The wristwatch was invented in the 1600’s when a French mathematician used a piece of string to tie a watch to his wrist.
Timekeeping has come a long way since then. These days, watches are like mini-computers that can forecast the weather, help you find your way in the woods or even get you to class on time.
For professional adventure racer Travis Macy, 23, his watch helps with navigation and keeps his team on track during grueling multi-day races.
“If we’re doing a trekking section and we’re falling asleep on our feet, we’ll stop and sleep for half an hour,” says Macy, a former Cub Scout. “And then the whole race is hanging on my watch to wake us up!”
Dealing with that kind of pressure and the race on the line, Macy knows watches. He can teach you a lot about how to pick the best one for your time-keeping needs.
FEATURES
“Before you go to buy a watch, think about the features you’re looking for,” Macy says.
If hiking and camping is your thing, consider a watch with a compass and perhaps an altimeter and barometer. If you’re into jogging, find a heart-rate-monitor watch. Remember: Just because a watch is packed with features and functions doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to use. Try it before you buy to make sure it’s user-friendly.
ANALOG VS. DIGITAL
Most modern watches use tiny quartz minerals to keep the time. When electrified, the quartz crystal vibrates a reliable 32,768 times per second; those vibrations are translated to seconds, minutes and hours. Analog watches have a standard clock-like face with two or three (or more) hands that point at numbers, which is more classic yet can be tougher to read than digital watches. Digitals continuously highlight the exact time in numerals. Some watches have dual faces with both analog and digital readouts.
DURABILITY
If you spend much time outdoors, durability is a key factor in a watch. “Make sure it’s rugged,” Macy says. “If it has a compass swivel on top, try turning that to see if that feels like it’ll hold up. Play with the buttons. Are they easy to push? Take a look at the band and the buckle to make sure they’re flexible and will hold up to the elements.”
SIZE
You want the face of the watch and the numbers to be big enough so you can see them while you’re riding a bike or running. But in general, the bigger the watch the heavier and bulkier it will be. Try to find a size that’s comfortable.
“If you’ll have only one watch, think about whether you’ll want to wear a big watch to school,” he says. “I wear the same big watch for everything, but I’ve gotten used to it. Some guys will feel more comfortable with something smaller.”
THE WATCHBAND
The way your watch is strapped to your wrist is important. If you’re outdoors a lot, choose a polyurethane band. These bands are waterproof, won’t hold odors and are very durable, but they can also be sticky in hot climates. Another good choice is a canvas and Velcro band, which is more breathable.
“Velcro bands keep your watch snug against your wrist and you can wash it when it’s dirty,” Macy says.
Leather bands don’t perform well in wet environments, but they look cool. Meanwhile, metal bands can sometimes pinch your skin, though they are usually super durable.
WHERE TO SHOP
There’s nothing more helpful than going to a store and trying a watch on to see how it feels on your wrist. Of course, you’ll probably pay more at a store versus buying it on the Internet.
“Take a look online and see if you can find a better price,” Macy says. “There are search engines where you can type in the product name and a whole list of prices will come up so you can find out what’s a good price.”
If you buy online, make sure the store is reputable and beware of counterfeit or fake watches.
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water resistant watches are great because you can swim with it on and not worry about it shorting out or losing track of time
i bought a cheap watch at walmart and it works great
Timex WS4
timex are the BEST i recommend TIMEX some of the watches fog up on
the inside of the screen though
true. there the BEST
dude do you even know what it means when A watch fogs up?? It means water got in it!=( Casio will NEVER fog up! Timex is not as good as a Casio! However they are by far better then 10$ wal-mart watches!
You need to get a spynet watch! It has a camera ,a video camera,a voice recorder,a voice changer, a lie detector,games ,and it tells the time and the date!
do you really need all those?
Percy that really wouldn’t be a good watch for the outdoors.
Totally. It’s a cool play watch but if it’s not water-proof forget it.
Plus I also agree with Montana teen, since when will you need a lie detector when camping??? Spend the money and get a 120$ Casio G-SHOCK and that watch will last you forever! I’m not kidding! You’ll be able to hand it down to your grand kids!
Who said anything about camping? Since it can take picures and video, it’s great for museums and things like that.
I said it was a cool watch. but I go into museums like once a year so it would not be a good watch me. plus I am outdoors a ton and the weather can get nasty some times so if it’s not water proof forget it. I do agree it is a very cool watch for some one who lives in the city or someone who is indoors a lot. but just not for me.
timex expeditions with compasses work great and are handy
I got mine without a compass. I wanted it because it was cheap, replaceable, and light. I do cross country running, so do not need anything to weigh me down. I have had three of the same watch in three years, so it is by no means durable if you are Extremely athletic.
Dude, a compass weighs like 2 ounces…how is that going to weigh you down????
I have a Forester analog that has a small digital part that has the date,stop watch,time,and dual time. and lights up but not the digital part and its water resistant 100m(300ft) That is All
The forester is a Casio right?
timex iron man triathlon is a awsome watch. It is water proof 100 meter and it has everything.I got it for $35.00
Swiss army. Nuff said!
Are you rich? im just fine with my timex watch
dude… its worth the $$!
I like the Casio G-shock watch
COLEMAN DIGITAL ALL THE WAY!!!
lot of great watches at sports authority
Timex expeditions are great watches because they are durable and most are water proof to 100 meters
agreed and it matches my class a for scouts, i keep it set on Camp Rainey Mountain time ( boy scout camp in clayton, ga)
I agree haha but i lost mine….
and, when i went to the dunes for camping i got a bunch of sand stuck in the button for the light… so that didnt work any more… but those watches are deffinately waterproof.
true
Japanese made watches are usually always the best made watches!
MJ is wrong,japanese watches are some of the worst. They’re good if you want a watch that will fall apart the fastest but if you want a good watch buy american
Where can you find American made watches?
If you want a great watch and make a lot of money you could buy a swiss made watch! to bad thats not me.
Be careful with your watches around water. I lost one watch completely to that, another from battery discharge, and my most recent one, I left a drop of water on the MODE button too long and it stopped working. I think I might have more luck with analog.
field rangers are good $10 at academy
Buy the Timex Ironman Triathlon
I have used Timex Ironmans’ for my past 3 watches and they are by far the best ones I have ever used.
i have that too
nope casio G-shock is unarguably the best watch ever
Invicta watches are the best. They make the most durable Diver’s watches.
Andy, I have a $40 dollar expedition that is waterproof to 150+ feet
and what do u want that for? unless you scubadive…
Its just for sounding impressive. XD
mine i got 4 like $10
walmart works wonders
I do not even have a watch!!! I want one so bad.
neither do I. I had one but it sank to the bottom of a lake.
I like the way you describe where to shop
Timix ROCKS
yep but they cant hold a candle to Casio G-SHOCK
my dad got a exspensive watch metal band snapped off in 3 minutes
instead try a more cheap watch for him or sugjest one
I want a water proof but are they expensive?
This depends on what you get, I generally spend $20-$40 for a waterproof watch that lasts for about two years.
Get a $120 Caiso G-shock and it will last you 20+ years
no, i have 2 water proof watches they were like $10 each
I Like Analog Over Digital
The Timex ‘Expidition’ is a GREAT watch! It has a compass,chronograph(stopwatch),timer,and an alarm,along with the time,day,and date.The watchband IS durable.I’d recommend this watch to anyone!
I love those watches, I always either buy one of those, or the Timex Iron Man. Those watches never die. I just get a new one every couple of years because the batteries die, and I don’t want to bother replacing it. Plus the battery is a quarter of the cost of the watch itself, when you buy the watch on sale.
how much is the Timex ‘Expidition’?
24.00
My mom gets a new Timex expedition watch like every two months because the break so much!
I’m looking at the G-Shock G100-1BV it has an Analog and digital face.
I have a Casio watch that my grandma gave me . It connects to satelites to get the correct time all the time!
watis the name of the watch?
thats awesome
where did u get this wacth it sounds awsome and what brand is it
I like a wrist watch that has a watch alarm that plays a song such as Ludwig Beethoven’s song entitled, “Fur Elise (For Elsie)” or the Beach Boy’s song entitled, “Catch a Wave and You’ll Be Sittin’ On Top of the World”.
The watches that have the numbers and watch hands that glow in the dark after shining your flashlight on the watch face are really neat when determining what time it is after sundown.