Timex Expedition WS4

This watch is also a gadget that can help me record all my achievements on a hiking trip: altitude, temperature range during the hike and the atmospheric pressure
Water resistant | shockproof | dustproof | Rs 9,995

When I saw the Timex Expedition for the first time in the showroom, I fell in love with the packaging and what all the watch had to offer. Though its size was kind of large, because of its wide-screen display and multi-function dashboard, my love for gadgets ensured that I just wanted to get hold of it. Though it is kind of over-sporty for a guy like me, the very thought of having an altimeter, a barometer, a compass and a thermometer all built into one watch, ah! What a pleasure!

I would, on any given day, love to go hiking, or bike riding, or just on a trail with this watch, while keeping track of all such data as what kind of weather is around me (though I get weather reports on my BlackBerry, they are not specific to where I am at that moment). And I also get a compass to show me my bearings—where is north, south, east or west?

It is also a gadget that can help me record all my achievements on a hiking trip. Little things such as how high we climbed, and in what specific climatic conditions. In the activity review mode, you can relive your adventure through the activity statistics gathered on the nature trail: how high you reached, how much time you spent above the target altitude and even the temperature variations during the hike.

Another good feature of the Expedition is that it can give you 4 to 6 hour weather forecasts, indicating climatic phenomenon like approaching rain or storms.

The advanced sensors calculate altitude based on barometric pressure and the current temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit. The wide-screen display, they say, has been inspired by the rear-view mirror of a Land Rover. It is designed to keep all the relevant information accessible to the wearer, so you can read it in one glance. The watch also features a 100-hour chronograph, a 100-hour timer with alarm, and an Indiglo night light with night mode features. The best part, it is water resistant up to 50 metres.

In case you are into feng shui, vastu, or just can’t tell east from south, the built in compass headings and the digital needle will always let you mark and follow your trail. The only thing that’s missing in this watch seems to be a walkie talkie. Beam me up, Scotty.

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The above review appeared in The Open Magazine, Issue Dated 12th to 18th September 2009
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