I would find either equally useful, I pretty much just use the 12 o clock marker on my watch as a reminder of what time I started an activity I want to time, or what time something should end. The other markers are basically an aesthetic choice for my limited needs

 

What I don't like about countdown bezels is that, to a non-WIS, it looks like the numbering on the bezel has been messed up (printed on the wrong side).

 

Yes for both. Each has it own "perks".....

 

Thanks for saying this - I added a option for both in the poll.

 

Pilot vs diver. Imo unless you are dropping bombs a count up is more useful

That said, a countdown is more "fun"

 

Early in my collecting journey, I sought out a watch specifically for having a count-down bezel, which I really liked the idea of. After getting one, I learned that I didn't find it nearly as useful compared to a dive bezel. Maybe it was because it wasn't my only watch and I was used to thinking in terms of the dive bezel even when I used it in the count-down "mode", but I kept getting confused with the count-down bezel, and consequently, the coolness factor kind of wore off, too...

 

I see the benefits of both and don’t really see either of them presenting overt challenges to use.

 

I wish there were more watches with no numerals on the bezel at all, just minute markers with the 5-minute markers larger, plus a lumed triangle at 12. this way, it could be used as a dive bezel, countdown bezel or even a second time zone. Plus, make it bidirectional.

 

Be very careful what you wish for. I love this watch, but reading the elapsed time off the bezel is always a chore rather than a quick glance the way it is with every other such watch that I own:

 

I never use a bezel for timing something important. I absolutely will forget to look at the watch and miss whatever it was. This is one thing that remains firmly the domain of my cellphone with audible alarm.

 

^This.
Other than sending cat photos and memes to my family the phone has to have some use.
I’ve heard a rumour that you can talk to people on it too.

 

I have only been exposed to Diver bezels for almost 20 years. Now that I have been enjoying Pilot watches, I would love to find a Type A dial watch with a diver bezel!

 

I prefer time elapsed bezel because I find there are more applications for it on the daily basis but IMO there should be a third option in the pole for people that never use their bezel. I know plenty of people that never use it and only buy dive watches because they like the way they look or use them as fidget spinners haha

 

When there's no audible alarm, it's not useful at all unless you're staring at or checking the watch frequently, and the whole purpose of the timing bezel is to alleviate that.

When I need to time something that needs to happen in 10 minutes for example, I can just set a dive bezel normally and watch for the hand to hit 10. It comes down to, do you want to set the bezel to a number and read it on the pip, or set the bezel to the pip and read the number? And let's say in that example, 20 minutes ends up happening. A dive bezel reads 20, a countdown reads 50. It's just a miniscule amount of math for my head to do that's eliminated with a dive bezel.

Pic of the only countdown bezel I own, just since I had it on recently.

 

Countdown on a chronograph with hours totalizer, dive on a 3 hander.

Chronographs already have an elapsed time function so a dive bezel is redundant (unless it's a bi-compax with no hours totalizer and only a 30 minute counter), whereas a countdown bezel adds a further function. But if it's only between elapsed or countdown on a 3-hander, elapsed is more useful.

 

Countdown on a chronograph with hours totalizer, totalizer and only a 30 minute counter), whereas a countdown bezel adds a further function. But if it's only between elapsed or countdown on a 3-hander, elapsed is more useful.

The number of times I needed to "time up" two concurrent events, one with a chronograph and another with a timing bezel, outnumbers the situations where one of those evens was more suited to a countdown bezel must be at least 20:1, but probably more. And I time events daily, and a lot of them.

 

I can see the usefulness of both count up and countdown. Since I've never successfully used a timing bezel because I've always forgot to check the time, my bezel preference is all about style. I like minimalist bezels, like the BB54, Rado Captain Cook, Breitling SuperOcean Heritage. For actual useful timing, I'll use the timer on my phone that has an audible alert.

 

I think the way Zodiac did it is smart. There's just the 30 marker at the bottom so the bezel can be used for either countdown or count up very easily, while having that 30 reference to make it easier to read.

I do not like fully indexed countdown bezels at all. A watch that tells me 10 is actually 50 during the 98% of the day when I'm not using the bezel is dumb.

 

Enough said.

 

I’ve never seriously used the bezel on any of my watches…not even the GMT or world timers I have. Sorry, but bezels just aren’t practical tools as far as I am concerned (I’ll use my smart phone for all of these functions). To me, a bezel is just a design element and the most important thing is that it look cool. I suspect a lot of people are in the same camp as me.

 

Mine get used multiple times a day, every day. I might be rinsing out a pan, chopping vegetables, and stirring a pot pretty much simultaneously. How long has the broccoli been roasting again? Quick glance at the wrist is all I need. Having to put all of that down, wash my hands, dry them, and then pull out my cellphone is a huge unnecessary waste of time.

 

My absolute, tip top favorite bezel flavor is 12hr/countdown

 

Don't care enough really, but given the choice I find count up bezel more practical for my 2 uses: cooking and laundry.

Elapsed time tells me how long the task has been going on for. Count down bezel tells me how many minutes til something is done ... but once it passes the 0 mark the markings on the bezel give no useful info.

 

I've been hunting for years for a reasonably sized titanium auto chronograph with 12 hr totaliser and countdown bezel that I don't have to pawn my organs for.
Closest I've got so far it's the sinn ti diapal 103 but it's just too damn chunky
Edit and none of that tachymeter nonsense...

 

I've been hunting for years for a reasonably sized titanium auto chronograph with 12 hr totaliser and countdown bezel that I don't have to pawn my organs for.
Closest I've got so far it's the sinn ti diapal 103 but it's just too damn chunky

View attachment 18395135

Love my 103 Ti Diapal. Countdown ball bearing bezel, 12-hr chronograph, and UTC hand for 2nd time zone. This watch does it all…

 

any rotating bezel (even inner compass rings) become timing bezels for me, but I'll have to seek out a countdown bezel soon

 

59min count down, 12hr count up, 2nd time zone option - great combo

 

If you are using a timer function on a phone, rather than stopwatch function, you are using the digital equivalent of a countdown timer.

I use a countdown bezel for both cooking and takeout, on an infrequent basis. If I need to let something cook for longer, I'm less interested in total cook time, and it's easier for me to figure by end time, plus additional... or since the countdown bezels I own are bidirectional, simply add more time.

For takeout, I set for when I need to leave the house for pickup, no problem - I don't have to remember to leave at... how many minutes elapsed, again?

OTOH, the 12hr scales on the countdown bezels I prefer, give me an option for rough count-up timing as well.

I've also seen 12hr/dive timer bezels, too, but one thing that seems rare it nonexistent is countdown/count-up.

This one's pretty interesting, though:

With the 30 replaced by a triangle marker, in effect it can be used as either countdown or count-up. Slick...

 

My mind is blown by this trick, thank you!!

 

Never use any of my dive watch bezels….so I’m voting, don’t use them.

If I had countdown bezels then I wouldn’t use them either.

I have timers on my cooker and hob, so don’t even count down for cooking stuff.

 

This was an interesting resource but working through those models made me hate watch buying. The FXD is pretty much the only readable countdown design imho. Most every other model was unavailable or had something I couldn't live with...

Modding bezels.. Namokimods is for SKX007 but sloped so fits nothing without also fitting a custom crystal. Yobokies has a flat one but not for a common model and this one is both flat and SKX007 but very small numbers

Maranez Army
Winfield Mission Timer
Ares Mision Timer
Seiko 5 SRPB Countdown Timer
Spinnaker Hass
Sinn EZM Mission Timer
Custom Seiko SKX w/Dagaz Bezel Insert
Custom Seiko SSK GMT w/Islander Bezel Insert
Dagaz TII
Tudor Pelagos FXD
Tactical Frog FXD
Standard Issue Instruments Mission Timer
Hamilton Khaki Aviation
VanBanner Parking Meter Watch
Timex x Greats Bayman
Nodus Sector Pilot
Seiko Prospex Fieldmaster LOWERCASE
Doxa Army
Synchron Military
Bulova Surfboard Reissue
Nth Amphion commando
Raven Solitude
Nth The Mack
Momentum 38mm Diver
Resco RTac
Hamilton Aviation Pilot GMT
Fortis Cosmonautis
Precista Mission Timer
Damasko DC82
Yema Speedgraf Auto Chronograph
Wolbrook Skindiver
Laco Atacama Squad
Elliot Brown Beachmaster
Oris Divers 65 x Hodinkee
Sugess Pilot Military 42
Omega Seamaster 300 1957 39mm

 

I have a Sinn 104. I use the bezel in countdown mode pretty often, but I do occasionally use it in countup mode, hour pointer, or hour counter.

I could go with about any type of bezel (countup, countdown, 12-hr, 24-hr, just a triangle) so long as its bi-directional. I just don't care for uni-directional bezels anymore.