Looking for a very simple watch

Looking for a watch to help with my night nav. I would use it to help with timing, need something that is able to be stopped to allow for a breather. it would be great if it were a countdown mode but if not a stopwatch mode is the basic. I don't need anything else on it, I don't even need it to tell me the time !

I have used a real stopwatch, mobile phone countdown, cheap watch but did'nt work for me. They turned off accidentaly, got in the way and just generally annoyed me. I can't do maths on the hill, (or anywhere else) these all turned out to be a distracton and a load of faff

Everything I look at is too advanced, too many buttons, too much to remember

It doesn't even have to go on my wrist

What do other people use ?

Like Mole, it's a Casio from Argos for me.  Make sure it's basically waterproof and has a backlight and you can't really go wrong.  It's my general day to day watch, not a special "outdoor" one.  I got one with hands (there's a small digital display area that does stopwatch/timer and alarm setting) because I like hands and replaced the strap with a velcro one as I find them more comfortable.

Was about £20, has a predicted battery life of about 10 years.  If you're not concerned about the hands you could spend quite a bit less.

I've looked at all-singing, all-dancing "wrist-top computers" but they all seem to be ugly and remarkably bulky (and thus less comfortable to wear).

Pete.

I have a relatively cheap Traser glow-in-the-dark watch - it's just a watch, no stopwatch/etc. As Mole says anything less than minutes is down to pacing, and you can see the hands well enough from the tritium glow without a torch or uber bright backlight blowing your night vision.

Watch

Cheap Timex Expedition from Argos - pointers, including second hand, and back light - it does tick rather loudly though! I have had other watches with lots of buttons and alarms - too fiddly and cumbersome for me and apt to be activated accidentally.

He needs to have a stopwatch function at the minimum so if the group stops you can pause the timer and then start it again when the group re-starts. You're navving on all the legs, not just those you're leading, and if you have a stopwatch function, actually remembering the time expended is one less thing you have to worry about.

I use a Suunto Vector that I got pretty cheap off ebay cos it's an unpopular colour; the altimeter function is really helpful for nav too. But it's one of those bulky ones!

Im not sure what your budget is as such, but I have a garmin forerunner which I love. I do have a more expensive one (my mate sold me it on the uber cheap) but I reckon you could probably pickup the lower end forerunner 110 on ebay pretty cheap. its not too bulky either (mine is unfortunately I look like i have an orange attached to my wrist when I run).  

I've got a cheap Casio digital watch I bought about five years ago which I sometimes use on walks, and also when gardening, decorating and building the odd dry stone wall. It's suffered loads of knocks, had paint and mud splashed on it and is still going strong. Has a countdown timer and stop watch, plus a back light, and cost about £10.

I have a Casio Altimeter watch very easy to use with stopwatch and countdown timer in Argos catalogue for £79.99 but only £15.99 at their clearance stores if you live near one . 

bog standard Casio Indiglo watch (the whole face lights up) hung upside down from a rucksack strap like a nurses watch - means when you lift it up to glance at it its the right way up.  I also have a pacing card for ready reckoning times (x metres at y speed = z minutes).  The watch has a stopwatch function - TBH, once I had mastered the ready reckoner I just got better at breaking legs down into smaller chunks (3 or 4 minutes max) then bounced along one minileg to the next.

Make sure it's basically waterproof [...] and you can't really go wrong.

Good point.  But, there's usually small print that says "Don't use the buttons if the watch is underwater".  Not sure how waterproof they are if operated when merely wet, rather than underwater.

My "waterproof to 50m" watch is, I suspect, guaranteed to be roughly splash resistant if I look at the small print.  But it's never failed despite going through the spin-cycle a few times while demonstrating I can't surf kayaks especially well, so I've used the buttons when it's been remarkably wet even if I wasn't using the stopwatch while contemplating the sea from underneath...

I think it's reasonably fair to assume that Casio's idea of waterproof is good enough for a wet day on a hill.  Even this summer!

Pete.

Look at a Timex Expedition.

Indiglo back light function with alarm\stopwatch and 50m(sic) waterprrof tag.

I've not had any problems with a cheepish casio  with a backlight.  

I found the perfect night nav watch. Does what I asked for, see above!

It is a horse riding watch, but it's great,. perfect for people who can't count

http://www.outdoorgb.com/p/optimum_time_horseriding_watch/

Looks great - nice clear face. Good find!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Casio-F-91W-1YER-Resin-Digital-Watch/dp/B000J34HN4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356087227&sr=8-1

You just can't go wrong £8.40 delivered

Great minds!

The other £1.59 if you buy it from Argos probably accounts for UK corporation tax