I love this thing. I can see it being a useful tool for hiking, camping, and backpacking as well as in my every day life.You will definitely want to keep the instructions around because there are a lot of functions on this watch. It has regular metric units and American units for all of its settings, but it came to me with metric as its default. The instructions are not written in the clearest English but are functional enough--read the product description on the Amazon page and you have a general idea of what the instructions are like.I'm reviewing the functions in order from most used to least:Time: it seems the watch runs a little fast. I don't care about such things and just re-set the time as necessary. It has the ability to program a second timezone, which is useful to me as I live in a different time zone from seemingly the rest of my personal and professional life.Back light: It works, but only illuminates for three seconds, probably to spare the batteries. So it's good for quickly telling time in the dark, but that's about it.Barometer: Once calibrated, it has been dead-on, compared to National Weather Service data. The device keeps track of previous readings and produces trending data, as a single barometric pressure reading isn't terribly useful without knowing whether it is rising or falling. This is a cool feature of the watch and valuable for predicting weather patterns in places where smartphones don't always work reliably. That said, the weather prediction "function" on the watch itself is obviously not going to be reliable, especially if you have recently driven somewhere and screwed-up your barometric pressure history.Altimeter: I am not an expert in this technology, but after doing some research it seems that this device calculates altitude based on barometric pressure readings and, therefore, suffers from the inherent problems that plague all devices that use this type of calculation--i.e. changing weather patterns will cause the altimeter to read differently despite being at a static elevation. This isn't a flaw per se, this is a limitation of this type of equipment. This is why airplanes switched to radar and GPS, but this is a $70 watch. Once calibrated with a known altitude, the device can tell you a relative altitude and help you estimate your elevation. I would say that this function is more of a curiosity or back-up to dedicated equipment.Temperature: Yes, it can tell what the temperature around it is and other reviewers don't seem to understand that if you put it in your pocket, it's going to tell you the temperature of the inside of your pocket. It seems responsive enough, though: I put it in the freezer when I started writing this review, and it's currently displaying what I imagine the approximate temperature of the inside of my freezer is. When you are hiking outdoors or whatever, the exact temperature isn't really useful information, anyways.Alarm: It doesn't wake me up, but it works.Compass: I didn't mess with this very much. Like the altimeter, I would use this function as a back-up to dedicated equipment rather than my chief compass.Pedometer, chronograph, timer, and pace setter: They seem to work as they should.As far as water resistance goes, I wouldn't go swimming with it, but it got pretty soaked in sweat and snow while I was Nordic skiing and hiking over New Years without issue. I am not be afraid to take this watch kayaking in the summer.The included accessories--"rope" and carabiner--are cheap but functional.I think this is a great watch for the outdoorsy type or anyone else who enjoys gadgets like this. This is heavy duty gear with many functions, though, so if you want something that just tells time, this isn't it. It's probably not appropriate for mountaineering or some other activity where your life is on the line but is a cool gadget for the rest of us.June 2019 Update: The watch is still kicking. Still on the original battery. I carry it everyday whether I'm working, hiking, or kayaking. The back is scuffed from this use, but the glass front is still in perfect condition. I carry it in my pocket and attach it to my waist with a cheap pocket watch chain, which makes it easy to access and prevents it from being lost or dropped.Time: I still have to set it back about 2 minutes per week. It's accurate inasmuch that it's always 2 minutes ahead per week. A bit inconvenient, but it's easy enough to set it.Barometer: it hasn't deviated at all. Compared to the NWS atmospheric information, the watch's reading is always within 0.01 inches of mercury. Not bad. Live barometric pressure readings and knowledge of local weather conditions and patterns has saved me from getting caught in the hills/woods in the rain a couple times since I bought it. I will say that it has to be calibrated to the location one is at because it displays relative atmospheric pressure--I was recently in the mountains at about double my home's elevation and my barometer was way, way off.Altimeter: as before, this is calculated from relative atmospheric pressure, so it must be calibrated to the location to even have a chance of being accurate, and must be frequently re-calibrated. I prefer to use the relative altitude function--this sets the watch to zero and any deviation from this must be added or subtracted one's known altitude from a map or whatever, yielding a relative change in elevation. I'm a nerd, so this information more of a curiosity to me rather than a tool to survive in the mountains.Pedometer: I've started using this and compared to my wife's phone it seems accurate enough.I don't really pay attention to the other functions.I'm seriously enjoying this thing. Believe it or not, it's nice to have the option to leave the phone at home and still be able to tell the time without having something attached to my wrist and collecting sweat and dirt. The watch is certainly doing it's job in my possession, and it's a heavy piece of kit so I don't really worry about it too much.July 2019 update: The watch took a nasty spill--fell five feet onto tile. The watch seemed unharmed at the time, but it started wigging out a little today. I replaced to battery just to rule-out that issue--the task is straight forward but involves tiny parts, so it's best left for the adventurous with the right tools or a jeweler. The screen started flickering and doing weird stuff again after I switched the battery, but a fairly aggressive thump stopped it. Seems to functioning normally again. All the settings were wiped when I switched batteries--again, I recommend hanging on to the instructions.The battery is a commonly available CR2032. The OEM battery was a Maxwell, not a mystery cheapo battery. Six tiny philips head screws--like those on eyeglasses--hold the case's back on. Be sure not to lose the screws or the tiny o-ring, else the watch's water resistance will be compromised. A pin or similar is also needed to lift the tiny latch that holds the battery in place.July 2019 Update 2: It turns out that the watch's dive from the counter to the tile damaged the barometer and temperature feature--which also ruined the altimeter feature. What a shame. It still keeps time, but now I have to decide how to proceed--whether to buy a new one or not. It's a pretty heavy watch to just keep time and I find myself missing those features. I don't fault the watch as it was a nasty fall.March 2020 Update: I did buy a new watch back in July and it's worked fine since then. I've largely switched back to a wrist watch for my every day use, but watch2 is always with my woods stuff. Watch2 keeps perfect time and otherwise functions exactly as the first one.My original view of the watch still stands: this is a cool and useful instrument that's fun to have. It's basically robust but can be damaged if dropped. I like having mine.In the age of cell phones, wristwatches have become an unnecessary tool (no offense apple watch users) especially if you work in the electronics industry where reaching into a piece of equipment with a metal wristwatch is a sure-fire trip to the emergency room. Since cell phones have grown to the size of small tablets and often require frequent logons I decided to give a pocket watch a try. I wanted something multifunctional which is what attracted me to the Spovan. Be careful what you wish for. This thing has more functions than my TV remote and the controls while easy to follow will take some getting used to. I suspect I'll be referring to the manual quite a bit for the first month or so. Still, it's a sturdy little machine (good weight to it) and the main thing is it keeps time and date. Just got it so I can't vouch for the other functions yet. I must add though that the lanyard's snaps broke after the first night of use. I'm currently looking for a replacement.Great watch.... I wish a belt case was recommended at the time of the purchase, I wish that the accompanied belt loop clip was of better quality, I wish it had WWV with automatic daylight savings time...Love the watchIt is large and heavy, but I like that. It is little difficult to set and adjust the altitude or read the compass. I'm having some difficulties getting batteries replaced.This device works very well. I have calibrated it and compared it to my iPhone elevation and pressure guage and it appears to be very accurate. The quality of construction is very high. I haven’t had it long enough to see how th glass will hold up. One drawback I noted was that the backlight is a little dim. The only reason I didn’t give it a 5 star was that the user manual was a little confusing. It was obvious that English was not their first language. Anyhow, I really like the device and for the price would strongly recommend it.It's a little bigger than I like but the feel of its weight is awesomeHi! I am happy to give a customer review for the Digital Silver pocket Altimeter , compass and barometer that I purchased through Amazon...it is very different and we'll made; the weight when you hold it is impressive, and there's not much it Can't do...!!I. I highly recommend it,thanks Amazon,for opening up my World to some Fantastic products!!!!! Thanks Deb Beery [email protected] ?Alarm does not work