One essential gadget
Anywhere outdoor you go for an adventure, you need basic gadgets to make you feel satiated on your trip back home. A sturdy timekeeping device and a direction finder come first.
These you can easily find today in smart watches. Sadly, most are not built to handle extreme conditions and even if it might, smart phones won’t. Even with armor covers. There goes more than half of its utility.
Plus, both need frequent recharging of their respective power cells. It’s not like a regular quartz or solar watch.
What you might need
| Essentials | Optional | |
| I. | Compass | Chronograph/Tachymeter |
| II. | GPS | Countdown Timer |
| III. | Altimeter/ Depth Gauge | World time/GMT/Dual-Time |
| IV. | Meteo-Alarm | 24-hours indicator |
| V. | Tide Graph | Perpetual Calendar |
| VI. | Thermometer | Solar Power |
| VII. | Bright lume/backlight | Hourly time signal/Alarm |
Affordable recommendations: Least prices first
| Fossil FB Adventure Compass | |
 |
Something simple with an added bonus; in this case, it’s the compass. A good old style compass is always helpful for it doesn’t need power to run. Attached to the durable silicone straps of the Fossil FB-Adventure watches, they are ideal for any outdoor fan. The band is super soft, making them very comfortable to wear. You get them in light/sky blue, light green and bright orange; take your pick! |
| Fossil FB-GMT Curator Titanium Limited Edition: | |
 |
These two got unparalleled style, they are limited-edition timepieces boldly reinterpreting the traditional dive watch designs. First released as sports watches sometime in the late ’90s, the FB-GMT resurfaces with curate designs, capturing vintage dive styling with modern design in striking details. They encapsulate the vintage 60’s/70’s diver vibe very well! The limited edition watches are built in Titanium and come in blue and green. |
| Casio PROTREK Quad Sensor | |
 |
It has Bluetooth® capabilities for data communication along with the Quad Sensor system enabling compass, altitude/barometer and temperature measurements – all to come into the same unit. It also tucks in an accelerometer that can do calorie calculations. You may also record data measured by the watch and route information through your smart-phone’s GPS connection besides setting registered locations to help you find way in the wilderness. |
| Citizen Promaster ALTICHRON Eco-Drive: | |
 |
This can’t be placed with diver Promaster-s which we cover later. This PROMASTER has an ALTIMETER that measures between -300m to 10,000m, below and above sea levels. It features a compass and date and is a fabulous choice also for the casual, urban adventurer. It looks good and tough at the same time, making for a good street and evening wear. |
| Citizen Divers Promaster | |
 |
These are different from the Citizen Promaster Aqualand Diver. They live up to the highest degrees of functionality; their durability knows no limit and they offer maximum safety under severely demanding conditions. They are awesome not just because of their good looks but they also work beautifully. The depth-meter function works very well in all and is easy to use. Dive with this watch for a while and you’ll be glad to report its efficiency to your buddies. They come in black and steel; a gold, limited edition, an exceptionally HUGE version and one with a steel bracelet. |
| Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar Analog Digital | |
 |
This is a vast range with bright red on one hand and gold on the other. In between are various shades of grey, black and steel. The T-Touch Expert Solar watches fall under the tactile category and are touch-screen activated. The tactile technology creates extremely well designed, Solar-energy driven watches with 20 features at your fingertips! These include weather forecasting, altimeter, second time zone and a compass. |
We’ve covered here the best 19 budget adventure watches and their variants from different brands. Click on the links to see and buy them.
