SUUNTO'S CORE BLACK YELLOW TX

THIS OUTSTANDING WATCH IS A VIABLE WAY TO ACCESS PERTINENT—AND PERHAPS LIFESAVING— INFORMATION WHILE IN AREAS OUTSIDE CELL TOWER REACH.

- SEAN CURTIS

I ’ve been a watch geek for as long as I can remember. Sometimes, a simple, elegant timepiece will suffice ... although, more often, I want critical data handy with just a glance at my wrist.

When traversing mountainous regions, a well-equipped watch can even serve as a survival tool—giving you bearings, altitude and even warning of the approach of bad weather. I’ve used a few of these modern marvels over the years for work and recreation. This experience has given me some specific insight about the designs and features that are useful, so when I got the chance to review Suunto’s Core Black Yellow TX, I relished the opportunity.

Watches with additional sensors have been around for decades. Back in the 1990s, when I started in search-and-rescue (SAR) in the mountains of southwest Colorado, triple-sensor watches were readily available. Cell phones weren’t around until the latter part of that decade, and they certainly weren’t “smart.” As a result, I came to rely on this capability on my wrist.