UKC

Hello - just wondering if anyone has any recommendations for an altimeter watch.

Will be using it for everything from Scottish winter to alpine conditions (eventually), and probably to take pressure readings to adjust weather forecasts. I'm not quite sure where to start, and would like one that is highly reliable and well designed (I've heard that some models have gone back to the manufacturer multiple times) - good battery life, and possible to use in the above environments. Thanks in advance for any help!

In reply to SenzuBean:

Suunto Vector

In reply to SenzuBean:

I've got the Vector HR and love it, except for the altimeter. It works only on barometric pressure and so isn't very accurate in changeable weather, i.e. when you most need it. In stable alpine weather it's accurate all day and reads the same when you return to the valley as when you left. In Scotland, you can return to your start point and it's been upto 200m different to that same morning because the weather has altered that much. Not the fault of the watch, just a limitation of the technology. I can't trust the altimeter when I most need it (i.e. poor/changeable weather) unless I calibrate it at every trig point/spot height I get to. That rather defeats the purpose, when I want to be using it to confirm I'm at the trig/spot height that I think I'm at. Great battery life though. In hindsight I should've got the next model up. I'm probably going to sell it as it doesn't meet my needs - feel free to drop me an email if you're interested.

In reply to SenzuBean:
another vote for suunto vector. I've had mine for years, properly battered it (missing button covers and compass bezel amongst other visual issues) and still working great. My dad upgraded to a suunto core and he doesn't have any complaints about that one either.

In reply to SenzuBean:

I'd put in a word for Casio Pro Trek range. Two advantages over Suunto - 1. The alarm on the Suuntos is notoriously quiet. 2. Solar power - you never have to replace the battery or recharge it.

In reply to AdrianC:

Solar powered sounds brilliant. Getting that low battery icon at the start of a long trip is a bit rubbish with the suunto. I find I always carry a spare.

In reply to AdrianC:

+1 for the Pro Treks. Solar power is great and I also think the accuracy is pretty good - typically a variation of no more than about 20m between sea level and the magic 915m.

I'd add that I think recalibrating at known points (e.g. trigs) is good practice anyway and this allows you to take on board pressure variations from changing weather during the day. Electronic devices are a great aid to navigation but it's good always to see them as a back up to old-fashioned skills - AKAIK you can't use them on an ML assessment.

Hope that helps!

In reply to sam.sam.sam.ferguson:
Mine Suunto Core works for 2 weeks after showing low battery icon. Never had problem changing it. Battery normally lives a year.

If I would be buying now I would probably go for Core again. Precise compass and better glass than Vector. But Vector is better value for money.

Note: Suunto is about 30% cheaper in USA. Warranty is worldwide.

In reply to SenzuBean:

Casio Pro Trek range!! amazing watches, solar power, barometer, altitude meter, compass, automatic time calibration in timezones plus summer/winter time. durable, long lasting battery. I am getting this one:
https://www.casio.co.uk/products/timepieces/pro-trek/Product/PRW-5100-1ER/

In reply to SenzuBean:

+1 suunto core

In reply to SenzuBean:

Suunto elementum terra is really nice, same issues with the altimeter and air pressure but otherwise pretty reliable. I just adjust it once or twice a week or at a known height point when in the mountains. Pretty good compass too.

In reply to SenzuBean:

Thanks for all the replies everyone! It seems there are two clear choices, and it's just a matter of choosing between them

In reply to SenzuBean:

Even with a solar powered battery, the battery still needs to be replaced, just not so often. One of mine lasted less than 5 years and you get 3 years out of a normal casio IMHO. So the case for spending more on solar power is not so good.

It might be worth waiting for the Suunto Indoor Vector which is aimed at the indoor mountaineering market, it will tell you what height you've reached, whether you've pulled on the wrong colour holds and also has an accelerometer to record an rope rests.

In reply to winhill:


Cool - sounds like you've got one on pre-order, please let me know how it works out for you.

In reply to winhill:


Interesting. Bought mine in 2007 and the battery indicator is showing "high" right now despite having just spent about a month lost in the top pocket of my pack and never having had any special charging treatment like being left out in the sun. Sounds like there's some variation between watches but this one's done everything it said on the box.

In reply to SenzuBean:
I had a Vector for nine years, it finally died in the monsoon rains of Kathmandu. So I got a Core - not the first batch, as they had bad battery problems - and it was OK, though I never liked the navigation. After 18months or so a blank line appeared across the screen - this is not uncommon, Google it - and some functions were just unresponsive. I'd bought it cheap online somewhere and the Suunto repairer here in Australia wanted a ridiculous repair fee, which was basically getting a new one from Suunto in the US at full retail. So I went back to a Vector and prefer it. It's more reliable and I never liked the shiny metal of the Core that much in the end. I find the Vector's buttons easier to use with gloves than the Core's too.

from http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=601424

In reply to SenzuBean:

Thanks for all the replies everyone. In the end decided to go for one of the Casios, and so far it seems to be exactly what I was after - only time will tell (is that a pun?) if it's good. I guess at the end of the day, getting used to using a digital watch with all its functions is the main purpose of buying an ABC watch now. Have already started using the timer and stopwatch functions and find it really cool!

In reply to AdrianC:

I have just replaced the battery in my casio prg 50 solar after 10 years service, which I think is very good.

The watch still functions like new........even after I changed the battery my self!

Cheers Davey