[Pilot's Watch Special] How do active pilots face the passage of time?

FEATURES Magazine article

2025.05.19

We reconsider the role of pilot watches in the modern era. This issue of Chronos Japan, Vol. 98, "Praise for Pilot Watches," has been republished on webChronos. Starting this issue, we will be interviewing actual pilots. We will look at how they deal with "time," as well as their activities and the realities of their work in the field. The first installment features interviews with Air Self-Defense Force pilots Ryuji Soga and Tetsuo Fukuda.

A time when pilot watches were still in use for pilots

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Understanding the "GMT" mechanism for civilian pilot watches from Rolex, Breitling, and other models

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Photo by Yu Mitamura
Photographs by Yu Mitamura
Yukiya Suzuki (this magazine): Interview and writing
Text by Yukiya Suzuki (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2022 issue of Kronos Japan]

Pilot's Interview 1 Ryuji Soga and Tetsuo Fukuda

　The Japan Air Self-Defense Force is the only organization protecting Japan's skies. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, they constantly monitor the airspace around Japan, protecting our nation's independence and peace. How do they face the challenges of the times? We spoke to active pilots in the Air Self-Defense Force about their activities and the reality of the situation on the ground.

"Because the aircraft is so fast, all pilots do a 'time hack' to synchronize the time before boarding."

Tetsuo Fukuda is an active pilot and head of the Public Relations Section of the Public Relations Office of the Air Staff Office of the Ministry of Defense.

Another pilot is Soga Ryuji, who works in the press team of the public relations department.

　Every day, pilots of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force board aircraft suited to their duties and carry out missions. In response to a request for an interview from this magazine, Tetsuo Fukuda, a current pilot and head of the Public Relations Section of the Air Staff Office of the Ministry of Defense, explained what it's like inside the cockpit.

"Of course, it's a harsh environment. In particular, maneuvering in a fighter jet can put a maximum load of around 7G (G is gravitational acceleration). In other words, if a person weighs 60kg, seven times that weight, or 420kg, would be placed on their entire body. If downward G-forces are applied, in the worst case scenario, blood could be cut off from the brain, causing loss of consciousness. However, negative G-forces are actually worse than positive G-forces, which are downward forces of gravity. It's like the feeling of your body floating when you're in an elevator. Negative G-forces can make you feel sicker than positive G-forces. Also, after experiencing high G-forces, you may experience internal bleeding in parts of your body, and after disembarking from the fighter jet, you may notice spots on your skin."

Hamilton "Khaki X-Wind Day Date Auto Chrono", Casio "Pro Trek"

On the left is Fukuda's favorite Hamilton Khaki X-Wind Day Date Auto Chrono. When he bought it, it had a leather strap, but he changed it to a bracelet so he could wear it even if he sweated during his missions. On the right is Soga's regular Casio Pro Trek. He says it's absolutely practical!

Pilots of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force carry out missions as a team. Before each mission, all pilots set their watches down to the second before boarding the cockpit. For pilots flying at high speeds, time is an essential tool for keeping track of each other.

　What kind of watches do they wear in the cockpit in such harsh conditions?

"Actually, there are no regulations regarding watches. Each person wears their favorite watch. Radio-controlled watches are surprisingly common, including G-SHOCK. The Air Self-Defense Force always operates as a team. Because aircraft travel at extremely fast speeds, time management is important. For this reason, all members who fly perform a process known as 'time hacking,' where they synchronize the time to the second."

F-2

A pilot who appears in the "F-2," which was jointly developed by Japan and the United States based on the American "F-16."

There are three routes to becoming a pilot in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. One of these is the "aviation student" route, which allows you to join with just a high school diploma. This allows you to receive training at a young age, which contributes to the high level of training in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. The other two routes are to enroll in the National Defense Academy of Japan, or to apply after graduating from a regular university.

　Still, will the durability of a watch be a problem inside a cockpit where it is subjected to gravitational acceleration of up to 7G?

"As far as I know, I've never heard of a watch breaking during a flight. We all basically use commercially available watches, and there's no problem. Rather, accuracy is important."

One of the most important missions of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force is air rescue operations, which involve using rescue helicopters to search for and rescue aircraft and crew members in distress, as well as rescuing and transporting victims of disasters such as the Great East Japan Earthquake.

The F-15 is the main fighter jet of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. Currently, there are about 200 of them deployed nationwide.

　I was taken aback by how clear the answer was, but it was a valuable experience to learn that time is of the essence in missions and that "time hacking" is still being carried out before flight.

　It is very reassuring to know that today, too, Air Self-Defense Force members are relying on their watches to protect Japan's skies, both in the skies and sometimes on land.