Reviews > Electronic Devices > Watches > Highgear Axis Altimeter Watch > Stephanie Martin > Field Report

Field Report: Highgear Axis Altimeter Watch

Details in this Field Report are intended to be taken in addition to findings as listed in my Initial Report.

Contents

- Product Performance by Feature

    - General Operations and Product Design

    - Time

    - Thermometer

    - Compass

    - Barometer

    - Altimeter

    - Chronograph

    - Alarm

- Continued Test Strategy

- Summary

Field and Test Information:
Location(s) of test:	Here, there and everywhere...the watch has been on my wrist daily during the test period.  During this time, the watch has been worn to work, while running errands, while working out at the gym, into the shower and on my various escapades in the desert southwest.  The Axis also travelled with me on my Grand Adventure to European alpine country.
Terrain:	The Highgear Axis Altimeter watch has been exposed to sand, dirt, water and normal everyday conditions.  Elevations have varied from 1100 - 9200 feet (335 - 2800 meters) and terrain has ranged from grassy meadows to wooded forests and sandy slickrock sandstone expanses.
Weather Conditions:	Outside daytime temperatures have been as high as the low 100's Fahrenheit (high 30's - low 40's Celsius), with night time lows down to the 40's Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius), inside temps vary depending on central air settings

Product Performance by Feature
The Axis Altimeter Watch is a feature loaded watch with features including time (well, it is a watch after all!), date, compass, barometer (with weather forecast!), altimeter, chronograph and alarm - an awful lot to deliver in a small package! 

General Operations and Product Design
I will discuss each feature below in detail, but before I begin discussing the nitty gritty, I have some notes on the general operations of the Axis Altimeter Watch.  The Axis utilizes several buttons to navigate through each of its modes.  While each of the buttons is labeled with a reminder on the watch face, I quickly found I didn't need the text to jog my memory.  Navigation, for me, was intuitive - though I did notice that I did have a tendency to "overshoot" the mode I was navigating to.  I suspect this was due to sheer impatience and overzealousness on my part, however as the watch cycles through each of its modes in a predetermined order, if I missed the mode I wanted to reference, I had to keep on going until I hit it again (no option for scrolling "in reverse").  The one exception is navigating to the Time mode, which can be accessed somewhat quickly by pressing and holding the mode button in for about three seconds.  I have noticed that I don't take advantage of this feature as I am able to scroll through the modes in the same amount of time as it would take for me to "press and hold."  Setting or calibrating the watch also requires pressing and holding the set button for three seconds until the message "Adjust HOLD" (in most cases) is displayed and stops blinking in the main portion of the watch face.  I can only assume this is to prevent accidental activation of this feature and is good in thought, though I did find myself impatiently waiting to be able to make adjustments to the watch. 

As I mention in my initial report, the backlight on the Axis Altimeter Watch illuminates the text on the face, rather than illuminating the background of the face leaving the text in relief.  When activated in all but the brightest or darkest settings, I found the contrast of the watch text to be greatly compromised, resulting in difficulty in reading the watch.  The backlight, when illuminated, stays on for approximately three seconds.  Unfortunately, this is barely enough time for me to scroll through the watch modes before the backlight must be re-triggered.  In addition, this three second duration is definitely too short to be of much use if trying to set or calibrate the watch in the dark.  It does not appear to be possible to indefinitely activate the Axis' backlight function to facilitate these activities in low light conditions - I found it best to dig out a headlamp if I needed to make any adjustments (like setting alarm time!) late at night.

With regards to the physical appearance and functionality of the Axis, I will admit that while it is quite large (watch crystal is 1.25 inches (3.2 cm) in diameter), and not low profile (about 5/8ths inch (1.6 cm) in thickness), it is reasonably handsome.  Unfortunately, over the 2 months of field testing, my bone-colored Axis straps are showing a distinct green tinge when compared to the plastic housing of the watch face.  The discoloration is especially pronounced on the portions of the bumpy bits of the straps between each sizing hole.  Thus far, I have not been able to locate any replacement bands for the Axis, though I haven't needed any as the band isn't showing any signs of wear or tear in spite of my taking it off daily.  I did mange to slightly scuff the watch crystal on a previous Axis while climbing around in some sandstone canyons, however my current Axis' crystal remains unscathed (I have decided to leave the protective plastic on this newer watch to see if it aids in protection).  The buttons on the Axis are nicely placed and have not suffered from accidental manipulation while climbing or pursuing other activities.  The watch has been easy to don and doff, and has not interfered with any of my clothing. The rotating bezel around the face of the Axis can sometimes be difficult to rotate - there were occasions when I found my fingers slipping off it while trying to make adjustments.  I will note that because of the shape of the Axis and the way the bands attach, it is not possible to lay the watch down flat on a surface.  Instead, it must either rest on its side, or I must trap the band under something else if I want the face to remain upright for easier reference.
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Time:
As a watch, the most important feature of this item is its ability to maintain and display accurate time.  To test this feature, I set the watch to match the US Naval Observatory (USNO) Master Clock Time.  In the course of two months, my Axis has developed a ten second lag against the USNO Master Clock Time - I can live with that.  One of the nice features of this watch is its ability to tell time in two time zones.  The two settings share only the "seconds" measurement, leaving the hours, minutes and date to be set independently.  Switching between the time zones is easy, employing the ubiquitous "press and hold" technique.  I've found this feature to be most handy as I do business regularly with Asia and I'm always forgetting how many hours ahead my colleagues are.

Within the Time mode, it is possible to select between three primary displays.  The default display presents the date in the top field and the present temperature in the bottom field on the watch face.  The Barometer display mode shows a bar chart of recent barometric pressure readings for the last 24 hours in the top field and the current sea level barometric pressure in the bottom field.  The third display mode is the Weather display mode.  In the top field, the last 24 hours worth of barometric pressure are displayed.  In the bottom field, the current temperature is shown.  I found while I was in an urban setting, I preferred to leave the watch in the default time mode with the date showing in the top field; however while in the field, I found myself using the watch primarily in the Weather display mode.  One mode that is not available, and I think I would appreciate, is a time-altitude display mode, with altitude chart in the top field and current altitude displayed in the bottom field.  While hiking and adventuring, I found myself switching between the time mode and the altimeter mode of the watch.  If there was a hybrid display mode, I think I'd find myself fussing with the buttons a bit less frequently.
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Thermometer:
As mentioned above, the Axis Altimeter Watch is capable of detecting and displaying the current temperature.  Temperatures are reported in either Fahrenheit or Celsius (the units are set while in the watch's Barometer mode).  Conversion between the two units is accurate and I've noticed no discrepancies.  I will admit to being rather disappointed with this particular feature of the watch.  While the manual recommends that the watch be "reasonably separated from the body for a few minutes before taking a reading," I found that when comparing the Axis reading to that of an instant read thermometer with similar resolution (0.1 degrees), the watch was off by as much as fifteen degrees when worn, though on average, it was about ten degrees high.  Unfortunately, the watch is slow to respond to temperature shift even when removed from proximity to my body - the temperature reading would change once every sixty seconds, at the top of each minute, and even after twenty minutes of separation, the watch was still discrepant by up to five degrees.
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Compass:
The digital compass setting has also proven to be quite a disappointment, and even after the redesign (additional magnetic shielding added to the watch), it has lost its calibration several times, requiring recalibration in the field.  I can only speculate as to the cause of the calibration loss, as I don't recall coming close to any unusually strong electrical or magnetic fields in my travels (unless you count the standard security screens in airports).  I did note that the performance in cities was much more poor than while out in the wilderness.  I suspect this is due to the high quantities of miscellaneous electrical fields present in everyday city life. 

While my watch seems to read North and South headings fine, East and West appear to provide some difficulty  - reading up to ten degrees off (when compared to a traditional compass).  I did notice that the compass reading was particularly sensitive to tilt, so holding the compass level is definitely of great importance.  I found that I had to take the watch off and hold it in my hand to get a more stable reading. Regardless of whether the Axis was worn or held in my hand, I had difficulty holding still enough to get a stable reading (it would usually fluctuate by a several degrees), and since I couldn't set the compass to a continuous mode, I found it bothersome and interruptive to try to use the digital compass as it required cessation of motion on my part to use it.  While it was possible for me to obtain a general bearing, I would not rely on this feature for orienteering activities where more precision is required.
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Barometer:
The barometer mode displays the current sea level barometric pressure, a chart depicting the last 24 hours of barometric pressure is displayed along with the current weather forecast.  The weather forecast is an estimate of the weather conditions for the next several hours and is determined based on past and current barometric trends.  Compared to data from the Weather Channel, I have found the barometric pressure to be accurate and off by an average of 1 hPa. Unfortunately, I can't report the same for the weather forecast, which I found to be accurate only 30% of the time when left to its own devices.  Even after adjusting the "current weather" (which essentially resets the forecast algorithm of the watch) on a routine basis, I found the accuracy to improve to only 50%.  I will say that I did find the barometric pressure chart to be very helpful in my own estimation of what the weather would do, as it clearly displays the past 24 hour pressure trend data.

I should note that the weather forecasting capability of the watch seemed to be more accurate when used in regions where weather patterns are more "typical".  The above mentioned 30 and 50% accuracy rates were for weather in the desert southwest, where small shifts in the barometric pressure do not correspond to any appreciable change in the weather.  My experience in high mountain regions also did not seem to be blessed with accurate weather forecasts, as the mountains appear to make their own weather.  I did find 80 to 90% accuracy while spending time in Holland and New York.
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Altimeter:
The altimeter mode displays a readout of the present altitude in either whole feet or meters.  Conversion between the units is accurate and no discrepancies have been noted.  When I first received my watch, I set it to a known altitude based on my GPS and a topo map.  I checked readings in two locations twice daily for a month while not subjecting the watch to long distance travels or travels that resulted in much elevation change (less than 500 feet (150 meters)).  During that month, the Axis had drifted off target by about 10 feet (3 meters).  Because the Axis utilizes pressure change in calculating the altitude, the manufacturer recommends re-calibrating the watch regularly if it is important to have an accurate altimeter reading.  During the course of a trip (with no major weather systems moving through), the altimeter seems to track elevation to a reasonable level.  In the course of a day, at a known elevation, I have noted an average drift of 20 feet (7 meters). 

One way I had hoped to use the altimeter was to record drop length in canyons, however I somehow forgot that this only measures change in vertical distance - and many rappels are not vertically "perfect" and often involve going down a less than vertical surface.  So, while I might be able to record vertical distance of a rappel, it is an almost useless statistic, as what I really care about is how much rope I need to get myself safely from the top of a drop to the bottom.

In addition to simply measuring present elevation, the watch tracks and stores maximum altitude attained  and accumulated altitude (since the last reset).  While I didn't find these statistics particularly useful, they were nice pieces of information to know - especially at the end of the day when I'm wondering why my legs feel like rubber...perhaps it was due to all that accumulated altitude!

The Axis Altimeter Watch can also store up to twenty altitude data points (saved by...you guessed it! Pressing and holding a button!) for easy review and retrieval at a later point.  When saved, each data point records the altitude and time and date of the reading.  I never found myself wishing to record elevation while hiking, but I imagine if I was peak bagging, it might be nice to record the tops of each peak and the time and date each summit was reached.
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Chronograph:
In Chrono mode, the watch provides basic chronograph functionality.  I have not had occasion to use this function other than as a stopwatch for cooking - and honestly, I would prefer a (count down-type) timer rather than a chronograph.  I think I'd appreciate this feature more if I ran set courses as a matter of routine, that way I could check to see if my fitness is improving over time...perhaps I'll have to see about adjusting my exercise routine during the long term testing to make better use of this function.
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Alarm:
The alarm mode allows for two separate time-of-day alarms to be set.  Each can be individually enabled or disabled.  Both alarms can be set to trigger based on time zone; the appropriate time zone is selected during alarm setting. I've used the alarm as a wake up call in the morning, and also to remind me to take temperature readings for this test series.  The alarm has been easy to set and use, and while the chime isn't very loud, it is loud enough to wake me up when the watch is placed somewhere within arms reach of my head.  Unfortunately, if left on my wrist while sleeping, I found I was able to sleep right through the alarm - especially when bundled into a mummy shaped sleeping bag with my arms tucked down inside the bag. While in the Alarm mode, it is possible to set the Axis to chime hourly, though after verifying its function, I have ceased using this feature.
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Continued Test Strategy
I will continue to wear the Axis Altimeter Watch daily during the remainder of the test period, however I may start wearing it around a belt or pack loop to see if it can still be easily read while possibly improving the usefulness of the thermometer.  The Axis will be worn for all adventure activities and will continue to be exposed to sun, sweat, perhaps rain, sand and grit, and all varieties of water - from clear running stream water to murky, smelly stagnant water as found in slot canyons.  I'll continue to evaluate each feature for accuracy, ease of use and field applicability.
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Summary
Having never had an altimeter watch, I'm still not quite sure what I should have expected in terms of performance.  While the Axis is handsome in appearance, it leaves something to be desired in terms of its content and has left me frustrated a time or two.  With that said, here are my likes and dislikes:

Woo Hoos (likes):
- Nice appearance and presentation - the Axis is easy to read and presents a remarkable amount of information
- Multitudes of colors - I appreciate the fact that the watch does come in several colors - too often I've seen watches come only in boring black
- Barometric Pressure Trend - The 24 hour trend has proven useful in my own estimation of the weather forecast

General Comment:
- The Axis is a rather large watch, and it may need to be that way to get all the electronics inside.  I would prefer a smaller, lower profile watch for the simple reason that my wrists are quite small
- The Axis' alarm is quite quiet, and I find it works best for me when I take the watch off and place it somewhere near my head

Boo Hoos (areas for improvement):
- Thermometer - at this time, I am convinced that this is a major area for improvement on this watch - I realize body temperature will affect the reading, however I would like to think that it wouldn't take over twenty minutes to get a stable and accurate reading
- Compass - good only for general bearing purposes - hard to obtain a stable reading, as it is very sensitive to tilt
- Backlight - the backlight, when activated in all but the brightest or dimmest light, makes the text on the watch difficult to read.  In full light or complete dark, it works fine.  In addition, I wish the backlight was lit longer to enable watch calibration and adjustment in the dark - right now, I need to dig out my headlamp to accomplish this activity.
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My thanks to BackpackGearTest.org and Highgear for this testing opportunity.

Reviews > Electronic Devices > Watches > Highgear Axis Altimeter Watch > Stephanie Martin > Field Report