How to Choose a Sport Watch
Picking the right wristwatch for your active lifestyle
When choosing a watch to wear for outdoor activities, there are a few key features to keep in mind. Understanding these critical features will help you to choose the best sport watch for your needs. Whether you require cold-weather protection or precise timing equipment, there are sport watches that can ensure you have a comfortable excursion.
Learn how to choose a sport watch to fit your needs with this guide. Find out more about the features that vary among sport watches that will benefit your active lifestyle. From features like water resistance to GPS, these watches can withstand sweat, shock, and scratches while maintaining accurate timing and location.
Features
Find out the critical features to consider when deciding which sport watch to purchase.
1. Legibility
What good is a watch if you can't read it? When looking at sport watches, it's important to think about how you'll be using it. While extra features on the watch face may seem useful at the time, they will be moot if you can't read the time when you need it. Think about whether you need to be able to understand the time at a quick glance. Aspects to consider include the size of numerals/hour markers, the contrast of the display, and the ability for the display to glow in the dark.
2. Water Resistance
Think about your environment. Unless you live in the desert, you will probably face precipitation while engaging in outdoor activities. A sport watch would be pointless if it malfunctioned after it was exposed to the elements for the first time. Whether you are a certified diver or just want to keep your watch functional after a run in the rain, water resistance is an important aspect to consider.
3. Materials
One of the most important aspects to consider when choosing a sport watch is what materials will be most comfortable and reliable. Rubber and polymer straps and cases are popular for sport watches, but they come in all sorts of materials. It's important to consider the weight and comfortability of these watches. You wouldn't want your watch to cause discomfort or chaffing while you work out.
4. Movement
If you plan to use your watch to time yourself, a precise movement system should be a high priority. While quartz movements are generally considered sporty and inexpensive, relying solely on a battery can be risky if it were to die or slow down. Choosing a watch with a solar backup or mechanical movement can help the reliability of your timepiece.
5. Extra Features
Extra features generally equate to higher prices. While these features seem useful when purchasing, determine whether you'd actually use them. Additional sport watch features like GPS, temperature gauges, and compasses can be essential depending on how you plan to use your timepiece, but if you don't see yourself using this feature regularly, it's probably best to skip the extras.
Prominent Sport Watches
The Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar II is a watch for adventurers. This solar-powered watch features a touchscreen which allows you to access many useful functions, such as a compass, a countdown timer, a chronograph, two alarms, a second time zone, a perpetual calendar with day and week indicator, and more!
Add a bit of color with this Breitling Chronomat 44 Raven. The black dial and case are accented by vibrant orange hands, tachymeter scale, rubber-inlaid numerals. Even the black oscillating weight, visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, is enhanced with orange markings. This model uses the Breitling 01 manufacture caliber, a selfwinding chronograph movement that is chronometer-certified.
This Casio G-Shock MT-G is the ultimate tool watch. These watches are Triple G Resistant, meaning that they're shock-resistant, vibration-resistant, and gravity-resistant. This solar powered watch boasts a GPS satellite radio that syncs the watch and its time to standard time radio waves. Therefore, you can be sure that your G-Shock MT-G watch will be accurate no matter where you are.
The dial on this Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m Master Co-Axial 38.5mm was inspired by the wooden decks of luxury sailboats as a tribute to Omega's maritime hertiage. The Omega Master Co-Axial calibre 8500 powers this certified chronometer. It's also important to note that this Omega Seamaster is resistant to magnetic fields greater than 15,000 gauss.
The Panerai Luminor Marina 8 Days features a 30-bar water resistance, an 8-day power reserve, an anti-shock device, and a small seconds sub-dial at 9 o'clock. As for the hand-wound mechanical movement, it is created entirely in-house and it inlcludes 21 jewels and 127 components.
In 2016, Bell & Ross partnered with Renault Sport Formula One Team, thereby entering into the world of Formula 1 racing. The Bell & Ross BR-RS17 was designed with drivers in mind with small seconds at 3 o’clock, a skeleton date at 6 o’clock, a central chronograph seconds hand, and a 30-minute chronograph timer at 9 o'clock.
The Tudor Heritage Black Bay 41 features a signature Black Bay appearance but with a 41mm diameter, a slimmer case, and a fixed bezel in polished steel. This model can act as both a dress watch and a sports watch.
The Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Altichron is includes an altimeter that measures -300 meters to 10,000 meters. An altimeter is an instrument for determining altitude attained. The watch also features an electronic compass, an anti-shock function, 20 bar water resistance, and luminescent hands and indexes.
Read NextHamilton Khaki Field Auto 38 mm
