Stuff Picks: Watches
Give your wrist an upgrade with one of these smart watches (not all of which are, um, smartwatches)
Modern day folk don’t tend to value watches as much as previous generations; tech adavanced seemingly without need for a blocky clock strapped to your wrist.
Well frankly, that’s a shame. Sure, a quick glance at a smartphone can tell you the time, but a proper watch offers so much more.
Like what? Well, a watch can also be a fashion statement, something to sit handsomely bside your suit sleeve and mark you out as a stylish high flier (so we’re told; we wouldn’t know, personally). And increasingly, it can also serve a techie purpose all of its own; a sort of mini-computer on your wrist, perfect for checking messages when you’re not supposed to. Some will even tell you the time in two different zones simultaneously.
Anyway, the upshot is that we love watches here at Stuff. So here’s are our selection of the best ones we’ve seen recently.
CASIO PRO TREK WSD-F20
I’ve got a phone that tells the time, so if I’m going to wear a watch it needs to offer more than just a pair of hands. Casio’s montrous WSD-F20 is a goliath of rugged, waterproof smarts that serves up a 1.32in helping of Android Wear 2.0, charged by cable via the magnetic dock, all wrapped in a neon shell that’ll make you visible from the top of Scafell Pike. Built-in GPS means I can leave my wimpy phone at home, so it’s a good job it does also tell the time.
£450 / Buy the Casio Pro Tre (UK) | (USA)
CHRISTOPHER WARD C8 REGULATOR LIMITED EDITION
I’m afraid to say that I’m your typical millenial – I’ve been roaming the world with naked wrists ever since I dumped the Harry Potter watch of my youth. But while my smartphone is a great substitute, it doesn’t stop those baby-boomers from cursing my ‘approximate’ timekeeping. What I need is one of these; the C8 Regulator, thoroughly modern in styling (consumers are given the choice of a caramel, black or brown strap) but inspired by watches used by bomber pilots in WW2, and capable of second-to-second precision.
VICTORINOX SWISS ARMY WATCH I.N.O.X SKY HIGH
Whenever I jump out of a plane and one of the parachute cords has been nibbled by mice and I have to repair it in mid-plummet using my watch strap – which is of course always made of paracord – my watch falls off. Nightmare! Fortunately, this titanium-cased beauty comes with a spare strap made of rubber, just in case. And, as it’s a Victorinox, you also get a matching white Swiss Army knife (with a picture of an astronaut on it) – perfect for cutting that cord to a nice tidy length. There’s even a limited Sky High edition, which comes in a shockproof and waterproof ‘survival treasure chest’.
KRONABY APEX
I’m a hard man to please: I want a watch that’s both smart in looks and smart in, well, smarts. Unusually, the Kronaby Apex ticks both these boxes. From the outside it’s just a classy analogue watch with black metal face, sapphire crystal screen and leather or steel strap. But hook it up to your phone via Bluetooth and those three buttons on the side can control your music, find your phone, take photos, log your location, or show the date or a second time zone. There’s no display, but the Apex does provide customisable buzz notfications for ease of use. See? Smart and smarts in one package.
From £445 / Buy the Kronaby Apex
NIXON DIPLOMATIC SW
I’ve been a Star Wars fan since I first realised I have a lot in common with Ewoks (small and hairy, rather than courageous and intelligent) but that doesn’t mean I want to advertise the fact on everything I wear, I am not nine years old. The gold stripes and rifle-shaped second hand on this Nixon are just subtle enough that only the enlightened will notice its nods to the galaxy’s deadliest bounty hunter – and if you think that’s Wicket the Ewok rather than Boba Fett, you’re probably not one of them.
£2125 / Buy the Nixon Diplomatic SW
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