In today’s day and age, having a watch that does more than just tell time is somewhat of a necessity. While a time-only watch looks great on the wrist, added functions such as alarm, compass, GPS precision and other not-so-common purposeful tasks make that watch a grand instrument. Additionally, true sportsmen like a timepiece that is antimagnetic and offers great night-reading capabilities. Thankfully, top watch brands comply – offering some cool timepieces that make watches great outdoor companions.
The Bell & Ross BR03 Type Aviation Carbon watch is a superb blend of analog display and digital display, as well as highly functional assets. The 42mm watch offers alarm, chronograph, second time zone indication, timer, date, hours, minutes and seconds. It is water resistant to 100 meters and features a unidirectional notched and graduated bezel. The numbers, hands and indices are all photo-luminescent for easy night viewing.
Over at Seiko, the brand regularly works with solar power to offer watches that won’t quit. The Prospex Solar Chronograph, for instance, is a superb piece for pilots and flight enthusiasts. The watch features a flight computer and a rotary slide rule bezel – all powered by a solar chronograph movement. The watch absorbs the light, stores it and converts it into energy to run – for months at a time when fully charged. Among its functions above and beyond the chronograph and slide rule bezel: 24-hour indicator, date calendar.
Then, of course, Montblanc takes prime positioning in offering smart functionality with its new e-Strap – slated to come out later this year on the Timewalker Urban Speed chronograph. The e-Strap – created in a specially made leather called Extreme Leather – is an integrated technology device encased in steel and rubber and then built into the strap. Compatible with select phones, the strap enables the wearer to obtain notifications, read texts, track activity and remotely snap pictures from the phone’s camera.
In short, if you have a hankering for flying, diving or outright having a good time, there are watches on the market to help you go the distance.
