Sport Watches

There's never bad time for enjoying sport in the great outdoors. But when you're out there, whether in the wilderness, the water, the snow, the hills or on the road, you will need to know exactly what the time is - and a lot more besides. And those training and looking to achieve peak fitness in sports like running, road cycling and athletics need a watch that will tell them exactly how fast and effectively their body is performing.
So if you are going to enjoy the outdoors or train to your highest level, you will need a reliable watch that is not only robust and able to keep time accurately, but also packed with the kind of features that will allow you to obtain the maximum satisfaction from your chosen pursuit.
Thankfully, gone are the days when the intrepid adventurer had to rely on his antique timepiece and shaky old compass. Likewise, the serious sportsman or sportswoman no longer has to make do with a primitive stopwatch. The market is now teeming with watches which have been designed specifically for outdoor adventurers or athletes and boast more features than a Swiss Army knife.
Outdoor pursuits and more traditional athletic disciplines have different needs so first of all, what should you look out for in a watch for activities such as mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, hill walking, mountaineering and the myriad of other outdoor sports?
Well, as well as good, accurate timekeeping and a clear display, you can't go wrong with your A, B, C. We're not talking kindergarten here - it's the term that specialist manufacturers like Suunto use to describe the three main features of a top notch outdoor watch: Altimeter, Barometer and, of course, Compass.
An altimeter is obviously essential for activities such as mountaineering and hill walking and can also be helpful for skiers. A barometer is useful for any outdoor sportsperson as it is always vitally important to stay one step ahead of the weather. As for the compass, anyone who has ever embarked on an outdoor adventure without one can testify of their importance - providing, of course, they made it back home to tell the tale!
And while we're on the subject of navigation, an outdoor watch with a GPS system can be a lifesaver - quite literally!
Although a watch for athletics and training needn't have such life-saving properties, high precision and quality features are nevertheless essential if the sportsman or sportswoman is to achieve his or her goals.
As well as a multi-functional stopwatch, a heart rate monitor (HRM) that specifies training zones is a must for keeping track of health and fitness, allowing athletes to work within in the correct heart rate zones for optimal training.
Likewise, computer-compatibility can be a real boon for those wishing to measure their performance effectively. There are Suunto watches, for instance, which can download training information on a PC and also link to other devices to allow details of speed, distance and similar data to be displayed on the watch. The T4 model goes one step further with the Suunto Coach feature, providing the user with a training schedule tailored to previous performance.
But let's not forget one other vital aspect of any watch for the outdoors or training - it has to look good! Come on, be honest - the all-singing, all-dancing features are important but you also want your watch to be stylish. Luckily, there's no shortage of strap and case designs and colour combinations to choose from these days.
So what are you waiting for? Get shopping! You don't even have to brave the outdoors yet because the World Wide Web is a great place to start your search - providing your (internet) navigation skills are up to scratch, that is. Your time starts... now!