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Sports Watches - An Overview of Current Trends
Since the digital watch was invented in the 1970s, watch makers have pursued the sports market with zeal. Being easy to read on the run and made with solid-state technology, digital technology made it possible to tell time under more extreme circumstances.
It wasn't long before more features were added, including water resistance, stopwatches, international time, lighting features, and many others. The competition between manufacturers grew fierce as each raced against the other to pack sports watches with features in both digital and analogue models. Some models even include heart rate monitors and compasses.
Water resistance bears some explaining for the uninitiated. Water resistance refers to how much water pressure the body of the watch can withstand. For many sports watch users, it's insufficient to merely refer to the watch as 'waterproof.' That term implies that it will withstand water under any conditions whatsoever, which simply isn't the case with any watch. Watches are given a water resistance rating in terms of feet or meters.
This refers to the static pressure the watch will withstand before there is a risk of water leaking in. Most sports watches are effectively waterproof, allowing the user to go surfing or accidentally drop it in a bucket of water without any fear of leakage or damage. On either extreme, specialty diving watches have a water resistance of 200 or 300 metres, while more low-end sports watches can't withstand static pressure depths of more than about 30 metres. If water resistance is what you need, be sure it is water-resistant to at least 50 metres, and that you have the depth of resistance you anticipate your activities require.
Specialization and improvements in technology have driven the market to products much better suited to individual consumers, from the amateur athletes to the rough-and-tumble weekend warriors.
For runners and bicyclists, more recent development in sports watch technology include hands-free flick-activated lighting, GPS receivers for distance and speed measurement, calorie counters, and heart-rate monitors. These all come with special variations, including lap counting, goal management, and other specialized features.
There are also practical features to be considered, like the type of face preferred (analogue or digital), wristband materials, ergonomic design, size, type of watch (pocket, carabiner, wrist, or arm-band), and much more.
Today, there is a fantastic array of sports watch brands available in both digital and analogue versions, and well known brands include Ellesse, Adidas, Asics and more. There are also more classical styles of sports watches such as Nautica and Tissot.
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