Weather is warming up, and you’re likely thinking about getting out into that fresh air and get some exercise.  Along with that, you may be looking to pick up a new time piece (hey, its for a good cause, right?).

We’ve looked at some watches before that lash up to a heart rate monitor, but this Suunto Quest has an additional twist up its sleeve – more on that later.  First, and foremost, this is a watch that will help you track your heart rate as you exercise, be it running, walking, or biking.  You adjust it to your fitness level, and it gives you some prodding beeps to get to the target HR.

The dynamic duo

The really interesting part comes into play once you get done with your exercise.  The watch will prompt if you want to save your “move”.  You take your watch over by your computer, sync it to the included USB dongle, and your workout is getting uploaded to MovesCount.com.  In this way, you have a steady record of the work your doing, and you can compare it to others, if you want.

That part right there made things really intriguing, with the automated log of your exercise.  Of course, the large, easy to read display also makes it useful in a workout.  And should you already have a HR strap, this watch uses the ANT+ protocol, so you may be able to hook it to your existing equipment.

For me, it was a good watch to take out on the trails.  Easy to read, light weight, and it has a breathable strap.  Yes, at $250, it’s not the el cheapo you may be looking to pick up for this purpose, and it’s not for everyone.  Given the connectivity that it offers, and all of the various functionality (stopwatch, intervals, cadence, USB sync), it makes for a compelling addition to your workout gear if you’re serious about your efforts.

Do you ever find yourself wishing that the act of telling time was as simple, and tactile, as flipping a light switch in your home?  If so, then the folks at Watchismo have got quite the surprise in store for you.Aptly named the “Click Wall Switch” watch, it resembles a squared-off interpretation of modern wall switches.  Rather than firing up an incandescent bulb, however, you’ll be lighting up LEDs on the face of the watch display the time or date.

The LEDs shine through the plastic on the face, adding a bit of geeky charm to the proceedings.

Practical?  Absolutely not – this is firmly in the whimsical camp.  But, it’s certain to grab some attention (this sucker is 45mm x 47mm), and it’ll give you something to fiddle with if boredom sets in.

Watchismo has the 4 colors (black, blue, red, white) on sale for a tad under $100.

Yesterday, we had our first hands-on review of a CW watch, the C11.  While that was a fine watch in it’s own regard, I really think today’s sample is an outstanding piece – both within the brand, and across brands.  For me, this watch is easily in my top 5.Of course, explaining while I feel the C60 Trident is just about a perfect watch is not going to be easy, but I’ll do my best.  With some watches, you can get a sense of them from the pictures, but it’s a different story once you handle it in the steel.  And that’s what happened for me with the C60.

Looking at the pictures of the watch, you see something that isn’t uncommon on these pages – three hander, functional bezel, and a NATO strap.  When I opened the box on this one, I couldn’t wait to get it on my wrist.  Something about the proportions on the 42mm case just seemed spot on to me.  And combined with the NATO our sample was on (black/maroon/olive), its a stunner.

Yup, it looks good on the C&B Nato too

Of course, a watch can’t just be all looks, though, can it.  Here, as with the C11, you’ll end up with an ETA 2824-2 or an SW200-1.  This is all wrapped up with a sapphire crystal topping the 13mm thick steel case, screw-in case back and screw-down crown, netting a 1000m water resistance rating.  In other words, this watch should stand up to just about anything you throw at it.

Last, but not least, you’ve got a nice little wave detail in the dial, which also features some great lume.  And it’s not in your standard green.  Here’s its actually blue – just another little twist to add some interest to the watch.

Great on orange as well

In the end, yes, I liked this watch – a lot.  It’s got classic styling, a great movement, and at only $480, it’s practically a no-brainer if you’re looking to buy a watch in this vein.  It’s a sad day with this one heading back home to the UK, but I can easily see adding one to my personal collection in the future.

I’ve featured quite a few different CW watches over the past months, and I’ve really liked what I’ve seen coming from them.  Today, we’ll be taking a look at the first of two watches they sent over for review – the C11 Manta Ray.You can tell by looking at the piece that’s its quite obviously aviation-inspired, much like what we’ve come to expect from B&R.  There are a few things that struck me about this piece (ref. C11-AUTO-KKK).  First, is it’s extreme legibility.  Nice wide hands and a clean dial definitely make that possible, as does the size of dial that’s afforded by the 42mm case.

Next, I was struck by how thin the watch was (under 11mm) for being an automatic (you’ll end up with either an ETA 2824-2 or an SW200-1 movement).  As soon as I saw that, I knew it would fit well under a shirt cuff, either at work or with a suit.  And the watch worked well in both of those situations.  Being such a dark piece, it fit a dressier occassion; given it’s relative size and squared off shape, it wasn’t out of place in a casual setting either.

I found the lume to be excellent (as you would expect for such wide hands), and the AR-coated sapphire crystal was quite welcome as well.  I was surprised to find that the crown was not of the screw-in variety, but even with that, it’s still rated to 100m for water resistance.

Nice detail carried over from the case on the buckle

One other minor quibble I should note – I found the leather strap to be a bit “squeaky” in between the 22mm lugs.  Not a deal breaker, no, but something of note.  And as long as we’re noting minor things – take a look at the date wheel.  See that?  It’s color matched to the dial!

Overall, there’s a lot to like with this watch.  I think it’s a great fit for someone who likes the aviation style that’s very much associated with B&R, but wants something more affordable.  It’s also rare to have a watch this wide be as thin as it is, which is another definite plus.  Our particular model is available for $625, but others in the range can be had for as low as $550.

Read all about it!  Sometimes, I come across the watch that I know I just have to bring to your attention – and today’s piece, on offer from the folks at Eberhard, is no exception.  And yes, it’s a stunning piece, but it was actually the name that put it into this post.

And what is the name of this 125th annivesary model, you might ask?  It’s the Extra-Fort (go ahead, say it in your head in the movie trailer guy voice).  Extra!  Fort!  And yes, I’m writing about this watch simply because of it’s name.  I just plain like it.

But of course, a watch doesn’t sell on it’s name alone, now does it?  Thankfully, this watch has a great list of features:

• 41mm steel or rose gold case (15mm thick; 20mm lugs)
• Movement:  Eberhard caliber EJ8150 (based off of the Valjoux 7750)
• Sapphire crystals front and back
• Water resistance to 50 meters
• Chronograph
• Big date display

Now, this is a limited edition piece (only 500 will be made).  That limited availability, plus that stunning movement (amirite, or amirite), means this isn’t going to be a watch you pick up on a whim (at least I won’t be).  If you’re in the market, though, you’ll need to visit a higher-end retailer (listed here) to see if any are still available, and at what price.

Now there’s a phrase you don’t hear much these days – “Do you ken”?  If you don’t catch the reference, Google it.  Or, just read on for some information on a watch from the folks at Kennett .I’ve been aware of this brand for some time, but nothing really grabbed my eye.  I decided to take another look, and found that they’ve finally got models with lume applied to the hands and dial, which was missing in earlier models.

Not surprisingly (though regrettably), this line is called the Illumin8, which is actually a subset of the Altitude line.  With these watches, you get a fairly standard three-hander with date display that has the following specs:

• Case : 43mm stainless steel with fixed aluminum bezel
• Screw in case back
• 10 ATM water resistant
• Mineral crystal
• Rubber strap
• Miyota (quartz) movement

On that last point, I’m just guessing it’s a quartz, since they don’t specify that it’s a mechanical (which most manufacturers would).  So, you’ve got a decent set of specs, in a variety of color combinations – so it could be an interesting watch.  For me, though, it’s got two big strikes against it.

First strike is that aluminum bezel.  It’s got a tachymeter scale printed on it, which I find to be less-than-useful if there isn’t a chronograph function.  To actually try and time distances, you’d have to wait for the second hand to hit 12 o’clock (or stop it there).  Yes, it’s feasible – but not the best way to go about it.

Second big strike has to do with price.  If you search the web, you can find the non-lumed Altitude models for about $125 (a touch on the high side, but ok).  If you want lume, though?  You’re ponying up $260, which just seems like way to high of a price for what’s on offer here.  At that price range, I’d be hard-pressed to not go for a mechanical, as these Kennett’s don’t have anything on them that a mechanical can’t offer.

Yesterday, we started taking a look at the Air Stryk from our friends over at MTM.  We gave a basic rundown of all (and there’s a lot of it) the functions in the watch; today, we’ll start off by having a look at the strap.

Along with a variety of models from MTM, I’ve been working through the various strap options as well.  With the Air Stryk, I asked for it to be fitted with the ballistic nylon strap.  Regardless of how many nylon straps you’ve experienced, this one is quite different.

Yes, it supports 4.5 oz on its own

For starters, it’s a lot thicker, and less flexible, than you might expect.  While I think this will lead to durability in the long run, it does make putting the watch on more difficult than it should be, all things being the same.

So, what’s my overall take on this watch?  I liked the styling (sort of cushion-case inspired), and found it to be perfectly readable (both ana and digi).  In terms of a quartz watch, this one offers a lot of functionality (which you will need to review the manual to understand).  The strap wasn’t my favorite (seems the steel bracelets have been the most comfortable), but you’ve got several options on this model.

I think this watch fits best for someone who likes the looks of a tactical watch, and wants something that can stand up to some abuse.  It may also be handy for someone who likes to travel a lot (dual time zones) and get some exercise in while on the road (timers).  At $900, it’s not an impulse buy – but you are getting a whole lot of functionality to strap on your wrist.

So, remember our review a few days back on the ElevenEleven watch?  Well, courtesy of those fine folks, one of you is going to get to add it to your collection!

All you need to do is post a comment on this post (and have a mailing address in the U.S.), letting us know that first thing you’re going to wish for when the watch hits 11:11.  So, comment away, and we’ll pick a winner on Friday, June 1, 2012.

Yes, friends, it’s that time once again to dive into the MTM catalog to see what we can come up with.  Today, we’ll be having a look at the Air Stryk.

This particular model shares a lot of similarities with the Silencer model we look at a while ago.  While the Silencer hid it’s digital display, the Air Stryk makes it quite visible – meaning you could easily track two time zones with the digital and analog readouts.

This also means you’ve got a plethora of alarms, timers, and counters.  Hold on tight, because here’s a quick rundown of all this piece has on tap:

• Time Display: am / pm, hour, minute, second.
• Date Display: month-day or day-month, alarm, timer.
• Preset Time Zones: 58 cities
• User Defined Time Zones: 2 cities.
• Alarms:  5 daily alarms, 1 schedule alarm (date alarm)
• Chrono range: 23 hours 59 minutes 59.99 seconds, 10 + 1 lap records

Given all this, it’s not surprising to see that you’ve got a quartz movement hiding in the 45mm stainless steel case (12.5mm thick).  While the analog hands (and indices) are lumed, you also have an EL backlight for the digital displays.

Along with the steel case, you’ve got a screw-down crown and sapphire crystal that can help the watch take a beating, as well as go to water depths of 200 meters.  And though the crown screws down, the pushers do not screw down, like we saw on the Silencer.   On one hand, it makes it easy to start timing something while the watch is on your wrist (or silence an alarm); on the other, you could accidentally flip modes.

And that’s where we’ll leave things for today.  Tomorrow, we’ll take a closer look at the strap that came along with the watch, and give my overall conclusion.

Well, wonder no more!  The folks over at Hadley-Roma have a video showing you how it’s done: