Perhaps you’ve already asked yourself whether it’s a good idea to wear your favorite luxury watch while doing sports. After all, many manufacturers boast how their watches are particularly robust. According to their advertising, their timepieces should be more than able to survive a training session in the gym without any problems. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. So let’s go through a few points that you should definitely bear in mind here.
How to Work Out Without Damaging Your Watch
Most luxury watches have a mechanical movement. However, these precision mechanical masterpieces have the disadvantage that they can react very sensitively to vibrations. So if, for example, you want to go mountain biking, or let off steam on the punching bag, you’re better off without a watch on your wrist. Otherwise, its accuracy may suffer or, in the worst case, the movement could be seriously damaged. Sports such as jogging or a session on the cross trainer should not be a major issue for a modern mechanical movement. But even here, you should consider leaving your luxury watch at home. That’s because another enemy of mechanical timepieces is moisture. Even though a splash of rain won’t be much of a problem for your mechanical watch, sweat can be. Its composition can corrode the watch, and harm the housing and seals. Steel bracelets in particular can be affected. Opt for metal, rubber, or even better, fabric NATO straps. You should definitely avoid leather straps when exercising. If you work out a lot with weights, you should make sure that your watch is not too tight on your wrist. The pump that the muscles experience during training can quickly cause the watch to become too tight. This is not only uncomfortable, but can also disrupt blood circulation. You should also be particularly careful when using dumbbells. They can quickly become the ultimate nemesis for a luxury watch.
Many luxury watches are well-suited for water sports such as swimming, diving, or sailing. Be sure to pay close attention to their water resistance specifications. Even though a watch might claim to be water resistant to 30 meters (3 bar, 98 feet), you cannot necessarily dive to that specific depth. Water resistance instead only indicates the pressure that a watch can withstand. 30 meters in this case corresponds to a pressure of 3 bar. Any kitchen or bathroom faucet can generate this amount of pressure, which means you shouldn’t get a watch with this water resistance wet at all. Only watches that are water resistant to 100 meters (10 bar, 328 feet) can be taken into the water. For actual scuba diving, do your homework and make sure the watch meets the requirements of your specific activity. Everything rated at 200 meters (around 20 bar, 656 feet) or more should be fine for most diving activities.
Reasons That Speak In Favor of A Sports Watch
From what we’ve seen so far, it seems like a good idea to take your watch off when exercising. But keep in mind that a timepiece can also be useful for sports activities. With a chronograph, you can track your time – whether you’re jogging or want to keep an eye on the intervals between your sets. If you opt for a smartwatch, you have a tool on your wrist that records everything from your heart rate, to distance covered, and even calories burned. As these watches have no mechanical components, shocks are not a problem for them. The latter also applies to most quartz watches.
These luxury watches support you during your workout
But even if you want to wear a watch for sports, the question arises as to which one is the best suited. Never fear! We’ve put together a small selection for you.
TAG Heuer Connected E4 (ref. SBR8010.BT6255)
TAG Heuer was one of the first luxury watch manufacturers to have a smartwatch in its range. The Connected E4 is the latest version of this versatile timepiece. It offers the option of customizing your watch thanks to its so-called “watch faces.” There are also various fitness apps available to help you with your training. Additional apps can also be downloaded from the Google Play Store. Another plus point for the Connected E4 is its design. Tag Heuer has given the watch a case based on that of the famous Carrera. As a smartwatch, the Connected E4 looks extremely high-quality and elegant.
Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Chronograph (ref. 210.32.44.51.01.001)
The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Chronograph is a genuine diver’s watch with a stopwatch function. It’s water-resistant to 300 meters (30 bar, 984 feet) and has a helium escape valve, making it suitable for saturation diving. The in-house Co-Axial caliber 9900 is also certified as a Master Chronometer, meaning it is resistant to magnetic fields and temperatures and can withstand shocks much better than conventional automatic calibers.
Rolex Daytona (ref. 126500LN)
If you don’t want to work out without your Rolex at the gym, you can opt for a Daytona. This classic chronograph is water-resistant to 100 m (10 bar, 328 feet), cuts a fine figure in any situation, and impresses with its prestigious history.
Breitling Endurance Pro 38 (ref. X83310D91B2S1)
With the Endurance Pro collection, Breitling has a range of watches in its program that are specially designed for outdoor use. The watches are equipped with a thermo-compensated quartz movement that can track times to the nearest tenth of a second. The movement is embedded in the company’s propreitary Breitlight case. This polymer composite reinforced with carbon fibers is scratch and corrosion resistant, hypoallergenic, and extremely lightweight. A compass bezel can also be very helpful for orientation
