Suunto X10 watch

Suunto's latest model leads the way

Product

Suunto X10 watch

Promise

A tough, compact wrist watch with a tonne of functions for the outdoor enthusiast.

Performance

The first thing you’ll notice is that this is a wearable watch. It’s not packing the bulk that many competitors do, so you could feasibly wear this just as an everyday timepiece. However, there’s far more inside than you would think. First off, there’s an altimeter and barometer – these work in sync, with the altimeter taking a reading and then working out your height above or below that reference point according to barometric pressure. There are alarm functions that work with these two as well, so if you ask the watch to tell you if there’s a sudden change in air pressure it will alert you when it happens – a really useful feature that can predict weather conditions you should be aware of.

The real value of the watch is as a navigation tool. There’s a compass, that doesn’t need to work with the GPS (and so saves you battery power), but the GPS itself is extremely adaptable. You can construct and download routes on your computer (compatible with Google Earth) and upload them to the watch, using up to 50 waypoints, and the watch itself can handle 50 different routes. The interface is simple, using lines across the watch face to tell you where you’re going.

Verdict

We’re big fans of this watch: it’s high time that GPS made a successful foray into the world of wearable timepieces. There’s a good chance that packing one of these can make all the difference to your trip.