Running watches are hard to miss; they are typically big bulky watches that have multiple functions, you might as well buy a computer. They are also typically brightly colored to aid the runner in night runs in terms of visibility. All told, running watches are one of the most sophisticated sports watches for men currently available in the market and there is little evidence to suggest that they will soon be displaced by any other time of running watch. In fact, if history is to be taken as proof, running watches are only expected to grow further in terms of reach and fan base and the level of sophistication can only grow as it continues to rake in a substantial following.
But what is in running watches that make them a popular haul among watch buyers?
The secret is in the function. The level of technology that goes into a running watch can almost always rival mobile phones, at least the ones that dominated the market prior to the advent of smart phones. For example, GPS technology is now a key feature in many running watches whereas not less than 5 years ago, GPS was mainly confined to the dashboard of cars. Today, GPS can be found in the compact outlines of many running watches marketed by famous brands like Garmin, Timex, Suunto, Polar and many others. Runners can now enjoy the benefits of extreme convenience, navigation, accurate distance measurements, even sophisticated pace monitoring technology that you are practically “driving” yourself if you are using the latest running watches.
In the same breadth, heart rate monitoring technology has not found itself in running watches. Before, this was only a feature confined to treadmills and other gym exercise machines; today, it is a common feature in almost every new running watch release and certainly a functional piece of technology to monitor intensity of the activity as well as let the user know if he is approaching a dangerous limit that requires him to scale his effort back.
Indeed, running watches are the new Cadillac in watch technology and they can only be expected to be better in the future as miniaturization of electronic parts continue to make everyday equipment smaller. When that day comes, expect the running watch to lead the charge.