Toasted watches

[ketch]

I'm ready to think about a wrist worn altimeter watch. The challenge is keeping it around. I don't know what it is but when I have worn electronic watches in the past I burn batteries (usually dead within 3 months), or the electronics spaz on me. I havn't tried any in a few years as I got tired of trading them in all the time.

 

Anybody have similar experience or recomendation that would help. I have not tried a watch only for use in the hills so I can't rule out some enviromental thing, but I would rather not buy another toy that won't work without resonable grounds for the experiment.

 

thanks

[chris]

I'm still using the Suunto Vector I bought in May 2000. I don't care for the compass - its a complete waste of space, but I dig how big the numbers are. I've changed the battery twice without any problems. Some of my friends have had problems with the electronics, others don't like the size. In retro, I would have gotten a Suunto Altimax. It had a smaller dial, no compass, but still had the big numbers. Of course Suunto stopped making them, though I did see one over at Second Ascent for $150 or there-abouts.

[Plinko]

I've had a Suunto Observer Ti (all the same functions of the Vector, but in a smaller package and way less geeky lookin') for 2+ years and it's been rock solid. I had a piece on the band break once...props to the Suunto people who got spare parts to me in the mail very quickly.