tell if there was ANY noticeable difference between them. And the M2 is an instrument you could trust with your life! I found this short description of the M2: *The M2 military compass has been in service with the U.S. military since at least World War II. It is designed for precise work in providing targeting information for artillery.* Any questions? Yeah, that experiment shows it clearly – the PDW compass can also be trusted as a land and sea navigation aid.
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