Sport Watches: Finding the Ideal Sports Watch
You’ve seen it: in car races, swimming competitions, track & field and other sporting events. Sports timers and watches have tracked every turn, every stroke and every step.
Obviously, a sports watch is an important staple in a trainer’s and an athlete’s toolbox to move on to the next level. But surprisingly, little is known about watch technology. In fact, the most one would know about sport watches would be the start and stop buttons. But that information won’t exactly help anyone. Knowing the different types of sport watches in the market and how each one works will help you make more informed decisions whenever you’re in a store. Whatever your niche in the sporting world may be, there is a watch to suit you.
When talking about keeping very accurate time, the chronometer is highly dependable. A chronometer is a highly precise wrist watch which can show the seconds to the dot. It has been proven to keep the exact time movement over several days tested in contrasting locations, positions and temperatures. This explains why mechanical wrist chronometers can be more expensive. If your sports watch has a chronometer classification, you can be sure that it is officially recognized. Wrist chronometers are preferred by runners who have each second count.
The second thing to be considered in choosing a sport watch is the chronograph. The chronograph—aside from keeping time—also performs as a stopwatch. But you shouldn’t confuse the term chronograph with a chronometer. The chronograph is the timepiece itself; the chronometer is the certification in time precision.
There are three types of Chronographs:
1. Analog chronographs display time and stopwatch functions with analog hands. The center hand in the analog chronograph is utilized for stopwatch functions. Subdials show the seconds, stopwatch minutes and hours and in some, even the tenths or hundredths of a second.
2. Digital chronographs display a digital arrangement for timekeeping and stopwatch functions. Both may be shown in separate displays or in alternating modes on one display.
3. Analog-digital chronographs have a basic analog watch with a permanent center second and a different digital display that mostly functions separately from the analog section.
For scuba divers, there are different diving sports watches available in the market.
There are two major levels in this type of watch: one that is enough for scuba diving, and another that’s primed for saturation diving. An example of a watch for scuba diving is the 10-bar (100 meter) diving watch. It follows the minimum International Standardization Organization (ISO) standard for scuba diving. However, it is not suitable for dives that require helium gas.
An example of a watch suited for saturation diving is the 30-bar (300 meter) helium-safe saturation diving watch.
This type of watch is primed for deeper expeditions under the sea. It also has additional markings on the watch face to help consumers identify it from the rest. It’s easy enough to recognize. One of the premier scuba diving watches around is the Citizen Men’s Eco-Drive 20th Anniversary Aqualand Divewatch.
This wristwatch does a lot of things. It measures the depth and time you’ve spent underwater—pretty important if you’re inattentive in keeping track of your oxygen meter. It also measures temperature and even saves the information if you like. Pretty nice to show off to your friends! The log memory can reach up to twenty dives. You can visit your local Citizen Watch shop for other Aqualand models.
For those whose hobbies extend beyond running and scuba diving, and borders on more sophisticated sports like yachting and the like, the marine chronometer may suit you best.
It is accurate to the point that it may be your own portable time standard. This was used in the 16th and 17th century for celestial navigation. It may not seem much, but this was the high-tech product of the modern era. John Harrison, its creator, had to go through 31 years of persistent trial and error to make this. It produced wonderful blessings not only to naval navigations, but also to aerial navigators of his time especially after the Age of Discovery.
Today, it is a requirement for international mariner certifications, which includes offshore yacht masters in some long-distance private cruising yachts. If you are involved in this sport—or planning to—it’s best that you look it up in your local nautical or watch store.
Although previous watchmakers have already created a lot of amazing complications in wristwatches, contemporary watchmakers are still on their way for more breakthroughs.
Today’s sporty Timex and Citizen watches also have convenient features like GPS and the heartbeat meter.
For instance, Timex has the 5F001 Ironman Triathlon Heart Rate Monitor Watch. Along with the usual features of the patented indiglo night-light, a summary mode lets you view your heart rate performance at the end of your workout.
Another interesting added feature they created is called target zones. You can easily check if you’re pushing too hard or going too slow because the watch itself will monitor your heart rate. An alarm notification will confirm whenever you’re not in the heart rate zone. It’s a pretty useful gadget to have when you’re not sure whether you’re just determined to lose that extra pound, or you’re already at the brink of killing yourself.
The Ironman also lets you see how long you’ve worked in a particular time zone. This personal record, which gives off an added competition, will encourage you to train harder and lose weight faster. It’s a win-win situation, really.
Now that you’ve seen your options—from basic chronographs to marine chronometers—it would be easier for you to choose among the different available watches online. The only thing you have to do now is to find your sporting passion and affirm it with the perfect sports watch.
Tags: chronograph watches | chronograph watches | citizen watches | citizen watches | watches online | watches online | sports watches | sports watches | diving watches | sport watches | sports watch | chronometer | sport watch | sport watch | wristwatch | wristwatch