For as many different brands of watches out there, there are just as many different features a watch can come equipped with.
There are diving watches, hiking watches, watches that play music and ones that keep track of your steps, just to name a few.
One type of niche are watches with altimeters, which gives the wearer information on how high up it is.
The watch does this by measuring the altitude of any object above a fixed level, with the most common reference point being sea level.
Besides being incredibly useful for pilots, watches with altimeters are also helpful for use in extreme sports like skydiving, climbing and skiing.
Digital watches are popular altimeter watches, using their multiple displays to give not only the time, but the distance above sea level and more.
Garmin’s Fenix line is perfect for hiking, offering a compass with a gyroscope, 24-hour battery and pairs with the Garmin fitness app.
For a more traditional look, Citizen’s Promaster Altichron measures altitude up to 32,000 feet, just in case you’re in for a weekend escapade up a mountain.
It shows all its information in analog form on the watch’s face. Oh, and the whole thing is powered by light and has an accuracy plus or minus just 15 seconds for a month.
The Hamilton Pilot Auto offers aspects of a traditional watch, except in much larger form.
The watch measures 46 millimeters in its case and features both an inside and outside hour track as a play on the traditional pilots watches.
It doesn’t, however, come with a traditional price — the watch starts at about $1,000 on the market.
ASK THE WATCH DOCTOR: Have a question for The Watch Doctor? Put your question in the comments section of this blog and we’ll try to answer them.
Here are some questions from the last few weeks.
QUESTION: Is this “bumper automatic” rewinder similar to that on my 35-year-old Rolex Datejust? Being a senior who moves less these days (especially with our northern NY winters), my Rolex has to be hand-wound several times a year. Would the Omega Seamaster resolve these lack of activity periods – winding issues? (From Joe Price)
WATCH DOCTOR: No, your Rolex has a 360-degree rotor and is a totally different movement than of an old bumper automatic. The power reserve issue you have could be caused by the watch not working properly, wear in the old automatic or by your lack of activity during the day. If your old bumper does not run through the night, either increase your daily activity or manually wind the watch a few turns from the crown every day.
QUESTION: More and more watch manufacturers are touting their watches as anti-magnetic. How are they achieving that? (From Curt Brown)
WATCH DOCTOR: Most of the anti-magnetic issues are solved with a new and modern alloy hairspring. On the new Omega Seamasters, there is an inner movement cap that is made out of non-magnetic material that helps protect the movement.
QUESTION: Do you clean/refurbish Breitling watches? The same question for Bulgari, although I am guessing Bulgari does not manufacture their own movements. (From Franz Fleischli)
WATCH DOCTOR: I can work on just about any type of good mechanical movement. On the Breitling and Bulgari, it is just going to depend on what movement they have and if I can get any needed parts from my suppliers. I don’t work on any Chronographs (stopwatches), so that may limit the Breitling line since they make quite a few chronograph models. If you have questions, just send me a quick picture of the watch and I will let you know if it is a model that I can repair.