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 Suunto - Core - Steel Steel By: Suunto Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 3 More Information Suunto Core Steel  On: 2008-06-15Watch I find not as accurate as I would have liked, compass seems a little off and I cannot get the barometer to be in sync with my garmin gps. The watch is a little bigger and much heavier than I expected as not having seen it before purchasing (special order for me). I was excited to purchase a watch that I thought was smart. ie barometer with storm warning, altimeter etc. Where I live the barometer must swing big time because the alarm was going off every other day and you look outside and sure it looks cloudy but nothing happens, no rain. After having the watch a few days and playing with the functions I felt a little cheated. I just figured this watch had more alarm points or was smarter than it is for the money I spent. The crystal seems to resist scratches but the band is getting scratched up good and I am an office worker. I guess sliding across the desk is not good for it. So in a nutshell, I like the watch but truthfully I will replace it with something smaller and lighter very soon. The extra functionality is not worth it. I was lost but now I am found!!  On: 2008-01-06Ok, I did not order this or any other Suunto from this site , but I have to write a review. I initially ordered the black/orange Core. It sucked and seemed very cheap. I went to a store and was able to try-on and examine the Steel/Steel core. I was able to find it later for 400. and some. It is a great watch and the alarm function along with the rest is great. It even has a snooze function when the alarm goes off. It looks current and the steel is easily polished once you get a scratch (semi-chrome). The problem with the black orange was the bezzel ring seemed very loose and "clicked" when you pushed up or down on it. Also the light with the red background was very hard to read. Not to mention the nasty orange band (good god). I was looking at the T-tough Tissot and the Core Steel/Steel, and I am very happy with my choice. It serves every function I need, and looks very stylish. My wife is sick or hearing how much I love it. Very satisfied overall  On: 2007-10-31First impressions and looks: I received this watch some weeks ago, and have worn it on my wrist since. The watch itself is bigger than I imagined; a diameter about 5cm and height about 1.5cm. At very first I was afraid this would be too large and cumbersome wearing on all day long, but fortunately this proved wrong when I first put it on my wrist. In fact, the size and looks (esp. the buttons and the links that attach the watch to the strap) of this watch make it very masculine and tough-looking on a male wrist. Ive got several compliments on how good-looking and masculine it is from both female and male friends. Steel strap: It took me a long time to decide on which wrist strap option to choose, but Im very happy I ended up with the one in steel. It adds a little to the weight, but I dont notice the weight on my watch while wearing it. I like the concept of just clicking the strap on, instead of each day wondering how hard I should tighten the strap (as is the case with plastic straps). The surface of the steel is smooth and polished, so its almost impossible not getting any scratches using this all day long. Because its steel, however, the scratches are only _superficial_ and not visible from a distance. Glass: The glass is very clear, and being made of mineral crystal glass, it doesnt scratch at all. Thats a good thing! Okay, enough about the exterior. Functions: Time mode: This is the mode I almost always use. The time (hours and minutes) is shown in BIG numbers, which is great to quickly tell time. In the lower part of the display you can choose between information like seconds, weekday+date, sunrise+sunset, [nothing], stopwatch and countdown timer. This is great, but I would actually love if it would be possible to have two of these visible simultanously - by putting one of them in the top of the display. I suppose its not that way for saving batteries(?). By the way, seconds are shown analoguely by an indicator in the circumference for a few minutes (not sure how many) after any button is tapped. Another improvement I could think of, is a faster way to set an alarm or set the countdown interval. To set it, you must press the mode-button for some seconds to enter the menu. Then "time-date" --> "alarm"/"countdown" --> then set. Fairly fast, but it could be annoying pressing the mode-button for some seconds in some situations. Altimeter/barometer mode: I have barely used this. Its obvious that, unless youre alti-/barometer is a GPS, you would have to calibrate it. If you want precision, you would have to calibrate with either current altitude or current barometer pressure every now and then - the more often you calibrate, the more accurate output you get. One way of using this daily, is to calibrate it at home and lock it on altitude. This way, you will be able to read out the precise barometer pressure every time youre at home. Other uses are only interesting next time I go mountain trekking and such, so I can tell how much there is left to the top. Compass mode: Havent been using this much either. I have tested it, though, and it works. I think of it as an emergency/backup compass to use when Im totally surprised and havent brought any other forms of navigation aid. For all other uses I bring my GPS and an analog compass instead. I find analog compasses are easier to read than digital ones, where numbers are changing fast up/down. Backlight: Every watch should have one. This is great, although the contrast should be a little sharper (the numbers are bright enough, but the background lights up as well). Its no problem to read, but Ive seen better (I had a Timex once). --- TO SUM UP: Im very satisfied with this watch, thinking of both design, readability and functions. I bought this mainly because its a digital watch of (hopefully) good quality, while the other functions (alti/baro and compass) are nice to have. (I do, however, look forward to try the depth-meter next time I go snorkelling/free diving). The watch meets my expectations well. Im holding back one star because of the few improvement potentials Ive mentioned above, and because this is a pricy watch. |