Dakota watches, functional, not gaudy.
Designer watches are nice, but in the backcountry you want a sturdy timepiece that simply tells you the time. Flashiness isn't the point, which makes the 'clip watches' from Dakota Watch Co., dare we say, timely?
This Cincinnati, Ohio, company has a wide selection of watches ' fashion pieces included ' but what caught our eyes was their clip-on series. These timepieces, from $25 up to $70, all revolve on a clipping mechanism, usually a carabiner or something similar, to attach to your belt loop or one of your pack's shoulder straps.
The Aluminum Backpacker Clip Watch, (above, right) for example, has a black military dial with luminescent hands and hour markers for night work. The crystal is mineral glass, the carabiner is aluminum and is connected to the watch by a nylon strap, and the watch itself can withstand a 100-foot-deep dunking...not that you'd want to be attached to it at that point.
More versatile is the Dakota Knife Clip. (above, left) This is a handsome, stainless steel watch that is also a multi-purpose tool. There's a fold-out knife and scissors, perfect for the fly fisherman who finds himself in mid-stream retying a fly. There's a red diode flashlight, and a small compass as well. And the clip on this timepiece is spring-loaded to keep it secure.
Another watch that caught our attention was Dakota's Cover Clip Backpacker Clip. This watch features a spring-loaded cover to protect the dial. It comes with a lobster clasp, which doesn't seem quite as durable as the 'biner on the Backpacker Clip, and certainly not the mechanism on the Knife Clip.
The watch movement on these timepieces comes with a five-year warranty to keep accurate time.
They're functional without being gaudy. What a concept.
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