Reviews > Electronic Devices > Watches > Highgear Axis Altimeter Watch > Andy Mytys > Initial Report

Highgear Axis Watch

Initial Report

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Highgear (http://www.highgearusa.com) Item: Highgear Axis Watch Year of manufacture: 2004 MSRP: $150.00 Listed Weight: None Available Weight as delivered: 1.7 oz (48 g) Operating Temperature: 14 to 120 F (-10 to 50 C) Wristband size: Measured to fit wrists from 5.75 to 8 inches (146 to 203 mm) Available Colors: Graphite Black, Bone, Midnight Blue Battery: One CR2032 battery (included) Warranty: 1-year from original purchase date; limited (does not apply to crystal, strap, or batteries) There is also an $8.95 shipping and handling charge associated with warranty claims

Product Description:

A digital wristwatch with various built-in instruments, including a timepiece, chronograph, altimeter, barometer, compass, and thermometer.

Test Unit Description:

The Highgear Axis watch came in a box, measuring 4-inches by 4-inches, by 4-inches (10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm). On one side of the box there was a clear window through which the face of the Axis watch could be seen. The inside of the box contained the Highgear Axis watch, Instruction Manual, and Warranty Booklet. There was also an Instruction Manual addendum included, which gave further detail to watch functionality and included details missing in the manual itself. The watch's battery was pre-installed.

The Axis watch has a clear protective membrane attached to its face. I've been wearing the watch for a week now, and have showered with the watch on daily. The membrane has yet to come off. I do not plan on removing this cover myself, as I like the scratch protection it provides. Should the cover come off on its own, I would look into the possibility of replacing it by cutting a like-sized piece of material from sheets similar to those available as scratch protection for palm-based, electronic organizers.

The display on the Axis watch can be broken into three regions, a top quarter, a middle half, and a bottom quarter. I really like this setup, as it allows for the most important information to be clearly and centrally displayed, with ancillary data included but shown in less obtrusive areas of the display. For the purpose of this report, I will refer to these areas as "top," "main," and "bottom."

Now, on to the Axis' features:

Time -

In this mode, shown in the image above, the hours, minutes, and seconds are shown in the display's main area. The hours can be viewed in either 12 or 24-hour formats. The top area shows the time zone for the time being displayed (T1 or T2), a weather forecast, and a user-selected display of either the day and numerical calendar day (e.g. "FR 9"), or a graph of barometric pressure readings for the past 24-hours. In the bottom portion of the display, the user can select to see either the current temperature or the current sea level barometric pressure in millibars. There is also an icon that appears if an alarm is active, and another if the watch's chime has been activated. Lastly, there is a small bar that circles the watch face, moving clockwise with every second that passes, and a fixed black bar in the 12 o'clock position for reference purposes when using the compass.

Alarm -

There are two alarms available on the Axis watch. The alarms can be configured to either of the available time zones, T1 or T2. When activated, the alarm chimes for 20 seconds. There is also a "chime" option that can be turned to either "on" or "off" when configuring the alarm. Setting this does not effect the chiming of the alarm itself, but rather controls the hourly chime and the short chime that occurs each time a button is pressed. Being able to turn the button-press chime off is a great feature, as there are times when such sounds can be more of annoying then beneficial.

Chronograph -

The chronograph has a 1/100-second resolution with a 24-hour working range. The chronograph can store up to 100 laps of data, distributed across up to 30 individual runs. In the top area of the display, the current lap time is displayed. The main area displays the total time elapsed. When the lap time is captured, the top and main portions of the display pause for a moment, displaying the lap and total time elapsed values, with the lap number of the run displayed in the bottom portion of the display. Lap numbers start with "01", and increase by one each time the "Start/Lap" button is pushed, up to a maximum of 100. After a five second pause, the display returns to showing the running count of lap and total elapsed time. There is no countdown timer option available.

Chronograph Data Review -

The lap data captured for any run on the chronograph can be reviewed. The date of each run is displayed, and the user can step through the times for each lap captured - split times are also displayed. After all the individual laps have been cycled through, the best lap time is displayed, followed by the average time of each lap. Data stored can be deleted at the press of a button, either for individual runs or the entire set of runs held in memory.

Altimeter -

The Highgear Axis watch comes with a digital altimeter, which has a resolution of 1 ft (1 m) and a working range extending from -1,600 to 29,500 feet (-500 to 9000 m). The altimeter measures in 1 foot or 1 meter increments, depending on the mode that it is in. Users can capture up to 20 individual altimeter data readings, each of which is stored with associated time and date data. The altimeter can be set to display either in meters or feet, and all historical data captured is converted to the user's preference when reviewed, even if the watch was set to a different scale when the data was initially captured. The altimeter display uses a bar chart to display historical altitude levels over time in the top area of the screen, the present altitude in either meters or feet in the main area, and the time of day in the bottom portion of the screen. The top portion of the screen can also, at the press of a button, momentarily display the accumulated and maximum altitude values, defined as aggregate sum of individual altitude increases and single maximum altitude since the counter was last reset. The bar chart data continues to update constantly, no matter what mode the watch is currently in. Users can manually calibrate the current altitude, the accumulated altitude, and the maximum altitude.

Altimeter Data Review -

The altimeter data captured can be reviewed, one data point at a time. For each altitude point viewed the watch's display shifts between time-date and altitude information for the given point. The saved points can be deleted, although the erasure occurs for all altitude points stored - altitude data points cannot be deleted on an individual basis.

Barometer -

The Highgear Axis' digital barometer has a resolution of 1 mbar with a working range from 300 to 1100 mbar, and includes a sea level barometer reading in addition to displaying the absolute barometric pressure - the air pressure in the location of the measurement. The top area of the display has a pressure graph showing the relative changes for the past 24-hours, and the weather forecast is shown in the form of an icon. The icon depicts either a sun, sun with cloud, cloud, or cloud with rain. The barometer pressure is updated every minute, no matter what mode the watch is currently in. Both weather and sea level barometric readings can be manually set by the user for increased accuracy.

Compass -

The digital compass on the Axis watch has a resolution of 1 degree with 16 direction pointers. The declination is adjustable, and the compass can be recalibrated manually at any time. The watch face has a small black triangle imprinted in the plastic that serves to give a point to which all measurements and readings are relative to. The bearing is displayed both in degrees and cardinal points. The watch also has a rotating azimuth ring around its face that's marked in 30 and 45 degree increments, with either the degrees (30 degree increments) or the direction (N, NE, E, etc. in 45 degree increments). This ring, pictured in the image above, can be turned for orientation purposes.

Temperature -

The digital thermometer can be shown in the bottom portion of the display when the watch is in either "Time" or "Barometer" modes. The thermometer has a 0.1-degree resolution with a working range from 14 to 122 F (-10 to 50 C). The temperature can be displayed in either Fahrenheit or Celsius.

Backlight -

The data on the face of the Highgear Axis watch can be illuminated from the rear at the push of a button. This is a true backlight, however, and, as the watch itself doesn't project any excess light from the face, the backlight does not really emit enough light to illuminate objects that are external to the watch.

Water Resistance -

The Highgear Axis watch is water resistant to a depth of 30 meters (100 ft).

Miscellaneous/Undocumented Features -

• Holding the "Mode" button down for three seconds is a shortcut to return to "Time" mode without having to scroll through all the other available modes
• On the "Time" screen, the "View" button shifts the display between weather, time, and barometer modes
• On the "Barometer" screen, the "View" button toggles between displaying the time, temperature, and current sea level barometric pressure in mbar units
• On any "Run" of the chronograph that has not started yet (i.e. timer is set to 00'00.00), pressing the "View" button, which is located directly under the watch face, will display the number of remaining memory slots available to capture lap data

Initial Impressions:

I have a pretty thin wrist and large profile watches have a tendency to be too broad at their base, and hence do not fit well. I am pleased to say that the Highgear Axis watch fits nicely on my wrist, and I really don't notice that I'm wearing anything.

While most of the functions appear to work well, at least with the limited exposure I have had with them so far, I can pretty much say I find the digital thermometer to be nearly useless. While wearing the watch on my arm, the room temperature displayed is typically 10 degrees higher than the actual air temperature. The skewed result is due to the effect that my body heat has on the watch's inner thermometer. To get an accurate reading, I must remove the watch. However, the electronics in the watch can't simply wait a minute, take another temperature reading, and display the new results. The process is actually drawn out over 30 minutes, sometimes longer, with the temperature reading slowly moving towards the actual air temperature. When outside in cooler temperatures, the deviation between actual and reported temperature is even more pronounced. I will reserve further comments on the functionality of the Highgear Axis watch to my upcoming Field and Long-Term reports.

Instruction Manual:

Based on the number of functions and technical specifications shown on the Highgear website for the Axis watch, I was expecting a pretty thick and detailed Instruction Manual to accompany the watch. I was delighted to see that this was not the case - all the watch's functionality was covered in less than 40 pages of a 3 x 3 1/2 inch (7.5 x 9 cm) booklet. The Instruction Manual, taken on its own, clearly explains most of the watch's many functions, with the exception of the "View" button - I call it the "View" button because this is the term that Highgear has used in previous editions of the Instruction Manual. This button is located under the face of the watch. It shifts the display mode on the "Time" screen between weather, time, and barometer modes, and shows how many laps are free in the watch's memory on the "Chronograph" screen. It also toggles between displaying the time, temperature, and mbar on the "Barometer" screen. The manual also refers to a Stop/Reset button. This button is actually just a "Stop" button - the correct designation is given in the manual on the page that graphically depicts the face of the watch and labels all buttons. The Stop/Reset/Light button is also mislabeled in the manual - it is referred to as the Stop/Light button. Some of the instructions with respect to what function a given button performs are also wrong. For example, the manual states to "press Stop/Reset to scroll through the available run recordings." Doing so will only display the date of the run. To scroll through all the recordings, the "Start/Lap" button must be used. Finally, my Instruction Manual reprinted pages 15-16 and 25-26 while omitting pages 13-14 and 26-27. The information on these pages included a description of the watch's compass, the initial steps outlining compass calibration, and instructions on resetting the altimeter's accumulated and recorded maximum altitudes, as well as steps on how to save altimeter data points. Fortunately, the watch shipped with a separate addendum that fully covered these details. While additional information is supplied in this addendum, it still manages to mislabel the "View" button.

Product website feedback:

Looking at the overview of the Axis watch given on the Highgear website, I was presented with a basic description of the watch's functions, including the user-controlled settings, instrument sensitivity, range of measurement, and any associated "historical storage" of values available. Based on the information presented, the watch I received met my expectations.

Test Plan:

First and foremost, I want to answer the question of "Tool or gadget?" The Highgear Axis watch is certainly loaded with environmental measurement capabilities, but how accurate, and how useful, are they? Is this watch simply "Bling Bling" for hikers, or does it actually have a practical use in the outdoors?

While I will cover the technical features of this watch to some extent throughout this review, I do not plan to extend such level of detail in my upcoming Field and Long-Term reports. Future reports will focus on the practical field application of each function rather than "geek-level" statistics.

Questions that future reports will attempt to resolve include:

Accuracy against external and independent sources -

• How accurate is the watch itself? Does it gain/lose seconds over the course of the six month test period, or can I simply set it and forget it?
• How accurate is the altimeter, when used along side topographic maps and gauged against Official USGS Markers?
• How accurate is the barometer, when tested along side both analog and digital based barometers?
• How accurate is the barometer's weather forecasting feature?
• How accurate is the compass, when tested along side a field-standard Silva compass?
• How accurate is the thermometer, when tested along side both analog and digital based thermometers, as well as a Dallas Semiconductor iButton?

• How easy is it to remember how to use and, even more importantly, access the individual features of the Highgear Axis watch? Do I find myself constantly reaching for the manual?
• Can the buttons on the watch be easily accessed when used in the field? How about when wearing various types of gloves and mittens? Can the buttons be easily tripped by bumping into something while wearing the watch?

• Is the alarm loud enough to wake me? Can the alarm be effective when the watch is suspended from the ceiling of a tent? Hearing an alarm is one thing - being able to pull one out of a deep slumber is quite another!
• Is the data displayed clear and easy to understand? Does it convey the relevant information "at a glance", or is the display filled with so much data that one needs a second to grasp what's being shown?
• How easy is the compass to use? Are readouts clear and accurate? Is it easy to find "true north," or must one be a math whiz, constantly ready to subtract values from 360 and estimating where the result falls on a compass-rose?
• How level must the compass be held in order to get an accurate read? Is it easier and more accurate to use on or off the wrist?
• Is the performance of the Highgear Axis watch's various features quick enough to allow for display and accurate interpretation by the user within the 3 seconds that the backlight is illuminated, or must one push buttons in rapid succession in order to get an illuminated, and accurate, reading?
• Is the azimuth ring easy to rotate when temperatures are below freezing, or does it lock?
• Is the azimuth ring easy to rotate when wearing gloves?
• Is the azimuth ring a trap for trail grit, which, upon entry, locks the mechanism?

• How well does the watch band hold up after six months of use?
• Is the watch really water resistant? Can I take it for a swim?
• Is the Axis watch compatible with commonly found replacement watch bands?
• Is the wristband and battery user-serviceable, or is a visit to the jeweler necessary?
• Can I use battery-draining features such as the backlight and compass at regular intervals throughout the six month test period without having to change the battery?

Personal Biographical Information:

Reviewer: Andrew Mytys Email: amytys (at) backpacker (dot) com Homepage: Andy's Lightweight Backpacking Site Location: Michigan Age: 33 Height: 6'1" (183 cm) Weight: 165 lbs (75 kg) Wrist Size: 6.75 inches (171 mm)

     Backpacking Background:

I live in Michigan and have been hiking seriously for 15 years, although I've camped since I was 6 years old. I consider myself a lightweight hiker. I carry the lightest gear I can get my hands on which will provide a comfortable wilderness experience and adequately support the goals of my trip. Unless my goals are time/distance oriented, my pace is always slow. I rarely exceed 1.5 miles (2.4 km)/hour. I rest frequently, hike long days, and enjoy whatever nature throws my way.

Reviews > Electronic Devices > Watches > Highgear Axis Altimeter Watch > Andy Mytys > Initial Report