To help you find the right watch to accompany you in the great outdoors, we’re covering the 10 best outdoor watches we offer across our Expedition, Expedition North®, and TIMEX® IRONMAN® collections.
Why is it important to have the right outdoor watch?
When heading outside to spend time in the wilderness, it’s important to have a watch that can keep up with your adventures. Everyone has their own way of enjoying our wild spaces – some of us enjoy aquatic endeavors like kayaking or fishing, while others may prefer conquering rugged terrain by bike or foot. Some outdoor watches are more suitable for certain activities than others, such as swimming, and elements like mud or water can pose threats to your watch if it’s not equipped to handle moisture.
Watches for Rigorous Outdoor Activities
If you’re into rigorous outdoor activities like hiking or mountain biking, your best bet is an outdoor watch from either our Expedition or Expedition North collections. These collections are built to be extremely durable so that you can explore worry-free, with rugged construction and features like stainless-steel cases or crown protectors.
Because they’re specially made for those with a love for the outdoors, many of the watches in these collections are rugged timepieces built with eco-friendly materials; they take less from the planet and leave less behind while offering the toughness you need.
Our Top Outdoor Watch Picks for Rigorous Activities:
Expedition Scout 40mm Fabric Strap Watch
- Unique Feature: A high-contrast dial with both 12 and 24-hour formats.
- Design: Classic outdoor design with a 40mm case and a flexible fabric strap.
- Durability: The sturdy metal case is built to be tough, with 50m of water resistance that’s suitable for light swimming.
Expedition North Ridge Chronograph 42mm Eco-Friendly Leather Strap Watch
- Unique Feature: An eco-friendly vegan leather strap made with corn polyols and a chronograph movement for the added functionality of a stopwatch.
- Design: A robust 42mm case with a ratcheting uni-directional top ring.
- Durability: It has resilient construction for outdoor adventures, with a hard-wearing metal case complete with a sturdy crown protector and 100m of water resistance that’s suitable for swimming, snorkeling, poolside diving, or surfing.
Expedition North Tide, Temp, & Compass 45mm Silicone Strap Watch
- Unique Feature: The bidirectional center of our proprietary Tide-Temp-Compass movement can be set to reflect your local tide conditions, read the air or water temperature, or guide you in the right direction with its analog compass display. Learn how to use it in our Tide-Temp-Compass user guide!
- Design: Built with a robust 316L stainless-steel case and a flexible silicone strap.
- Durability: The stainless-steel case is resistant to rust and corrosion, the strap is sweat-resistant, and this watch has 100m of water resistance that’s suitable for swimming, snorkeling, poolside diving, or surfing.
Expedition North Sierra 40mm Recycled Materials Fabric Strap Watch
- Unique Feature: A fabric strap made from 100% recycled post-consumer plastic and a dial with both 12 and 24-hour time formats.
- Design: Classic outdoor design with a 40mm case and a flexible fabric strap.
- Durability: Resilient construction for outdoor adventures, with a hard-wearing metal case with 100m of water resistance that’s suitable for swimming, snorkeling, poolside diving, or surfing.
Expedition North Field Chrono 43mm Recycled Mixed Materials Strap Watch
- Unique Feature: A soft synthetic rubber strap with 100% recycled cotton overlay and a chronograph movement for the added functionality of a stopwatch.
- Design: A 43mm case with a clean and sturdy design that pays tribute to the classic military-style watches of the past.
- Durability: The stainless-steel case is resistant to rust and corrosion and complete with a crown protector, while the screw-down crown and screw-on case back provide up to 100m of water resistance that’s suitable for swimming, snorkeling, poolside diving, or surfing.
Still haven’t found what you’re looking for? Why not take a peek at our military-inspired watches? We might just have the right field watch for you.
Watches for Outdoor Sports
If you’re into outdoor sports like trail running or rock climbing, where timing your endeavors is key to tracking your performance, a sports watch is your perfect match! Sports watches, or fitness watches, usually include features like timers, alarms, and heart rate monitors, and most often, they're equipped with water-resistant bands or straps so you can work up a sweat without jeopardizing your watch’s attachment. All in all, these outdoor ready watches are a perfect blend of comfort, durability, and functionality, making them ideal for use during outdoor sports.
Our Favorite Outdoor Watches for Sports:
Men’s - TIMEX® IRONMAN® T200 42mm Silicone Strap Watch
- Unique Feature: 200-lap data storage and the ability to signal warm-ups and cool-down segments along with regular interval readouts.
- Design: Sleek and sporty design, with a versatile black color scheme highlighted by red details.
- Durability: The resin case is built tough, while the silicone strap is resistant to sweat.
Women’s - TIMEX® IRONMAN® Transit 33mm Mid-Size Resin Strap Watch
- Unique Feature: 10-lap memory storage.
- Design: A sleek and feminine design with a versatile white color scheme highlighted by a rose gold-tone top ring.
- Durability: The resin case is built tough with 100m of water resistance, while the silicone strap is resistant to sweat.
If neither of these watches suits your taste, you can also check out our full collections of men’s sports watches and women’s sports watches, which include tons of other colors and styles to choose from.
Dive-inspired Watches for Aquatic Adventures
Watches have varying levels of water resistance, with some watches capable of withstanding much higher levels of water pressure than others. Timex watches range from having 30m-200m of water resistance, with 30m suitable for hand washing and 200m tough enough for recreational scuba diving.
If you’re into water-based activities like swimming or white-water rafting, you’ll be needing a watch that can handle more than just a splash. Dive-inspired watches are perfect in this case, as they usually feature high water resistance ratings and details like luminant hands and hour markers that make it easy to read the time underwater.
Our Favorite Diver-Inspired Watch for Aquatic Adventures:
Expedition North® Freedive Ocean 46mm Recycled Fabric Strap Watch
- Unique Feature: A wave-patterned dial, a solar-powered movement that lasts up to 4 months and eliminates the need for battery changes, and a case and strap made of #tide™ upcycled, ocean-bound plastic.
- Design: A substantial 46mm case that features a diver-inspired design with a unidirectional bezel.
- Durability: A sturdy crown guard and 50m water resistance that’s suitable for light swimming.
Not so crazy about blue? No worries – you can browse other colorways in our full collection of diver-inspired watches.
Key Takeaway
When nature calls, it’s hard not to answer. Whether you're hiking through rugged terrain with our Expedition North Field Chronograph, swimming in the open water with our Expedition North® Freedive Ocean, or timing your trail runs with our TIMEX® IRONMAN®, there's a watch equipped with the durability, functionality, and style you need for your outdoor adventures – so gear up and get out there!
