Suunto Yachtsman Wrist Top Computer Watch with Barometer and Compass
Don’t forget your life jacket or your Suunto Yachtsman next time you go sailing. This watch combines time and date functions with a barometer, compass, and sailing timer. The tough Yachtsman looks like a high-end wristwatch with a brushed aluminum case and mineral glass face. The body is black with a ring of silver around the dial and an oversized, backlit LCD screen.
The watch displays day, time, and date with three programmable alarms plus a stopwatch and countdown timer. But the Yachtsman really stands out in its combination of sailing timer, barometer, and compass functions. The sailing timer allows you to easily set the correct sequence and synchronize the timer with the race committee with the push of a button. Large numerals and audible warning signals let you concentrate more on maneuvering your boat in the swarming of the start while Suunto Yachtsman keeps you informed on up-coming critical moments. The race timer range of the stopwatch is 120 hours, and it features a countdown from 60 minutes. You can store 50 split times in the memory for later analysis.
The barometer allows you to measure the temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit, absolute pressure, and a difference measurement to follow changes in barometric pressure and temperature. The automatic four-day memory keeps track of atmospheric pressure. Another feature is the adjustable sea-level pressure function.
The Yachtsman’s compass shows directional bearing in degrees and cardinal or half-cardinal point. There is a north-south arrow and a bearing tracking function that displays locked bearing, actual bearing, and the difference between these declination adjustments. The compass’s bubble level indicates a level position to ensure accuracy within 2 or 3 degrees.
The Suunto Yachtsman is water resistant, tested to 100 meters/330 feet according to ISO 2281 standard, which means you can use it for swimming or other water sports activities–but it should not be used for scuba diving or freediving. The non-allergenic aluminum casing and the durable mineral crystal glass combined with a weatherproof band make it the ultimate tool for discerning boaters.
What’s in the Box This package includes the Suunto Yachtsman wrist-top computer and printed operating instructions. It is covered by a one-year warranty.
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Star Owned three, never will I own a 4th
I can’t tell you how frustrated I am with this Yachtsman watch. I sail over 10,000 miles per year on average and really need to have a watch with the features that this Yachtsman provides. However, I cannot afford to keep replacing watches and bands.
I have owned THREE Yachtsman’s. One of these was a warranty replacement. I have four sailing friends who also bought Yachtsman because I owned one. Would you believe that all of us have had problems with this crappy watch?
My third watch is now dead due to water leakage. Prior to that I have had the following problems with Yachtsman watches:
* Multiple wrist band failures
* Sticky buttons
* LCD backlight out
* Display turned black in sun light
* Resetting by itself
* Foggy display
* Poor customer service
I have purchased two Sunntos and I PROMISE YOU there will not be a third.
4 Stars Good Buy but be prepared!
This is a really good watch. The features are pretty handy - barometer, temperature, can store readings, etc.
The only concern is regarding the size of the watch. I gave it to my boyfriend for Christmas and that was the key thing he mentioned - it is really big. So I recommend seeing it beforehand.
So if you can live with the size, it’s a good buy.
4 Stars Gentleman’s Plastic Watch
I like this watch a lot. Picked this up in order to give my Omega Seamaster a break (needs to be sent back to switzerland to get polished up). This watch is big, but very, very light. At the store where I picked mine up, I had the Seamaster in one hand and the Yachtsman in the other. The Yachtsman has probably twice the mass, but less than half the weight. It is good looking, and will be a conversation piece when worn with a suit at business meetings.
The good: Time, stopwatch, barometer, thermometer, compass, and race timer. The race timer is essentially a countdown (you synchronize with race committee gunshots) followed by a stopwatch, with split time viewing and one-race memory. A couple good features: it can only be stopped by hitting the stop button twice in two seconds - good for those of you that wear sailing gloves. Beeps are audible unless the wind is howling above 20 knots. If you aren’t a racer, you might do just as well with the x-lander, which excludes the racing timer but includes an altimeter, all within the same aesthetic package. The barometer includes a 1 hour interval memory (remember, 3 mbar change in under an hour and you’re probably in trouble) and a thermometer. All units can be changed between imperial and metric. I haven’t changed the battery yet but the compartment is opened with a coin, and looks very easy. Also, its a great looking watch if you can pull off the large size, and its relatively inexpensive.
The bad: The contrast could be a little darker, and the backlight could be a little brighter. No seconds display on the standard time view. You can toggle seconds display briefly via pushing a button. Reading the manual (twice or three times) is an absolute must, because the buttons are unmarked. The thermometer doesn’t take accurate readings while strapped on due to the heat from your wrist. The compass reading is a little jumpy (though in my experience, accurate). Lastly, I already knicked the aluminum bezel reaching into a closet… when I’m rolling around on the foredeck and trimming sails, its probably going to get pretty beat up.
Overall, good product. Well done Suunto.
2 Stars Disappointment
This watch was a disappointment for what you pay for it. It is hard to read at an angle, the countdown timer you would use to start a race is difficult to use and nearly inaudible. The concept behind this watch is neat, it looks nice, but Suunto should update this product and stop selling this particular watch. For a simpler, more user friendly Suunto sailing watch I recommend the M3.
5 Stars Excellent Regatta Watch
I have been looking for quite some time at different sailing watches. As a bowman, I compete quite heavily in sailing regatta’s and have tried several different watches. I have now had this watch for a few months and I must admit it is the best watch I have ever used. It is very user friendly and has an excellent countdown timer. Having the temperature and pressure is nice, but okay… they are extras. It is a nice looking watch, good display, and very easy to use. I would highly recommend this watch for anyone who truly competes in sailing regatta’s.
