Highgear Axio Max

Summary

There’s a reason the President of the United States chose a Highgear watch for himself. The Axio Max builds on the pedigree delivering accuracy, ruggedness, and good looks.

A few years ago I acquired a Highgear Enduro compass watch. Strangely enough, so did Barack Obama (which you can read about on the Amsterdam Watch Blog). Regardless of politics that product was, and still is, a great little sports watch, simple to operate, accurate and good looking. The Enduro’s newer sibling – the Axio Max – improves on design, and adds a range of features making it a solid contender in the category.

Chief among the Axio Max’s features are the altimeter, barometer, and compass. All three operated accurately in our tests. The barometer is coupled with a small weather prediction icon located in the upper left quadrant of the watch face. That bit was not always accurate but was easy to re-calibrate.

The Axio Max also includes a thermometer which like all in this test struggled with providing accurate readings. My advice, if you really need an accurate temperature, leave the watch off your wrist for a few minutes to get an ambient reading. That worked every time in our tests.

For a complete review and photos visit GearGuide.