Some genuinely innovative wrist-wear for a change. So today you can let us show you through the mysterious world of a unique sporty item. But say, you have a handheld coach chattering away on your behalf from its vantage point on the best golf and running watch. Just try crowding around a coach without being knocked down at least once by some enthusiastic new trainee. Heaven forbid, could you ever nestle into something well-meant and be lost forever in a sand trap?

Golf watches — little enchanters in disguise! Picture this. You find yourself on the fairway, looking at an indistinct flagpole. Enter the world of golf watches. Take the Garmin Approach S62 — to all avid golfers. It will give you everything except for actually swinging the club itself. With features such as a touch-screen color display, wind velocity indicators, and indeed some of the wisdom from Virual caddies. It is almost farsighted. It can see all the hazards in sight and find all the pins. One might say it knows the terrain as well as it does its own wristband.

Shift your attention over to the track, where watches assume swift new shapes. Our own dear Polar Vantage V is without question once again a giant’s shoulders above all others in its field when it comes to running tech. Hello Usain Bolt, this is your rival in gadgets. It provides recovery suggestions and monitors your performances. Like having a coach but minus all the yelling. For night-time joggers or morning runners, these watches take tracking speed up into the stratosphere. Think V02 Max, running power metrics, heart- rate readings–it’s a simple glance away. Enough to make Batman’s gadgets envious.

However, not everything the tech says has to be data. Simplicity–this is the way to go on occasion. Think of a run where your watch just spits out the basics: distance, time. The Coros Pace 2 is quite charming at this–in its own quiet way barely enough fire to remind you that you are living amidst miracles. The Coros Pace 2 is svelte and stylish, catering to athletes who prefer their devices straightforward. Not that it doesn’t have basics such as a built-in GPS and generous battery life. But taking a perfect run that will power down your watch? No way.

There are also times when these gadgets turn from just nifty little conveniences into things of necessity. Times like when we are chatting with golf chums, needing to check the beat of our steps just as much as a runner might. And for those same companions, we know someone who goes so far as to purport he’s materially improving his golf swing with the latest gadgets. A golfer’s watch can thus spare him from all the annoyance of playing a ‘kick’ over and over again.

The next time you tie shoelaces or pick up clubs, remember your watch. It is the unseen companion, the keeper of pace, counter of yardage. Whether you are running like the wind, shot-putting like a pro: these gadgets are part and parcel of your athletic fervor and a reliable timepiece. Here’s to discovering your perfect wrist companion; she’ll stride with you every step of the way!