A watch isn’t just for keeping track of time. In fact, good watches, especially compass wristwatches, offer a whole range of innovative and impressive features for the home and the outdoors.
The best compass watch will help you find your way by providing accurate navigational assistance on the go as you enjoy a stroll, backcountry hike, camping, expedition, or mountaineering.
They are particularly useful when you’re in remote areas with limited cell phone coverage.
Not only suitable for outdoor activities, but most compass watches also look good when paired with everyday clothes.
There are two popular types of compass watches available on the market — analog (solar) and digital.
Considering the many choices, it can get overwhelming to narrow down to what’s right for you. This is where we come in.
To help you choose the best outdoor watch with a compass, we tested and tried several timepieces. The ones that stood out are mentioned below.
Read on to find what may be right for you!
See Our Best Watches With A Compass
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| 1
Best Overall
1Casio SGW100 Twin Sensor Compass Watch
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| 2
Best For Higher Budgets
2Casio AG240T Pathfinder Compass Watch
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| 3
Best For Low Budgets
3Citizen Altichron Eco-Drive Compass Watch
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| 4 |
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1. Casio SGW100 Twin Sensor Compass Watch
- Auto calendar
- Storage battery
- Three years of battery life
- Includes thermometer, graphic direction pointer, magnetic declination correction, and bearing sensor
The Casio SGW100 Twin Sensor watch provides you the best of both sports and navigation.
This model comes with a strong protective mineral crystal, which makes the surface scratch resistant and hard to splinter.
With 51.5 x 47.6 x 13.2mm, the watch is extremely lightweight and won’t feel much of a burden on the wrist while worn.
Additionally, the case of this amazing compass watch is made from resin/aluminum for increased flexibility, durability, and style.
This Casio SGW100 watch also comes with a temperature, direction sensor.
It provides highly accurate readings using its graphic direction pointer, bearing correction, thermometer, and magnetic declination correction.
What impressed us most about the Casio SGW100 Twin Sensor watch is that it is very easy to maintain thanks to its resin band.
If the strap gets dirty, wipe it using a damp cloth, and it would look good as new!
Furthermore, the featured band is black in color, ao it pairs well with any attire, no matter the occasion.
The watch also offers a water-resistant rating of about 600ft (200m).
Therefore, if you are the outdoorsy sort and like testing yourself in the water or on the hiking trail, this compass watch is right up your alley!
Specifications
Pros
- Offers water-resistant rating up to 200M
- Twin sensor (temperature and direction)
- Includes Stopwatch alarm
- Large LCD
- Mineral glass
Cons
- Some users complained that the band’s rubber starts to crack after prolonged usage
2. Casio AG240T Pathfinder Compass Watch
- 100m/330ft water resistant
- Solar charging
- World time along with 31 time-zones
- Auto calendar
- Auto backlight
- Digital compass
- Countdown timer
- Triple sensor
The Casio Men’s PAG240T Pathfinder is one of the most sought-after sports compass watches around.
It offers excellent value for money, several special functions, and an elegant design.
If you like to venture outside for an intense swimming session or to scale a hiking trail, this PAG240T Pathfinder from Casio might be an ideal pick for you.
The watch has an intriguing design with three buttons on one side for triple sensor functions, including compass, barometer, and altimeter.
Other than this, the watch has four more buttons for various functions, including accessing the backlight.
It comes with a digital duplex LCD with two separate layers for ease-of-operation.
The watch provides clear and crisp readings to ensure zero difficulties in telling time or while following directions.
What we particularly liked about this Casio Pathfinder is that it is crafted from high-quality resin, which makes it shock and scratch-resistant.
And the band is also made of resin, providing a comfortable feel and a tight grip.
Moreover, its solar charge battery will keep your mind off from worries and in the zone!
Specifications
Pros
- High quality build with three different sensors at the disposal
- Best value for money
- Highly durable
Cons
- Countdown timer only allows for hours and minutes setting and not seconds, which makes it undesirable for people looking for minute precision
3. Citizen Altichron Eco-Drive Compass Watch
- Mineral crystal with an anti-reflective layer
- Compass
- Titanium case
- Rubber strap
- Altimeter
The Citizen Men’s BN5030-06E Altichron Eco-Drive watch is the latest compass watch from the popular Promaster series.
This model comes equipped with top-notch features that will help you navigate your days with comfort, style, and functionality!
With a case diameter of 47mm and a thickness of 17.5mm, the watch provides a good fit on the wrist.
This timepiece has a noticeable dial that will divert attention to your wrist; with time, it will adapt to your arm and become exceedingly comfortable to wear.
Furthermore, it comes with a high-quality mineral crystal and a robust titanium case, which allows the watch to be as tough as possible with minimal weight.
What we liked about this Citizen Altichron compass watch is that even though the dial seems crowded, it fuses orange, white, and yellow to portray a look of edginess and class.
Some of the other amazing features include Eco-drive tech, altimeter, electronic compass, water-resistance of up to 200m, and many more!
Specifications
Pros
- It comes with a water resistance rating of up to 660ft or 200m
- Colorful dial
- High-quality build
- Impressive design
- Japanese Quartz movement
- Date window
- Buckle closure
Cons
- Some customers complained that it has a loose band keeper
4. Timex T49612 Expedition Compass Watch
- Shock resistant
- Digital compass
- Long-lasting resin case
- Buckle closure strap
- Indigo light-up dial
- Water-resistant
Timex T49612 Expedition Compass Watch is designed specifically to withstand tough and rugged use.
The watch can also function as your digital compass. It comes with a unique Indigo light-up dial that aids in telling the time in dark and dim conditions.
This feature also helps when following directions at night time, especially during hikes.
The case is crafted from resin, which makes the watch shock-resistant and highly durable. Furthermore, the band includes an adjustable buckle closure for a comfortable fit.
A major plus of this Timex model is that you can wear it as much as you want without worrying about sweaty wrists.
Moreover, the watch comes with a water-resistance rating of about 660ft (200m), making it useful for professional water sports athletes!
It also includes a useful 99 lap counter, which can help you improve your performance while swimming.
However, it is not suitable for scuba diving.
In addition to that, this compass watch has a range of notable features such as a 24-hour timer, a display heading up to 16 cardinal directions, three different time-zones, and a date display, among others.
Specifications
Pros
- Impressive digital compass for accurate directions
- Reverse LCD and multiple color usage provide an enhanced look
- Water-resistant up to 660ft so you won’t have a sloppy bracelet feel
- Extremely rugged
Cons
- Some users complained that it has a stiff rubber strap
5. Pyle Multifunction Sports Compass Watch
- Multiple modes
- Dual time (12/24 hours) function
- Internal memory
- Embedded calendar
- EL backlight
The Pyle Multifunction Sports Compass Watch is an all-in-one watch to help you stay on track anywhere from the sea coast to mountains.
It provides accurate direction and gives you other useful information about your geographical position and its pressure, altitude, and temperature.
Furthermore, it also provides real-time weather forecasts and has a dual-time operation feature that provides you with a second time-zone on the same dial.
Due to the electroluminescent (EL) backlight of the watch, you can conveniently use it at night and in extremely low-light environments.
With this timepiece, you can enjoy climbing, running, or strolling into the mountains at any time of the day.
Some of the impressive features of Pyle Multifunction Sports Compass Watch include an embedded pre-programmed calendar with time, day, month, minute, hour, and second display.
Additionally, it shows min/max altitude, min/max temperature, accumulated altitude descent, and ascent.
Lastly, this Pyle watch can withstand the elements as it is highly water-resistant; wear it in the bath, when you’re swimming, or at the beach, without giving it a second thought!
Specifications
Pros
- Water-resistant
- Comes with impressive useful features like altimeter, barometer, thermometer, and chronograph
- Allows you to retrieve data up to 34 hours
- Built-in calendar with time, hour, minute, day display
Cons
- Lacks shock resistant feature
Compass Watch Buying Guide
Type
Here are some of the common types of compass watches available on the market:
Digital Compass Watch
Digital compass watches are convenient, easy to use, and are backed by state-of-the-art technologies.
They provide seamless functionality in mountains, hills, swimming pools, and beaches.
These types of compass watches offer accurate information on the go and are normally tough and rugged pieces of engineering.
Its electronic sensors can measure magnetic fields and provide precise readings with minimal interference.
Also, keep in mind the display of these timepieces consumes more battery due to its many features.
Analog or Solar Compass Watch
Analog or solar compass watches are traditional-style watches featuring classic hands and dials.
They don’t have digital technology like their counterparts. Analog compass watches are more in-demand as opposed to other variants.
Since these watches are solar-powered, you only need to ensure that they receive adequate sunlight.
Plus, they are an effective tool to keep track of time and provide accurate directions.
Analog or solar compass watches are similar in many ways to automatic watches — traditional style, no battery replacements required, and usages of old technologies.
All in all, these provide precise readings.
Accuracy
Another component you need to consider before making a purchase is ‘accuracy.’
After all, a compass watch can only be considered the best and ‘most accurate compass watch’ if it tells direction and time precisely.
Inaccuracy, particularly in a compass, makes the watch counterproductive.
Furthermore, make sure the wristwatch you buy allows for smooth adjustments so that you will always be abreast with the most accurate time.
Added Features
If you are a hiker, mountaineer, swimmer, or marine looking for an effective way to tell time and direction, you should look for a watch with a compass and temperature.
The multi-taskers will be looking for a timepiece that does more than tell time and direction and a whole range of other features.
For more on this, read on!
Temperature
If you are looking for the best compass watches available, you’re probably an avid fan of the outdoors.
Maybe you are an adventure seeker who loves to hike and go on camping trips!
Therefore, your compass watch should have all the important bells and whistles like temperature sensors.
They measure the surrounding temperature and convert it into electronic data that can be seen by the wearer.
Besides the temperature sensors, you should also look at whether it is weather resistant or not. If it’s not, look for the piece that is!
Water Resistance
Water resistance implies the ability and the capacity of a watch to withstand any water-related activity from brief immersion, splashes, bathing, or swimming.
Simply put, water resistance tells you how waterproof your watch is. You will find that the best compass watches come with a water-resistant rating anywhere from 90m to 330m and beyond.
Always choose a watch based on your activity. For instance, if you are a professional marine or a swimmer, choose a compass watch with a higher water resistance rating.
Altimeter Barometer
An altimeter barometer is one of the most important things you should consider when buying a compass watch.
This is because, with a well-functioning, accurate barometer, you can monitor variations in atmospheric pressure and be alerted about any impending storms near you.
While an altimeter – which can be pretty handy if you are hiking or mountaineering – measures altitude. It tells you about your distance above sea level.
Remember, many altimeters are also barometers, which means they measure altitude by calculating the air pressure.
For more ABC watches, make sure you read our guide on it.
Shock Resistance
This feature protects the internal instruments of the compass watch from damage.
When shock resistance is paired with sturdy construction, it can significantly increase the durability of a compass watch.
Materials
The band material is an important factor that can affect suitability and functionality.
Compass watches come in different materials.
The most common and insanely popular material among consumers is resin because it is affordable and waterproof.
Compared to resin, silicon is also a readily used material due to its high water resistance rating.
Another option you can choose is leather. It is a popular choice for many compass watch lovers because it goes well with trailing, hiking, and even social gatherings.
Metal, particularly titanium, is another popular material used in some of the most high-end compass watches.
Battery Life
Battery lifespan in all watches, especially compass watches, is a very important deciding factor. You certainly don’t want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere with a run-down battery.
Battery life depends on the type of watch you choose to buy and the number of features it comes with,
Nevertheless, you can find some of the best compass watches with battery life ranging from one year to a lifetime.
Size
Watch size does matter!
Otherwise, what good is a watch if it doesn’t sit well on your wrist?
Compass watches come in all shapes and sizes; therefore, it is important to choose one that is comfortable to wear.
If you are looking for the best small compass watch, choose a size between 38mm and 46mm.
However, if you want a compass watch with a big case diameter, go for something beyond 46mm.
Pricing Range
When searching for a compass watch, always take into account your budget.
The market is full of a wide range of choices with different prices and features.
The more features a watch has, the greater would be its price.
However, you should choose a compass watch that provides good value for money.
Consequently, you can find a decent compass watch for hiking, trailing, swimming, and mountaineering, anywhere between $50 and $200.
Our Verdict
A compass watch is a reliable companion for hikers, campers, mountaineers, and swimmers.
And even if you’re not one of them, some of our selections are stylish enough for occasional and daily wear!
Every outdoor enthusiast or hiker needs the best compass watch available, one that they can trust while out in the wilderness.
We reviewed some of the best compass watches available on the market, with features to help you navigate tricky terrains with relative ease.
Though all are good options, our top pick is Casio Men’s SGW100 Twin Sensor Digital Watch because of its exceptional features.
It is water-resistant and has twin sensors, a stopwatch alarm, a large LCD, a mineral glass face, an auto calendar, and a storage battery, among other features!
