Suunto has improved its altimeter to allow the Observer's logbook to display and record at the same time. The altimeter allows you to view the current altitude with a range up to 29,500 feet and a resolution of 10 feet. The Observer features 24 hours of logbook memory, and the improved logbook stores up to 40,000 feet of data. With the push of a button, you can measure ascent and descent rates between stages with altitude simultaneously. The barometer allows you to measure the temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit, measure absolute pressure, and follow changes in barometric pressure and temperature.

The Observer's compass shows directional bearing in degrees and cardinal or half-cardinal point. There is a north-south arrow, and a bearing tracking function displays locked bearing, actual bearing, and the difference between these declination adjustments. The compass's bubble level ensures a reading accuracy to within 2 to 3 degrees.

Watch functions include displays for day, time, and date with three programmable alarms plus a stopwatch and countdown timer. The Observer comes with a replaceable battery, which lasts up to 18 months, and a one-year warranty.

Amazon.com Product Description
Bring together style and functionality with the Suunto Observer wrist-top computer, an altimeter, barometer, and compass in one. This Observer model comes with a stainless-steel housing and stainless-steel band and is one-third smaller than earlier Suunto wrist-top computers, ideal for those wanting a more compact instrument. Waterproof to 100 feet, the Observer is designed for outdoor use with a rugged, shock-resistant body and backlit dial.

Suunto has improved its altimeter to allow the Observer's logbook to display and record at the same time. The altimeter allows you to view the current altitude with a range up to 29,500 feet and a resolution of 10 feet. The Observer features 24 hours of logbook memory, and the improved logbook stores up to 40,000 feet of data. With the push of a button, you can measure ascent and descent rates between stages with altitude simultaneously. The barometer allows you to measure the temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit, measure absolute pressure, and follow changes in barometric pressure and temperature.

The Observer's compass shows directional bearing in degrees and cardinal or half-cardinal point. There is a north-south arrow, and a bearing tracking function displays locked bearing, actual bearing, and the difference between these declination adjustments. The compass's bubble level ensures a reading accuracy to within 2 to 3 degrees.

Watch functions include displays for day, time, and date with three programmable alarms plus a stopwatch and countdown timer. The Observer comes with a replaceable battery, which lasts up to 18 months, and a one-year warranty.

From the reviews, it appears that many users are confused by the clasp, claiming it doesn't allow enough clearance to get the watch on and off. This confused me also, and Suunto should come out with a new edition of the instruction manual that makes it clearer that the band has two clasps and when both of them are open, there is plenty of clearance getting the watch on and off.

Don't believe any reviewer that says the altimeter in this watch isn't accurate. If it isn't accurate, return it, because it means the watch is defective. A working Observer will be as accurate as the most expensive Thommen precision analog altimeter. I know, because I've owned the same, reliable Thommen (showing 20-foot intervals) for 29 years and have A-B'd the Observer with my Thommen on several hikes and have obtained as similar results as can be expected, given the intrinsic nature of altimeters based on the measurement of air pressure.

Although the manual can be criticized for its organization and sketchy documentation of its sometimes bewildering variety of features, it does give a fairly clear explanation of why altimeters in general can be as much as several hundred feet off over an elevation gain of several thousand feet, in spite of the fact that the sea level barometric pressure remains constant. Section 3.6 of the manual explains the effect of air temperature on altitude measurement. As the temperature rises, the air gets lighter, i.e. the barometric pressure falls. This is an intrinsic problem associated with any altimeter that works off of barometric pressure, including the world-renowned Thommen altimeters. Thus every altimeter must be calibrated to a set of certain "standard" temperatures. As long as the outside temperature tracks this standard and the sea level barometric pressure doesn't change, the altimeter will give an accurate reading. But the reading could be hundreds of feet off after a long hike in extreme temperatures.

The Observer instruction manual presents a table defining Suunto's standard. You can use this table to calculate the actual altitude, given the starting altitude, starting temperature, temperature at the destination, and the watch's altimeter reading. At first I found the calculation hard to understand, and Suunto's table presents lower and lower resolution as you increase in altitude, ostensibly (but not really) making the table less and less useful as the altitude increases. Eventually however, I "cracked the code" and wrote a program for the PC that calculates the correct offsets and even creates tables for all the variables. If interested, contact me via email for a free copy of the program.

Here are some examples. If you climb in temperatures that are much hotter than the temperature compensation standard built into the Observer, you will find that the readings from the watch will be several hundred feet lower than your actual altitude. For example, if the starting elevation is 100 feet and the starting temperature is 90 degrees F. and you climb until the Observer altitude reading is 4,000 feet and the temperature is still 90 degrees, your actual altitude will be 4,329 feet. On the other hand, if you climb in temperatures that are much colder than the temperature compensation standard built into the Observer, you will find that the readings from the watch will be several hundred feet higher than your actual altitude. For example, if the starting elevation is 100 feet and the starting temperature is 0 degrees F. and you climb until the Observer altitude reading is 4,000 feet and the temperature is still 0 degrees, your actual altitude will only be 3,685 feet. Finally, if you climb in temperatures close to the compensation standard built into the Observer, you will find that the watch display will be very close to the actual altitude. For example, if the starting elevation is 100 feet and the starting temperature is 58 degrees F and you climb until the Observer altitude reading is 4,000 feet and the temperature has fallen to 45 degrees, your actual altitude will be 3,998 feet. The reading is very close to the actual altitude because the temperatures at the start and end of the climb are very close to the built-in standard, which you can check out by looking at the table in sec. 3.6. (By the way, the manual has a math error in the example it gives for "Imperial" measurements. The difference between 47.3 degrees F and 36.3 degrees F is 11 degrees, not 9 as stated in the manual. Thus the actual altitude should be 9,724 feet, not 9,740 as stated in the manual.)


Typical Suunto--Cutting edge, well made and quirky methods!   July 13, 2003
 33 out of 35 found this review helpful

Truly a 'niche' product, the Suunto Observer defies classification. It's a sport watch, make no mistake, but Casio's line (particularly the 'G-Shocks') offer more for the money and MUCH increased battery life. It's several 'instruments' rolled into one, offering barometer, altimeter, compass and thermometer, but in a watch case, and, surprisingly, blending them into an attractive package.
If you're considering this 'wrist computer' (Suunto's term and fairly appropriate) for a 'techno' toy though, save your money. Typical of Suunto's products, it has stellar thinking behind it. Typical also it is cutting edge. However, also typical of products built and produced in Finland, it has an owner's manual that has to be about a 5 to 10 on the readability scale of a 100. Like all Scandinavian products, there is a concerted effort here to use icons whenever possible and it's like you walked into a Russian made helicopter; there may be icons, but you're still going to have to have someone explain it to you! But, like Suunto's diving gauges, one you cross the divide and spend some quality time with the manual, user reviews, internet postings and about 6 to 10 hours playing with it, you WILL have a grin on your face. It's an outstanding piece of technology, but only once you finally understand it.
A few points that may help you:
--I bought the stainless model (there is also a full rubber strap model and a titanium model). Realize it IS NOT a full stainless strap; it's a rubber strap with about 10 pieces of stainless for looks only. However, unlike some reviews posted, I truly LIKE the look and don't feel Suunto was cheesing out by just using stainless 'pieces' instead of a full stainless strap. It fits like a glove, once adjusted. It took me about 30 minutes to fit it perfectly.
--Other reviews give a hit or miss coverage of the DUAL opening latch on the strap. It does have 2 openings, the second is to give additional access if you have large hands/small wrists. One review stated, incorrectly, that the second latch undermines the first latches ability to hold it together tightly. If they would have examined the second latch in more detail, they would see that the primary latch COVERS the second with a gate, preventing it from opening. IN NO WAY does the second latch make this strap less strong. Typical Suunto, well engineered, but poorly documented.
--Carefully read one reviewer's lengthy discussion about how the barometric pressure and altitude settings work. They went into GREAT detail (more than I will here) covering how these two systems are interrelated and connected. Once you finally grasp it, it makes sense. For a summary, just remember this: When in camp, use the barometric setting; it will be very accurate when you do this. When on the trail, use the altitude setting. It's as simple as that.
--Some reviewers stated that the systems (any or all) aren't terribly accurate. WRONG. They are accurate. I've compared the barometer and altimeter to dedicated systems I have and they're very, very close. The compass matches a Brunton transit within a few degrees. Take the time to learn how to use them and they're very handy and very accurate.
--One reviewer stated that the battery life on the Casio's is far superior to the Suunto (even I did at the start of this review). That IS an accurate statement. What they left out though, is that the Suunto has an EASILY replaced battery that doesn't require the back of the watch to come off (Casio's DO require the back to be removed). So it's a toss up. I find on my Casio's that with regular backlight use, they get eaten up pretty quickly too. Realize, Casio only rates their batteries at ONE use of the backlight per day, and who only uses a backlight once a day? On their top rated G-Shock (which I also own) the battery life drops 2 YEARS when you use the backlight just twice a day. I'll take Suunto's approach any day; just use a dime to remove a separate cover for the battery and you're back in business.
--The Suunto has one thing no Casio has--it's stylish. Very European/high tech looking and built like a tank too. Make no mistake, I'll still wear my Casio if I'm diving, because I don't want to scratch the Suunto (kind of crazy isn't it? I'm not concerned about my Suunto dive gauges, lol).
So I'm giving the Suunto four stars; was considering three for the STEEP learning curve, but after I finally 'got it' I was grinning like a Cheshire cat. It is really a fun instrument to play with and truly does offer features in a unique package. Highly recommended, but don't buy it if you aren't willing to spend the time learning its nuances. One last note and one that helped me the most. I was frustrated with Suunto's labels of the buttons and finally adopted Casio's system that I kludged together. This watch has 4 buttons. De-program yourself from thinking of them in Suunto's terms. Use Casio's EXCELLENT system of calling the buttons A,B,C and D. Just make a little cheat sheat that corresponds to A,B,C and D. A is top left, B is top right, C is bottom left and D is bottom right. Once you convert Suunto's system to Casio's, it is SO much easier! Hope this helps someone!


Stunning piece of electronic wristop hardware...   December 2, 2003
 19 out of 19 found this review helpful

All I can say is, out of the box, "WOW!" I first saw this watch on a friend who walked by and as it caught my eye, it was obvious that this watch was something quite different. Of course, according to Suunto, it isn't a watch after all. First and foremost, this is a wristop computer, that happens to have the feature of being able to tell time.

I was a bit intimidated by everything this watch can do, but thank heavens after my initial shock at how GOOD it looks, I got down to studying the manual -- and if you ever hope to get ANY practical use out of this device, you are going to HAVE to read it, maybe several times, in order to fully appreciate what it CAN do. Is it absolutely perfect in every way? Nope -- but can you find me a product that IS for the same amount of money that also looks this good? Hardly. The closest would probably be the Triple Sensor Casio Pathfinder -- which DOES come with one really nifty ability that Suunto has yet to incorporate into their wristop computers: solar power. Casio watches are also much cheaper, but if you are going for good quality PLUS good looks, you will do no better than Suunto's Observer. This watch is simply beautiful.

Taking a look at what it can do, it has a Barometer (which also gives you the current temperature -- but keep in mind for best reading, you need to take it off your wrist for about 15 minutes first), an altimeter which under proper circumstances is quite accurate. For those who say it doesn't work at all, keep in mind that it takes readings using the barometric pressure, and if you at first do not calibrate it, you simply will not get a correct reading. Also, keep in mind that as the air pressure can sometimes vary depending upon where you are and the weather conditions you are experiencing, the altimeter CAN vary -- even if you aren't moving at all. This isn't a defect with the watch, if you need to blame someone, have a chat with Mother Nature, because Suunto has no influence in that department. It also has the cool feature of incorporating a digtal compass, which works (when again properly calibrated) from virtually any position on the globe. This feature alone makes the buy worth it.

There have been a few reviewers who are displeased with the Observer's ability to generate an alarm that you can actually HEAR -- and this is one area which Suunto can really improve upon. It is so quiet to be almost non-existent under even fairly quiet conditions. It sounded to me a little like a Palm Pilot alarm going off underneath a pillow -- that was located in a room down the hall. YES, it IS a joke -- but I have other watches that can fill the alarm void, so I only considered this a MINOR problem. If you are interested in purchasing this particular Suunto model and you absolutely NEED a loud alarm, you might be better served with the Casio Pathfinder -- but if you are more concerned with the other incredible feats of electronic gadgetry that the Observer can do, this is DEFINITELY the model for you.

One other tiny note, the extra $$ for the Titanium model just isn't worth it. Because the wrist band is only PARTIALLY metal mixed with elastomer, the weight difference between the Titanium and the Steel version was almost non-existent. The Steel version is virtually identical and (I personally think) looks better than just the elastomer band -- but I realize this is a personal preference, so make sure you are able to compare the models side-by-side before making that purchase -- also keep in mind the elastomer version will be really snug for some guys who have rather large wrists.

All in all, the Observer really IS a stunning piece of electronic hardware that rivals many watches worn by James Bond. Now if only Suunto could fit a tiny laser inside the NEXT version they'd really have a best-seller...


Great Watch!   July 12, 2006
 7 out of 7 found this review helpful

I have had this watch for 6 months now and during the height of the climbing season I can say I love it. It does everything it it claims plus looks great. I had a Avocet wrist altimeter for 10 years before this and the Suunto is much better and more accurate. Yes it does take some study and getting used to but if you make the effort it will reward you. So why do I like it?
1) It looks great, small enough to not grab attention (like the funny looking bigger watches) but classy. Have not found scratching to be a problem even with rock climbing if you are careful. 2) The controls make sense. After having the Avocet this has multiple screens that if you use them for a time you don't even have to pause to find what you are looking for. 3) Very accurate. I climb much during the year and it is as close as a altimeter will get to accurate. I compare the readings with my friends GPS and we are always within 50 feet or less. 4) Being a mountaineer, I love the lightness of it compared with the steel model.

I highly reccomend this watch!


Observer Titanium...   February 1, 2002
 5 out of 7 found this review helpful

Overall, its a nice gadget and the titanium case is a plus, more for the color (less shiny than the steel version) rather than the weight. I don't think there's a big difference in the weight compared to the stainless steel version, mainly becuase the strap mostly elastomer.

On the plus side, this watch includes just about every kind of data you need to be a cyborg and in a cool packaging. Its smaller than a typical Suunto watch which is just nice for everyday use. Previous Suunto watches are just too big.

However, the functions can be confusing. Manual is not that helpful either. Just have to get used to the functions. There's so many functions in there it takes time to tweak and learn to use them. For example, I have my altitude on the default setting, and on the street of Shanghai (which is not to far from the sea) it shows that I'm 120m below sea level. I'm sure its wrong but I'm still trying to figure what made it think that Shanghai is the lowest city on earth.

I would still recommend the Observer though, but if you're in the wild, don't bet your life on it. Works well in the city though, makes an excellent conversation item....