Wrist watches are a clear statement and useful companion at the same time. Whether on a beach holiday, wellness holiday, adventure holiday or active holiday - the wrist watch now shows significantly more than just the current time. Travelers can choose from conventional mechanical wristwatches, sports watches, outdoor multifunctional watches and smartwatches from various manufacturers. We introduce you to watches for the journey, which grace not only stylish the wrist, but you also can support you correctly on journeys and on vacation.

The dress code on the five-star Maldives island is: barefoot. You go to dinner in a tropical paradise with light chinos, a white shirt loosely rolled up, a well-tanned look and that deeply relaxed holiday smile that really comes from the heart. The dress code is casual, almost inconspicuous.

The only thing flashing on the wrist is a large silver watch; the manufacturer and series cannot be seen from a distance - stylish, discreet and striking in contrast to the tanned skin and white shirt. What brand is it from – and what kind of model might it be? Chronograph or chronometer? Elegant watches are a real statement of good taste, and not just on luxury holidays in the Maldives or Seychelles. But it works completely differently.

Travel watches can also serve a completely different purpose. Anyone who fights through wilderness and untouched nature with a fully packed backpack on an active holiday or adventure holiday - or even very practical on city trips - may need more than just a chronograph with a stop function. For active and competitive athletes who want to really give it their all on vacation, an outdoor watch - usually in the form of a multifunctional sports watch - is most likely the best choice.

These include fitness watches as well as many smartwatch models, all of which have a variety of important functions that really support you on your tours. They can even help rescue people in an emergency situation. The scenarios between the elegant chronometer on a luxury trip and the multifunctional sports watch for active people couldn't be more different - and yet watches when traveling are more than just a nice gimmick. They are an important part of travel equipment that meets a wide range of requirements and should of course be chosen very carefully.

Overview – What features should watches offer when traveling?

• Watch case made of high quality materials such as stainless steel, aluminum or durable plastic
• Cover glass made of sapphire or mineral glass
• Motion sensors and powerful processor
• reliable battery performance
• current maps and navigation via GPS, GLONASS and Galileo
• popular routes (running tracks, hiking trails, bicycle paths)
• Heart rate measurement on the wrist
• Record various activities such as running, hiking, climbing, mountain biking
• Steps, step frequency and vertical movements
• 3-axis compass
• Barometer
• Count calories (movement calories, resting calories)
• Measurement of oxygen saturation in the blood
• fall detection
• Detection of heart problems
• Tracking for friends and family
• Social media integrations
• interchangeable bracelets in different designs

Reliable watches when travelling

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Travel watches - the most important functions

The functions of chronometers and chronographs are manageable. Typically these are features such as the time display, a stopwatch, the date display and the display of some similar displays. Mechanical wristwatches are relatively limited in their range of functions, but are often a handcrafted precision instrument and, above all, a strong statement of good taste.

The situation is completely different with multifunctional sports watches and smartwatches. The appearance of many wearables is not irrelevant, but is fundamentally subordinate to their function. So far I haven't seen a smartwatch that really impressed me visually. After all, some models are built in Europe and do not come from the Far East. Fitness watches, outdoor watches and multifunctional sports watches impress with the variety of their functions.

Most of these wearables combine important functions such as GPS, GLONASS and Galileo for navigation while traveling. Navigation is one of the most important features, especially for a sports watch when traveling. The intelligent timers also offer relatively precise measurement of vital signs such as heart rate and, in some cases, oxygen saturation in the blood.

Lots of useful properties for vacation

Depending on the manufacturer and model, these watches have many other practical features for travel, which include telephony and emergency call functions, fall detection, fast processors and a high-resolution screen, as well as social media connection, sending messages and recording numerous sporting activities. When purchasing, you should also pay attention to a high battery capacity that lasts at least the day from morning to evening.

With their numerous functions, the multifunctional timepieces are practical and tireless companions when traveling, providing valuable information at a glance on your wrist - without having to take your smartphone out of your pocket. The range of functions of these watches is likely to increase significantly in the future, as most manufacturers are working on exciting innovations - for example, devices for measuring blood sugar (without a puncture) are in the works.

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Smartwatch as a multifunctional outdoor watch traveling - or rather a mechanical wristwatch?

I have already asked myself the question: Should I use a smartwatch as a multifunctional outdoor watch when traveling and in everyday life or perhaps I would rather use a mechanical wrist watch? Since I'm currently a smartwatch wearer, I occasionally miss the high-quality look of a normal mechanical wristwatch. Among the diving watches, sailing watches, surfing watches and pilot's watches, there are numerous models that are true pieces of jewelry and that you can wear simply because of their incredibly great design and loving manufacturing.

Such watches don't necessarily have to be expensive; you can even buy high-quality, waterproof diving watches cheaply. Conversely, I cannot decide to switch to an automatic men's watch because then I would have to forego a whole range of important functions that I love to use in a watch in everyday life and when traveling. Some time ago, some well-known manufacturers tried to develop hybrids between a mechanical watch and a smartwatch - but I haven't heard anything about it for a long time.

Heart rate measurement is an argument for a smartwatch

The function that makes a smartwatch indispensable for me when traveling and in everyday life is heart rate measurement. This feature provides me with a lot of valuable data about my current heart health throughout the day. I would absolutely miss this measurement if I had a mechanical wristwatch when traveling. In addition, you can quickly make an emergency call in emergency situations while on vacation. Of course, it is part of the calculation of smartwatch manufacturers and fitness watch providers to equip their timers with essential functions that you would not want to travel without.

That's why it seems to me that the only way out is to take a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, actually using the smartwatch or outdoor watch and, on the other hand, also having a high-quality mechanical watch that you can easily wear on special occasions such as important meetings, formal dinners or similar events. In addition, such watches are of course clearly preferable to a smartwatch or sports watch when traveling for a leisurely dinner on a luxury Maldives island.

Buy a sports watch for vacation

Multifunctional sports watches for travel

If you have big plans for your next trip and are planning an extensive hiking tour, bike tour or climbing tour, you should (in addition to) a mechanical wristwatch also use a multifunctional sports watch or smartwatch. There are numerous models from the major manufacturers Garmin, Fitbit, Polar, TomTom and Samsung. So far we have the one from the Finnish premium manufacturer Suunto Suunto 9 Peak (Review) thoroughly checked.

Among the smartwatches we have the Apple Watch examined in detail and tried out in long-term tests while surfing and SUP, swimming in sea water, in the sauna, while traveling and jogging. Extensive tests of the Samsung Galaxy Watch for users who prefer the Android operating system should also follow soon.  

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Do watches provide any real benefit when traveling?

My conclusion

When traveling, high-quality watches are actually among the most important companions - naturally next to your human travel companions. On the one hand as a jewel, mechanical wristwatches can be worn for dinner, in the hotel lounge and in the yacht club. If you really consider an analog wristwatch to be a piece of jewelery, you do not need to ask yourself if such a timepiece will do any good on your travels. You wear it like a bracelet or as a necklace as a jewelry.

Great use of smartwatches when traveling

On the other hand, there is the great benefit of a smartwatch or multifunctional outdoor watch. It can be used in a variety of ways when traveling and, in addition to many informative functions about health and vital signs, it also offers some important safety functions, which is particularly useful for active people and athletes on vacation. For some outdoor sports, fall detection or the ability to make a quick emergency call can be crucial.

I wouldn't attach too much importance to the question of the purpose of such a watch - either it's a piece of jewelry or it's a powerful little computer on your wrist. In both cases, a watch definitely has its place when traveling - and ideally you just get both.

What watches do you use when traveling and on vacation? Let us know your experience in the comments.