Review: Suunto Core

Dec. 27, 2007— -- Suunto, a Finnish company, has created a stylish and functional wrist-top watch-cum-computer: the Core. Although these high-tech watches look great on city slickers, their weather-predicting functions and pinpoint accuracy work well for lovers of the outdoors.

The company's new ABC series adds detailed atmospheric information to its display and comes in six different styles, ranging from a $250 heavy duty cloth model to the $600 stainless silver wedding model. The styles are different, but the guts are all the same; inside each is a weather station for your wrist.

These handy gauges have sunrise/sunset times, thermometer, altimeter (altitude meter), barometer and a compass. The Core also has a built-in weather trend indicator that predicts the weather in three-hour intervals and a storm alarm that warns users about quick drops in the barometric pressure. The watch's screen is large and the digital display is customizable and easy to read in bright or dim light.

If you have a co-worker who has been known to cancel Friday afternoon meetings for hiking, the Suunto Core would make a great gift.