Even though it may seem like smartphones have replaced wristwatches as our main time pieces, there are many people who still enjoy or need to wear a standalone watch on their wrist. That doesn’t mean you can’t combine some high tech features into that wristwatch though. Here are a few gift ideas for the watch fans on your holiday shopping list.
First up is the Garmin fēnix 2 multisport training GPS watch. According to Dave Rees who reviewed this watch earlier this month it’s the best watch ever:
Best.running.watch…ever. I have used many fitness and running watches over the years, none of them perfect. Some came closer than others to running-Zen, but many never even left the gate. I have been using the Garmin fēnix 2 on and off for months now and continue to be amazed how much it impresses me.
This is a feature packed watch for runners and outdoor adventurers. Here are some of the features: altimeter, barometer, and 3-axis compass, mapping and navigation, GPS breadcrumbs, up to 10,000 track points, up to 1,000 waypoints, TracBack (to keep from getting lost), sun/moon info, hunting/fishing calendars, the capability to load routes onto the device, and geocaching. Price: $399.99 from Amazon.
If you are more interested in a watch with fitness tracking capability that is more basic than the Garmin, consider the Wellograph Wellness Watch. It’s an activity tracker for the fashion conscious that will keep track of your steps and your heart rate. The heart rate sensor checks your pulse several times during the day to get a more accurate picture of your your computed fitness age. You can use the watch alone or pair it with an iOS or Android device to view the collected fitness data in a larger easier to read format. Price: $299.00 from Amazon.
How about a watch that will tell you who is calling, texting, new posting on Facebook, Twitter and more without pulling out your smartphone? The Martian Watches Notifier smart watch is up to the task. This watch pairs with your iOS or Android smartphone and can be setup to alert you to a vast selection of app notifications. It’s not a smartwatch like Android Wear or the upcoming Apple Watch, but it has been designed to do do one thing very well and that’s to notify you either through vibration or flashing LED. Price: $98.00 from Amazon.
If all these techtastic watches go way beyond your time keeping, fitness tracking and notification needs, consider the stylishly and sporty Ecosphere watch from Citizen. This watch features a 48mm stainless steel case with Citizen’s proprietary Chroma finish, orange dial and a 1/5-second chronograph, measuring up to 60 minutes. It is also water-resistant up to 100 meters. As with all Citizen Eco-Drive watches, this watch is powered by light, so you will never need to worry about changing batteries or recharging again! Price: $237 from Amazon.
