Suunto Watches – Sports Innovation
People purchase wristwatches for a number of reasons. Some like them as a fashion statement. A few like them as status symbols. Others like them as jewelry or as representations of the art of watchmaking. Others buy them because they need useful tools.
Suunto watches clearly fall into the latter group; no one is going to confuse them with a Rolex when it comes to styling. These are watches that were created as highly functional, multipurpose tools for people who are active sportsmen.
We don’t mean “people who hang out on the beach;” we mean, “people who SCUBA dive or jump out of airplanes.” If adrenaline-packed sports are your thing, then chances are good that Suunto watches will offer something you cannot live without. Unlike other luxury watchmakers, this company isn’t in Switzerland or Japan, but is instead located in Finland, where all of their watches and parts are crafted.
That puts them in a unique position in the industry; they’re not competing against a number of other local manufacturers. Of course, their product line is relatively unique, anyway, which puts them in a good market position. Watches are actually a relatively new product for the company, too, as their initial products were compasses.
Read on for the full Suunto watches review.
Build Quality
Movements
Innovation
Styling and Features
Care and Maintenance
Warranty
Prices
Where to Buy
Summary
Suunto Watches Build Quality
Since these are timepieces and personal computing devices that are designed to be used in rugged, outdoor environments, these watches are pretty well built. Cases are made from plastic, stainless steel and titanium, depending on the model.
Water resistance is good, and depending on the model, can range to several hundred meters. Many models use rugged sapphire crystal, and these watches have better than average shock resistance.
These are multifunction sports devices intended to do many things besides display the time. As such, the movements on Suunto watches are all quartz electronic, made in Finland. All models have digital displays, and everything offers multiple functions. They’d be referred to as complications if they were mechanical timepieces, but in this case, they’re just added features.
If you like multiple features in your timepiece and you don’t mind a digital display, you’ll be amazed at how many different things these watches can do. Features available on their models include the day, date and month, an altimeter, a barometer, a compass, a stop watch, a chronograph, GPS, a countdown timer, a heartrate monitor and others.
Choosing your model has as much to do with picking your features as it does choosing your style, since your particular sport will require some features, but not others.
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We’ve previously mentioned the many features available in this brand. When it comes to styling, there isn’t a whole lot of variety. These are heavy duty sports watches, so they all look somewhat similar.
Bands are available in silicone, leather and stainless steel, and most models feature some black in the design. There are a few accent colors available and a couple of models are available in silver. Keep in mind, however, that these are intended to be functional tools more than attractive fashion statements.
Suunto watches are popular enough that there are entire forums devoted to them.
As these are electronic devices with highly accurate quartz movements, you won’t have to do too much in the way of care. If you get them in salt water, you’ll want to rinse them with fresh water afterwards and carefully dry them. You’ll have to replace the battery from time to time.
Aside from that, just store it in a cool, dry place when not in use and keep it away from any hard surfaces that may scratch it. Other than that, you’ll find that these watches are pretty much up for anything you can throw at them.
The warranty is the industry-standard two years against defects in workmanship and materials. As these are complex electronic devices, we expect the occasional defect will pop up during the warranty period, but they’re probably not very common. An extended warranty may be offered at the point of sale by your dealer; you may wish to inquire about this if you’re interested, though it’s rarely necessary.
Given how many things these watches are capable of doing, they’re relatively inexpensive, particularly when compared with other designer or luxury watches. Prices start at about $200 and top out at $1500 or so.
Models come and go, and sometimes out-of-production models sell for a premium, but most of their product line falls into the $300-$500 range, making them quite affordable for most buyers.
There’s not a lot of collector interest at the moment, so don’t go buying them expecting to see them skyrocket in value over time. They’re useful, affordable tools, and you should buy them for your needs, rather than speculation.
You can find this brand for sale at a number of locations. You’ll find them at high end department stores, well-stocked sporting goods stores and at a number of online retailers. They have a pretty large product line, so you may have to shop around if you’re looking for something in particular, since it’s unlikely that any single retailer is going to stock everything the company offers. Still, as luxury watches go, these watches are not too difficult to find.
Suunto Watches Summary
As we mentioned before, everyone has their own reasons for buying any particular timepiece. In the case of Suunto watches, it’s usually because you need the particular functions their models offer, rather than because you want to make a fashion statement.
These are not timepieces to wear with a tuxedo; these are wristwatches that you take with you when you need to go diving in the Caymans. That said, they do offer a fair amount of variety in their features, their styling and their pricing, making them both versatile and affordable. If you’re a sportsman or know one who would love a unique, well-build, highly functional wristwatch, you can’t go wrong with Suunto watches.