I've been thinking about buying a smart watch for a while and can't seem to get to the point of actually forking over the money. I know very little about them yet recognize that they could prove useful.
I want something that I can log waypoints, for getting to a deer or duck blind or maybe in a minimalist way searching for property corners.
I would like to at least be able to have texting capabilities in case I fall and can't get up. God I'm a darned commercial now.
I like the Suunto Traverse Alpha but it cannot send a text, email or call.
It should be noted that I care nothing for the exercise tracking aspect and that actually turns me off.
What say you?
Just A. Surveyor, post: 441797, member: 12855 wrote: What say you?
"Anything with batteries that needs charged every 24 hours aint so smart", says I
jim.cox, post: 441815, member: 93 wrote: "Anything with batteries that needs charged every 24 hours aint so smart", says I
Since the time that I was able to tell the time (and that wasn't yesterday) I've always worn a watch, and after the waterproof jobbies came out, worn ones that you never need to take off ... except when you have to replace them when: the battery needs changing (they leak after that), they leak anyway, the strap breaks, the strap disintegrates. In the last 10 years I reckon on average I've gone through a watch every six months. But now for the past 3 years I've had this Seiko solar. Smartest buy I've ever made. Unfortunately, as I understand it, they can't get enough juice out of solar to run a smart watch.
The thing that wearable tech can do is monitor biometrics like pulse rate, etc. Everything else is better done by your smart phone, or more cheaply done with a simple watch. Save your money.
Will do everything you've just asked and a great deal more. They're coming out with more apps for it all the time which will only increase it's capability.
I own one, and it's by far the best watch / smart watch I've owned. Something to consider when looking at these styled watches are of the bands can be replaced or swapped out to which on this one they can being a standard size.
My heart wants a real watch, with mechanical gears.
I had a really nice Citizen but it was stolen and maybe that's why I can't bring myself to get one of these digital gadgets.
I really care nothing for counting steps or miles and that other exercise stuff that most all smart watches do. I kinda like the pulse monitor, I can see that as being a useful thing.
I do a lot of hunting a fishing and even though I have survived without the Suunto watch that one is the only one that appeals to me.
Maybe I revisit what the heart wants. Seiko, Rolex, Citizen.
Just A. Surveyor, post: 441828, member: 12855 wrote: My heart wants a real watch, with mechanical gears.
I had a really nice Citizen but it was stolen and maybe that's why I can't bring myself to get one of these digital gadgets.
I really care nothing for counting steps or miles and that other exercise stuff that most all smart watches do. I kinda like the pulse monitor, I can see that as being a useful thing.
I do a lot of hunting a fishing and even though I have survived without the Suunto watch that one is the only one that appeals to me.
Maybe I revisit what the heart wants. Seiko, Rolex, Citizen.
I have and have worn this one for two years. It's not smart but I like it. Eco Drive
I do have a Samsung Gear 2 smart watch, came with a Tablet (promotional) Never wear it. I am willing to barter for something...
IMVHO - a smart watch is a piece of technology that will be obsolete in a few years; a quality mechanical watch will last a lifetime (if not longer, I have working pocket watches from both my grandfathers). In fact, one of my criteria when faced with a couple of choices in anything is, what would my grandfather do?
That said, I think the best buy's in watches are the middle tier Swiss manufactures that are above entry level, but below the lower premium brands. Tissot, Certina, Mido, etc.
You can get them discounted online from grey market resalers; you don't get the factory warrantee, but hopefully you're getting something well made enough that the risk isn't that big.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_market
This place has a pretty good reputation for grey market watches
https://www.jomashop.com/tissot.html
https://www.jomashop.com/frederique-constant-watches.html
https://www.jomashop.com/certina-watches.html
https://www.jomashop.com/mido-watches.html
I wore a watch for awhile in high school, but once I joined the working world I found that a watch just gets in the way (and gets broken!). For decades I carried a watch in my pocket -- just a plain digital watch with the band removed -- but once I started carrying a phone I got rid of the watch.
These days between my phone, my data collector and my RTK receiver, I definitely have no need for a watch.
This has been relegated to live with the misses jewelry "overflow" and if interested I"d be willing to part with it. 
I've not worn it for years being that I prefer the smartwatch styled watches. While James is right - they ( the smart watches ) will not last a lifetime I much prefer fussing with the faces, new apps, and knowing that when I get one of those eleventybillion spam messages from the Nigerian Prince who's DYING to give me money... I'll know about it
James Fleming, post: 441838, member: 136 wrote: a quality mechanical watch will last a lifetime
I consider Rolex the best, however it needs to be serviced about every five years at $675 a pop.
Problem with smart watches is the batteries. That kept me away from them. Using a trusty seiko SKX007 on rubber strap as a daily beater. Still ticking strong and no batteries needed. Just a swing of my hand to charge it up.
Would love to own rolex but land surveyors ain't able to splash that amount of cash. hahah
sireath, post: 441960, member: 9370 wrote: ( snip )
Would love to own rolex but land surveyors ain't able to splash that amount of cash. hahah
Surveyors splish-splash in the best clocks out there! :p
I use to wear a cheap wind Timex Camper before cell phones. The attractive olive drab. Losing them in the brush and briars wasn't a big deal.
Own a Casio G Shock for a number of years now mainly for the timer functions.
Cell phone as other have said supplies most of time and weather plus messaging and email.
I do have a Tag Heuer diver watch around here someplace. I should sell it.
There is a battery clock in every room of house and office, on dash of vehicles, phone, gps units, data collectors, at most every bank and around towns.
Then I can use a compass and judge the direction of my shadow.
I wear a watch everyday, without fail. I have different watches for different activities, outfits, etc... I have quite a number of them, but only 1 smart watch. I've only worn it a few times. My issue with smart watches is that by the time I would want to wear it again, I'd have to charge it and sometimes re-pair it with my phone. Not worth the hassle. I would take the money you were going to spend on a smart watch and get a decent mechanical or automatic watch, or maybe even a couple of quartz watches.
My smart watch is a first generation Moto 360 with the metal band. I'd be willing to let it go cheap.
Just A. Surveyor, post: 441797, member: 12855 wrote: I've been thinking about buying a smart watch for a while and can't seem to get to the point of actually forking over the money. I know very little about them yet recognize that they could prove useful.
I want something that I can log waypoints, for getting to a deer or duck blind or maybe in a minimalist way searching for property corners.
I would like to at least be able to have texting capabilities in case I fall and can't get up. God I'm a darned commercial now.
I like the Suunto Traverse Alpha but it cannot send a text, email or call.It should be noted that I care nothing for the exercise tracking aspect and that actually turns me off.
What say you?
We are crossfit nuts so we have trackers. I like the Garmin Forerunner 35. It can follow routes and stuff. Has a great battery life, and is tied to my phone and I can read texts and decline calls and such on it. It's way better than the FitBit but the fitbit app is much better than the garmin. I paid about $160 for mine. The $250 version has many more bells and whistles.
Get one that is waterproof. My garmin is, the fitbit wasn't.
I wear a fitbit charge 2 that my s/o gave me. I don't care about the fitness aspects that much as the step counter severely miscalculates during long vehicle rides (I'm in the car for a minimum of 2 hours per day), but the ability to see text messages without looking at the phone and the sleep tracking make it worth it for me. It was free. I'd probably not buy one if this one quits. I also have a healthy collection of Seiko automatics that I rarely wear but I'll generally get one out around the holidays for the look. My personal favorite is the Seiko Milemarker which has a dial on the side to calculate distances when rolled across a USGS quadsheet.
I wear a Casio Pathfinder for work and a Seiko for dress, both solar powered, both synchronized to WWV time every night.
The Casio has many useful functions for outdoors use including surveying, compass, barometer/altimeter, etc. I find it a very useful tool and has never failed in several years.
Neither will phone home, but I don't think any watch will yet.
SHG
Smartest Watch out there. When it gets dark, go home.
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