BORELLI CONSULTING: Tactical Equipment Reviews

5.11 Tactical H.R.T. Watch
By: Frank Borelli, 15 August 2005

I'm a digital watch fan. I have been ever since, in my late teenage years, I acquired my first Casio. It was solar power recharged and have five alarms. It was rated water resistant to 100 meters (330 feet). I wore it on a velcro strap and was excited to put it on every day... at least for the first couple of weeks. I eventually lost it body surfing in the ocean. With that personal tidbit said, the 5.11 Tactical H.R.T. Watch is so far advanced of that Casio, comparing them both at watches isn't fair to either one.

Recently introduced by 5.11 Tactical - famous for their line of tactical clothing (to include the well known "Royal Robbins" pants) - the H.R.T. Watch was specifically designed to serve someone who operates behind a weapon. More specifically, it was designed for the shooter who operates as a sniper, or "Precision Marksman". Let's review the general use features of the watch and then we'll take a look at how it can serve the sniper.

Like almost every digital watch made today, the HRT offers you time in hours, minutes and seconds, as well as day and date. Thanks to the wonder of micro-electronics and computerized chips, it also tracks leap years and months so that you never have to adjust from the 30th to the 31st (or 28th). With a titanium case incorporating a unidirectional bezel, the HRT starts out strong - but light (and that matters). 5.11 made sure that the watch would survive the environment it was expected to serve in - wet, harsh, hard conditions - by making the watch water resistant to 100 meters (330 feet) and sufficiently shock resistant to accept normal bumps and bruises. To secure the HRT on your wrist, 5.11 thoughtfully provides two watchbands: one is the typical diver's rubber strap, but the other is a classy black leather band. 5.11 answered the old problem of weak pins by using solid pins that require an Allan-key / wrench to remove. This is a MUCH stronger attachment system than has ever been used in traditional watches.

5.11 combined analog and digital displays in this watch, but what info you can get out of the digital display is radically different from what has been available before. Thanks to a partnership with Horus Vision LLC, 5.11 provides shooting software in the watch. The software requires you to put in some basic data such as ammo type, environmental conditions, etc and the watch will give you back your scope adjustments. Further, it does so for MILDOT, TMOA and SMOA scopes. Because of the size of the watch and buttons, inputting the requisite data is easy, even with gloves on.

In addition to that very unique capability, the watch also gives you digital readouts for:
Day, date and month
A second time zone
An alarm
A stopwatch
A countdown timer with an alarm

That is an example of a watch / wrist top computer that provides much needed info for a specific activity: precision shooting.

Photos and other graphics will be added later in the week. I apologize for not including them here, but am on travel and have run into some technical issues that prohibit loading them in at this time. Check back later in the week for more details and pictures to assist you with understanding the features.

Also, don't forget to read the new Recreational Equipment Evaluations:

The Irreplaceable Poncho-----15 August 2005
Plus others!!!

Check out this week's Highlighted Training Article about now knives, properly administered and trained, are acceptable lethal force options.

I have a comment on this article.

New American Truth eMagazine
Dedicated to ALL citizens who oppose terrorism and injustice.
Subscribe Today!

Subscribe To New American Truth