Suunto Vector Altimeter Watch

Excellent mountaineering watch but often cumbersome for other activities. It is high performance, easy to read and easy to use- if you sit down and read the manual right when you get it. I've used the Vector on several expeditions to the Himalayas and elsewhere, and have owned 2 over the past seven years. They are durable and withstand very cold temperatures and continue to perform at altitude- my latest traveling to 7500 meters. The backing has been improved on the latest model (my main complaint on the last version) and so now it is easy to change batteries even if the cover has been sealed down in use. And, you do have to be sure to recalibrate it whenever possible to ensure accurate readings within 10 meters.

I like this watch because it works well. You need to adjust your altimeter before each activity if there are multiple days between them because the change in weather can affect the altimeter, but that is normal for any watch. All the functions work well. I personally like the altimeter alarm that you can set so once you reach a particular height, it lets you know.

I currently own several Suunto Vectors. These watches are bullet-proof and last forever. The only thing I have done is replace the battery. The Vector is highly accurate. They are a bit large but comfortable on the wrist. The positive face Vector is easier to see than the negative face. The Vector has remained in the Suunto line up for years because it is popular and dependable. I would like to see Suunto put mineral glass on the face instead of plastic. Vector watch bands are real easy to replace. A great watch.

Reading the manual front to back upon receiving the Vector is highly recommended. Like anything else, becoming familiar with it will greatly increase the ease of use. It is extremely lightweight, which is nice in any outdoor endeavor. I have personally had no problems with it leaking underwater. I have worn it snorkeling during my honeymoon in the caribbean as well as during a marine biology research trip in which it was frequently submerged. Many useful functions. The altimeter is "accurate to within 100 feet" an associate told me. This has proven true in most cases. Beware that the altimeter is based on barometric pressure readings, so if the weather is changing, the altitude measurement becomes inaccurate. It is easy to tell if you can rely on your altitude measurements by using the barometer's difference mode to check changing conditions (sounds complicated but is like second nature after a few weeks). Face of the watch can scratch and is very large, so take care. The compass bearing mode is a great feature, as well as the barometric trend monitor. Common sense is to use the traditional tools in the backcountry such as a topo map, compass, etc. This should not replace such items, but is useful in a pinch. Easy to calibrate, easy to read, lightweight, durable.

The good. Good instruction manual and easy logical to use considering all the features there are. The compass is very good. The watch keeps excellent time. The battery is very easy to change and a standard size you are likely to find on vacation. The display is the easiest to read of any I have tried. I got the black-they originally sent me xblack by mistake and it was impossible to read that display so if easy reading is important don't get xblack.

The bad. The barometer is only accurate to .05inHg. While it is accurate within that range, this seems to allow for too much variation in the altimeter reading. Also, I think their correction factors are not totally refined. I can go to sleep at night and due to a change in barometer the watch will claim my altitude changed by as much as 80 feet while I slept (since I live at 400 feet this seems like a huge error). I realize that this type of altimeter is not totally accurate as the weather changes, but this watch is not much better than my previous G-shock Casio that was much cheaper. This watch is much sleeker, better looking, and has a better user interface than the Casio and is a much better watch overall, I was just hoping that the altimeter would be much more accurate.

The alarm is not nearly loud enough. You can only hear it in a very quiet room and definitely only if you are already awake.

I have to wonder if my altimeter is defective after reading the other glowing reviews. If I set it at a known altitude, then climb 2000 feet in a couple hours, the altimeter can be off by 400+ feet. I don't consider this accurate. Because of this, I have a hard time recommending it. If I have to calibrate it frequently against known topo elevations, as is often suggested, I feel I am losing the value of an altimeter.

What a superb watch. Executes every feature to a T. Out performs Casio, Timex and La Crosse. If you want to save money buy the Suunto because sooner or later you will make it your last buy.
I have tested the Vector in rugged field and mountain environments under severe conditions and all systems functioned great. I should have bought a Vector years ago.
Del

The vector is an excellent watch, i have no had it for about a month and it has survived some brutal riding. IN that month i have skied in Montana, wyoming, ad BC. But all this change in elevation made the alitmeter and compass need to be recalibrated quite frequently. This was a hassle with the altimeter because most of the time I didn't know my altitude, to set it. It is a great watch, looks pretty good as long as you have a pretty thick wrist, otherwise it will look like you strapped a wall clock to you arm

I bought this watch a couple years ago. I was wearing it playing softball one day and a guy slid into my arm with his cleats while I was trying to tag him out. Broke the part where the band mounts to the body. I sent it back to Suunto and they sent me a new one within a couple weeks. Great customer service.

The watch has been bomb proof. The calibration of the barometer is a bit complicated, but calibrating the altimeter is easy. The digital compass is a great feature.

Great watch!

I've used my Suunto Vector Alt during all of my deployments to Southwest Asia and it has performed near perfection. The altimeter and compass are essential as well as the rugged durability. The only reason I do not give it a five rating is due to it's single time zone. It would be nice to have zulu time as well as local available.

I've had my Suunto Vector for a couple of months and found it fun and great to use. It's the first altimeter I've owned and was initially concerned it would be frustratingly complex to operate. In fact I've found the opposite. The 4 button system is highly intuitive, as is adjusting settings and calibrating the compass and altitude readings. I used the watch on a recent trek in Nepal and really enjoyed following the altitude and temperature changes moving between 300 and 5300 metres and plus 30 to minus 15 degrees C, and it was also simple and useful to check our daily altitude gains stayed within safe limits. You must note though that the thermometer takes the reading of your skin/arm temperature and must be located away from your body (such as attached to your pack) to give an accurate ambient temperature.

The vector is a great go to watch/altimeter for every outdoor activity. I have owned 2 over the last 11 years, my first lasting 10 years. When it died, I sent it back to suunto and they sent me a new one for really cheap. The buttons are easy to puch, even when wearing gloves. It is easy to set the diffrent modes. The only thing I dont like about it, is the band. I use the suunto velcro band and love that.

I bought this watch to use mainly for my hiking trips in Colorado.
On my trip this July I decided to take a swim in the hotel pool before starting my hike. After 10 minutes in the pool, I noticed my vector was "blank". I didn't bring another watch on this trip so I was watch-less while hiking several summits. I sent Suunto an email regarding the Vector's water resistance but have yet to receive a reply.

BTW... in an effort to "save" the watch, I took it apart to dry. The only metal pieces on the watch are the 4 screws in the back, the rest is plastic including the "crystal". I wish I only had a problem with the accuracy of the altitude like others. My problem was trusting a Suunto Vector in a 4 foot hotel pool.

A solid watch. Will never dissapoint you.

I have owned this watch for two years and usually only wear it when I climb. I find that when I wear it I tend to bang it on door jambs, walls , and railings. It is thicker than your average timepiece. Tat being said, in the mountains and hills this thing does what it's supposed to do. I find the altimeter pretty accurate for something that uses air pressure to measure height. The barometer has given me a heads up on weather change a couple of times. Bottom line - its does what it was made to do - use it, enjoy it but know its limitations.

I looooove my Vector. Never had any problems with it and have had tons of compliments. I agree with Eric M.'s review though. If one is spending significant time on the trail, you should probably rely on more than a watch--er, "wristop computer." That being said, The functions are great, useful, and not that difficult with a little practice. (If you complain that your watch has too many functions, then get a simpler watch!) It's not hard if you read the manual. Certainly a great backup at the very least, and a great piece of equipment all around.

I have had my Vector watch for about 2 years now and I have had nothing go wrong. The watch is worth its weight in goal if you are in mountain climbing, sailing, or you just want a great watch. After 2 years the watch has gone through alot of abuse and still keeps going. For all of these people who say that they are hard to figure out, then I have the answer.... Read the directions

The Vector watch gives you everything you need. I have made it through three demanding desert-seven-day races and the Vector fit the bill. Easy to understand-no advance degrees needed- and an intuitive interface makes using it a treat and it is easy to recalibrate for those of us who venture out of N.America. Also, with the info provided you can track weather trends that can really help you out. Happy Trekking.

I had owned the Casio Pathfinders since 1997. I liked them a lot, all except when it came time for batteries. When my last Casio was DOA from the jeweler, I looked at the Suunto Vector and XLander. I must say for the price, which is comparable to the Casio, the Vector shines.
This watch is beyond precise. I calibrated the altimeter using Topo USA, and I have checked it at various posted elevations, and it is within 10 feet! Amazing! The Casio always seemed to be in the ballpark, but not like this.
The compass has a mode that allows you to take a bearing, like a real compass. Not the point and shoot bearing taking on the other watches. The barometer has a 6 hour history so you can see the weather changes up close.
All in all this is the best gear purchase I have made in years! One thing...ditch the plastic band upon arrival. Not only is it hideous to look at it is not even slightly comfortable. GO with the Suunto Elastic band. Much more aesthetically pleasing than the plastic one, not to mention comfortable.

This is an amazing watch! I highly recommend it!

I'm on my second Vector watch (the first going down from 5000' when the old band broke). However it lasted six years, and if I hadn't have been flying my powered hang glider when it broke, I'd still be using it. I use all facets for flight information exclusively and find it to be the best available for that purpose.

Everything was great!! Very happy!

Over the last four years I have returned 3 Vector watches. Two developed leaks and then the display fogged up. I'm not talking deep sea diving. The last one fogged up after taking a shower. The other Vector display just began to become unreadable after about 10 months.

When they work, they work great. The altimeter is very accurate. I would never buy one of these again. If it wasn't for the warranty returns, they'd be out of my life. Clearly not reliable enough for backcountry.

Great conversation piece, looks good and is much lighter than the comparable Polar watches.

This piece works amazingly well in the plains and in the Canadian Rockies. Get up in the morning at 1000m, drive 2 hours to 1500m and hike to 2300m -- the unit stayed on target and was within 20m of the real altitude.

The reasons I’m giving it 4 stars are only two -- if you need a finer-grain altitude information this isn't what you should look for (5m resolution); also, there is no easy way of transferring the logbook to another device.

trip was skunked, but on the way there the suunto altimax watch performed quite well. altimeter was very accurate and so was the barometer. thrilled to have this piece of equipment.

Pros- the compass updates constantly (other watches in this class don't). The watch seems complicated at first but is not- the quick card gets you started easily. Altimeter jived with readings from recent helicopter rides. Nice look to the watch. Not as big as I expected (good). light. Baro cool.
Cons- bigger than most (not too bad). A bit pricey so go find a coupon.

Purchased another SUUNTO Vector for use in the military (I have another for personal use). Outstanding durability, many functions to assist me. Recommend this watch or the Advizor to military personnel, especially Infantryman.

Have mine for 6 or seven years and it has lived up to it's reputation. I am getting ready to buy a new one. Heed the warning about not leaving it in the car. My temperature sensor is stuck at 104F thus affecting the altimeter. The accuracy has been phenomenal I stood atop Quandary Peak and my Vector was within 50'of what the marker said and a guy standing next to me with a GPS unit that was 300' off. I have looked at several others but none compare in my opinion.

This was the first time that I have owned any watch of this caliber. It is awesome. My past watch was a Timex Iron Man. I like the looks, however I had to get used to the size of the dial. The altimeter works great. I do not need to be accurate within 100 feet. The barometer works wells also. I use the compass along with the hand held Suunto
that I have had for years. I use the stopwatch on my morning runs, however the back light could be a little brighter. Maybe it is dim to conserve power. As far as being waterproof, I can not tell you that. I have been really careful about water after reading some of the other reviews. I do not want to risk it with my watch. If I should bonk in a water hole, I will write another review and keep you posted. I hope that this helps.

My primary reason for purchase was for the altimeter function. It works really well, but it is most easily facilitated by having a GPS unit for reference and synchronization. A minor complaint is that the barometric display with reference to sea level, is subjugated to the absolute barometric display, not too useful. Sea level reference is most times primary to absolute.

this Watch is a handy thing & beautiful, good design and color.

works in metric as well

The Suunto Vector is a wonderful watch, the greatest feature of which is its ability to forecast the weather. Using the barometer mode and knowing what rising and falling pressure means gives you a heads-up on what weather is likely to come.

The large display is very welcome to my aging eyes!

Others commented on how uncomfortable the original wristband was, so I went with the velcro band and I find that, while better than the original, it's a bit too tight for my liking.

This thing is super killer. The manual is very easy to understand and makes it easy to learn how to use this watch. The functions are super responsive and have helped me with the log books. I did have to re-calibrate my compass so watch out for that. No biggie though.

The small hooks on the inside of the watch that connect to the battery cover have snapped off. Thus the battery keeps losing touch with the connectors and blanking out the watch. The hooks are apart of the main body and can not be replaced. I now am looking for a new Suunto watch. Other than that my Vector worked great for 9 years.

capacity good ... thank you

I have beat this watch to death since 2006 and it is still the best watch I own. My Rolex stays at home now. The sand in Afghanistan wore the lable off the watch but it held up through a deployment.

I use the Vector as a backup to my altimeter and GPS(s) in my sailplane. I've set the altimeter warning as a seconday reminder to put my gear down for landing. The altimeter is pretty darn accurate. The only downside is also its' upside...it's a little big, so it's easy to read! Would definitely buy it again...and I have a Suunto Dive watch as well. Good products.

I love this watch. I've put it through the ringer wearing it every day for years now. Maybe someday I'll upgrade to a fancier Suunto watch, but this is really solid. I appreciate having it in the mountains. I check my rate of ascent to estimate my time to the summit. Check my skiing vert/day. Monitor the weather in base camp. Love it.

I bought this watch because I thought that as a soldier it would be a valueable asset for my job. To be honest I have been more satisfied with a basic Ironman and military compass.

The first week out in the field the watch face was so fragile it became scratched to the point I could no longer read the numbers (which when I sent it back after only owning it for 2 weeks was told it was no longer under warranty and had to pay another nearly $100)

When I got the new watch the dial fell off when I rubbed it against the refrigerator door, and now the face is scratch again after rubbing it accidently against the wall!!! (not to sturdy)

In theory this watch sounds great but everyone I have talked to in the military that owns this watch expresses the same issues, even measurements such as the temperature are routinely off by 20 degrees

I couldn't recommend not buying this watch more strongly

Not literally, but I've warn it while paddling and getting worked in big, cold class 5 whitewater (I attach it to my PFD) and everything still works perfect! After 2 years the watch is finally telling me that the battery needs to be replaced, but that's been going on now for a couple of months. The logo has warn off, but who cares about that sh!t anyway! Bottom-line, these watches are durable and accurate. Remember to calibrate before any serious adventure and take it off for a few minutes if you want an accurate temp reading.

I like to know my elevation and vertical gain. This was just what I wanted and More. It is more accurate then other altimeters I have had in the past.
It keeps logs of all your trips. Also it has a timer, barometer and the compass has come in handy while wandering in unknown terrain.

i have used this watch a ton. love the features. they all seem to be pretty accurate. the thermometer needs some time to register an accurate reading-obviously you have to take it off too. it is bomb proof too. i beat it like crazy while climbing or just messing around. holds up well in extreme cold temps. not sure what the lowest temp rating is but i have had it around -10 no problems. it's a good price as well. it is also very light. i was concerned cause it looked big but i barely notice it cause it is so light. would buy again

I've had my Vector for a while and I love it!! It is easy to use and does what I want. Plain and simple, It does what it says it does!

I only have worn the watch while not working. I'm in construction so it's my "good" watch. I can say so far that if you don't wear it all the time, it's easy to forget what button to press even for simple things like the night light. Speaking of the night light, it's way to dim! Some more time off work I will get to know the watch better.

I have jumped off 30 ft. bluffs, hiked to 4000 ft., and have had no complaints. The altimeter is fairly accurate to about five meters. I've even showered with it and all's fine. Also the band is very comfortable and light- aka it's plastic assembly.

This is my third Sunnto brand watch. I use nearly all functions on the watch. I recently ordered the vector in dark foilage green from this site .I looked at other web pages to locate the watch in this color where they advertised, but could not deliver until two to three weeks. This site advertised and delivered within a few days. I will tell friends about the impeccable service. Thanks......

This "wrist computer" is large, but necessary to see its many readings. The stopwatch displays the time, which separates the hours and minutes from the seconds; the stopwatch should be the main reading. The altimeter is affected by air pressure, so its accuracy is questionable, with frequent resets required. It begs the question as to its usefulness. The barometer displays a trend for the last six hours, which is helpful. The compass is easy to read. I'll test another altimeter for comparison.

Be wary of bug spray. I went fishing the other day, and put some bug spray on. The bug spray accidentally got on the watch, and melted off all the writing, including all the degree numbers.. It also ruined the plastic on the watch.

The watch itself is great, other than its bugspray weakness.

I got if for my boyfriend for Christmas. It was the one piece missing from our backcountry arsenal and now we both agree that we wouldn't want to go out without it.