Building the Perfect Running Watch...What Are the Basic Must Haves?

good large type

split and laps

stopwatch

timer

Show the correct time. Basic stopwatch stuff - start/pause/split/stop/clear.

Other than that, nothing comes to mind.

Basic GPS functions plus a Countdown timer and vibrate alert so as not to annoy other racers.

They already made it: the Timex Ironman 30.

Time and date with multiple time zones

Chronograph with enough splits for a marathon

Countdown timer

Multiple alarms

Doesn't need to be charged

Nightlight for dark runs

Cheap

Durable

Water resistant

Good button design (i.e., you have to try to press the wrong button)

Perfect watch for running and everyday use.

I can see the utility of having a GPS watch for tempo runs and off-track workouts, but I live near a bike trail with marked miles and half miles, so it's just not something that's necessary for my running.

I *NEED* a color screen, touch screen, VO2 Estimator, Recovery Advisor, Auto Scroll, Virtual Partner, Virtual Racer, Step Counter, Bluetooth Notications and Auto Upload.

All of these things found on the new Garmin 630

(/sarcasm)

water resistance. It needs to not get fried in the pool

Back when I was running a lot after work, the #1 thing was a watch with a light on it. The Timex Ironman was hard to beat.

Now that technology had advanced, I'd like heart rate monitor, GPS, and some way to stream music. But I want it tiny. I'd like something the size of an ipod shuffle that did all of those things.

Easy to read display.

Stopwatch with easy to feel buttons.

Peeps when pushed

Resets time with single push. Does not require you to hold down button to reset.

30 timer memory.

I need a watch to time interval sessions!

Also the band should last longer than a year before breaking.

Currently there is no watch that can do this.

rojo wrote:

Back when I was running a lot after work, the #1 thing was a watch with a light on it. The Timex Ironman was hard to beat.

Now that technology had advanced, I'd like heart rate monitor, GPS, and some way to stream music. But I want it tiny. I'd like something the size of an ipod shuffle that did all of those things.

Would you go optical HR or chest strap? Would you be willing to pay for the streamed music? Didnt Timex have a watch with 3G capabilities a few years back that also played music? The Timex One maybe?

The truly great stopwatch will have two transmitters stored in the band that can be removed and placed on the ground. Then you input the distance between the transmitters into the watch and set it to start and stop automatically as soon as it passes them.

For when you don't want to use the transmitters, it will also start and stop on voice command so you don't have to hit buttons when you're going fast.

And it will come with extra transmitters for when you lose them.

The ultimate feature will be a voice reading your speed in meters per second during sprints when you can't stop to look at it. It can either say "9.0, 9.1, 9.2, ..." or it can use tones to indicate speed changes more quickly. You can also set it to log your speed at 1 meter intervals and produce a detailed graph.

rojo wrote:

Back when I was running a lot after work, the #1 thing was a watch with a light on it. The Timex Ironman was hard to beat.

Now that technology had advanced, I'd like heart rate monitor, GPS, and some way to stream music. But I want it tiny. I'd like something the size of an ipod shuffle that did all of those things.

Agree. I like music when I run, and get sick of listening to the same music for 10 hours a week.

Optical HR, Bluetooth for headphones, GPS, Standalone 4G capability for Pandora.