Top 9 Best Altimeter Watches (ABC) [List & Guide]

TOP 9 Best Altimeter Watch [List & Guide]

An altimeter is a watch with a practical function built into it, namely an altimeter. These have a number of different benefits and usage areas that, unlike many other functions in watches, serve a practical purpose that can be truly useful and handy in real life.

What is an altimeter watch?

An altimeter is used for measuring the altitude. Consequently, an altimeter watch is a watch with an altimeter function built into it. Altimeter functions in watches can be presented in a few different ways, both digital and analog, but the core principle of them is the same.

An altimeter watch measures the atmospheric pressure and is then able to measure the altitude above sea level or a relative fixed point and provide the information in either feet or meters. As such, the higher you go, the less atmosphere is above you, and the lower the air pressure is, meaning the higher the altitude. With that said, an altimeter watch does not actually measure the altitude directly but rather measures the atmospheric pressure in order to determine the altitude.

Altimeter watches are often referred to as “ABC” watches. ABC stands for Altimeter, Barometer, Compass. The reason for this is that altimeter watches, in most cases, do not only have an altimeter. They usually also come with a barometer and a compass built-in.

An altimeter watch is a must-have for all hikers, mountaineers, explorers, and many more. It is so much more than just a timepiece and a means of telling the time. They can be critical and valuable tools that help you keep track of your surroundings. Especially considering the fact that they usually also give you the possibility of using a barometer and a compass as well. For the outdoors, an altimeter watch is the ultimate gear that everyone should have.

In this article, we are taking a closer look at the best and most popular altimeter (ABC) watches on the market. further on, we’ll also go through everything you need to know and consider when making your pick.

Best altimeter watches

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Suunto Core Outdoor Sports Watch

Starting off this list is the Suunto core which is designed as an outdoor sports watch. It is completely digital and presented with a large LCD screen. For toughness and durability, it has a case that is completely made in black resin/rubber which is durable, tough, and protects the watch from shocks.

This watch is packed with useful functions that can come in handy when sporting or being outdoors. One of those functions is of course an altimeter. In addition to this, it also has a storm alarm, barometer, and compass. The watch also has dual times, a date display, an alarm, and sunrise and sunset information. The built-in depth meter has an accuracy of 30 feet.

All in all, this is a seriously tough and durable sports and outdoor watch that is made for the outdoors and to be a trusted companion for every outer enthusiast, whether that is for hiking, swimming, cycling, working out, and so on.

Specifications

• Key functions: barometer, altimeter, compass, sunrise/sunset, depth meter
• Case: Resin/rubber
• Movement: quartz

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POLAR Grit X Outdoor GPS watch

Next up, we have the Polar Grit X which is yet another watch that is built for the outdoors and for sports activities. This watch offers all kinds of different functions that may come in handy for sports activities. With this in mind, it is also built with toughness in order to handle all kinds of harsh conditions. It is built to handle extreme temperatures, drops, and humidity, and has a water resistance of 100m/330 feet.

Another convenient function that can be truly useful is the fact that it has a 2-day weather forecast so you can plan your activities accordingly, and seek shelter when needed. It also has a built-in GPS as well as a compass and an altimeter.

This is so much more than just a watch, it is a tool that can help you elevate your goals and improve your performance, with things like uphill and downhill stats and a heart rate monitor.

Specifications

• Key functions: GPS, compass, altimeter
• Water resistance: 100m/330 feet

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Casio Pro Trek PRW-3500T-7CR Tough Solar

The Casio Pro Trek PRW-3500T-7CR is a tough outdoor watch that is built to handle tough and demanding conditions and to provide you with key information that may be truly useful outdoors.

In terms of durability and toughness, it has a large and robust case as well as a titanium band with a fold-over push-button clasp. The case is made of resin and has a diameter of 56mm. With that said, it is a rather large watch, but that’s what you expect a tough sports watch to be.

It is powered by a solar quartz movement which eliminates the need for replacing its batteries but instead keeps it running at all times. The design incorporates a unidirectional rotating bezel with a compass. The watch has a day/date display and backlight for good legibility. Most importantly, it has a triple sensor with atomic timekeeping, a digital compass, barometer, thermometer, and sunrise and sunset and sunrise data. The water resistance is 200m/660 feet which is also great and suitable for both swimming and diving.

Other useful functions include world time, four daily alarms with snooze, a 1/10-second stopwatch, a countdown timer, 12/24-hour formats, and a power-saving mode.

Specifications

• Water resistance: 200m/660 feet
• Crystal: Mineral glass
• Key functions: thermometer, atomic timekeeping, digital compass, altimeter, barometer, sunset, and sunrise data

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Casio SGW-1000-1ACR Triple Sensor

The Casio SGW-1000-1ACR is another extremely tough and durable outdoor watch made to be robust, durable, and provide the wearer with lots of useful functions. For durability, it is constructed with large case protectors, ”bumpers” which protect the case, and pushers in order to make it more durable and shock-resistant. The case is large and bulky with a diameter of 54.7mm which is obviously large and bulky as you would expect an outdoor watch to be.

The watch has a large digital screen that presents all the key information and includes an altimeter, barometer, digital compass, and thermometer. For improved legibility, it has an LED backlight with an afterglow. In addition to these key features, it also has additional useful functions such as world time with 31 time zones, daylight saving on/off, 5 daily alarms, a countdown timer, and an auto calendar.

This watch is powered by a quartz movement and has a battery life of 3 years. The water resistance is 100m/330 feet, making it suitable for handling water splashes and swimming.

Specifications

• Water resistance: 100m/330 feet
• Movement: quartz
• Key functions: world time, countdown timer, altimeter, barometer, digital compass, thermometer
• Diameter: 54.7mm

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Casio Pro Trek PRW2500T Tough Solar

The Casio Pro Trek PRW2500T tough solar is, as the name suggests, tough, robust, and durable sports and outdoor watch with an altimeter and solar function.

The watch is fully digital and is presented with a large LCD screen. It is therefore powered by a quartz movement, and as mentioned, has a solar function that powers the watch and generates energy for the movement, thus eliminating the need for replacing the batteries, enabling constant and consistent use, which is always practical when you are outdoors. It has a battery life of 5 months on full light without further exposure to light

It has a large, sporty, and robust design with a power reserve of 200m/660 feet built to handle all kinds of harsh conditions. The watch incorporates lots of useful functions such as a tide graph, moon data, digital compass, altimeter, barometer, and thermometer. This is in addition to all of the standard and basic functions that you would expect from a digital watch, such as daily alarms, hourly time signals, and stopwatch functions.

The mentioned functions can in turn be used to calculate other additional features and information such as total ascent, low altitude, reference altitude setting, and altitude differential.

All in all, this altimeter watch is built as a true tool for outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers. It works as a great companion for outdoor activities for presenting key information that may come in handy.

Specifications

• Water resistance: 200m/660 feet
• Key functions: tide graph, moon data, digital compass, altimeter, thermometer, barometer

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Casio Pro Trek Outdoor Sport watch

Next up, we have the Casio Pro Trek quartz which is both a stylish and functional outdoor watch. This watch incorporates both an analog clock and an LCD screen, and the fact that it has analog timekeeping helps give it a more versatile and less tool-like appearance. The watch is constructed with a greenish resin case and a green compass bezel that go together with its outdoor purpose.

As for the analog dial, it features large white hour markers and short but broad hands for excellent legibility with luminescence on the hands and parts of the hour markers.

The watch also incorporates a ton of different functions that may be useful for outdoor use. It is a Bluetooth-connected watch that enables you to connect the watch with your phone. Furthermore, it is equipped with quad sensors, meaning a compass, altimeter, barometer, thermometer, as well as a step tracker. It also has a tide and moon graph, and a fishing tracker.

The water resistance of 200m/660 feet is also great as it means that you can go diving and swimming without any issues.

In addition to these unique functions, it also incorporates all of the functions that we expect to find in a digital watch such as a world time function, auto calendar, daily alarms, a stopwatch function, a countdown timer, and 12/24 Hour Formats.

All in all, we like this watch not only because it has tons of useful functions for outdoor use, but also because it has a modern and sleek design which makes it more versatile and stylish.

Specifications

• Water resistance: 200m/660 feet
• Key functions: altimeter, compass, barometer, thermometer, step tracker

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Casio Tactical Rangeman G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch GW9400-1B

The Casio Tactical Rangeman G-Shock GW9400-1B is a solar atomic watch with an altimeter function.

If you are familiar with G-Shock watches, you expect them to be large, bulky, and sporty, and because of this particular watch’s purpose, it can be viewed as a G-Shock on steroids.

It is presented with a large and bulky case made in black resin which provides excellent protection and durability to handle the most demanding conditions. It is equipped with a triple sensor, meaning altitude, barometer, and thermometer, as well as direction readings.

The watch features a date, day, and additional time features. The waster resistance of 200m/660 feet makes it suitable for swimming and diving, and its resin case makes it suitable for tough conditions.

All these functions and design features make this a tough watch that is built for the outdoors and to handle the harshest conditions. In addition, its sporty look reflects just what this watch is all about.

Specifications

• Water resistance: 200m/660 feet

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Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Altichron Black BN5058-07E

The Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Altichron BN5058-07E is a perfect altimeter watch for those who are looking for something a little less sporty and more versatile. It is designed as a regular watch with a stainless steel case, although large at 46mm and a thickness of 14.5mm which gives it a tool-like and sporty look. The fact that it looks just like a regular watch with a sporty appearance makes it much more versatile and suitable for everyday wear compared to most of the other watches we have discussed in this list.

The watch is powered by an Eco-Drive quartz movement which means that it gets energy from ambient and solar light, thus eliminating the need for replacing the batteries. This is a practical and handy feature to have, particularly in an outdoor watch. On top of the case sits a scratch-resistant mineral crystal.

Moving on to the dial, we have a matte black dial with large white sword-shaped hands with applied luminescence for excellent legibility. An interesting feature about this watch is that the altimeter is presented analog and not digital, as on most other altimeter watches. The watch has a black rotating compass bezel as well. It also has large white Arabic numerals presented on the dial.

Specifications

• Water resistance: 200m/660 feet
• Crystal: Mineral glass
• Diameter. 46mm
• Thickness: 14.5mm

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Suunto 9 Baro GPS Sports Watch

Last but not least, we have the Suunto 9 bro GPS sports watch. This is a fully digital ”smartwatch” with a large digital screen that covers the whole front of the watch. 

This is built as a durable multisport GPS watch for athletes and outdoor use. The fact that it is made for outdoor use is reflected in the tons of different functions and features that this watch has. It includes a barometer, an altimeter, a wrist heart rate monitor, and of course a GPS function. It is water-resistant to 100m/330 feet which makes it suitable for swimming.

The watch can also connect to sports apps and services from the Suunto app in order to get access to more data and info, as well as share your sports activities with communities. In addition to these key features, it also includes things like daily activity, sleep information, and much more.

All in all, this altimeter watch may not be the most ideal for things like camping, but it is perfect for exercising, hiking, cycling, etc.

Specifications

• Water resistance: 100m/330 feet
• Key functions: barometer, wrist heart rate monitor, altimeter

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Why do you need an altimeter watch?

An altimeter function in a watch is a useful function for outdoor enthusiasts as it helps the wearer measure the altitude of where they are at. In addition to this, altimeter watches often include other useful functions that can be convenient when you are outdoors and performing activities like hiking, mountain climbing, etc. This may include functions such as speed, temperature, and rate of ascent or descent. Altimeters commonly also have a compass built into them which is yet another function that can be useful outdoors.

Depending on the usage area, the altimeter function may have different levels of importance for different individuals. For hikers, knowing the altitude may simply be because you are curious to know the altitude of where you are. For others, it may be more important in order to monitor the barometric pressure in order to know when you may need to seek shelter in an upcoming storm.

Other individuals such as climbers may need an altimeter watch to determine the amount of vertical ascent or descent in minutes and hours to understand how long it takes for a descent or ascent.

As you can see, there are plenty of good reasons why you need an altimeter watch, and this explains the great popularity they have.

Altimeter watches are built to handle the extremes and to be a trusted companion in the most demanding environments and situations. But with so many different altimeter watches on the market, which should you choose? Here are the most important things to take into consideration.

Altimeter watch buyer’s guide

Durable and robust construction

First and foremost, since the watch is built for the outdoors, it is also crucial that it is able to withstand all of the harsh conditions and demanding situations that you may subject it to. An altimeter watch should be tough, robust, durable, and able to withstand shocks, bangs, and extreme temperatures. In this case, elements such as a robust case and a durable, scratch-resistant face come in handy. This is why you see a lot of the altimeter watches having tough, bulky, resin, or rubber cases to make them more resistant to shocks and bangs.

Functions and features

Obviously, the altimeter function is the most central function when you are looking for an altimeter watch. But in addition to this, as mentioned, many of them come with an ABC function, meaning altimeter, barometer, and compass. All of these features are valuable to have in the outdoors, but it can also be good to consider if there are any additional functions that you may want in a watch. Do you also want a GPS? A pathfinder? A tracker? Day and day function, or something completely different?

Deciding on the functions that are absolutely crucial to have for you is a great idea as it allows you to narrow down the alternatives and eliminate those that do not make the cut. Naturally, altimeter watches with more advanced functions and features tend to be more expensive, so consider if they are absolutely crucial to you.

Water resistance

All outdoor watches should have at least a somewhat decent water resistance. Obviously, all outdoor altimeter watches are built to have at least somewhat decent water resistance, but the water resistance also varies. Some watches will have a more basic water resistance like 50m or so, meaning that they are more or less splash-proof. Other, more advanced altimeter watches that are built for swimming and diving will have a water resistance of at least 100m. If you do plan to go swimming and diving with your watch, it is convenient to have a water resistance of at least 100-200m.

With this said, consider how you intend to use the watch. If you don’t plan to go swimming, a watch will do just fine with a water resistance rating of around 50m for regular outdoor use and for withstanding rain.

Legibility

The outdoors may involve some rather tricky and demanding situations, dark environments or caves perhaps. With this said, it is important to have an altimeter watch that offers good legibility and makes it easy to read the time in any situation. Analog watches need large hands and markers as well as a strong luminescent glow. But it’s hard to beat the legibility of digital watches that have a light-up screen that you can easily activate and get perfect information reading effortlessly.

Dimensions and Size

The dimensions and size of the watch are always important aspects to consider – regardless of the type of watch you choose. In general, when choosing a watch, you want it to fit perfectly on your wrist- just like you want with your clothes. Not only does this make it look better on your wrist, but it also improves comfort.

But since an altimeter watch is more of a tool, having a watch that is perfectly sized becomes less important. At the same time, you still want a watch that sits comfortably on the wrist and has a relatively reasonable size. For obvious reasons, altimeter watches tend to be bulkier and larger than regular timepieces, but a lot of people solve this by, for example, wearing it on top of a jacket or a shirt, which also makes sense from a practical standpoint.

But with that said, it is still relevant to have a look at the size of the watch and decide which sizes work best for you. If you prefer smaller watches, then you should narrow down your alternatives to those that aren’t as bulky and clumsy. On the other hand, if you prefer a robust, durable, and large timepiece that also makes it easier to read the time, you can look for those with greater dimensions.

Speaking of the size and dimensions, we naturally come to the next point which is weight.

Weight

When it comes to the size and design of an altimeter watch, the main issue is often not that it is large (this is lesser of a problem when you’re wearing jackets and other heavy equipment). But another factor that also plays an important role is weight.

For obvious reasons, it is more convenient to have a lightweight altimeter watch. If the watch is light, a large case size actually matters less. whilst there is often a correlation between size and weight, this is not always true. This ultimately has to do with the design and the materials being used.

A lighter watch is especially convenient and important if you’re outdoors and performing different sports such as running or biking. This is why it can also be a good idea to look at the weight of the watch and see how much they differ.

Battery life

The battery life of your watch is always important. But it is especially important if you plan to be outdoors, for example, hiking for several days or even weeks in the outdoors.

You want to make sure that you have a battery life that can outlive the adventure that you are going on so it can assist you from start to finish.

The battery life can vary a lot in different watches, which is why it is extremely important to look carefully at this factor. Some altimeter watches are equipped with a solar function and this is an extremely convenient function to have in a watch that will prolong your watch’s battery life a lot. If you have a solar watch and are outdoors, it will be consistently charged, meaning you won’t ever have to worry about the battery running out.