better living | technology

LOOK AT WHAT THESE

WATCHES CAN DO

By REDMOND CAROLIPIO

THIS MONTH, I decided to tackle the concept of time — namely, athletic timepieces that everyone from runners to divers to hikers can wear on their excursions.

Naturally, we can’t cover every piece in this space — some are what you’d expect and affordable, while others come loaded with everything from shatterproof frames to heart-rate monitors. That said, let’s get started: Nike has its Triax series, and at the top of the list is the Elite Triax HRM/SDM fitness watch, which retails for roughly $350.

This watch is built to digest various kinds of training data like speed, heart rate and time. It’s got training software that can help you map out a workout regimen and download info to your computer. For extra measure, its memory can handle up to 100 laps.

Be warned, though — it doesn’t like Windows Vista.

One company to look for is Suunto, which practically specializes in this stuff. Perhaps its most outstanding piece is the T4. It’s able to factor in the wearer’s physiology (height, weight, gender, activity level) and recommend workouts tailored to your fitness level.

Depending on how you perform, the watch will make the appropriate adjustments — it even factors in days you can rest. Its software can also determine whether or not you’re really putting in the work, or if you’re just coasting. Freaky. It retails for around $200.

For women, there’s the Suunto Lumi, built to be the ultimate outdoors watch.

It speaks four languages, has a barometer for weather forecasting, features times for more than 400 locations around the world and is equipped with a digital compass. The only things it seems to be missing are a laser and grappling hook. For all this, it checks in at around $300.

The last piece I want to mention deals with the fusion of music and sport.

Slated for a summer release, the Frequency from VOZ Sports is a waterproof watch that also features 1G of audio storage space as well as Bluetooth technology. It comes with ear buds and has a USB port so you can download music.

If you want to pre-order one, it’ll cost $250 to $300.

If you’re looking to aim high with your sports watch, then look no further than the stuff from either Rolex or Victorinox Swiss Army. Most of those timepieces cost much more than $500.

For instance, the Swiss Army ST 5000 Digital Compass is waterproof down to 165 feet, features a titanium case and a ton of digital compass features. Rolex’s Oyster series was made with divers in mind, so the “Perpetual Submariner” is waterproof down to 1,000 feet.

Regardless of whether you’re a weekend warrior, a workout junkie or an all-terrain beast, it’s nice to see that there are plenty of options available.