Working as a mechanic or engineer is not just strenuous; it’s also quite risky since you have to work with potentially dangerous objects, heavy metals, and lots of dirt.
And in addition to wearing protective gear and using safety equipment, you must invest in durable personal tools and devices.
If you’re the tech-savvy type who wants to wear a smartwatch while at work, then your best bet is one that is built to withstand the possible brutal effects your job might threaten to have on it.
Best Smartwatches for Mechanics and Engineers: Our Top 6 Picks
For an engineer or mechanic, the characteristics to look for in a smartwatch to be worn while at work include:
- A strap resin, plastic or genuine leather strap
- A scratch-resistant body
- Water resistance
- Shock-resistance
- A cool, yet classy design
- Interesting features that help your job
Now, the market is flooded with smartwatches by various brands. And making the right choice from the heap of options can be a head-scratching experience.
Thankfully, we’ve done all the hard work for you. We scoured the market to compare smartwatches that pack all the above-listed characteristics and have solid brand credibility on top of those.
And after several hours of research, we came up with these top picks.
1. Garmin Instinct
The Garmin Instinct is a suitable wingman for adventure, sports, and fitness. Boasting a plethora of training modes, splendid battery life, and a reasonable price point, this smartwatch is perfect for those exploring and working in outdoor environments.
Key specifications
- Display: 128 x 128 pixel monochrome display
- Operating system: Proprietary OS
- Storage: 16MB
- Battery: up to 14 days
Design
When it comes to looks, the first thing that’s likely to cross your mind is that the Garmin Instinct shares some semblance with Casio’s hardcore sports watches. It has a rugged design, which is a good thing for mechanics and engineers, who engage in different kinds of tough tasks. Weighing 52 grams and measuring 45m across the casing, the Garmin Instinct is significantly smaller than the Fenix series. Thankfully, there’s a wide range of colors to choose from, giving you the freedom to go for a bright appearance or settle for a more understated look.
Its fiber-reinforced polymer casing is resistant to scratching but its toughness doesn’t in any way affect the comfort it offers as it feels good on the wrist. The watch features five buttons on its side – three on the left and two on the right. The buttons positioned on the left are for CTRL, menu, and ABC while the two on the right are for navigating up and down. The functions might take a while to get used to but once you get a grip of it, you will enjoy using the five-button arrangement often as they’re responsive.
Display
The screen of the watch measures 23 x 23mm in size with a fairly low resolution of 129 x 128 pixels. The monochrome display is easy to read in the sunlight and at night thanks to the backlight which you can trigger by pressing the top left button.
A slightly unusual feature about the display is that it sports a two-part design where you get to see the day and time on the default watch face while the weather screen shows the current temperature.
Performance
Like most Garmin watches, the Instinct can track over 25 different activities including the big three – running, biking, and swimming. It has all the basic features you will expect from a smartwatch including calendar, temperature, smart notifications for messages, phone calls, etc. However, you can only respond to a text if you’re an Android user
The smartwatch also boasts a stress tracker, to help you realize when you need to take a break. In addition, there are two features that Garmin users will find helpful: the TracBack feature, which allows you to trace your way back to where you started your GPS activity, and Save Locations, which can come in handy during planning.
Battery life
The exact battery capacity of the smartwatch is unknown but the company advertises that it can last 14 days under regular usage and 16 hours in GPS mode. Nevertheless, the GPS mode can be extended to up to 40 hours in UltraTrac mode.
Pros
- Rugged design
- Superb battery life
- Smart notifications
- Affordable
Cons
- No third party apps available
- Text responses only available for Android users
2. Garmin Fenix 6 Pro
The Garmin Fenix 6 Pro builds on the positives of the Fenix 5 to deliver a bigger screen, premium design, and incredible battery life, eliminating worries that come with being in the mountains or in the urban jungle.
Key specifications
- Display:3-inches, 240 x 240 pixel resolution
- OS: Proprietary OS
- Memory: 32GB
- Battery: up to 14 days
Design
The Fenix 6 pro is one of the smallest watches on Garmin’s product line but don’t let its small size fool you as the watch is rugged and can hold its own against wear and tear. As stated earlier, the watch tows the line of the Fenix 5 in design as the company reintroduced the fiber-reinforced polymer, giving it a solid feel. Weighing 61 grams, the watch is slimmer and lighter than its predecessors but the casing is what makes it heavy. That doesn’t mean it is burdensome as it is comfortable to wear. Since the casing is heavy, the watch tends to bob up and down on the wrist during runs, so it’s advisable you tighten the strap well.
Another feature on the Fenix 6 Pro is the traditional five pushbuttons, which are smaller than previous models but quite easy to locate. The Fenix 6 Pro is waterproof to 100m (10ATM). Overall, this watch is one you would want to wear outdoors and not something you’d really use as a lifestyle piece.
Display
Like its predecessor, the display isn’t a touchscreen since it is a serious outdoor activity tracker, but it is an always-on one, with illumination on a battery press. The screen measures 260 x 260 1.3-inches, bigger by 17 percent than the Fenix 5 Plus. The pixel resolution is 240 x 240, which is easy to read in all conditions.
The watch also uses Transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) technology to offer extra-long batter life. To protect the display, Garmin has replaced the chemically strengthened glass material with Gorilla Glass 3. However, users will have to choose between the Gorilla Glass 3 or the more sapphire crystal.
Performance
We’ve all known that smartwatches should be able to gather data from a range of activities and that’s why they come with many sensors, but the new trend is in how the data is interpreted. The Fenix 6 Pro does that, as it can show you the routes to go and also inform you when you’re off course. It also has the PacePro feature, which essentially turns the watch into a smart pacing band for your runs, giving you targets for each mile or kilometer based on the terrain you’re running on with a specific time goal in mind.
The smartwatch also comes with features to detect when you fall and notify others. Then, there’s the ClimbPro which checks how many feet you have left to ascend. A notable flaw is that its sleep tracking is unreliable as it tends to track if you remain in one position for a long time, even if you were just reading a book.
Battery life
Moving on to the battery department, the Fenix 6 Pro shines as you get 14 days of battery usage when used moderately, but you can tinker with the settings for each mode to reduce battery usage. Even more, you can leverage the different battery modes to extend the battery life up to 46 days.
Pros
- Excellent battery life
- Altitude-savvy pacing data
- Rugged design
- Easy-to-use interface
Cons
- Inaccurate heart rate tracking
- Expensive
- Heavier and chunkier
3. Casio Pro Trek WSD-F30
The Casio Pro Trek WSD-F30 is a smartwatch that can cope with everything the great outdoors throws at it while doubling as a fashion accessory. It fixes the flaws of its predecessors, possessing unparalleled GPS powers and a great battery life.
Key specifications
- Display:2-inches, 390 x 390 pp OLED screen + monochrome LCD
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100
- OS: Wear OS
- RAM: 512MB
- Memory: 4GB
- Battery: up to 14 days
Design
At first glance, you will instantly realize that the Casio Pro Trek-WSD-F30 has the potentials to be a great rugged companion for outdoor adventures. It has water resistance up to 5ATM and U.S. military’s MIL-STD-810 certification against shocks, vibrations and extreme temperatures.
The watch is smaller than the WSD-F20, but it is still large and chunky when compared to its rivals. If you have smaller wrists, this wearable is not one you want to invest in as it slides up and down the forearm of most users even after tightening it to the last notch.
For controls, you will find three buttons positioned on the right side of the watch. The top opens the maps app, the center button opens the app menu and the bottom button activates the different sensors and toolkit features of the watch where you can scroll through the compass, altimeter, barometer, sunrise/sunset times and more.
Display
Although not immediately obvious, the WSD-F30 has two screens – a 1.2-inch, 90 x 90 pixel OLED and a 1.2-inch 390 x 390 pixels monochrome LCD screen. You can switch between the two, depending on how much battery power you want to use and the specific features you need.
The ideal way to use the WSD-F30 is to use LCD to display essential information like the time and different sensor readings while the OLED screen for GPS and smartwatch features. The screen is quite responsive to touch and the readability is above average.
Performance
At the time of launch, the WSD-F30 featured the most recent, refreshed version of Google’s Wear OS. What this means is that the navigation is easier, notifications are mode detailed and helpful, but the speed could have been better. The interface sometimes slows down or simply freezes, a downside that can be traced to the outdated Qualcomm 2100 chipset.
If you’re a fitness enthusiast, you’ll want to look elsewhere as the tracking isn’t always accurate and there’s no heart rate sensor. The watch also has number of outdoor-focused apps as they let you look back over your routes in the form of maps, stats and graphs rather than let you record your activity. You can also track metrics while on an activity and you can even customize the watch to only receive specific notifications during an activity, thanks to the Moment Setter app.
Battery life
Casio didn’t reveal the battery capacity of the WSD-F30 but it lasts a day and a half. However, it comes with different battery saving modes to extend battery longevity by a couple of weeks. For charging, the smartwatch comes with a proprietary magnetic connector but the magnet isn’t very strong and it takes a few hours for the battery to charge to 100%.
Pros
- Clever two-layer screen
- Tough casing
- Good battery life with extended modes
- Lots of sensors for outdoors use
Cons
- Poorly designed charger
- Slow charging
- No heart rate monitor or NFC
- Slow performance
4. Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch
If you’re looking for a smartwatch that does fitness and core smartwatch features well, and is durable, the Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch is the wearable you would want to buy. It was officially announced with the Note 9 smartphone, and is widely considered an upgrade from the Gear Sport.
Key specifications
- Display:2-inch, 360 PPI Super AMOLED touchscreen
- Processor: Samsung Exynos 9110
- Operating system: Tizen 4.0
- RAM: 768MB (1.5GB for LTE model)
- Storage: 4GB
- Battery: 472mAh
Design
Coming up with a new design can be tough but Samsung manages to scale through this department by adopting a minimalist style to look like a real wristwatch. It’s more of a piece of technology than a piece of jewelry.
Available in three colors and two sizes namely 44mm and 46mm, the watch is targeted at people with large and smaller wrists. Whichever size you opt for, you will still need to choose between a stainless steel and aluminum casing. The great thing about any choice you make is that they both feel nice on the wrist.
There are two buttons on the right side of the watch and together with the screen; they serve as a way to navigate the watch’s UI. They don’t stick out too much but they’re still easy to press, and just beside the buttons is a speaker grille. Underneath is an optical heart rate monitor to take your readings throughout the day.
Display
Both variants of the Galaxy Watch feature the same 360 x 360 AMOLED display so you will get fractionally lower pixel density in the larger model. The screen is bright and color-rich so you can see everything, even under direct sunlight, thanks to its adaptive brightness settings.
You can interact with the watch with the screen, scrolling the menu and selecting apps with it. The ornate and functional bezel has a third characteristic: it makes the Samsung Galaxy Watch durable.
To protect the screen from scratches, there’s a Gorilla Glass DX. Samsung takes protection to a new level beyond the usual dust and waterproof resistance as you can force liquid out of the watch by blasting the speaker. The only problem with the display is that the screen details are slow to update when woken up each time.
Performance
Under the hood, there’s the Exynos 9110 dual-core processor, which clocks at 1.15GHz when paired with 768MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. All of these specs make the health and fitness capabilities of the watch run smoothly
You can track over 39 workouts, with the option of letting the watch automatically detect the activity or doing the manual tracking selection yourself. Touching on the level of its accuracy, the watch puts up a stellar performance both in water and when on land. It also features GPS and GLONASS support, which works alongside the optical heart rate monitor, accelerometer and barometer.
Battery life
Coming to the battery life, the Galaxy Watch has 437mAh stack of cells loaded into it, which Samsung claims can last up to 4 days. The only way to top-up the battery is via wireless charging and it’s not fast.
Pros
- Stylish design
- Decent four-day battery life
- Rotating bezel cycles through UI
- Great array of fitness sensors
- Offline Spotify support
Cons
- Few apps
- Bixby far less capable than Google Assistant
- Limited Samsung Pay Support
5. TicWatch S2
The Ticwatch S2 might have its flaws but there’s a lot to like about this product from Mobvoi. Apart from being affordable compared to its contender, one of its major selling points is that it can take a pounding so its users can keep up with their active lifestyle.
Key specifications
- Display:39-inch, 400 x 400 PPI AMOLED touchscreen
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100
- Operating system: Wear OS
- RAM: 512MB
- Storage: 4GB
- Battery: 415mAh
Design
The simple truth you should know very quickly is that the Ticwatch isn’t a piece you wouldn’t want to use for show-off. While its design is quite decent, the build indicates that it was made for people who spend most of their time outdoors, undertaking strenuous activity.
To that effect, the watch comes with a polycarbonate body, which is flanked by silicone straps that don’t look premium. It boasts MIL-STD-810G rating, which is military-grade protection that the watch is resistant to the elements.
With dimensions of 46.6 x 51.8 x 12.9mm, it appears the watch was made for people with large wrists. There’s only a single button for interacting with the watch on the right and it is easier to press compared to the recessed button on the original Ticwatch S. On the rear, you will find a heart rate monitor and magnetic charging pins.
Display
The Ticwatch S2 sports a punchy AMOLED screen, measuring 1.39-inch with a 400 x 400 resolution. The colors are vibrant and the viewing angles are strong enough for you to easily take a peek at the time when you need it.
However, there’s no ambient light sensor, meaning you will have to adjust the brightness manually. To cushion that effect of that missing feature, the wake gesture of rotating your wrist is now far more consistent compared to the Ticwatch S.
Performance
The Ticwatch S2 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 chipset, which is supported by 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage onboard. Apps fire up almost instantly and the performance is largely smooth.
You can upload music to the watch and listen to it with Bluetooth headphones. It also has built-in GPS and GLONASS support (alongside a few other satellite standards) to make tracking easier but there’s no NFC to access Google Play. But casual fitness enthusiasts will enjoy this device as a go-to for running, hiking, swimming and cycling.
Battery life
Mobvoi spec sheet states that the battery can last two days, but if you turn some features off, the battery should be able to last three days. Compared to its forebear, the battery life of the Ticwatch S2 is stellar.
Pros
- Reasonable battery life
- Rugged build quality
- Big display
- Affordable
Cons
- No NFC
- No sleep tracking
6. Misfit Vapor 2
The Misfit Vapor 2 is a pretty good looking smartwatch but it doesn’t do enough to be different from the competition. Although many believe it was launched a little late than it should have, the smartwatch is still a great watch as it packs all the essential features you will want from a smartwatch.
Key specifications
- Display:29-inch for 41mm and 1.39 inch for 46mm, 328 PPI AMOLED
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100
- Operating system: Wear OS
- RAM: 512MB
- Storage: 4GB
- Battery: 300mAh for 41mm and 330mAh for 46mm
Design
The Misfit Vapor 2 doesn’t look too different from its forebear but the subtle tweaks in the design are too obvious to miss. For starters, the watch comes in two sizes of 41mm and 46mm to fit those with big and smaller wrists.
Secondly, the body of the watch is made of plastic, making it thin and light so you can comfortably wear it when you work out. The watch also comes with a silicone strap that will fit any clothes you put on.
Flip the watch to the rear and you will find the heart rate sensor, which is made of glass with two metal circles surrounding it to serve as the charging rings. On the side is a button that you can use to access the menu as well as trigger Google Assistant by holding it down. It also functions as a dial so you can scroll through notifications.
Display
The screen of the Vapor 2 is gorgeous, thanks to its 454 x 454 AMOLED panel that ranges from 1.2-inches to 1.4-inches, depending on if you get the 41mm or 46mm model. The display is bright, detailed and sharp.
Performance
The Vapor 2 is quite fast and this can be attributed to the Snapdragon Wear 2100, which is supported by 512MB of Ram and 4GB of storage.
Other nice improvements to the Vapor 2 include a built-in GPS chip for mapping outdoor runs without needing to carry your phone, a heart rate sensor, NFC for Google Pay support and water resistance that protects the watch up to 30M + 10K strokes while swimming. On the software front, Vapor 2 is running the latest version of Wear OS.
Battery life
The 41mm Vapor 2 has a 300mAh capacity battery while the 46mm version features a 330mAh. Misfit claims the battery can deliver enough juice to last the entire day and that’s what you will truly get.
Pros
- Affordable
- Beautiful design
- Built-in GPS and NFC
- Bright display
Cons
- Kind of flimsy
- Doesn’t play well with iOS
- Outdated hardware
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