Timex Expedition E-Tide Watch Compass : By Land and By Sea

I've cycled across America, kayaked from Montana to Chicago, navigated big open water from Alaska to Tahiti, and climbed and hiked across all 50 states. The one constant in all of these adventures is that I tend to have no idea where I actually am.

Call me directionally challenged, and you're being kind. People who've actually traveled with me usually say, "Your sense of direction stinks!" Being a city boy I figured it didn't matter much since getting around the Big Apple requires little more than the ability to read street signs. Here's where the plot thickens: A few months ago, I exited the subway at 92 nd St.& Broadway (a stop I've been to more times than I care to admit), and walked three long blocks in the wrong direction, east, not west, and, well, I had to admit that this embarrassing directional disorientation happens fairly frequently.

So, with my last shred of navigational dignity stripped away, I discovered the Timex Expedition E-Tide Temp Compass. It's a whole lot of watch. The latest in Timex's "E-Instruments" series of high-performance watches, it features an Indiglo night light, glow-in-the dark analog hands, and a dedicated 4th hand that gives me the tidal trend or temperature (air or water) with the press of a button.

While I appreciate such slick technology in one seriously sporty watch, what excites me most is the compass. Now when I exit the subway, I click a little button on the lower left hand side of the dial and the pointy red arrow comes to life. Within seconds I'm oriented in all four directions. And if I know which direction I need to go - particularly useful when you're hiking in the bush - I can turn the compass ring until my desired direction appears and head off like a guide dog with a Geiger counter.  

Bottom LIne: A tricked-out, attractive timepiece with a variety of cool functions. With a large face, stainless steel casing and two-toned bracelet (which you'll have to tinker with if you have thin wrists like me) the Timex Expedition E-Tide is a functional, stylish watch that's ideal for sailors, hikers, urban adventurers, or people like me who can't find their way out of the frozen food isle.--J.G. (Nov '07)

Price: $169.05

Buy Online :Timex E-Tide on sale

Manufacturer's Site: www.timex.com