The 17 Best Smartwatches to Track, Tally, and Even Tell Time
Today in two things being true at once: You can love and appreciate mechanical watches and recognize how useful a smartwatch is. Contrary to what the hair-on-fire types were saying when the Apple Watch and its scores of successors entered the market, this isn't a "one side or the other" type of situation. Hell, even some of the best Swiss watchmakers in the game—Tag Heuer and Montblanc, for instance—make some truly exceptional smartwatches to complement their ranges of mechanical marvels. All of which is to say: If you've been yearning for a Rolex for years but suddenly find yourself eyeing a Garmin, too, that's perfectly understandable. Don't feel guilty. Live your truth, man.
Let's face it, smartwatches have a lot to recommend them these days. They'll track your heart rate, your fitness, and your sleep. They'll tell you where you are in the world with GPS or let you escape it by piping music into your (Bluetooth-enabled) earbuds. They can sync up with your phone—both iOS and Android, usually, though there are still a few single-platform holdouts—to let you fine-tune your experience and give you even more detailed information. The best of them will hold a charge for days while you check your texts, make a few calls, or even pay for that overpriced panini you bought for lunch. Some of them will help you train for a marathon or connect with friends to stay accountable to fitness goals, while others offer classic style in the form of analog-style faces that don't look a thing like the Gen-One fitness trackers of yore.
In other words, at this point, there's a good smartwatch for pretty much everyone. So go ahead and dive into the world (wearing your smartwatch, because it's likely waterproof). Here are 17 of our favorites.
Fitness Tracking Smart Watch
NDUR
P3,496 AT AMAZON
If a smart watch—one at the affordable end of the price spectrum—with basic functions that monitor health is what you're after, NDur has just the thing. The 1.3-inch touch screen allows you to track your calorie intake, sleep, and blood pressure clearly. It also connects to your social media accounts and SMS, allowing you to read your messages easily.
Inspire 2 Health & Fitness Tracker
FITBIT
P4,368 AT AMAZON
It's more of a "tracker" than a watch in vibe, but the Inspire 2 does what it does so well that it couldn't in good conscience be left off this list. It'll track your heart rate and steps and REM sleep around the clock, every day. And speaking of days: It'll last about 10 on a single charge. You can wear it in the pool, set up Fitbit Premium to push your progress along a little quicker, or just use it as an unobtrusive accessory to tell you the time.
Pro 4G LTE Cellular Smartwatch
TICWATCH
P8,603 AT AMAZON
No matter the environment, no matter the scenario at hand, TicWatch’s Pro 4G LTE Cellular SmartWatch has got you covered. Looking to climb rocks or trek through the forest? There’s no need to worry about too much damage, because this timepiece, with its durable silicone strap and anti-finger cover glass, hits U.S. military standards. Plan on jumping in a pool this summer? Don’t fret, because the watch is waterproof. Are you prone to your phone dying on you during the workday? Well, the 18-hour battery life and Cloud sync allows you to see all your notifications instantly. What’s more, the watch is just great to look at.
Venu Smart Watch
GARMIN
P9,679 AT AMAZON
If taking to the trail sounds nice but you're interested in a whole suite of fitness activities, the Venu might be a better choice from Garmin. The 43mm smartwatch will still track your heart rate, location, steps, etc., but perhaps the coolest thing about it is the fact that it comes loaded with more than 20 apps that'll show you animated versions of workouts ranging from strength training and cardio to Pilates right on the watch face.
Instinct Outdoor Watch
GARMIN
P13,443 AT AMAZON
Garmin makes watches well suited to adventuring, and the Instinct is no exception. It'll track your location using GPS plus two more global navigation systems. It'll tell you how high you've climbed. It'll measure your heart rate and sync with your phone and if you're so absorbed with all the bells and whistles on your new watch that you lose your way, the trackback feature will show you the route back to your starting point.
Versa 3 Smartwatch
FITBIT
P10,050 AT AMAZON
The Versa 3 works with both Alexa and Google Assitant, so if you're already onboard with the idea of a virtual helper, you don't have to give it up (well, unless it's Siri). But for fitness fans, the biggest thing to recommend this smartwatch is probably the Active Zone Minutes function, which measures your current heart rate against your resting heart rate to gauge your exertion level while you're excercising.
Jorn Hybrid HR Leather Strap Smart Watch
SKAGEN
P9,960 AT AMAZON
Skagen's smaller riff on the smartwatch doesn't have every single extra feature you might expect on its techier counterparts. What it does have, though, is the look of an honest-to-goodness watch (as opposed to a smartwatch), and the ability to connect with your phone to discreetly notify you about incoming calls and messages. It also tracks steps, heart rate, and sleep, and even has a phone-finder function.
Collider Hybrid Smart Watch
FOSSIL
$199 AT FOSSIL
Another analog-looking watch that hides a lot under the hood, Fossil's Collider works with the Fossil app to provide you with notifications for everything from emails to social media posts. It'll give you a heads up when you've reached your step count for the day, let you control your music, and all that other good stuff—heart rate monitor, customizable buttons, and more—too.
Galaxy Watch Active 2 Smartwatch
SAMSUNG
P13,443 AT AMAZON
Lightweight and Goldilocks-sized at 40mm, Samsung's Galaxy Watch Active 2 is made to wear everywhere. In addition to the standard suite of features like GPS tracking, a step counter, and all the rest, this one also alerts you if your heart rate spikes or dips throughout the day. You can also monitor your stress level.
Carlyle Smart Watch
FOSSIL
P10,108 AT AMAZON
Fossil makes a whole range of watches that split the difference, aesthetically, between smartwatches and watch watches. The Carlyle, shown here on a metal bracelet, is a particularly enticing execution. The not-too-sporty vibe belies all the fitness-tracking functionality built in, from the standard heart rate monitor and activity tracking to a "swimproof" design meant to be taken in the pool. Plus, you can charge it up in less than an hour.
Skagen Falster 3 Mesh Silicone Strap Smart Watch
SKAGEN
P16,661 AT NORDSTROM
At this point, you've got to be tired of hearing about the standard features, so I'll just assure you this has 'em. You can monitor heart rate, track your steps, control your music, use voice-activated controls, and all that good stuff. But what really sets this watch apart from the pack is the look of it. Modern and just a little off-kilter, it's perfect for folks who want a break from the general smartwatch look and feel.
7 GPS Sports Smart Watch
SUUNTO
P18,374 AT AMAZON
If you plan on running sometime soon, you're going to want to have a Suunto—particularly the 7 GPS Sport smart watch. Along with GPS navigation, sensors that track your heart rate, and ability to download and listen to music, this super durable timepiece also allows you to make payments. This means you can leave your phone and wallet at home. All you need for going the distance is the watch on your wrists and a durable pair of running shoes.
Apple Watch Series 7
APPLE
P22,990 AT APPLE
The grandaddy. The OG. This is its sixth iteration, which is fitted with a feature that measures your blood oxygen. For many folks the Apple Watch is still the standard against which all other smartwatches are measured. The GPS model can't make calls or receive texts on its own, but let's be real: When's the last time you went anywhere without your iPhone, anyway?
Summit Lite Aluminum Smartwatch
MONTBLANC
$725 AT SAKS FIFTH AVENUE
We're now entering the realm of genuinely high-end smartwatches. Here, it's less about what they can do technologically—Montblanc's Summer Lite, like many others on this list, is powered by Google's Wear OS and uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 3100 processor—and more about what makes high-end watchmakers so beloved in the first place. The fit and finishing of the case are unrivaled, the look is undeniably on-point, and it's the kind of watch you'd be proud to wear for years to come.
T-Touch Connect Solar Smart Bracelet Watch
TISSOT
P64,951 AT NORDSTROM
Tissot's T-Touch is a honker of a watch at 47.5mm. That kind of size, while still beloved by some, is not generally the sort of thing we'd recommend for regular watches. But for a smartwatch, it means that much more real estate to read notifications and engage with the touch screen. Think of it like an iPhone Max (though, it's worth noting that the interface can sync with both iOS and Android devices).
Connected Calibre E3 - 45 mm Smart Watch
TAG HEUER
$1,650 AT TAGHEUER.COM
Perhaps the greatest trick Tag Heuer pulls off with this connected watch is the face. That gorgeous skeletonized movement you're looking at? Fully digital. You can also switch it out for all sorts of other displays, each as impressively executed as this one. Being a Tag Heuer, the fit and finish are top-notch. And, of course, it does all the basic stuff, too, like tracking your heart rate and activity throughout the day and night.
Big Bang E Smart Watch
HUBLOT
$5,200 AT HUBLOT.COM
Bold and attention-grabbing, Hublot’s Big Bang collection really lives up to its name. Since its release in 2005, the style has gone through several iterations: blue ceramic, natural rubber straps with pavé diamond bezel, and has received many an artist treatment. Most recently, it’s been turned into a smartwatch, called the Big Bang E. Along with having the look of a classic Big Bang, it is powered by Wear OS by Google, which you have access to Google Assistant, Google Play, and Google Pay.
From: Esquire US
