Still running with an Apple Watch? Ditch it for one of these sporty traditional watches instead
Still clinging to your Apple Watch? Swap the constant pings for real watchmaking – these traditional watches bring style and heritage that no screen can match.
Do you remember a time you didn’t wear an Apple Watch? Making calls, reading messages, monitoring your calorie intake, monitoring your sleep, monitoring your calorie intake during your sleep (for all my somnambulists out there), the sleek branded smartwatch is here to stay. Generation after generation.
But for some of us, running’s an escape, a chance to disconnect and get away from the world at large. So why not swap your always connected, ever-present Apple Watch for something a little less ‘everything, everywhere all at once.’ We’re talking about a mechanical watch.
There are some things you need out of a running watch of course: shock resistance for pounding the pavement, water resistance so that rain is no excuse and light weight to not slow you down. Fortunately the watch world has plenty of options that tick all the boxes, from entry-level digital sports watches to featherweight offerings from prestige watchmakers.
1. Timex Ironman Flix 100 Lap
Let’s start with a direct, running-centric replacement for your jack-of-all-trades smartwatch, the Timex Ironman. Thanks to its resin case, acrylic glass and quartz movement, it can take any knocks you throw at it (intentionally or otherwise); it has a host of timekeeping functions including a 100-lap memory for timing your PBs and despite being 42mm across is lighter than most of your other running gear.
Yes, it’s not exactly a watch you’ll want spotted at your next board meeting, but when it’s this well-priced, having a second watch for running becomes a necessity more than a luxury.
2. G-Shock GM-5600BWD-1
Let’s ease into things with one of the original smartwatches – before connecting to the internet was even a thing – the Casio G-Shock. This latest blacked-out heir to the original DW-5000C, reimagined with Bamford Watch Department’s signature aqua highlights.
As hard to damage as it is to miss, this shock-resistant, water-resistant beast wraps retro digital timekeeping in a chassis like a tank for a genuinely iconic sports watch. Equipped with a rubber strap for when you break a sweat, it’s 5-year battery life puts your Apple Watch to shame.
3. Citizen Promaster ‘Tough’
Prefer your run with a 15lbs rucksack in tow? Then this is the watch for you. The oversized, lumed numerals and indexes take their cues from military service watches where rugged practicality is everything. Not that it’s restricted to the black-and-cream dial of course; the case is made from Citizen’s Super-Titanium, which means a 40mm titanium case with an additional surface hardening treatment.
The result is a material that’s light, strong and solid, topped with 300m water resistance, all surrounding the Japanese brand’s long-lasting, solar-powered Eco-Drive movement. Tough? You couldn’t stop this watch if you wanted to.
4. Tissot PRX Titanium
Riffing on the kind of 70s school of sleek, faceted design that the watch industry continues to obsess over, the Tissot PRX is arguably the hottest accessible watch in the world. And for good reason: an Audemars Piguet-style grid dial, an integrated bracelet that reassuringly hugs the wrist and a more-than-weekend proof 80-hour power reserve help the PRX look and feel like a serious bit of kit.
This version in titanium perfects the formula, bringing the weight down to just 84 grams. That’s only about 15 of those fries you’re working off.
5. Formex Essence Leggera Forty Three
Mixing the ultra-light weight of carbon – forged in this case rather than the cheaper carbon fibre – with hardwearing ceramic, even at the material level Formex’s Essence Leggera is a beast of a sports watch.
Throw in a novel case suspension system to protect from shocks and one of the best strap-clasp combinations in the watch world (Formex’s sister company Dexel is one of the most important suppliers in the business) and you have a big, bold Swiss watch with specs that far outstrip its price.
6. Norqain Wild One Skeleton
Six times lighter than steel and 3.5 times lighter than titanium, this already featherweight watch sheers off a few more grams by skeletonising the movement. Surrounded by a bright rubber shock absorber that also happens to give the Wild One it’s signature pop of colour, this is designed from the ground-up as the ultimate sports watch.
If anything stops you from getting your personal best, I’m sorry to say it won’t be this.
7. Tudor Pelagos 39
There aren’t many watches that can take you from cardio to cocktails, but the ultra-light, 39mm Pelagos from Tudor is one of those few. A dive watch at heart, it’s both element-proof and high-contrast, both things that you want from a solid sports watch whether you’re underwater or in a downpour.
You can also use the countdown diving bezel to track the duration of your run. Just make sure to put it on the black rubber strap for a closer, more secure and sweat-resistant fit. And if it’s priced a little more than you’d spend on running gear, consider it an investment. This is Tudor, after all.
Liked this? How I track sleep and fitness while still being a mechanical watch enthusiast
Sam Kessler
