View the Highgear Enduro photo gallery.

The Highgear Enduro is a durable and affordable sports watch that has a lot going for it. The look is tough and distinctive, and the fit is light and comfortable. It's not the most feature-rich sports watch I've seen, but it has everything most of us needs, and even a few little interesting surprises.

Features of the Highgear Enduro include:

• Two time zones. This is one of those nice little features that Highgear could have completely left out without anyone noticing, but that I really like. Holding down the upper right-hand button will toggle the main time display to a second time zone, and holding it down for three seconds will switch the main time display to the second time zone permanently. To view the first time zone again, press the upper right-hand button, and hold it down for another three seconds to switch it back.
• Chronograph. The Enduro has a very comprehensive chronograph which goes up to 100 hours, supports 100 laps, and has a resolution of 1/100th of a second. My favorite feature of the chronograph is the ability to change its readout configuration between four different modes. Customization is good.
• Countdown timer. Countdown timers are a must with sports watches, and the Enduro more than delivers with three countdown timers which can be used in any one of four separate modes:
  1. Stop. This is the simplest timer mode which counts down from a specified time, then sounds an alarm.
  2. Repeat. When in repeat mode, after the time has fully elapsed, the watch will sound an alarm, then start the countdown again.
  3. Up. This mode causes the countdown timer to first count down from a specified interval, sound an alarm, then start counting back up. For instance, if you want to start your run with a 10 minute walk, the watch will count down from 10 minutes, sound an alarm, then start counting back up so that you can time your run, as well.
  4. Train. Train mode is the most complex. It allows you to chain together nine different times to count down from. After each time fully elapses, the timer will sound an alarm, automatically advance to the next time, then begin counting down again.
  Another feature I really like about the Enduro's countdown timer is that an LCD ring encircles the interval to give you a visual reference of how much time is left. A full ring represents the entire interval, then the ring wanes at the appropriate pace so that it's gone when the timer expires. My elliptical trainer has a similar visual cue which I find very useful.
• Digital compass. Another bonus feature, as far as I'm concerned. The Enduro has a built-in digital compass. It can even be adjusted to account for your magnetic declination (the angle between magnetic and geographic north, which changes depending on where you are in the world). Don't mistake the Enduro for a true Casio or Suunto-style hiking watch, but if you like to run through the woods and need to check your position occasionally, this feature is perfect. You can even hit the upper left-hand button while in chronograph mode to jump to the compass and get a quick 10-second bearing check.
• Three daily alarms. The Enduro has three daily alarms which are relative to whichever time zone is currently selected. None of the alarms allow you to specify the date.
• 20-workout memory. The Enduro allows you to store data for up to 20 workouts. You can store splits, best lap time, average lap time, and the total workout time. The data can only be viewed on the watch, and cannot be archived on a PC.
• Electroluminescent backlight. The Enduro's backlight is very bright, and illuminates the entire LCD uniformly. It also has an auto-backlight feature which means it can be configured to automatically illuminate for two seconds whenever any button is pushed. Watch your battery life, though (see below).
• One year battery. That's a pretty short battery life, but if it's any consolation, the Enduro takes a very common watch battery which can be purchased anywhere watch batteries are sold, and can easily be replaced with nothing but a coin to open the back. The Enduro also has a low power indicator to give you plenty of warning before it dies on you.
• Water-resistant to 50 meters, or about 160 feet. That covers rain and swimming.

I didn't even know that the HighGear Summit watch existed until I discovered this review over on WetDawg. If you're in the market for an outdoor sports watch with an altimeter, barometer, thermometer, and compass, this looks like it might be a viable and affordable option. The HighGear Summit sells for about $149, and appears to be available at most stores specializing in outdoor and hiking equipment. The author makes the following observations about his new toy:

• The Summit is a big sucker. As sure as if you’re walking a five legged dog, someone is going to remark on it. Seven out of ten people you meet will point out the big watch on your wrist. The conversation value is high.
• The Summit is the largest faced of HighGear’s models, but I like the way it feels on my wrist (and I have a small wrist). In fact it’s the most comfortable watch I’ve ever worn.
• Another feature tied in with the barometer is the weather predictor. In both the time and barometric modes it shows a little icon of sun, cloud or rain, suggesting what you might expect in the half dozen hours ahead.
• The thermometer was used little, but worked fine when you took it off. Or left it on and subtracted ten degrees.
• The chronometer [he means chronograph] is fine and I use it when training. The alarm is handy, of course. I would have liked a count down alarm as well.

Check out the full article for more details. The review caught my eye because I am a big fan of the Tissot T-Touch which offers a great deal of the same functionality (check out my Tissot T-Touch review for details), but in a much smaller and more attractive package, and with a scratch-proof sapphire crystal. I wore a T-Touch when I first moved to San Francisco about two months ago to help me get my bearing when walking the city, but that's about as outdoorsy as I get these days. I also recently received a similar new stainless steel and titanium Casio Protrek which I will be reviewing shortly. I still need to put it through its paces, but at first glance, it appears to be a nice combination of functionality, affordably, and visual appeal (compared to the old Protreks and Pathfinders). Stay tuned.