Review: Wellograph Watch

PD has been roadtesting the Wellograph fitness watch.

This is a very stylish watch that may be worn to the office, dinner out and in the field. In fact people often comment when they notice it. It comes with either a black or silver bottom; the top is black. The bands are black or brown leather, and a sports NATO band is available as an extra. The LCD screen is a stylish black, however in dim light the backlight is essential.

The watch acts as a pedometer, activity tracker and heart rate monitor (via a sensor on the back).

It has an easy to use stopwatch. The watch comes with an instruction leaflet, however PD found the watch intuitive and easy to set up, so a non-geek should be right.

The home view gives the time, day (as the number of the month) and battery level. A press of the button gives steps taken, heart rate, activity, stopwatch and other functions, all easy to scroll to with the two buttons on the right side of the watch. As you may gather, the watch can be used as a stand-alone device, unlike some other fitness trackers which require a phone to get the results from.

Speaking of use, note that overnight, sensing no activity, the watch goes into a power saving mode (it tells you when it is in this mode via a message at the top of the screen). Wake it up by presssing one of the buttons at the side or you may find yourself doing activities without recording them. The watch resets itself at midnight ready for the next day's activities.

For those that want more more detailed analyses and tracking, the watch can be paired via bluetooth to a compatible Android, Windows or iOS phone or tablet (see my previous post, "On personal technology").

The watch has a built in battery and comes with a charger. Like the watch, the charger is compact and stylish. This, unlike the watch, is the source of PD's only gripe. The watch is held in place by magnets and a narrow lip, too weak and small to hold it on properly. This means that the watch has to be carefully positioned and the watch strap placed accurately behind, making a tripod. Put the end of the strap through the buckle. With a little practice this should be no problem. Charging is rapid and the battery lasts for two or three days with regular use (longer if the tracking functions are not used much).

Is it useful? In one word, yes. It inspires you to exercise more. PD looks at the step count and makes sure he takes a walk if the count is too low.

In conclusion this is a stylish and useful watch and activity monitor to get you moving and helps you to lose weight. Right from the beginning the Wellograph shipped widely around the world, unlike another brand which was for USA shipping only.

Pros:
Stylish.
Easy to use.
Can be used stand-alone, without a phone.

Cons:
Charger needs a better design to hold the watch on better for charging.

Note: All photographs are from the official website of this product and are the copyright of its respective owners.

PD rating: 4 paws out of 5.

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