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Super Smartwatches and Wearables

multisport watches

Garmin Instinct Solar Watches – Surf Solar, Tactical Solar, Camo Solar

Earlier this month (July 6) Garmin released a range of new Garmin Instinct Solar watches with variants called Surf, Tactical and Camo.

What’s New?

Garmin introduced its Solar Glass tech on the Fenix 6x Pro Solar last year. This increases the battery longevity for a considerable amount of time, by drawing energy from direct sunlight. This technology advancement has also been shared with the new range of Garmin Instinct Solar watches:

Garmin Instinct

The weather conditions are influential on how much of a boost you get. It will get a little charge if left indoors, but the most beneficial environment is direct sunlight. The tech itself is a new addition to the Instinct which explains why the cost has gone up marginally. Specifically, it’s meant the incorporation of photovoltaic cells. Two, to be precise. One lives in a strip surrounding the watch face and the second covers the watch face from underneath the glass. This physical modification is not without cost.  

To make this technology work, there isn’t any kind of advanced battery life management needed. It’s possible to use a pre-set battery mode which turns certain battery-draining features off, like GPS. You can tailor your own battery profile to suit what you need.

Garmin have also introduced a new screen that enables battery management by way of giving you data on how the charging of the battery has been working in the background.

Shared specification

The overall size of the three variants are the same: 45 x 45 x 15.3 mm and all weigh 53g.

They offer 100m water-resistance.

The battery life is unparalleled thanks to solar power. This military-standard sportswatch is the toughest watch on the market. It has built-in sports apps and smartwatch capabilities to deliver your notifications on your wrist for up to 54 days in this mode.

This watch has been specifically designed for endurance. It has a reinforced polymer case which has been through chemical strengthening. It’s also highly scratch-resistant thanks to the use of Gorilla Glass on the face.

The design offers a highly contrasted display with a subtle colour case. It’s made to differ from classic smartwatches and the boldness really comes through.

Levels of sun exposure impact just how much of a boost you’ll get out of the battery life. The variety of settings and sensors will have an impact too. You can tailor how you use the watch to get the most out of it.

You can make the most of pre-loaded sports modes for activities like running, hiking, swimming, biking, rowing, weight lifting and more. 

Sensors

It’ll monitor your heart rate and provide notifications if your heart rates rises too high or drops too low at any point. It’ll monitor how hard its working during a session, even when underwater.

For accurate sleep and altitude acclimation monitoring, the Instinct Solar(s) have a Pulse OX2 sensor that uses light beamed directly at your wrist to get an idea of how effectively your body absorbs oxygen. 

It uses your heart rate to cleverly work out a stress level score. You’ll know if your physiology matches your mood; calm, stressed or anything in between.

If you’re constantly tired, this watch is going to be your new best friend. It’ll optimise the energy level in your body by calculating your stress levels, sleep and heart rate variability throughout the day. It’ll crunch this data to tell you if you’re at a prime time for being active or if you need a rest. Of course this doesn’t replace listening to your own body, but it’s a really helpful tool.

GPS

You can have unadulterated access to global navigation systems – GLONASS, Galileo and good old-fashioned GPS.

Combine your pin-point accurate location capabilities with navigation using the ABC sensors. These include an altimeter to tell you elevation information, a three-axis compass and a barometer to let you know if there are any storms ahead.

Essentially, the Instinct is a powerful friend who takes the guesswork away. You can make a smooth return journey using the navigation features and land right back where you started.

You can get your notifications delivered along the way too. Text, emails and various social media alerts. You will need your phone in your pocket for this, though.

If you’re really heading into the wilderness, with the addition of an InReach device, you can get weather alerts, send messages and, should the worst happen, send an SOS message to a dedicated emergency team available 24/7.

Garmin Instinct Solar Tactical

This version is built for those on a mission of endurance. It’ll be a faithful companion as you go, regardless of how far you go.

You can go between nighttime and daytime mode using its special screen which can be read using night vision goggles.

Flip the watch into stealth mode means the watch will quit broadcasting your GPS location as well as disabling the wireless connection and therefore communication.

If, however, you want people to know your location you can share it with others. This is done via use of a UTM (Universal transverse Mercator) plus an MGRS (military grid reference system). You’ll always be able to find your way back to a given location, which you can mark before you start a trip.

Garmin Instinct Solar Surf

If, in particular, your chosen adventures are in the ocean, you’ll love the Surf version of the Instinct Solar. This variant offers you specific tide data and in addition to the surf sports mode, offers dedicated surf-specific activities.

You can focus on the tide knowing your Instinct battery is going to last and last.

Garmin Instinct Solar Camo

The Camo has all the awesome features of this military-grade watch but comes in specific camouflage colours available only in this variant line.

Conclusion

There’s a lot going on under the Power Glass hood of the Instinct Solar. It has Garmin’s impeccable sports tracking capabilities as well as being able to customise your own modes to follow on your wrist. It has a superb breadcrumb navigation feature meaning you can focus on enjoying your surroundings knowing you’ll be lead right back to where you started. The Garmin Instinct Solar watches are the perfect companion for any outdoor lover, on land or sea.

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Garmin Fenix 6x Pro Solar Review

This could be the defining multisport watch of 2020. The Garmin Fenix 6x Pro Solar makes a big impact but has a lightweight touch being made from titanium. It carries every app and sensor you might possibly need inside, too.

The Garmin Fenix 6x Pro Solar takes the lead of the 6x thanks to the injection of solar charging. It quite literally does everything under the sun.

Background 

The Garmin Fenix 6x Pro Solar is like the Swiss Army Knife of multisport watches. With the natural development in technology, we see more and more functions on sportswatches. On this 51mm beast, you can track your general fitness as well as utilising coaching towards specific goals like marathon running or other fitness indications toward your health. This could be recovery time or VO2 max. If you’re connected via Bluetooth or Wifi, you can make the most of entertainment apps like Amazon Prime Music, Deezer or Spotify.

This isn’t really a sportswatch, it’s a fitness tracking weapon! Keen athletes with a penchant for the outdoors will love this. It packs in a bunch of training and navigation features as well as those nifty entertainment apps.

You might be sweating thinking about the battery life, hearing about all this? Here’s the innovation. The addition of solar charging has lengthened the battery life beyond expectation.

6X Pro Solar VS 6 Pro

You might be wondering what the difference is between the Solar and its predecessor? The Solar has really built on the already incredible variety of sensors and algorithmic abilities. 

The 6x Pro Solar and 6 Pro are both able to deliver maps and music. They also both offer training coaches, and heart rate monitoring through the companion app.

The Solar has swapped out the previous steel case for a lightweight titanium. This has shaved a few grams off the weight. The clear difference is the battery life, thanks to the addition of Garmin Power Glass.

The quality of the build on the Solar is exceptional. The use of titanium and Torx screws give it a real rugged look. Garmin advertises that the Power Glass is scratch-resistant, but it’s not made from sapphire glass, there’s only so many knocks it can take before it’ll give in. Sadly, you can’t have both.

The screen also isn’t a touchscreen, which is why you get five buttons on it. They’re labelled, though, which users say is handy for getting right to using the watch and not spending days pressing the wrong buttons.

The ‘quick-fit’ straps are welcomed. They release with the touch of a button. They’re technically a dive watch and the silicone wristband keeps the HR monitor in place snugly.

The look is not at all subtle. Once you consider what comes inside this 51mm animal, you shouldn’t ever expect it to be sleek.

Battery Life

The most important feature to discuss. The Solar is bringing an AK47 to a knife fight. If used as a smartwatch, you’ll get 21 days. Perhaps GPS is what you’re relying on for a big adventure, you’ll get 60 hours. If the watch is getting a feed of direct sunlight, though, it’ll get a boost from this. This boost will take you to an astonishing 46 days when in expedition mode. To put that into perspective, that’s a trip up and down Everest. 

In terms of harvesting the sunlight, it can absorb some when indoors but unsurprisingly the best impact comes from being outside.

Different modes offer different battery life length. It all depends on what modes you’re using and how hard you’re smashing the apps.

  • 21 – 24 days as a smartwatch
  • 60 – 66 hours in GPS mode
  • 15-16 hours using GPS and listening to music
  • 46 – 56 days in expedition mode (including GPS)
  • Up to 120 days in battery saving mode  

It offers an astronomical amount of sports, algorithmic calculations and sensors.  Listing them would take too long, but it covers a lot of pre-loaded activities from trail running, biking, hiking, swimming and even golfing. The latter uses the map settings in a similar way to the skiing mode, but the latter offers turn-by-turn navigation. They really have considered what’s needed from the user during the specific sport. During running, for example, it’ll monitor your VO2 max based on your changing altitude. 

Maybe you think that’s overkill? If you’re overwhelmed with the options, you can easily manage this data with the companion app. You can load a likely profile, or multiple profiles and upload those to your watch. By pressing a button you enter your bespoke list. The app will provide you with granular detail which you can choose to learn from.

Activity Tracking and Accuracy

Garmin has always been great at accurate activity tracking. The heart rate monitor on a Garmin has always been great at monitoring and the GPS has been able to pick up the location within a few yards. This isn’t a new thing, but they have certainly spent considerable time developing their sensors from previous models.

The Solar will display up to 6 data fields on-screen during a given activity. You’re able to pick these from the menu. Things like pace and cadence, lap times and heart rate. 

Verdict

The Fenix 6x Pro Solar isn’t unique, but it’s certainly refined. Garmin has gathered the best bits of their other models and integrated them together. You get everything you need quickly and easily.

The downside might be that it’s very data-heavy, maybe to the detriment of the user. You might not need sleep tracking, hydration checks and stress monitoring. It all depends on your needs.

Otherwise, the onboard coach, sensors, exceptional battery life and ability to connect your Bluetooth headphones for hours of music on an accurately-tracked run make this Solar watch an absolute winner.

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Garmin Instinct Solar Review

Garmin Instinct Solar

Introducing the Garmin Instinct Solar… This review is so hot off the press you’ll struggle to find better information online yet.

Background

Garmin debuted their Instinct sportswatch two years ago and it was an instant success. Some were skeptical about the value proposition and if you look online, reviews didn’t immediately pop up after it’s release. The logic behind this being that Garmin already made a wildly popular backcountry watch range, why did they have to go and make something that wasn’t as functional as those?

If we’re brutally honest, it was also a little ugly. With a market flooded with sleek sport watches with minimalistic aesthetics, the chunky look stepped aside. Or so we thought. The Instinct came along and showed the new kids that the dads have still got it. The main reason for the popularity being that it doesn’t drain your bank account to get hold of one and when you do, you’ll struggle to get lost ever again.

Skip to today and we see the debut of the successor. Introducing, the Instinct Solar. This version sees the introduction of Power Glass on the face, which means it recharges itself using rays from the sun. Making this loved brand’s adored watches even better, for longer.

Design

This isn’t a skinny watch. Measuring in with a 1.75 inch face by 0.25 inches in depth, it demands real estate on your wrist. Surprisingly, it’s comfortable, despite this. It’s incredibly robust and durable to boot. Offering 100m of water-resistance, there’s peace of mind in knocking it and not worrying about shattering or scratching it.

The display is basic. Black and white pixels mostly, offering 128 x 128. You can customise the face with a few different styles and pick which metrics you’d like displayed. On board is 16GB storage too, so you can really make use of the GPS function by keeping your maps right there on your wrist.

It has the usual features like an alarm, timer, stopwatch and even tells you when to expect the sunrise and sunset.

It has a sturdy bezel carrying instructions for the 5 buttons. It’ll let you know which button you need for GPS and which to press for the main menu. Altogether, there’s a retro vibe to the look and the instructions are very helpful. Typically when you get a multi-button system it takes you a while to remember which button does what.

It comes in a number of different materials and colours. The Instinct has a silicone strap. It’s a chunky watch, coming in at 45mm x 45mm x 15.3 mm. If you have a smaller wrist, consider how this might sit. 

Performance

This watch is designed for backcountry trips. The kind where you don’t really need an all-encompassing map with intricate detail on your wrist. Those will eat your battery. If you’re intending to walk or hike a good few miles and you want to find your way back, you can take advantage of the Track Me feature, which is useful even in the dark. The GPS recordings against online maps for comparison show that the Instinct is pretty good when it comes to accuracy.

Garmin have released both a tactical and surf version, too. They come with some specific features for each and we’ll talk about them here.

The Instinct Solar has a lot of unique features. One cool thing is the multisport tracking function. You can be hiking one moment and taking the opportunity to dive into a crystal clear lake for a swim the next and the Instinct will keep up with you. 

New features you’ll find also include the option to measure your blood oxygen level as you sleep, using the pulse oximeter. Body Battery is another cool one. It’s a Garmin developed metric that will tell you the energy level of your own body using an algorithm that considers your stress level, activity, heart rate variations, sleep quality and amount.

Users find the Body Battery to be useful. It helps people understand where to improve things. If you have a specific goal, you’ll find this feature incredibly helpful. You can use it to make improvements to any sleep issues, your physical and mental health.

Solar Power

Being able to use the sun for charging is a revolution. We all know how frustrating it can be to have to take our watch off every day to plug it in to charge it. It’s naturally best when the Power Glass is facing direct sunlight and if you have the time to leave it in the sun for a short period of time, it’ll give it a little boost. Just don’t’ forget where you’ve put it. This can give you an additional 50% battery life.

On one ‘charge’ (to 100%), you can enjoy over a full week of continuous features like backlighting, smart notifications and maps. 

There’s a battery saving mode. Garmin say this is the key to never having to stop and recharge the Instinct. This mode, consequently, turns off most features. You can tailor it to suit what features you want to keep on, like maps, for example. 

The Pulse Oxi measure is continuous in the background, but if you keep an eye on it using the Connect app then it will tell you when your battery starts running low. If you time this with a period of leaving it in the sun, you should be fine! 

Speaking of the app, it’s really worthwhile to utilise it for the additional metrics it can track, like hydration levels and menstrual cycles.

Verdict

Garmin watches are pin-point accurate. There’s a model to cater for pretty much all kinds of needs. If you’re after a casual everyday watch or something to monitor your marathon performance, they’ve got one to suit.

The Instinct is a useful GPS enabled backcountry watch that will charge in the sun, leaving you able to focus on the adventure as it happens.

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Coros Apex Review

$350 for a Premium Multisport Watch?

The likes of Garmin, Polar and Suunto should be worried because the Coros Apex is making waves.

There are three things that make the Coros Apex special.

  • looks great
  • has an exceptional battery life
  • costs less than $350

Granted, there have been some issues with heart rate accuracy. It’s not perfect, but, the Apex is a great contender in the fitness tracker world that serious runners and athletes should consider.

Advantages

You get a design that feels as premium as a Suunto or Garmin. There’s a rotating button on the side that is used for navigating menu options and shows the data on the screen with one push. 

This 46mm beast offers 35 hours of battery in GPS mode. 

The more slimline 42mm option offers 25 hour (for $50 less)

It’s incredibly cost-effective; you get multisport tracking, a sophisticated look and great battery life.

It’s incredibly user-friendly, mostly because there is a lack of features in comparison to alternatives. It has a ‘stamina’ feature that’s great for tracking a run, but it does rely on the heart rate monitor for this. 

You get six stats on-screen which is easy to read as well as insightful. 

There’s a training feature that’s easy to follow during a run and there are guided sessions that offer a helpful structure to your workout. 

Your Apex offers breadcrumb trailing and offers a back-to-the-start navigation feature that you can tap at any point.

Disadvantages

  • It only tracks swimming, cycling and running.
  • The structured sessions are essentially interval sessions and nothing more complex.
  • Heart rate tracking is a little inaccurate during a run. This impacts other features like recovery.

Running

The Coros and its six statistics are wonderful to swipe between during a run. You’ll need to set up the in-run data that you want on-screen. You need the app for this. 

It delivers the data you’d expect like your pace, time, distance and a couple of more advanced things like stamina. This gives you an idea of how much energy you should have left for your run and a percentage that will decline as you go. This data is available during non-exercising times so you can monitor how quickly your energy is used up in between your runs.

Most watches with GPS offer a recovery feature. Brands like Polar offer far deeper insight in comparison but the Apex offers beauty in simplicity. If you’re running and wonder if you have one more mile in the tank, you’ll be able to make an informed decision.

This depends on how accurate you feel the stamina data is. Again, the heart rate tracking can impact this, but it’s good to give you an idea.

The Apex is great for both aerobic and anaerobic training. It’ll offer more of those guided workouts based on the two options. If you put a chest strap on, this will boost the accuracy of your heart rate readings and you’ll get better data from your session.

You’re able to create your own workout, which is simple intervals again but can be used in the running mode. 

The power used during a run on the 46mm version is great. It was tested during a 24 hour endurance challenge and still had a third of the battery life left.

If you run 3-5 times a week, you’ll get these on one charge.

Cycling

The biggest difference between the running and cycling modes on the Apex is the data it offers. Your stamina data isn’t available, unfortunately, but you get another new option which relates to power. It requires an additional sensor for this, but again, it’ll give you great insight on the grade of the hill you’re on.

Cyclists wishing to go on a long ride will love the battery life more than runners. The intensity seems to be less with cycling and the readings more accurate. A separate HRM is advisable, still.

Sports Tracking

Newer versions of the 46mm track more than swimming, cycling and running. Now you can track things like hiking, trail running, general outdoor and indoor cardio sessions. 

The modes and data still aren’t as intricate as what you get with Garmin or Suunto but remember the price here and you’ll still be impressed. If you’re new to a certain sport or just want a general reading, the Apex will be a great friend. 

You can customise the label for the cardio modes. The outdoor one uses GPS to record your speed and distance. The indoor one will record your heart rate, calories burned and time elapsed.

Activity Tracking

You can use the Apex to track your activities during the day. Steps, calories burned and active energy, workout time and floors climbed. You can access this information via scrolling your watch display. 

Daily tracking isn’t the main concern of the Apex. It’ll give you a notification if you haven’t moved for a given period of time. The heart rate monitor isn’t consistent if you’re not exercising. Rather, it’ll take your heart rate every 10 minutes.

Sleep Tracking

In the app, you won’t actually see sleep tracking most of the time. Your data is only produced if you wear the Apex at night. Makes sense. In the morning, you will be presented with a graph that plots your heart rate. This is on a background that is colour-coded to illustrate REM sleep, light sleep and awake time.

You get a total time for each and average heart rate. 

It won’t tell you how you can improve your sleep quality. It also doesn’t notice any trends in your sleep patterns. Some, more expensive alternatives can do this. If you’re happy with general data, the Apex isn’t uncomfortable to sleep in.

The App

The Apex itself isn’t overly complex. It doesn’t offer more than you need on the display menus. Things are similar in the app, too. On the front page, you’re given your graphs for daily activities. Things like steps and active energy are plotted. You get some information about your training load and fitness. It’ll tell you your resting heart rate and VO2 max.

The app is the place to go for your previous workout history to look over previous performance.

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Rotating Bezel Watches

Introduction 

Rotating Bezel Watches

The watch was one of the best inventions the world had seen, after the clock. The first example of a watch came about in the 1700s, in Germany. What was known as a watch then has developed a lot. Furthermore, a lot of technology has been injected. In fact, if you like smartwatches, you’ll know that the last feature to boast about them is the fact that they tell time.

Not long after the watch was invented it was obvious that the watch was going to be an invaluable tool as it was so convenient, being on the wrist. So it was also clear that watches were going to become very advanced pieces of kit.

In the development of the watch, the rotating bezel came about.

We’ll look at why a watch has a rotating bezel. We’ll also explain what one actually is. 

What is a rotating bezel?

This is an integral part of a dive watch. In fact, it’s probably the most important part of all. It’s what differentiates it from a classic watch. 

The bezel is a disc that sits on the outside of the dial. It has 60 divisions to represent 60 minutes. It can be moved – rotated – so the zero marker is aligned to the 12 position. Those 60 minute markers around the bezel outline an hour, which represents how long a standard scuba tank of oxygen will last.

How is this bezel used?

Before going into the water, a diver will place an arrow on the bezel at the 12 position on the watch. 

As you now know, there are 60 divisions and it can go from 0 to 60 or vice versa. It works the same either way. The goal is to let the diver know how many minutes have passed since the start of their dive. They can see how many minutes are left to enjoy the dive with sufficient oxygen left in the tank to resurface.

The time a diver gets under the water is really key to know. After the optimal time has passed, there is a risk of the body absorbing nitrogen. Once this process begins in the body, things get a little complicated. The diver can’t begin an ascent and must wait a given amount of time and be at a particular depth to decompress that nitrogen in the body.

Sensible divers know this and have what’s known as the “120” rule that prescribes an optimal time, in minutes, that a diver may spend at a given depth. This is worked out as 120 minus the depth. For example, say a diver goes on a 70 foot dive their bezel will indicate a no-decompression max as 30 minutes.

If the diver goes over this time, they have to then stay under for longer as it requires a much slower ascent. A dive should be carefully planned to allow for time, depth and oxygen levels. You’ll typically find the first 15 minutes on a bezel are highlighted.

Bit of background

The first rotating bezel made an appearance on a dive watch in the 50s. It came out of need rather than development of a nice-to-have. Divers needed to track their time at depth and wanted this function on a water-resistant watch. 

Rolex did attempt a similar bezel design in the 30s but it left some development to be desired. Blancpain came along in the early 50s and launched a much more functional bezel. 

Blancpain actually introduced the uni-directional rotating bezel which solved the issue where a bezel could easily be knocked out of place. When that happened, it posed a potentially fatal risk to the diver who no longer knew how much time was left and would have to resurface out of precaution.

The 60s saw the bezel move underneath the protective crystal in order to keep it safe from this accidental movement. An additional crown was added and boom, the dive watch became a ‘thing’ in its own right.

A brand called Doxa soon introduced a no-decompression marking on the bezel. This differed from time markings and Doxa developed this further and ended up making dive computers rather than watches.

In the 70s, Omega stepped up to the plate with their Plongeur Professionel which had a thickset case with a button on the side which had to be pushed in order to allow the bezel to be moved. 

Different features have been played with over time, some have lasted, some proved unworthy, but the bezel has basically stayed the same.

These days we have much smarter technology that can digitally store and display all the information one might need on a dive, but the smart divers will keep a watch on their wrist as a contingency against technological failure.

Luminox 3001 Dive Watch

For $375.00 you can get this analogue quartz Navy SEAL dive watch. The quartz movement is Swiss and it offers sapphire crystal protection, which is incredible value at this price. The case isn’t too chunky at only 43mm and as well as the rotating bezel it offers the day, date and even moon phase. 

It’s water-resistant to 200m which means, if you’re a beginner diver, this will suit you perfectly.

Summary

Hopefully, you’ve learned something useful. If you want to continue reading about what Luminox has to offer, we have a review right here.

You may also be interested in this article about the latest Seiko Dive Watch

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Watches with a Compass

watches with a compass

Introduction

Watches with a Compass – in order to choose the best watch for your needs, you need to know what features to look. If you’re a swimmer, you’ll be wanting a swimming watch. If you’re into triathlons, you’ll need a multisport watch. 

Activities aside, there are different environments that your watch will need to be suited to. If you’re into outdoor adventures, you’ll want a compass watch.

A compass watch should be simple to set and read. It should be lightweight enough to avoid any unnecessary bulk on your wrist or getting caught in a sleeve.

Let’s have a look at some top-rated compass watches. Spoiler alert, this list is Casio-heavy.

Casio PAG240T-7CR

$198 / £154

This rounded offering from Casio (known as The Pathfinder) weighs only 114g. It has a solid, 51mm stainless steel case, mineral glass, a digital display and a titanium band.

This watch is solar-powered. It has a triple sensor, which provides an altimeter as well as a barometer, thermometer and, of course, a compass.

This watch has a design you won’t find anywhere else. It also has a unique resistance to low-temperatures for adventures in all seasons.

Furthermore, it offers a useful backlight with an after-glow which gives the watch great readability in low lighting. It can show 31 timezones and displays them with the city code. 

This watch also has up to five alarms. Optional daylight savings and tells you how much battery power you have left. The time format is your choice, 12 or 24 hour. It also has a timer with countdown feature, a calendar that updates itself, a battery saving mode and it’s water-resistant up to 100m.

Advantages

  • Fantastic features
  • Solar-powered so no need for a charger
  • Accessible price
  • Fantastic features

Disadvantages

  • Although it’s got a 10ATM rating, this isn’t dive-worthy

Casio G-Shock GA-1000-8A 

$250 / £210

This model is heavy at just under 81g. It has both digital and analogue display on a round face. The band is 25.4mm and both case and band are resin.

The design is pretty special, featuring a grey and black dial with a powerful yellow G-Shock logo and numbers. There’s a timer and a backlight that allows the wearer to see the time, day or night.

It features a thermometer and compass, as well as a reliable calendar that tells you the day, date and month. The watch is water-resistant up to 200m.

Advantages

  • Unique, striking design
  • High-quality
  • Rugged
  • Good water-resistance
  • Accurate compass
  • Handy thermometer

Disadvantages

  • Some think the strap is too short

Casio Men’s SGW100B-3V

$140 / £110

This watch also offers a display in digital format. It has a calendar which displays the day, date and month. 

It offers a stopwatch as well as a compass and can show the time in several major cities. Furthermore, it has a backlight so you can see this information at night. Like the above, it has some rugged features like 200m water-resistance, vibration-resistance and low-temperature resistance. This is thanks to the hardened mineral glass over the face and carbon on the case. It’s quite chunky at 51.2mm by 14.1mm. The wristband is resin, which is great for sporty people. 

It’s both functional and reliable for outdoor adventures where going in the right direction is key. The battery will last up to three years, which isn’t at all bad.

Advantages

  • Comfortable on the wrist 
  • Durable thanks to the materials
  • A lot of great functionality for a reasonable cost

Disadvantages

  • The backlight time doesn’t last long enough
  • It’s quite chunky for smaller wrists.

Timex Expedition

Around $70 / £55

Anything you buy from Timex is going to serve you well. This one has a digital display with a black face, while the band, bezel and case are all resin, meaning this watch is ready for tough treatment. The case itself is 48mm by 16mm so slightly smaller than others mentioned here.

It has an ISO certified shock-resistance rating. This watch has Timex’s signature Indiglo backlight for seeing in low lighting (and you can learn more about the Indiglo collection, here) and a calendar displaying the date. It also offers a superb water-resistance rating of 2ATM (200m), so you can safely embark on above-surface sports, but it’s still not recommended for diving.

The digital compass acts as a wonderful guide.

Advantages

  • Digital compass is decent
  • Shock-resistance of ISO standard
  • Materials suitable for outdoor torture testing

Disadvantages

  • Reports say the wristband snaps easily

Casio SGW500H-1BV

$79.99 / £59.99

This next Casio is round with a striking black and blue colouring. The blue is on the band, the buttons and the bezel.

The case measures just shy of 49mm. On the face sits a patented hardened mineral. It offers water-resistance up to 100m, so you can comfortably take it snorkelling. 

It can tell the time in up to 48 cities and offers that time in 12 or 24hr format. The digital compass is easy to use and accurate. It also offers a countdown timer, stopwatch and thermometer.

Advantages

  • Offers digital and analogue display
  • Can swear it swimming or snorkelling
  • LED afterglow gives great readability in the dark

Disadvantages

  • Reviews say it’s not scratch-resistant
  • The wristband apparently snaps easily
  • No backlight for use in low lighting

Summary

If you’re interested in a compass watch, then a GPS watch might also be good for you. GPS watches are typically made for those who enjoy the outdoors and are built to be rugged. Check out our review of the best GPS smartwatches, here.

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