Watches

Gossman Knives

Gossman Knives

Edged Toolmaker
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Apr 9, 2004
Messages
9,439
Let's hear about those altimeter/compass watches. What kind do you have? I ordered a High Gear Axis but after googling some of the reviews, I'm having seconds thoughts.
Scott
 
this is my watch:
32362960.jpg


i got it a while ago, and i am really liking it. it was the only analog watch i could find with a compass. alot of digital watches have more features, but i like analog more.
 
n16318538_34085465_4364.jpg


On the very left is my Casio Pathfinder. It's an old model but I like it a lot. I don't wear it everyday though since its huge on my wrists. The main thing I don't like about it is the sensors on the side dig into my hand when i bend my wrist upwards.
 
Hey Scott, I ordered that same watch but sent it back unused due to the size. It's so big it made me feel like a little boy wearing my dad's watch! I just felt silly wearing it.

I'm thinking that if Paul Bunyon had a watch, that would be it.
 
I've got a Highgear and have had it for a year or so. I got used to the size, but believe it or not, some of the Suunto's out there are a hell of a lot bigger.

The altimeter and compass work reasonably well. I hardly ever use the functions though. I guess it's cool to have at your fingertips, er I mean wrist, but if I were skiing in the backcountry often, it would be more meaningful. The thermometer is a joke and always reads hot. You have to take it off for a few minutes to get an accurate read.

About the quality, there are pros and cons. I've never had a single problem with the watch function. I recently replaced the battery after a year and it's still running fine. I've had it in the shower and it's worked fine. They say not to press any buttons while in the water or it might leak, so I didn't. The black and red "paint" inside the numbers and grooves on hte outside have flaked off in most spots and the rubber body came apart somewhat on one side. A drop of superglue will fix it though.

I like it well enough. It was a gift and it's served its function well, but it's not the super highest quality all around. Maybe a Suunto would be better if you want to drop a bit more coin.

Hope that helps.
 
kdstrick said:
Hey Scott, I ordered that same watch but sent it back unused due to the size. It's so big it made me feel like a little boy wearing my dad's watch! I just felt silly wearing it.

I'm thinking that if Paul Bunyon had a watch, that would be it.
Click to expand...

I also had one and couldn't stand the way the band fit. It just wasn't a comfortable watch for me.
 
Casio offers an electronic compass in their "Pathfinder" series, but not in any of the G-Shock models. I'm tough on a watch and I prefer the G-Shock, so I'll rely on a compass for directional aid.

I have a Casio G-Shock "Riseman." It has a barometer and barometric altimeter as well as a thermometer. I like it a lot. The G-Shock series are virtually indestructable; the innards are isolated from the case by soft polymer cushions. The Riseman is water resistant to 20 Bars (about 650 feet).

But as important as the sensors, I think, is the solar power system and radio time signal receiver. This means the watch battery will charge when the watch is exposed to light (if the battery is fully charged, the watch will work for six months in the dark), and the time will be synchronized to various atomic clocks, depending on where you are in the world, so the watch will always be correct!

I have two of Casio's G-Shock "Tough Solar" "Wave Ceptor" watches, and I can't imagine being happy with any other type.

Keep in mind that barometric alimeters must be calibrated each time you use them (and it's handy to calibrate them any time you're able to while you're using them). Since the altitude is measured using barometric pressure, any changes in pressure will change the barometer reading.

If you know the altitude of your home, you can check/calibrate the altimeter before you leave the house. If you're hiking and have a topo map of the area, you can set it with the altitude readings from the map. If the weather is steady, it will remain accurate. If the weather is changing (barometric pressure rising or falling), you'll need to calibrate the meter as often as you're able in order to get accurate readings.

If you want to see a really neat compass/barometer/altimeter watch, check out the Tissot T-Touch! It's an analog watch and the hands become the compass needle! The sapphire crystal is also a touch control pad. This has to be the coolest watch I've seen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyXc58A5slE

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
Thanks for the replies so far. I'm really not looking to spend an arm and a leg for one of these types of watches. My EDC watch is a Wenger Swiss Army watch. It's 10 years old and has seen alot of wear. I've only changed the batteries twice. It's a heavy duty watch. I really wanted one of these for outdoor activities but wanted something of decent quality.
Scott
 
Ive got a Marataq AQC watch, it only has a compass function, but its avaliable for under a hundred. I got mine from countycomm.
 
I have a Nike compass/altimeter watch. It's huge and not that great. i have the CountyComm Marataq AQC watch, it's one of my favorites. I like how the dial doesn't have any words or logos on it.

The altimeters aren't that useful because you have to calibrate them so often.

I wear the Marataq often, the Nike not so much. I still want a Casio Pathfinder, though. (I have a lot of watches)
 
The Marataq is the watch I wear whenever I'm out in the woods, I've got a couple of nicer watches I like to wear around the city, and I like having the compass on the watch as a backup (I wouldn't trust it as a primary though)
 
The Maratac AQC is made by Timex. They also sell their own version, the Expedition E-compass. There are a few different models, the T48751DH is nearly a dead ringer for the Maratac.
 
I wear a basic Marathon w/date with Tritium tubes..... It's my winter watch. Little cheap compass on the band.

Heres a great site to see some watch porn. http://www.chronometer.net/ click the wristwatch page.
 
Last edited:
This is what I use in the woods:

g2900f-1.jpg


Casio G-Shock 2900. 10 years of battery life, water resistant, you can boil it (or wear it in the sauna), freeze it (which it will in winter time), and its shock resistant. It has a nice background light, and as a bonus, a memory-slot where I can store eg. important phonenumbers and flight codes when travelling.

The best part though, is the price, ~40USD :) Highly recommended to anyone looking for a durable but cheap watch, if appearance isnt a factor :D
 
coaldigger said:
Glad to see this post, I'm in the market for a good watch also:D. Not meaning to HI-JACK this thread but what about Luminox ? Are they worth it ? I like this model -
http://luminox.800rpm.com/index.php?/site/catalog/series/3000 Original Navy SEAL Dive Series/3001
Thinking about getting one but really hate to spend that kinda money on a watch. :o
Click to expand...

I think they are decent watches, but IMO they're quite overpriced. If you do some searching around and are patient you can still find a Sandy (Stocker and Yale) 590 Navigator that is virtually the same watch as the the Luminox you posted. The normal 590 is nice as well and both have the tritum hands/dial if that's important to you. Both of those are becoming more collectible so they're getting harder to find, even so they're still less money than a Luminox. A good place to look is the PX at MWR or the sales forum at TZ.

If you want a good solid dive watch I think it's hard to beat the Seikos (SKX007 or SKX009) and they can be found for under $150 if you look around. /hijack
 
I've had several Casio Pathfinder altimeter/baro watches and found them great value for the money; sturdy, waterproof, and surprsingly accurate when compared directly to a high quality aneroid barometer (keep in mind, like any barometer, they should be set regularly). I've always stayed away from the models with compass as this feature seems a bit gimmicky to me. I've always got a "real" compass with me anyhow.

I tried a Timex Adventure Tech two years ago, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. It looks pretty, but the plastic broke where the band joins the watch by a relatively light hit on a wall at home.

I've got an analogue Marathon SAR that I wear everywhere now instead of a digital watch. I have a Kestrel 4000 weather meter I carry in most places. This is a high-quality instrument and does a lot better job with alti/baro than any watch will do, and it's smaller and lighter than most GPS's. I prefer this combo to the digital outdoor watch.
 
Last edited:
I have a timex expediton chrono/alarm I have been wearing it for about two years now and its great still on first battery, I had a timex with the digital compass but it seem to eat batteries, and I had to constantly re-calibrate the compass, it was one of the e-series I wasn't to happy with it.

I really don't have much call for a altimeter around my place unless in readys in inches..

cya
jimi
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top