Harrier Dude said:
Every grunt is the Corps wears a compass on his watch. No idea why. I have an Omega X-33 that we got on the group deal. Both bands for $900. The Breitling deal was a lesser watch for $1200. I bought a fake Breitling in Korea as a joke. It makes me look like Flava-flav.
I might venture a guess . . . but it would stir up an unnecessary hornets nest.
[And I want Marines to be my friends, because they, more than any others on this earth will protect me, and my family.]
I do know that I had both a wet and magnetic compass in front of me in harms way. I did not need a mini-wrist compass. And if forced to seek another venue via Martin Baker, I had a damn good compass in my survival vest if ever needed.
But once on the ground, I immediately knew compass or not, the direction to run was away from the AK-47 fire, be it 090 or 270! Also, I knew to run from flatland rice paddies, towards karst ridges – from the open to the covered, and to evade. . It was the "eyes" and not the "compass" that would tell this unfortunate, downed pilot where to go.
Suffice it to say that all warriors I have known, regardless of their service, or even the different countries they serve, take great pride in the personally selected timepiece they wear upon their wrist. And rightly so.
Their selection is done with aforethought. It is also something that unites comrades in arms. It is something that despite the diversity of selection still often sets the warrior class apart from the remainder – all other things "hopefully" being equal.
We select our watches like our firearms... with great discretion and aforethougt. Our choices still vary. Still, while we all have our own personal preferences, the general population would likely never understand.
But ... to continue with his astute line of thinking .... i.e., preflight preparation and selection with aforethought: 
