The best outdoor watches available now are incredible. Outdoor watches, of all the technologies available, perhaps bundle the most powerful detectors and tools for contemporary living. They are more precise than a regular smartphone and have far longer battery life. Conversely, other alternatives are nearly unbreakable and merely tell the time while also looking great. While screen real estate is restricted, adventure watchmakers have learned a lot from smartwatches, and many outdoor timepieces serve as GPS units, training aides, running coaches, and music players, to mention a few purposes.
The following are both all-arounders as they keep an eye out for new outdoor pursuits to raise revenue. Read on for the list of the greatest outdoor watches available right now, no matter what you’re into.
Nomos Glashuette Men’s Autobahn
The curving geometric style of the face of this Nomos watch is recognizable, and the white-and-orange second hand is reminiscent of the speedometer of the amazing roadster. The blue face contrasts nicely with the stainless steel case, and the textile band is athletic enough for a swim in a wayside lake. Arabic numerals at the unusual 12, 2, 4, 8, and 10 lend intrigue to the unique design. A robust 10.5 mm case thickness can withstand a lot of stress, but a 41 mm case diameter is usually suitable for broader wrists. In a nutshell, this is a large watch that can withstand whatever you throw at it while also looking nice.
Casio Pro Trek WSD-F30
The Casio Pro Trek WSD-F30 is a regular digital timepiece with smartwatch tricks and a thinly concealed GPS suited for the tech-savvy adventurer. The aesthetic may be divisive, but the tools are all present and right. Casio has pulled off an ingenious ruse by combining a Wear OS smartwatch with a “standard” digital timepiece. The dual-layer screen is at the heart of this innovation, which greatly increases battery life by displaying normal time/date statistics on the power-saving monochrome display, then switching to the OLED and Wear OS for more sophisticated operations.
Wifi, GPS, GLONASS & Michibiki, Altimeter, Bluetooth, Compass, Barometer, and the power of Google Play apps like Spotify, Viewranger, Runtastic, and Strava are all accessible. Most outdoor needs can be met with the correct application, which is something that less open systems may have trouble with.
Victorinox I.N.O.X
When you desire elegance, when you want style and substance without interruptions, the Victorinox I.N.O.X stands to reason. The case promises to be the only Swiss watch to survive 130 rigorous endurance homologation tests, which is no empty statement. It has a simple appearance and a fundamental quartz movement, so there is little sparkle or visual flair. The strap is made of survival favorite paracord, a high-breaking strain cord that can be used to make a variety of essential shelter-related products, and it also includes a removable compass bumper for simpler navigation and scratch protection. Survivalist minimalism does not get any better than this.
Elliot Brown Canford: Mountain Rescue
Sometimes all an outdoor watch needs to do is look good and tell the time, and the Elliot Brown Canford: Mountain Rescue version does both. Buying one also leads to a £36 contribution to Mountain Rescue England & Wales, and there’s a very subtle ghosted matt on gloss MREW symbol in the lower section of the dial as a suggestion.
A staggeringly tough case with triple closed 6mm knurled crowns will giggle at anything less than a tank, and plain but elegant green SuperLuminova coated indices and hands make this a rather dirtproof time telling gadget. There are two straps: a custom-manufactured black ballistic nylon webbing strap and a basic EPDM black rubber strap for use in the workplace during the week with a date marking for use on weekends in the hills. Sometimes minimalism is the best way to live.
Shearwater Teric
The Shearwater Teric is unique in the world of diving watches, and it has already compelled larger manufacturers to take notice. It’s effectively a diving smartwatch, which may seem obvious, but when you’re 50m deep on a trimix, a crash and reboot to factory default may be terrifying. Above water, there’s a sapphire lens, a hefty steel bezel, and a sizable AMOLED screen with a selection of watch faces and strap colors to choose from. Underwater, there is a configurable display, wireless tank pressure integration, and settings for nitrox, full trimix, air, and gauge. The Teric is a powerful dive monitor as well as a daily timepiece.
Suunto 7
In comparison to prior outdoor watches, the Suunto 7 takes a slightly different approach, attempting to combine the everyday usage of a smartwatch with the advanced tracking and mapping of a ‘real’ outdoor watch. The tough part is maintaining a reasonable battery life, which the Suunto 7 achieves with 48 hours in smartwatch mode and 12 hours in GPS mode.
The advantages are substantial: you get a plethora of wristwatch apps, Google Assistant, Google Fit, and notifications, as well as more than 70 sports modes and offline outdoor maps. As a consequence, you’ll have a watch that can keep up with your working week, monitor your daily workout regimen, and be ready for large weekend adventures, all while looking very beautiful.
Garmin Quatix 5
Garmin is a market leader in map-based timepieces, with a model for almost every application. The Quatix 5 is the greatest multi-sport maritime watch in its class. Because of its numerous complicated capabilities, it is more of a computer system than a watch, making it well justified by the exorbitant price tag. It works with Garmin chart plotters to give autopilot control, data streaming, remote waypoint marking, sail racing support, and other features. In addition, you will receive a sophisticated tracking system designed to record distance, strokes, and velocity.
Final Thoughts
There is a vast range of outdoor timepieces on the market, so you’ll want to be clear about how much functionality you truly need before you dig in. If you use too much, you’ll run out of battery power in a matter of days; if you use too little, your effective training will deteriorate. Smartwatches and elaborate GPS trackers are simply too power-hungry for large expedition use, but you’ll need something very simple to stay running in all conditions or solar-powered. These technological marvels are most impressive when used in the vast outdoors.
