A watch fit for the Jetsons
If you have an appetite for exploration into places that are void of road signs and internet access, arm yourself with an Origo Rendezvous Peak watch, which has the following useful features to guide you safely through the backcountry:
- Chronograph
- Altimeter with 75 altimeter data memories with date, time, and altitude reading
- Barometer
- Digital compass that is adjustable for declination angle
- Thermometer
- Real-time weather
- One touch direct access of digital compass and altimeter reading on main time display for easy viewing
- Alarms
- Countdown timer
I recently tested this watch on a summit of Quandary Peak in Colorado and was pretty impressed with its performance. Patience—and a thorough reading the owner’s manual—is key to making the most of this watch.
It’s rich in useful and potentially life-saving features like an altimeter to keep track of the elevation you’ve gained from the trailhead to the summit, a barometer for forecasting weather changes, a chronometer for timing hikes, and a digital compass to prevent wandering into places you shouldn’t.
Before setting out on your hike, you will need to calibrate the altimeter at a known elevation. Usually trailheads will post the official elevation. Then, you need to set the sea level pressure in the barometer, which changes with altitude. Depending on where you are, it may be necessary to calibrate the watch several times a day. A pain in the donkey’s rear end? Yes, but it was pretty damn accurate once I got it set. For example, the summit of Quandary Peak is 14,261 feet; the watch read 14,168 feet. That’s good for a multi-functional watch.
The digital compass is also a cool feature. Keep in mind that any digital compass is never going to be as accurate as the old fashioned, time-honored magnetic compass, but the Rendezvous Peak’s compass is close enough for government work and even compensates for declination. Just hold the watch level for the most accurate direction reading.
The watch also allows you to lock the compass bearing (your targeted destination as determined on a topographical map) and then readjust it when needed. Like the altimeter, you’ll need to calibrate it frequently for accuracy. Another pain in the donkey’s rear end, yes, but it made sense once I got the hang of it.
The next cool feature is the barometer, which senses change in atmospheric pressure. Useful for when hiking places where you can check NOAA.gov for weather forecasts? Heck yes. When the barometer drops, you know something ugly is imminent and you can plan your hike or summit attempt accordingly. The barometer feature also displays a graph of pressure changes in the past 30 hours. Like the altimeter and the digital compass, you’ll need to set the current weather conditions before you start your hike to achieve the best accuracy.
The Rendezvous Peak is water resistant up to 165 feet and is pretty lightweight for a watch of its caliber. It dwarfed my wrist but not necessarily in a geeky way, but didn’t feel heavy or bulky or cumbersome. The digital face is easy to read and the owner’s manual isn’t seven pages shorter than War and Peace, like some of the multi-function watch manuals.
Like most multi-function watches, it’s not a set-and-forget design. You’ll need to recalibrate it for each hike, but once you get the hang of it, it’s fast and easy to do.
For more info: Check out Origo's full line of quality watches.
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