
The Triple Sensor technology adds the functionality of an electronic compass, altimeter, barometer and thermometer to an already incredibly filled out timepiece-slash-wrist-top-computer. All features are controlled by the knurled button at 2:00, which gives the watch the most traditional and retro look of all the pieces in this buying guide, despite the digital dial.īuy Now: $900 Casio Protrek Triple Sensor PAG240-1Ĭasio’s Protrek line may be overshadowed by the company’s ubiquitous G-Shock, but the lesser known set is actually a more capable group of watches.
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The graph lines printed on the sapphire crystal allow for full 24-hour trending of the barometric pressure a countdown regatta timer helps skippers synch with the official starting cannon for a perfect start the digital compass comes in handy should you find yourself out of sight of land. A sensitive air pressure sensor provides accurate weather predictions for skippers: dropping pressure means winds - and possibly, foul weather - may soon increase, while rising pressure typically makes for more tactical sailing. The Ventus may look more suited for the yacht club than the yacht with its leather strap and brushed steel case, but that’s just the icing on one hell of a useful watch. Ventus means wind, which is appropriate, because when in offshore sailboat racing success comes down to weather and timing. Three pieces made up the collection: the Terra (land), the Aqua (diving) and the Ventus, which is the sailing edition. The idea was that you could go from weekend to weekday without changing your watch.


A few years ago they introduced a more upscale line of watches called Elementum featuring steel cases instead of the usual plastic, leather straps and sapphire crystals. Sunnto is the undisputed king of multifunction watches they pretty well invented the genre with their mountaineering watches back in the 1990s. The rotating internal ring allows for tracking of altitude change or compass heading it’s harder to use with an oxygen-starved brain than a digital watch, but you wanted to rough it, right? The massive titanium case and supple long rubber strap are amazingly comfortable, and this is an Eco-Drive, so unlike a lot of other battery-hogging multifunction watches, the Altichron won’t crap out on you as you’re making the summit push. The maximum altitude tops out at over 30,000 feet, so unless you find a mountain higher than Everest, you’re covered. Altitude is displayed across three scales, one for 10,000-foot intervals (which does double duty as a power reserve gauge), one for 1,000s, one for 10s. While the dial looks busy at first glance, it’s actually a cinch to read once you get the scheme. Press the color-coded buttons and watch the matching hands slowly move around the dial to display altitude in feet or your compass heading. While digital may be the best way to display information, we still have a soft spot for analog, and the Altichron is like wearing an aircraft instrument on your wrist.

The new Altichron is not the watch to wear if you don’t want to draw attention it’s big, it’s bad and it’s colorful. There are also alarms and a digital chronograph to round out the features.īuy Now: $1,025 Citizen Promaster Altichron Tapping it at various points activates the functions - barometer for weather prediction, altimeter, thermometer (take it off your sweaty wrist first), even a compass that you can use in concert with the rotating bezel for navigation.

Of course, the feature that makes the T-Touch unique and gives it its name is the touch-sensitive sapphire crystal. Its 43-millimeter case and comfortable link bracelet are hewn from strong, light, and resistant titanium coupled with the carbon fiber dial, the watch’s look is modern and clean and wouldn’t look out of place under a shirtsleeve on Monday morning, which is more than we can say about most multifunction watches. But the T-Touch Expert is the handsomest of the lot while providing the most versatile functions. Tissot’s entire T-Touch line has you covered for every activity there’s a sailing version, a diving version, and even one that tells time by silent vibrations.
