Toughing It Out

Brave all storms in style, with these rugged watches that are built for a sporty lifestyle.

- Pancham Bhardwaj

A new year calls for new adventures that promise to take you to unexpected places, through unpredictable conditions. In such situations, your watch also needs to be capable enough to not only survive anything that might be thrown at it but also perform above and beyond the traditional functions of simply telling time. This need in the market has given rise to a category of rugged watches that have moved past the norm of delicate design and complex machinery, and instead chosen to focus on the cutting edge of technology and construction. Here are a few timepieces that showcase what this segment has to offer.

GARMIN INSTINCT TACTICAL EDITION

Garmin is a respected name in the field of fitness tracking, and its prowess shines through this tactical edition, which is not only an accurate fitness tracker and GPS device but also military certified for thermal, shock and water resistance. The system uses a 3-axis GPS, a barometer, and satellite support to provide highly-accurate location data, which can be tracked and shared easily. All the while, the machine is also measuring your heart rate, steps taken and other types of data to keep a complete record of your physical activities. If you don’t like being tracked, there is even a stealth mode, which lets you navigate offline and stop sharing your information with other devices. You can get this smart tough watch for around ₹27,000.