Equipment Store

Highgear Alterra Altimeter Watch

Highgear Alterra Altimeter Watch description

The High Gear Alterra Altimeter Watch is a wrist-mounted computer for tracking fun. Log your vert on the mountain, track your intervals while training, andsurprise, surprisetell time.

Bottom Line: The High Gear Alterra Altimeter Watch doesn't make espresso, but it can do pretty much everything else.

Loved the features on this watch-- unlike a couple of previous reviewers, I found it quite easy to program. It's also good looking, sturdy, all around a good value for the price. Also, as noted by a previous reviewer-- if you set the altimeter first it's an easier way to calibrate the watch. The ski features, in particular, are impressive.However, I am a small woman, and like most altimeter watches, this is a BIG timepiece. I didn't mind the weight or the look of the size of the face, but I returned it because I was unable to adjust the strap in such a way that the watch fit correctly, due to the diameter of the face.One note-- in the photo the graphite watch looks grey all over, but in fact it is a silver face on a truly black strap.

Programming this watch is pretty difficult, you do not want to set a certain barometer and also the altimeter. Once you have the correct barometer set then the altimeter is fairly accurate. If you want to watch to remain accurate the barometer has to be updated fairly often, about twice a week. I would recommend updated it right before you head out to use it to be the most accurate. There are a lot of nice features on this watch though, graphs of barometric pressure and change in altitude is really nice. Also an altimeter alarm so you know when you hit certain height with out having to always look at the watch. The thermometer is very accurate also. The watch is water resistant to 50 meters, but anyone who would need a watch like this would love to see it be waterproof. The customer service was great though when I had a question about how to initially set the watch functions.

This watch is sturdy and has a nice easily read display.The major drawback is that it is quite large and thick.

This is the second Highgear watch I've gotten my husband in the last 2 months. The first one was the Terratech from the outlet which had a plastic face and scratched after the first week of light use around the house. I then returned that and got the Alterra thinking the quality would be better. Husband noticed that indeed, the electronics the digital display were a notch up from the terratech, and I believe the watch face is more durable mineral glass instead of plastic. Initially he was very happy with the watch. A week after receiving it, we left for two weeks in the mid-east. Mid-trip, one of the plastic buttons popped right off, leaving the spring underneath exposed. He was therefore unable to set the alarms and times for the rest of the trip. I should have heeded the reviews on rei.com about this exact defect with this watch. Overall, we are very disappointed with Highgear products and would never purchase this brand again.

The backlight on my alterra stopped working after about two weeks of ownership. They tell you not to set the barometer unless you REALLY know what you're doing, and the altimeter (probly since i haven't REALLY set the barometer) has been nice as a ball park figure, but I wouldn't trust it in any situation where I was relying on a certain altitude to know I was in the right place. The watch is also fairly bulky and not too comfortable to wear with ski gloves. I had it attached to my bike handle bars for a while this fall, but it got ripped off by accident (don't ask how, I'll admit, it wasn't easy) and broke some of the rubber/plastic so now it's pretty useless as a watch and I have an excuse to get a suunto. It was fun for the first week or two at least.