By Kevin Varner

We took the opportunity to assess the Suunto Core All Black wristop mountaineering watch and enjoyed the accuracy and functionality of this multi-functional watch.

That said, most every backcountry trekker knows at least one old-timer that resists today’s latest technology and swears that digital technology will result in the downfall of outdoor survival skills. Digital technology can, however, push the boundaries of outdoor recreation when skill and experience are applied to the latest wristop instruments available. The Suunto Core watch is a testament to this marriage between experience and cutting edge technology.

There is a list of essential items that all mountaineers must carry such as a compass, warm clothing, and, of course, a wristwatch. Mountaineers must constantly have a solid sense of time as conditions change rapidly given the hour of day. The Suunto Core All Black uses state-of-the art technology to assist mountaineers in every data-gathering function they need in their journey. It is not your average timepiece as it not only provides the time, but also provides users with an altimeter/barometer, an accurate compass and more.

Designed in Finland, Suunto watches are often a choice piece of equipment for climbers ascending into the vertical, unforgiving world of mountaineering.  We found the Suunto Core All Black to be a reliable piece of equipment suited for novice trekkers as well as experienced and serious mountaineers.

At first, it can be a bit overwhelming for those unfamiliar with mountaineering wristop computers.  But setting up the Core All Black

Calibrate Suunto All Black at a known elevation for accuracy.

is very doable. And becoming familiar with the functions will become second nature with a little practice. With the Core All Black, like any digital wristop computer, occasional calibration and set-up is advisable when your adventures take you to different regional or global locations. This Core watch is an instrument, and as such requires the user to take the time to know how it functions and how to use the output information to stay safe and informed throughout your journey.

The Core All Black watch has a large face (which comes in handy in extremely low visibility) and a strong back light. The watch band fits all sizes from lumberjacks to chicken wrists, and has a vice-like locking system. All digital features are controlled by five buttons on the side of the watch case (two buttons at the 9 O’ clock position of the watch face, and three buttons at the 3 O’ clock position). These buttons are used to alternate between the three primary information modes and make selections to program the various functions.

The Suunto Core is waterproof up to 30m (as it is also reads dive depths up to 30m) and is composed of mineral crystal glass face.  Mineral crystal is highly scratch resistant and found on many high-end watches. The watch comes in various styles including our personal favorite solid black. The Suunto Core All Black watch is listed at $350.00, but delivers serious bang for one’s buck.

You can pre-set compass bearing. Suunto Core watch face will indicate left or right arrows to keep you on course.

This Suunto Core All Black wristop computer operates in the three respective modes, and each mode provides the user with a myriad of features.  The watch is polyglot as the interface can be displayed in English, French, German or Spanish. The time setting can provide the hour in military time or the standard 12 hour increments.  This setting also provides an alarm clock, stop watch, the date and the ability to set time zones.

The time zone feature is extremely cool because the Suunto Core provides a list of major cities in various time zones. The user simply selects the nearest major city to designate their time zone, and given the date, the Suunto Core provides the sunrise and sunset times for that particular day in that particular area.

The Suunto core is a world-class wristop computer for its ability to provide users with vital information like the altimeter/barometer feature that makes this a true mountaineering watch. All Black’s altimeter will take you just beyond the height of Mt. Everest and can be set to read in meters or feet-above sea level. This function takes measurements in absolute air pressure, meaning that its calibrated reference point is absolute zero pressure (such as a vacuum). This means that the reading not only depends on elevation, but also current weather conditions as well. This should not be mistaken as a mechanical flaw but rather a mechanical advantage as it provides users with information of both elevation and weather conditions.

Suunto urges users to calibrate the altimeter/barometer as often as possible to obtain more accurate readings. Users can travel to areas with known elevations such as summits, base camps, or sea level and register the elevation. The watch then compares the imputed elevation to the current air pressure readings (absolute air pressure) to find the difference. This variable difference is based on the current weather conditions.

Like many of the more technical digital alpine watches available today, the Core All Black has a thermometer that will give you

Whether on or off your wrist, keep the Core level for compass accuracy.

temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius. The sensor used for temperature readings must be of the same ilk as so many other current mountaineering watches as the temperature reading you get while the watch is on your wrist will be about 10° warmer due to pickup of your body heat. It’s not a big deal to deduct 10° F from the reading, but it would be great when technology allows the manufacturer to isolate the body heat from the instrument. With the Core All Black of the wrist, the thermometer gives a very accurate reading that precisely matches analog thermometers and other wristop mountaineering computers. We don’t consider this a drawback, but a reality one would take into account when you are watching for temperature drops or increases along your trek.

In the compass mode, the Core All Black is an invaluable to any climber or outdoor enthusiast. This is an example of when you would want to calibrate your Core to the geographical region you intend to visit by adjusting the declination angle (declination angle is the difference between magnetic north and true-north). Compasses point to magnetic north. Most maps are set to true north. So you must account for the difference in order to end up where you intend to arrive safely at journey’s end. For us on the West Coast of Southern California, the declination angle is about 14° East. If we have a trip planned for the Canadian Rockies we would calibrate the Core All Black for the declination angle of that part of North America for greatest orienteering accuracy. The ability to calibrate your Core and adjust it to the environment is a discipline you readily take on as another task to allow you access to the best information wherever you find yourself in the global backcountry.

When you are orienteering using an orienteering map, you can set the Core watch declination angle to zero, because the map is aligned with magnetic north and the declination angle is not in play.

Wristband clasp is robust and very adjustable.

The Suunto Core allows users to set the value for Magnetic North by rotating a dial on the circumference of the watch face. You can also input your target destination compass point and the Core will keep you on track with simple “Turn Left/Turn Right” directions at the bottom of the watch face.

With practice and familiarity with your Core All Black will make recalibration just another mountaineering routine. Any misreading of the Suunto Core’s instruments is not due to mechanical flaws but rather human error. This is a rule that many experienced climbers understand as gear checks are practiced regularly.

Experienced mountaineers understand how important it is to predict weather patterns. The Suunto Core, designed to assist climbers on Himalayan expeditions, features a barometer and meteorological settings. The impressive storm alarm can be a life-saving tool to predict oncoming storms before they strike. The barometer detects rapid drops in air pressure over a three hour period, which signifies a higher likelihood for nasty weather. The storm alarm alerts users when the drop in air pressure is consistent with the pressures of previous storms.

There is no replacement for basic outdoor skills and experience, and modern technology must not deteriorate these foundations. Today’s modern technologies such as the Suunto Core All Black wristop computer (watch) can amplify the skills of experienced mountaineers as it has been designed to appeal to the specific needs of mountain survival. This is one tool that Sir Edmund Hillary was able to do without but he would have leapt at given the opportunity.

Outdoor enthusiasts find a thrill in finding new and creative uses for their gear, and the Suunto Core All Black provides a whole world

User replaceable battery. We wish the screw socket had a more positive bite.

of opportunities to do so. The large user’s manual which comes with the watch offers example scenarios where users can use some of the watches features. For example, one excerpt illustrates how users can combine the altimeter and stopwatch functions to assist them in finding the proper cook times for food such as eggs.

New generations of mountaineers are putting Suunto’s reputation of reliability to the test and using its products to advance the sport of mountaineering. Suunto has recently released this new edition of watch in commemoration of Apa Sherpa’s world record Mt. Everest ascent in May 2010. Apa Sherpa made headlines when he reached the summit of Mt. Everest for the twentieth time.

Sherpas have long been the unsung heroes of Himalayan climbing expeditions, often receiving less media coverage than their western associates. This has changed in the last two decades as stories of their superhuman physical feats and unmatched climbing skills have reached western media. Apa Sherpa’s success on the world’s highest peaks are not simply due to the fact that he descends from a proud culture of mountaineers, but his ability to use his years of experience and resources he has at hand to excel in the world’s most unforgiving environments, and he relies on his Suunto wristop computers.

Mountaineering is a sport which demands a lifelong pursuit to mastery of the skills involved. There is no room for reckless adrenaline junkies, but requires adventurous and determined individuals that approach life like an aggressive chess player. They are meticulous in the calculated risks they take and constantly assess their own abilities and the pieces they currently have on the board. This means they have a unique bond with their fellow climbers and the gear they carry. Old-timers are correct to argue that one mustn’t abandon their mountaineering skills due to an increased dependence on technology. True mountaineers apply their skills to their trusted gear to push their limits in unforgiving, vertical environments. The Suunto Core All Black gives testament to the saying, “Take care of your gear, and your gear will take care of you.” We believe any person with a need for backcountry and upper elevation gear will find the Suunto Core All Black and valuable piece of kit that you can depend on and enjoy for many trips up the mountain.

Functions:

• Time
• Four language menu (English, French, Spanish, DE)
• Altimeter
• Barometer
• Compass
• Altitude difference measurement
• Temperature
• Depth meter
• Automatic Altitude/Barometer switch
• Storm alarm
• Sunrise/Sunset times
• User replaceable battery

ST-5000 Compass Watch Does A Few Things Well

Here’s another new outdoors watch from Victorinox Swiss Army you can consider for your wrist. It’s the ST-5000 Compass watch built into a titanium case. The watch case is 42mm in diameter and about 13.5mm deep. A rubber wrist strap, with titanium buckle, offers a good fit on the wrist and is immediately wearable for most any size wrist. At a price point of $595, the ST-5000 has several durable and accurate functions that it does very well. These functions are precise time and accurate compass capability. We are happy there are not another half-dozen functions to this watch as it would only diminish from its simplicity.

Similar to the Dive Master 500 we reviewed recently in terms of quartz analog Swiss movement and the titanium watch case, the ST-5000 is certainly a fine timepiece. And as we mentioned in the Dive Master 500 review, you’re not likely to match the light physical weight and strength of titanium. Furthermore, because titanium is hypoallergenic (won’t react to your skin), this is a valid watch to consider when your lifestyle has you outdoors in all kinds of weather, you want the utility of accurate time and compass guidance, but your skin type leaves you vulnerable as to what fashion of timepiece you can tolerate. It’s not like you’re a wimp because your skin turns green when you wear chrome-plated pot metal watches produced with slave labor in many foreign countries, it’s just a skin thing. And titanium offers a big benefit to people who have sensitive skin.

Rather than the flat surfaces of many watch crystals, the ST 500 hardened mineral crystal has a slight crown to it to minimize

ST-5000 crown with bubble-level (lower right), and compass bezel dial on upper right. Function button is on opposite lower left.

reflection. Similar to the scratch and abrasion resistance found with sapphire watch crystals, this mineral crystal is also shatter resistant. At night, the illumination of the hour and minute hands, numerals, and direction arrow are readily visible when it is dark. The illumination is less visible when ambient light sources such as driving at night are present.

In addition to the watch crown for setting time, the exterior watch features, like the anti-reflection arc of the crystal, are functions supporting the digital compass. You have the compass function-switch on the lower left side of the watchcase, a bubble level on the lower right, and the compass-dial-crown on the upper right side, just above the watch crown. The compass-dial-crown can be turned clockwise or counterclockwise in order to synchronize the compass rose (dial) beneath the crystal with the green LED light indicating true north versus your direction of travel. What’s nice is that the compass dial is marked in 15° increments and protected underneath the watch crystal.

This direction finding capability uses the latest digital technology to provide reliable direction finding. In fact, one of the cardinal lessons in orienteering is this: “Trust your compass.” Unfortunately, this advise is too often put to the test when an individual is too disoriented, frightened, and unfamiliar with one’s compass to even consider what “trust” means. And the ST-5000 Compass watch is only going to instill your confidence and trust to the degree you learn how to use it and work the compass functions. Sure, this means you must be intimately knowledgeable about how your ST-5000 works to get to the point you will trust it on your hikes and treks cross country. Having reviewed several multi-function sport and expedition watches in the past, we can’t give any higher affirmation to this watch than its simplicity of purpose. You can tell the time, and you can find your way.

The harness-fit rubber wristband wraps the wrist for wearing comfort.

Even though you can figure out your direction of travel manually by reading the compass dial, a digital readout of precise compass direction is visible at the bottom center of the ST-5000. With the watch fully calibrated and set up, all you really have to do is point the 12 O’ clock marker in your desired direction of travel, hold your wrist flat so the bubble-level floats dead center in the little black circle, push the compass function-switch once, and rotate the compass bezel crown so North lines up with the green LED light indicating true north. That’s basically your routine.

You can also set the compass watch to keep you on a chosen heading; let’ say 30-degrees north east. With this function in play you will travel with a green light to indicate correct heading, an amber light to warn you if you are going slightly too far to the left or right, and a red light to indicate you are veering too far left or right from your chosen heading. Here’s where you get into trusting your compass. If you know that you walked directly north east 30-degrees eight miles away from your truck in the morning, then you need to hike about 210-degrees south east for eight miles to get back to your truck before sunset. Do you trust your compass? It happens that fast; you either have confidence in your compass and ability or you don’t.

Initially, setting up the ST-5000 compass function takes a little practice to learn how to switch between compass functions. The practice comes in learning the difference between a short-push, a long-push, and how many pushes it takes to engage different compass functions on the compass function switch. But these functions are finite and you can learn them rapidly simply by using them.

Like all digital compasses, you’ll start with setting the declination angle. In short, the declination angle is the difference between true north and magnetic north. We went to this site (http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomagmodels/struts/calcDeclination), and plugged in our specific regional information to calculate a declination angle of 12°East. We set the 12°E by rotating the compass/watch left or right to arrive at our setting, and then locked it in with a short push of the compass function switch.

A similar drill is required to calibrate the compass. You’ll short-push the function switch to get the calibration mode, slowly rotate the watch two full rotations to calibrate. Other than actually putting the compass to work, you’re basically ready to use the compass. It is the relatively few functions focused on orienteering and compass use that make this ST-5000 so user friendly.

VSA ST-5000 screw-in titanium backplate. Note function button on lower right.

There are times you will want to recalibrate and adjust the declination angle when your back country adventure is in an entirely different region than when you initially set the watch up. You will also re-set your watch after you change out the compass battery (two batteries in the ST-500: one for time, one for compass). As for accuracy, the ST-5000 is right on par with other digital compasses that are properly set up. We backed up the direction finding capability with the Timex WS4 Expedition watch — both the WS4 Carabiner  model and the WS4 on a wrist strap; a previous generation model) as well as analog compasses and known compass points. It fair to say if you can trust your compass, you can have confidence in the accuracy of the ST-5000.

The ST-5000 is a straight forward timepiece with direction finding capabilities, enough resistance to water (50M) to ensure you can wear it in the shower, surfing, swimming, monsoons, etc. Simplicity, in this case, is the competitive advantage. If it’s your first compass, learning compass orienteering requires you to invest time and practice. Learning how the ST-5000 sets up and operates also requires you to learn it well enough to use it. But once you learn how to orient your position with a topographical map, the skill is with you for life.

If there is any one additional feature we would like to see advanced in this timepiece, it would be an internal month and date feature. Wearing the ST-5000 during the week, when writing a check, or trying to figure out the Day Runner schedule, it was immediately a missing helpmate, at least in this writer’s perspective, that would be recommended. It sounds pedantic at first, but if you were truly out in the back country for more than a few days, it is painfully easy to lose track of what day it is. So when the rescue party finds you and asks you “what day is it?” You can steal a glance at your ST-5000 and not quite come across as befuddled and dehydrated as your swollen tongue indicates!

By Rick Shandley

PRODUCT DETAILS

• Made in Switzerland with precision Swiss analog quartz movement
• Titanium case (42 mm) with Caseback Screws
• Shatter-Resistant, Anti-Reflection Hardened Mineral Crystal
• Water Resistant to 5 ATM (50 meters/165 feet)
• Digital Compass with desired Heading Memory
• Rotating Compass Rose Indicating Cardinal Points (N,S,E,W), Intermediate Points (NE, NW, SE, SW) and 360 Degrees in 15-Degree Increments
• 5-Point Led Color Light System Shows Heading Accuracy
• 8-Point Led Magnetic North Indicator System
• Black Synthetic Rubber Strap
• Luminous Hands and Numbers
• 42mm case diameter
• Price USD: $595.00
• Price CAN: $650.00

A Sturdy Timepiece

Even on day hikes in the backcountry, a good watch and compass are prerequisites to a safe trip. The Origo Rendezvous Peak watch is a multi-sensor timepiece you might consider for your own gear list. In addition to digital time (with 12 or 24 hour displays), you also get a digital compass, barometer, chronograph and altimeter; all of which can be set to standard or metric units.  

In addition to the sensor functions, the Rendezvous Peak includes stop watch, a count-down timer, and alarm clock for those early wake ups. These secondary watch features need no calibration or special attention. They work regardless of atmospheric conditions or magnetic pull, or the need for sensors. There just pure digital functions; functions that have been perfected for decades. It is the primary assets of the Rendezvous Peak watch in which you must be familiar and comfortable in order to get the maximum capabilities from this instrument.

Compass mode shows direction, 172-degrees south. Note upper right says sunny day; lower center shows time.

Perhaps, the first thing you’ll notice about the Origo Rendezvous Peak watch is how the watch fits like a saddle on your wrist. It almost wants to clip on in place. Its design incorporates the watch housing into the wrist strap in such a way as to form fit onto your wrist. At first it was a bit awkward, like slipping on a turquoise Apache bracelet, but it soon offered a sense of a secure fit that doesn’t tend to spin around your wrist when worn semi-loose.

The watchband is hefty and uses a robust metal buckle that secures the watch in place; a band-lock feature where the tip of the wristband has a lock-hole that snaps into a lock-pin on the underside of the wrist-band loop, behind the buckle, to virtually eliminate the potential for the wristband tip to slip out of the loop.

As with any multi-function watch, it’s up to the person wearing it to become familiar enough with the device to use it to its full potential. We found watch set-up, calibration, and accuracy to be fairly reliable when measured against analog instruments such as a magnetic compass, a mercury-filled thermometer, and standard barometer. As a sensor watch, the weather forecasts, altitude, and thermometer are all based on atmospheric measurements the sensors are constantly interpreting. There were times when the watch forecasted clouds and rain, even though there were no visible thunderheads on the horizon. There were, however, thunderhead clouds and storms in the region, the weather activity was just not affecting me where I stood.

Altimeter mode indicates elevation in center, graph on top, and time on bottom of watch face.

Another thing about sensor watches that should be noted, in general, is that the temperature reading on the watch display is most always eight to ten degrees warmer when the watch is latched to the wrist. All wrist-born sensor watches do this. Unless the sensor can be fully insulated from the human body and the heat it gives off, this is something you learn to live with by simply adjusting the watch temperature down. It’s also an engineering win we can look forward to one day. With the watch off-wrist, the temperature reading is point-for-point about as accurate as a traditional thermometer. So these minor deviations from perfection are not an issue in the review of the Rendezvous Peak; it’s merely something you compensate for without reading anything more into it.

Compass

Like most compass watches, your direction of travel is designated by the top of the watch face. This would be the 12 o’ clock position on a watch with hands, but the same principle applies to a digital watch. And the compass needs to be horizontal for greatest accuracy. You can do this easily with the watch on your wrist; just keep your wrist level with the horizon. If you read the compass in a vertical position, say at eye level, with your wrist-top pointing at your face, the compass reading will not be as accurate; neither will your arrival at your destination.

Another feature built into the Rendezvous Peak is a digital warning on the watch face that says, “Distort.” This indicates you are too close to an unusual magnetic field. The fix here is to just walk away from the source of interference.

Keep wrist horizontal for accurate compass readings. Backpack is Lowe-Alpine FTX Cerro Torre 65:85.

You can also lock in and track your compass bearing for when you need to follow a specific direction for any length of time. In this mode, your locked-in bearing will display on top, and the actual bearing you are traveling will flash in the middle of the display. Once your bearing of travel is locked in, any difference or turns you might make will also be graphically displayed to keep you on course. This function is great for folks who really are relying on their topographical maps and compass orienteering skills to get where they want to go. It’s good to know this watch has this capability in the event you really want to use all of its technology beyond its aesthetic charm.

Per the straight-forward instructions that came with the Origo, we started by going online and looking up the declination angle for our region of the U.S. This declination angle is the difference between magnetic north and true north. Our declination angle for Southern California is 14-degrees east. So with the watch in calibration mode, we entered the declination angle into the watch, locked it in, and spun the entire watch around three times in order to permit the digital watch calibrations to lock in.

The thing to remember is that when you plan your trip to a different region of the country or globe, you must determine what the declination angle is for the area you will be hiking in. And this becomes routine, as will your ability to re-calibrate depending on where you are at, but that comes with practice and also increases the value of the watch when you need it to be accurate.

Altimeter

Knowing the altitude you are traveling in can be a big help for any number of reasons.  At the upper reaches of elevation, you have a monitor to prevent you from over-exerting yourself in the thinning air. You may have limits on your health profile that would make it unwise to climb past, say, 12,000 feet. In more extreme situations, the altitude tells the mountaineer when it’s time to tap into oxygen or slither into the full-down suits. And it’s also a kick to know what the elevation is at a glance.  Whether you are on the trail and hiking in alpine mountains or rapidly descending from upper elevations to a valley floor on the high desert, it’s good information to have.

You may want to re-calibrate your Rendezvous Peak watch after every big outing. Or you can calibrate it once at a known accurate elevation and leave it locked in. Either way, the watch will graphically display the peaks and valleys of your current activities. The digital readout will tell you your maximum altitude since you locked in a known elevation during calibration. It will also show you accumulated elevation (total vertical rise since set-up). In reviewing this watch, it made sense to reset the watch before a trip to a different topographical region and have the graph and digital record show just for that trip.

Accumulated altitude records total elevation changes as a whole. It's best to reset to zero for big trips.

For example, the last trip this watch was on the altimeter recorded a maximum altitude of 10, 629 feet (Reeds Peak in the Black Range of New Mexico) with an accumulated altitude of 56,501 feet above sea level over the entire trip and up to the time of this writing – that’s the entire accumulated elevation rise added up to the point of…well, what would be the point? Having 56,501 feet on the display gives no new information. It’s time to reset and start over. And this takes no time at all, just press the “adjustiel” (adjust) button on the left upper side of the watch crown and hold a couple seconds until it goes to zero.  

Barometer

Operating strictly on sensor information, the barometer can be helpful in determining general weather changes. You must first calibrate your known sea level altitude (Internet search for your location) and set the weather conditions for your location at the time of calibration.  Changes in barometric data will be shown on the watch face as a graph and a small icon.  At the top of the watch face a barometric pressure graph shows pressure changes for the previous 30 hours. As this review was being written, the barometric pressure graph showed barometric pressure dropping steadily, and the graphic icon indicated potential precipitation.  This forecast tracked fairly close to regional weather forecast at the time. But a forecast is only an estimate given the data that is collected; it is not a crystal ball.

There are four graphic icons that will indicate precipitation, cloudy, sunny, or sunny with clouds. The icons appear on the right at about the 2 o’ clock position of the watch face. Each graphical weather icon changes according to the rise or fall of barometric pressure. It’s simply a calculation the watch sensors perform and respond to in a programmed fashion. And the forecasts tend to concur at times, and differ sometimes, with other multi-sensor watches with weather forecasting capabilities based on barometric pressure changes.

Fr. Duverge', a Benedictine monk and priest from France, and a woodsman who helped evaluate the Rendezous Peak watch on a 20-mile hike using only compass and topo map.

Overall, the Origo Rendezvous Peak watch is a well-built, low-profile recreational watch with some useful features and capabilities. It’s a great instrument for gadget-oriented folks who will take the time to master the functions and diligently calibrate the watch before a big hike or climb.

Setting the Rendezvous Peak watch up initially was not any more or less complex than dialing in your cell phone or a new computer. However, the watch is only as accurate and useful as the owner’s familiarity with keeping the watch tuned.

Accuracy regarding digital time is unquestionable. Even though the on-board compass is relatively accurate for general navigation, a high-quality magnetic compass (with declination calculated in) is still the standard for the most accurate orienteering. It would be a good idea to have both in the backcountry.

When the altimeter is calibrated with a known elevation, the Rendezvous Peak watch delivered fairly accurate readings on a consistent basis.

Time, altitude, and compass where the three most relied upon functions the Rendezvous Peak was held to on several moderate and upper elevation hikes and  backpack trips it was worn on. The barometer was less a factor as most of these trips occurred in late summer, and the chance of severe cold, snow, and ice were not a huge concern; but it’s a different story in winter were barometric pressure changes can be very useful in knowing what the weather might do.

Altitude measurements of the Rendezvous Peak seemed to give accurate information as it was calibrated at a known elevation from the set-up. On the Continental Divide Trail, as well as sections of the Pacific Crest Trail, trail junctions most often have elevation chiseled into the trail signs. By and large, the Rendezvous Peak watch was pretty darn close to the altitude calculated by the U.S. Forest Service using purpose-built land surveying instruments.

During one of our backpack trips, one that was entirely based upon compass orienteering using topographical maps, the Rendezvous Peak had to be “re-booted.” The watch face went blank. We were frequently checking compass bearings every time we vectored in a different direction of travel. We were following creeks (Bear Creek) and using landmarks such a Preachers Peak to change vectors or follow an old Indian or game trail for a certain distance. It was at one of these map checks that the Rendezvous Peak watch had a slight stroke.  Because we were keeping a certain pace in order to reach our destination at a decent time before the sun went down, it was more than an hour until we could take the time to sort out our little stroke victim.

Our solution was to remove the battery and re-install the same battery (The Origo Rendezvous Peak watch came with a replacement battery also). That seemed to do the trick, and the watch used stored information to get back on track with the compass. On this trip, magnetic compass was relied on and the digital compass was used as a test concurrence instrument. But the digital compass delivered pretty accurate readings that closely matched the magnetic compass. Now, it’s well known that being off by 5° can mean missing your landmark or destination by miles, when the overall distance is significant, but the magnetic compass and the digital compass of the Rendezvous Peak watch stayed reasonably close on accuracy.

As for the chronograph and multiple time functions and alarm settings, they are nice to have and different folks will use them according to their needs, but they seemed a little extraneous. Sometimes more is less, and for a recreational watch the Rendezvous Peak might be more user friendly if it focused on doing just a few things unquestionably well.

 By Rick Shandley

What we liked:

• Construction is sound
• Time Keeping is highly accurate
• Primary functions are fairly accurate
• Set-up is straight forward

What we liked less:

• Many functions: Few needed
• Temperature reading not isolated from body heat

Specifications:

MSMRP: $170

Made in: China

Dimensions 1.6”x 0.5”

Weight: 2.5 oz

Type: Rendezvous Peak in Black finish and standard display

Features:

Compass with adjustable declination angle and bearing lock

Altimeter with one-button access

Eight hour altitude graph

Altimeter data memory for 75 previous events (date, time, altitude)

Temperature

Barometer with graphic weather icon and pressure trend graph display

Chronograph

Two Alarms

Water Resistance: 100m or 165 feet

 We recently had the opportunity to evaluate the 2009 Nomad LED Compass watch by Wenger. From the information we first received, it was apparent this new Swiss Army watch has the styling to wear with a suit and tie, yet be durable enough to wear year-round during any outdoor activity.

The Nomad Compass watch is Swiss made and uses both digital and analog technology in this multi-function timepiece.  Both the watch crown and casing are milled from high-quality stainless steel for durability. The brushed finish also lends an appealing aesthetic value to the Nomad. In addition to the sense of reliability and accuracy that Swiss watches are known for, the one feature of the Nomad Compass watch we really valued is the use of a hardened mineral crystal from which all the watch functions are observed. A hardened mineral crystal ensures the watch owner that this timepiece has the best protection from scratches and dings that can often ruin a good outdoor watch long before its time.  

In addition to the analog time keeping of the hour/minute, and second hands, the Nomad includes four digital functions. These digital functions include Time (for night viewing), Date, Day, and Compass. The four function-specific buttons are located on each side of the watch casing. Both the Time and Date function buttons are located at 9 o’ clock, and the Day and Compass buttons are located at the 3 o’ clock position.

All of the watch functions are readily identified in Swiss Army red around the circumference of the outer watch bezel. The inner watch bezel (under the crystal) features white incremental markings for the second hand. In general, the color combinations of red, white, black and brushed stainless steel give this watch a subtly handsome appearance.

Setting up the Nomad Compass watch was straight forward and easy to accomplish. It’s important to bear in mind that both the analog seconds hand and the digital seconds counter need to be synchronized or the digital time function can be thrown off. Setting digital time, day and calendar are simply a matter of following instructions and takes only a few minutes.

Calibrating the Nomad compass function takes just a little more thought and preparation, but is still easy to accomplish. Your direction of travel will be the red and white Swiss Army cross logo at the 12 o’clock position on the watch face. With the watch off the wrist and laying flat on an even surface, the first step to calibrating the compass is to hold down the Compass button until “CAL” is displayed in red digital letters. Then you will rotate the watch twice, to finish the first step of the calibration. While the indicators are still moving, you press the Compass button again to input the magnetic declination angle. If you want your compass to give you accurate readings, you’ll determine what the magnetic declination angle is before you calibrate the compass.

 Determining Magnetic Declination Angle

Since the Nomad compass points to magnetic north, there is a slight variation from true north. For those new to this, the difference between magnetic north and true north is called the magnetic declination angle. Depending on where you live, there are set declination angles you can refer to for calibrating the Nomad compass. We went to http://ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag to determine the magnetic declination angle for our region of Southern California. We entered Latitude at 38.52 º north and Longitude at 121.50º west which calculated the magnetic declination angle at 14º 26′ east. With the Nomad compass in Magnetic Declination mode, we input the calculated declination angle of 14º 26′ east. The Nomad automatically compensates the compass bearing.

Most all digital compass watches using the latest technology are calibrated in a similar manner of rotating twice and locking in data. Like most current electric and digital devices such as cell phones and I-pods require some set-up before using, the Nomad Compass watch set up fairly quick. The instructions are concise, and once accomplished, don’t have to be repeated unless you move to a different geographical region.

The Nomad Compass was referenced against two analog compasses that point to magnetic north. At each compass heading, the Nomad matched the analog compasses very closely, allowing you to get to your destination with confidence.  Any variance between compass headings would most likely give the Nomad compass reading the greater accuracy due to the automatic compensation of the magnetic declination angle being accounted for.

Unlike an analog compass that is inscribed with the compass angles, using the Nomad Compass watch requires you to understand these angles and be familiar enough to determine if you are heading northwest, southeast, etc. This is not a big deal and just by orienting yourself with the general compass headings you will have a quick reference to keep you on track. The general compass pointes and associated angles are: North (360º or 0º); East (90º); South (180º) and West (270º). So when you key the compass button on the Nomad and it reads 290º, you will quickly see you are heading in a north-west direction. It takes some self-training, but so does compass orienteering in general.

 Overall, we think the Wenger Nomad Compass watch is a solid timepiece with accurate direction finding capability. Wearing the watch day-to-day offered several chances to check the compass heading on trail hikes and in getting one’s bearings while following directions through an unfamiliar city. We found the features of this multi-function watch to be fairly practical with the Date and Day functions. As most of us have experienced, at some point in an exhausting work week, traveling cross-country and in and out of airports and hotels, it’s easy to lose track of what day it is. With the Nomad, you just press the day button to see that it’s Friday, and you’re almost home.

Not everybody cares about whether or not the analog watch hands are visible in the black of night. Yet, the one thing a Swiss Army watch is known for, besides being an accurate timepiece, is illuminated numbers, hour hand and minute hand. At night, the numbers are clearly visible on the Nomad, but the hour and minute hands are not. It’s a downside that is certainly mitigated just by pressing the Time button for a digital reading, but this requires you to reach over with your other hand to press the nightlight on the watch. It would be great if the hour and minute hands were overlaid with the same Super Luminova® as the numerals on the watch face are. This would give the Nomad even more utility.

By Rick Shandley

 Watch Specifications:

Item Number: 70430

Price Point: $375

Luminous markers – Numbers only, overlaid with Super Luminova material

Movement: Swiss mechanism

Power Source: Battery (Type:N/A) – note: Wenger recommends battery replacement by a jeweler to maintain water-resistance

Crystal: Hardened mineral

Case Body: Stainless Steel

Case Finish: Brushed

Strap: Silicon with metal buckle

Water resistance: To 100M (330 feet)

Nomad case thickness: 13mm – includes bezel, crystal, and back cover

Nomad case diameter: 45.5mm

Wrist strap thickness: 4.9mm

Lug Thickness: 22mm

With the Nomad LED Compass Watch you get many design and construction elements only found in more expensive timepieces. Things like a mineral crystal that resists scratching, and specialized Swiss-quartz movement housed in a brushed stainless steel, 43-millimeter diameter, case that’s water resistant to 100 meters. A water resistance rating of 100 meters or 330 feet indicates you can leave the Nomad on when you surf, kayak, snorkel, or trudge to your destination in a monsoon downpour.

A traditional buckle clasp fastener on a silicon wrist strap keeps the watch on your wrist where you can keep your eye on the day, date, and direction of your travel. The compass function is digital, so it confirms direction of travel with your hand-held compass, or can be used as a primary compass.

Large numerals and hour/minute/second hands on the black watch face are illuminated in low-light conditions for easy reading. The suggested retail price for this sturdy timepiece is $375.00 U.S. For more information of the Wenger line of watches, go to: www.wengerna.com