7 of the best mountaineering watches

Buffy Acacia

Even the word mountaineering conjures images of triumphant explorers, daring to tackle some of Mother Nature’s harshest environments. Reaching the top of a mountain is the kind of achievement which resonates as easily with tiny children as it does with adults, encompassing a simplicity which must reach far back in humanity’s evolutionary chain. For as long as watches have been around, they’ve been used to aid mountaineers, and now we’ll take a look at 7 of the best mountaineering watches.

Casio G-Shock Master of G Rangeman GW9400-1

While it’s all very romantic to bring a rugged, mechanical watch up to the surface of a mountain, realistically it’s not going to be the most helpful tool. If you want something that may actually benefit you quickly and reliability, a digital watch will always win out. The Casio G-Shock Rangeman from the Master of G series is a perfect example of function over form, although there is something to be said for its lumpy, hulking 53.5mm case which would easily fit over a snow jacket. It’s solar powered, can measure altitude, barometric pressure, temperature, and it can also give you quick direction readings. All of that plus the general features and indestructibility of a G-Shock makes for a truly adventurous watch on a budget. Price: US$330

Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar

Including smartwatches in these kinds of lists can be controversial, but Garmin has an excellent reputation for outdoor technology, and the Instinct Crossover Solar does include an analogue display. There is a cheaper model without solar charging, however needing to replace batteries or put something on charge will never contribute to an immersive outdoors experience. A 70-day power reserve, GPS sensors, and a heart rate monitor are just a few of the dizzying amount of features. There’s also a barometric altimeter, so you can track your altitude as you ascend the mountain, and a blood oxygen saturation monitor for those extremely high climbs. Price: US$450

Seiko Alpinist SPB121

Mountain-oriented watches do tend to give themselves away with their names. The Seiko Alpinist has been a cult classic for years, championing the green dial long before it became a worldwide trend. It’s recent reincarnation within the Prospex range retains its iconic inner-rotating compass bezel, which can help with navigation in areas without cellular or GPS reception. Its golden touches give it a bit more of a sophisticated quality, while also being among the most affordable mechanical mountaineering watches. Whether you’re scaling mountains or just dreaming of them, the Alpinist SPB121 with its 39.5mm case and the 70-hour calibre 6R35 will be a faithful and durable wrist companion. Price: US$725

Norqain Neverest Glacier Ice Blue

Launched in 2021, the Norqain Neverest Glacier is a relative newcomer to the watch world. From a specifications perspective there’s nothing which makes it any more capable for mountaineering than most other modern sports watches, however it makes up for that in two ways. Beyond Norqain’s mountain logo, the Neverest Glacier Ice Blue has been given a captivating dial. Inspired by the treacherous crevasses of Mount Everest, the cracked texture instantly transports your mind to a much colder climate. The second aspect of the watch is its charitable side, as Norqain have partnered with The Butterfly Help Project which supports the families and children of sherpas who have died in the Himalayas. Price: US$4,190 from the T+T Shop

Oris ProPilot Altimeter

The Oris ProPilot Altimeter has been around for many years, but it’s never been a flagship model for the brand. Admittedly an automatic watch with an altimeter does have niche appeal, but it’s also an amazing technical achievement which provides genuine mountaineering utility for even the snobbiest of mechanical romantics. The case is assembled mostly from carbon fibre and titanium, keeping it exceedingly light at 98g despite its 47mm diameter. The dial is super legible, and the altimeter pulls you into its depth and detail. With 56 hours of power reserve thanks to the Sellita SW300-1 based movement and 100m of water resistance, it’s a great choice if you’re dead-set on leaving digital watches behind. Price: US$6,600

Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen The 8000

Montblanc was quite ahead of its time releasing the 1858 Geosphere watch in 2018, anticipating the extreme lengths that watch brands will go to for a unique, vintage aesthetic. But now, it’s been reimagined with an industrial, contemporary flair and a green or grey glacier dial. The 42mm titanium case is vacuum sealed with no oxygen inside, which prevents the crystal from fogging as well as reducing risks of oxidization. It’s essentially a GMT and a world timer in one, incorporating both hemispheres so that neither half of the world is left out. If inspected closely, you can also make out dots on the map, which indicate the highest mountains in each of the seven continents as part of the Seven Summits challenge. The compass bezel also adds a lot of exploration utility and flair, while the fumé blue dial is glacial and mysterious. Price: US$7,600

Rolex Explorer 40

To many, the Rolex Explorer is the ultimate one-watch collection. From the vintage examples of the 1950s, up to the modern sports watches of today, the Explorer can truly go anywhere and do anything. Originally however, it was launched with high-altitude adventure in mind. Although the story of Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary actually wearing a Rolex as they became the first men to summit Mount Everest in 1953 is still up for debate, Rolex’s sponsorship of their success was used to promote the first Explorer watches in that same year. The water-resistant oyster case and simplistic 3-6-9 dial layout has made it an incredibly popular watch for those who wish to capture the older essence of Rolex’s brand. Price: US$7,700

Time+Tide Timeless Pick: a vintage Smiths Everest

Although the legend goes that Sir Edmund Hillary summited Mount Everest with an early version of the Rolex Explorer, some say it’s far more likely that the Rolex stayed in his pocket, while he actually wore a watch from the British watchmaker Smiths. No matter what the truth is, both Smiths and Rolex ran advertising campaigns based on their successful missions, and the Smiths Everest was born. It had a good run, but the Smiths company had diversified significantly and mostly stopped producing watches in the ‘70s. The Smiths Everest was resurrected briefly within the last few years, but it was more of an homage to the Rolex Explorer than the actual Smiths references. They can command a pretty penny, costing anywhere from a few hundred dollars to surpassing US$7,000 depending on the rarity of the reference, but they’re an essential part of mountaineering watch history.