What wrist watch?

[Monocrom]

I wear a Timex Expedition with an O.D. green face on it. The combo brown leather and black nylon wristband makes it look rugged. Keeps excellent time without ever slowing down. I've had mine for several years with zero problems..... Can't say the same thing about the much more expensive Victorinox watches I bought. And thanks to them, I will never buy another Vic watch! (Love their knives, though).

 

[wade]

get a luminox! they also make a compass model, but I just put a sunnto clipper compass on my band.

 

[Will Power]

If your independantly wealthy, you could always get one of the Breitling models that have the built in transmitter, could save your life.

Breitling Emergency

Breitling look and perform in a fabulous way.But if you are concerned about being saved in an emergency, a GPS mobile phone makes it possible to locate you out in the woods with a broken ankle....

 

[Ming65]

Just my 2 cents - I've used G-shocks, Timex's an Omega SMP and Seiko Divers in the bush - and my favourite has to be the Seiko Auto 200m Diver. Tough, accurate enough, reliable and suprisingly confortable for a big hunk of steel. I like the big, easy to read hands with strong liminescence.

When they make a GPS and Sat-phone text send/reciever along with compass/thermometer/barometer/altimeter all in a wrist watch I'll be first in line to buy one - they can't be that many years away.

 

[Will Power]

Yeah, I would like the barometer/therm/altimeter and humidity% thing too! Much better than those poxy little cameras they put in them just now.

 

[ctdair]

Well the watch I have on most of the time is a Rolex 18k/SS Daytona. Wear a Timex most other times(Work) , admit the Timex is better until the battery wears out, and there is something about a mechanical watch that just seems to appeal to me more than a electronic one.

 

[crazydave789]

I picked up an accurist self winder off ebay, added an animal watch strap and a sprap compass - works great and no worries about batteries either.

 

[Darkaz]

Another Suunto here - mines an Advizor which I bought when they first came out. Does everything although it doesn't look at home in the city.

Like a couple of others I'd definitely recommend an altimeter if possible, it's of much more use than a compass. I find in the wild I almost never use the compass whereas the altimeter is a great navigation tool giving an accurate third dimension to check against the map contours. I'd always be carrying at least 1 "proper" compass when outdoors anyway. The only time I find myself using my watch compass is if I want to get my bearings after arriving in an unfamiliar city.

 

[Jutt]

I am looking to get a nice watch that can look decently nice around town but is functional and ready for the woods.

A compass would be nice. KISS would be great. What do you recommend?

TF

I just ordered one of these...seems to be a pretty solid built analog watch on sale for 75 bucks AND has a built in compass. I haven't received it yet but the reviews I found online weren't bad at all: http://countycomm.com/compassmaratac.htm

 

[jordan_masson]

I'm suprised no one has mentioned the Tissot T-Touch

There is no watch I want more that this one.

One of the most innovative watches of its time due to its touch-driven technology the T-Touch offers a precision instrument at your fingertips, combining high technicality and performance with cutting-edge design and ease of use.

More than just a watch, the T-Touch offers 8 separate functions, activated by pressing on the crown and then pressing on the touch-sensitive screen. With an accurate Altimeter (in feet and metres), Chronograph (split and add time), Compass, Alarm, Thermometer (in ºC and ºF), Barometer as well as Date and Time (choice of 12H and 24H), the T-Touch offers a real feat of technological design combined with modern elegance.

http://www.tissot.ch/?mod_collection/colid_0003/famid_0001
Check out the flash demo of the watch

 

[allenC]

I recommend a Casio G-Shock or a Timex Ironman.
Both are very accurate, have lots of useful features, are extremely tough compared to other watches, and best of all, they are very affordable and easily replaced.
Loosing or breaking a $50.00 dollar Timex Ironman is bad enough...but imaging loosing or breaking a $300.00+ watch!
And if you buy a Casio or Timex, you'll stil have plenty of money for another knife or a nice compass.

And remember, no mechanical watch is going to be as tough or be able to take the hard knocks of fieldlife as well as a Casio G-shock or Timex Ironman.

 

[Will Power]

Due to some earlier posts I looked into a cheapie: the Timex Expedetion.
It's been a very pleasant surprise, useful for work in the vegetable garden digging etc,tough simple and pleasing.They're uncommon here in Finland(got mine on e-bay)and people keep asking about the indiglo function, that will be a real boon in our perpetual dark winter:thumbup:

Still recommend the Seiko Kinetic , no batteries, no winding just magnets! Does come a bit weighty though.