Reviews > Electronic Devices > Watches > Highgear Axis Altimeter Watch > Roger Caffin > Long Term Report

Long Term Report - Highgear Axis Watch
Roger Caffin

Product Information

Initial Impressions and Field Report

My initial impressions of the watch are given in the Initial Report. They were a bit mixed. The first two units received failed in the compass section, and eventually a third rebuilt unit was received.

My Field Test experiences are given in the Field Report. To summarise: I found that the Time and Barometer parts of the watch functioned well but that the Compass part was not suitable for my navigation needs. The Altimeter function (which uses data from the barometer component) functioned and was useful, but the method of data presentation was not entirely satisfactory. The software algorithm used attempted to correct for weather changes, but this process was not satisfactory in my experience. Finally, I found that the case and strap were too bulky for my needs.

Longer Term experiences

During the period of this Long Term Report I spent eight weeks walking along the Spanish and French Pyrenees with my wife. After some hesitation I decided to take the watch on this trip, and this report will be mainly based on experiences during this trip.

The watch kept time very well, as might be expected for a modern electronic device. In addition, the two other units I had received also kept time very well against each other while I was away.

I tried to use the alarm to wake us early in the mornings so we could start walking before the Spanish days got too hot. The alarm function worked in principle, but the noise it made was too high pitched, too brief and too quiet to wake me up. Perhaps age has something to do with this. Provided it was hanging near my wife's head, it did wake my wife on some mornings - but not always. I cannot say the alarm was reliable in use. I would need it to be louder, lower-pitched, and to sound for longer.

The altimeter does need to be reset or adjusted for pressure changes due to the weather, but this is perfectly normal for such a unit. The adjustments are easy to do in principle (but see below about the button). In fact, we did use the altimeter for navigation in the Pyrenees somewhat more than I had expected: it made estimating our position on a long ascending track much easier. It was mainly for this altimeter function that I had taken the watch on the trip anyhow, and it was of some value.

However, the algorithm used to distinguish between weather and climbing remains a big nuisance. After a sudden storm here in Sydney I can find the altitude of my house permanently out by 200 m (600') quite easily. The algorithm has failed to distinguish between the pressure changes from the storm and those one would get from climbing. The watch would be a far more reliable and trustworthy unit if the algorithm was disabled or (better) completely removed.

The buttons and their operation have been designed with the aim of preventing accidental operation, as explained in the two previous reports. Despite this I did find sometimes that just floating around in my shirt pocket was enough to trigger changes in the display. I was not able to work out why this happened, although clearly the Mode button must have been pressed. My pack for this trip did not have a sternum strap, so I can only assume the watch got 'squeezed' in my pocket in some other fashion. While this was a mild irritation, it was easy enough to reset the watch when it did happen and it did not present a significant problem. Most digital watches seem to have this problem anyhow.

Of greater concern was the slow deterioration in response of the critical Set/Reset/Light button. This button has to be pressed for a few seconds in order to make any changes to a parameter. Towards the end of the Long Term Report period I found it increasingly difficult to get the watch to respond to this button. The barometer algorithm frequently manages to get things wrong when we have a sudden storm, necessitating a correction to the barometer reading, so this difficulty has become a serious problem. If it gets much worse I may not be able to reset the barometer/altimeter, and the main value of the unit will have been lost.

The altimeter function includes an accumulation of height gained. That is, if you go up and down 10 m, it records the 10 m gain. While not an essential feature by any means, this did prove to be entertaining. The guide book we were using claimed that the Spanish track (the GR11) had a total height gain of (roughly) 39,000 m (127,000'). The watch logged an accumulated height gain of nearly double that for half the length of the track. I climbed those metres: I believe the watch! The manual said the watch had to be in altimeter mode for the altitude recording to work: I am still not sure whether this is so or not.

The altimeter function can display a graph of altitude over time. Now this can be good fun, but I was never sure what the scale was. I fact, there were times when I was convinced there was no scale: that the vertical display just expanded to fill the space available. That is, it didn't seem to matter whether I had just climbed 100 or 1000 metres (or feet): the 'hill' on the display looked about the same. The manual does not help here. The feature was not essential.

I did not use the compass function. Previous tests had convinced me that I could not rely on it. I used a simple conventional magnetic compass (see Owner Review) instead. Having opened up the watch and inspected the magnetic sensors, I feel that the watch could have been made much neater and smaller if the compass feature had been omitted - but that would be another watch.

I did not use the other functions (chronometer, data storage, etc) available in the watch during the walk so I cannot report on them either. This means they were of little value to me, but others might differ.

The batteries continue to function in all three units, so I cannot report on battery life. I did not use the power-hungry compass function and seldom used the backlight feature per se, so one could expect power consumption to be low, but the life of the batteries (so far!) is proving satisfactory. However, it should be noted that changing any of the parameters requires pressing the Set/Reset/Light button for a few seconds, and that does activate the backlight.

I have not actually taken the watch swimming, but I have worn it in the rain and wading rivers. In that time it got wet all over but not significantly pressurised. I have not seen any sign of any water inside it, not even a drop of condensation. When I opened it up, as explained in the Field Report, I did see a good O-ring seal under the back plate. It would seem that this was effective.

When it was delivered there was a layer of sticky plastic on the front face: the usual scratch-protection stuff. This plastic was reasonably thick, so I left it on. The adhesive must be good: it is still there! So while there are a few scuff marks elsewhere, there are no scratches on the window yet.

Test Results

I spelt out a number of tests to be run in the Initial Report and ran through some of them in the Field Report. Long-term updates are as follows.

• Ergonomics
• How easy is it to learn how to use all the functions?
  I ended up only using a subset of the features, but their use became automatic fairly quickly.
• How usable are the various push buttons, and is it easy to accidentally knock them and change the operating mode?
  The buttons are quite large and fairly easy to operate. The accidental bump problem seems to be reduced but it is not solved by the little software time delay. Some resets still occurred. However, a critical button is deteriorating in reliability.
• Are the watch strap and the strap pins robust enough?   and   Is the watch comfortable to wear?
  I found the strap too bulky for my use, and had to remove it. The strap pins seem strong enough, but were not stressed.
• Does the watch face survive being bashed around a bit in our scrub, or while abseiling in canyons?
  Yes, but I have stopped wearing the watch on my wrist so this has not really been tested any further.
• Just how good is the waterproofing, and how long does it survive?
  This has not been severely tested, but so far it seems good.
• Is the watch readable at night with the EL illumination on for only 3 seconds?
  Certainly.
• What sort of life does the battery have?
  They are still all surviving.
• Barometer/Altimeter
• Is the altimeter easy to use in the field?
  Yes, very, although I did mistake the barometric reading of 1020 mbar for altitude once. However, having climbed about 300 m (1000') with no apparent change in reading, I soon recognised my mistake.
• Do typical barometric variations make the altimeter of limited value?
  Not really, as long as I remember to allow for them and to check the 'zero' as often as possible. I was able to correct the altitude at least once a day from the topo maps we were using (although the correction was often just done mentally).
• How useful is the extrapolated sea level pressure, and does it work?and Can the watch distinguish between slow weather changes and climbing a mountain?
  The algorithm used for these functions proved to be unreliable. In fact, I find it a serious (even unacceptable) nuisance. I would prefer it was removed, or at least an option provided to disable it.
• How useful are the barometric and altitude graphs on a watch face that small?
  They were of limited use, but were entertaining.
• How useful is the weather prediction facility?
  This was of some use at home in Australia, but I was not sufficiently familiar with European weather that I could rely on the forecasts. Anyhow, most of the time in Spain it was just hot and humid, and I think the continuous height changes each day may have confused it, so there was little scope to test it.

Key likes, dislikes and Summary

Likes
Altimeter information, despite uncertainties
Clear display
Multiple parameters on screen
More reliable button operation than some (but definitely not perfect)
Pressure graph and weather symbols (minor)
Accumulated height - just as a 'fancy that'

Neutral or not useful
The digital compass and its 10 second operation do not match my needs and I do not use them
The temperature measurement is too affected by my wearing the watch to be of real use
The data storage functions were never used
The chronometer function was never used

Dislikes
Very large body (this is relative to my taste)
Rigid strap arrangement (cute styling maybe, but not for me)
Slow failure of one button
Long wait on screen changes until text display (eg "Barometer") is replaced by real data
The whole attempt to correct the barometric readings for weather changes and the emphasis on sea level pressure
Putting the estimate of sea level pressure rather than the measured pressure in the middle of the screen.
The alarm is too quiet and cannot be relied upon
Poor choice of items displayed with time (prefer altitude or absolute pressure to useless temperature)
Having to have the watch in the altimeter mode if I want to record cumulative height changes (I think)

Would I buy it?
I have reproduced here most of what I wrote in the Field Report as my sentiments have not really changed.

In short, no. I would like an altimeter/barometer for walking, but I would really prefer a smaller one than this. Perhaps the styling experts think the appearance is 'macho', but it is too bulky for my taste. The barometer correction algorithm is both a total failure and a serious inconvenience in my experience. The compass function proved to be both too inconvenient and too unreliable to use in the field. The alarm is too quiet. The other features - data storage, thermometer, chronometer etc do not add much value for me. Finally, the price is rather high relative to the limited value it brings to me.

In general I prefer a unit which does only one job, but does it very well, and I would prefer it compact and inconspicuous. In this case I would prefer a smaller unit which was dedicated solely to the barometer/altimeter function. However, these are my personal preferences, and others may find the watch quite suitable.

Reviewer Details

Reviewer:	Roger Caffin
Age:	59
Gender:	M
Email address:	r dot (surname) at acm dot org
Location:	Sydney, NSW, Australia

Backpacking Background

I started bushwalking (the Australian term) when I was about 14 years old and took up rock climbing and remote exploration walking at University with the girl who became my wife. Later on we took up ski touring and canyoning. These days all our trips involve just the two of us. Over the last few years we have become converted to the concept of ultra-lightweight walking, and we have been cutting our total pack weights down from 18 - 20 kg (40 - 45 lb) to about 12 kg (26 lb) for week-long trips. That's not counting climbing rope or extra water for a dry camp - both happen. Our preferred walking trips in Australia are long ones: about a week in the general Blue Mts (east coast of Australia) and Snowy Mts (alpine region), and up to two months long in Europe and the UK. Ski touring trips would also typically last up to a week. We favour fairly hard trips of some length and prefer to travel fast and light. Many of our trips are exploratory in wild country which sees few other walkers. In between these long trips we do some day walks, often exploring the start of longer trips. On average, we would spend at least two days per week walking or ski touring. In addition, I spend a lot of time designing and making ultralightweight gear for Australian conditions.

I am also the maintainer of the Australian aus.bushwalking FAQ web site www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/, and I have written gear reviews for a local walking magazine Wild and for BackpackingLight.

Reviews > Electronic Devices > Watches > Highgear Axis Altimeter Watch > Roger Caffin > Long Term Report