Watches are one of the few pieces of gear that is both functional and adorned. For the outdoorsman, an ABC watch should be highly considered as the jewelry of choice. The “ABC” in ABC watches stands for Altimeter, Barometer, Compass.

For me, I find the altimeter a must-have for hunting out west. Based on the time of the year, I can take readings on where I’m seeing deer and make note of other canyons that may also have deer. This helps me plan on scouting areas. The barometer on most ABC watches, like my Pro Trek, will alert me to dramatic changes in pressure that could signal a storm coming in. Lastly, the compass is well, a compass. If you had an analog display, you could use the sun to navigate with your watch, but having a compass built in to an ABC watch is very convenient.  Here are some of the most popular ABC watches at a reasonable price point. Due to the reasonable price point, I’m avoiding listing GPS watches.

Best ABC Watches under $200

Casio ABC Watches

Casio is THE name in the ABC watch game. They have created smaller sensors and have expanded their Pathfinder line into multiple models for every use case.

Casio Pro Trek PRW3000 ABC Watch

This is the watch I own. Casio’s Pro Trek PRW3000 is a solar powered ABC watch that is reasonable in size. With a 46-mm case, the diameter of the watch isn’t too big for smaller wrists and wears well. Aside from the ABC functions, the watch is on auto-update with atomic world time, water resistant to 100M, and includes other functions you’d expect out of a Casio digital.The silicon band can be replaced with other colors, making this my pick for ABC watches. The Pro Trek line can also be had with an analog display in the .

After 3 or 4 years of use, the watch I have has signs of wear along the bezel and has a crack on the mineral crystal. However, I put my gear through use and likely banged it under the hood of my car at some point. It still works fine and I still take it underwater.

Casio PRG-300

If I knew this existed when I was shopping, I’d probably go here. The green camo looks interesting to me and the 42-mm case diameter would fit well with my style. This Pro Trek looks to share the sensors across the entire lineup. What the PRG-300 lacks is the multi-band 6 automatic time keeping updates.

 

Casio SGW-1000

Cheap, hefty, and durable. This one touts a larger 54-mm case. At this size, I recommend a bigger wrist. The sacrifice on price here is solar charging, which the SGW-1000 doesn’t have. I can’t complain about the price on this cheap ABC watch.

Casio Pathfinder Series ABC Watches

Also similar to the Pro Trek but with a 51-mm case. Also durable, the Pathfinder has a few additional features that the Pro Trek doesn’t have. There is an option to auto illuminate the watch face by tilting the wrist. This seems pretty useful in low-light situations.

Suunto ABC Watches

Suunto Core

I can’t mention the Pro Trek without mentioning Suunto’s Core ABC watch. Similar to the Pro Trek, but different. The Suunto is known for a more detailed display and better altimeter readings, but the Pro Trek is known for better durability. As this is an outdoors site with the intent of rough use, my hat tips to the Pro Trek. The Suunto shouldn’t be disregarded, however. The Suunto Core sports a 49-mm case.

One nice offering from Suunto that places it above Casio is a depth meter. There is a specific model with a depth gauge, but the water resistance rating isn’t made for any real diving.

 

These watches listed are the most popular ABC watches in the reasonably priced category. Adding GPS adds quite a bit to the price point, which I mean to cover later.

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