# So...which Ambit 2?



## andy from embsay (Sep 14, 2012)

As a slightly hacked off Ambit owner (who also owns a Fenix) I've decided that if only for autopause and swimming I'm going to get a 2 - and I think I've decided on the 2 rather than the 2S. I'm a runner and cyclist most of the time but I do some ski mountaineering and touring so I've decided I'd like as accurate an altimeter as possible.

So - is the sappire one worth the extra £90? I like the look of it, and my (black) ambit has some paint scraped away where I've caught it - but not knowing much about these things what's the "sapphire" bit about the sapphire? Is it the watch glass? Is it scratch resistant or just look nicer?

I think I'm in a never-ending spiral with these watches - I chose the Fenix because it had more nav features (including the base map) even though I was never very happy with the way it looks. And the long-press lap timer pee-ed me off on the track (which I think they've now fixed). And I also like the look of the Ambit2S as it's slimmer - but don't like the coloured bezels!

So if someone could kindly make a Fenix-featured (including multi-alarms, vibration and baseman) watch that looks as good as the Ambit 2S but has a steel or black bezel - then you've got a buyer!

But in the meantime - is the sapphire worth the extra cash?

Cheers!


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## Gerald Zhang-Schmidt (Oct 30, 2011)

Yes, the Sapphire refers to sapphire crystal glass, which is more (extremely, supposedly) scratch resistant. Haven't had problems with my Ambit Black's glass, though, only some scratched off paint on the edge of the bezel (which is steel in the black Ambit2, as well as the Sapph, where it's brushed).

Apart from glass scratch resistance, it's mainly about the looks.
If you don't mind/want shiny (or have to have the top of the line), the Sapphire *is* nice. (It's what I got, actually.)
If you don't want to get blinded (  ), want to go incognito, don't want to spend extra, I'd say to go with the black...


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## andy from embsay (Sep 14, 2012)

I prefer the looks of the sapphire, although I like the black as well (my Ambit is black) but as I wear it every day I'm not keen on it looking bashed about with bits of paint missing - mine's only 6 or 7 months old and it's got paint scratched off already. Will the 2S bezels scratch?


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## pjc3 (Mar 26, 2012)

andy from embsay said:


> .....but as I wear it every day I'm not keen on it looking bashed about with bits of paint missing


I can't vouch for its resilience yet but the Sapphire is very good looking on the wrist. It sits lower than an Ambit black and I am now wondering why I have a Terra all steel for (my usual everyday wear).


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## Gerald Zhang-Schmidt (Oct 30, 2011)

The 2S bezels are the same aluminum as the original Ambit's... Don't know about the lacquer (that the right word?), but if you want to go rough and still look good, the Sapphire's probably a much better guess. Waiting for the first CEO with a GPS watch - that one


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## twelveone (Jan 18, 2012)

I've gone with the lime 2S. Will report back on bezel quality and other stuff once I've got it (delivery tomorrow), and after I've spent the back holiday weekend camping and trail running with it. Can't wait 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## andy from embsay (Sep 14, 2012)

twelveone said:


> I've gone with the lime 2S. Will report back on bezel quality and other stuff once I've got it (delivery tomorrow), and after I've spent the back holiday weekend camping and trail running with it. Can't wait
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


where's it coming from? There's a shop near here (Castleberg Outdoor) who are expecting some "any day" but haven't seen anywhere with stock.


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## andy from embsay (Sep 14, 2012)

pjc3 said:


> I can't vouch for its resilience yet but the Sapphire is very good looking on the wrist. It sits lower than an Ambit black and I am now wondering why I have a Terra all steel for (my usual everyday wear).


that's good to hear - i'm tempted by the 2S as that looks really slim but I know I'd miss the barometric altimeter when i'm in the mountains.


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## twelveone (Jan 18, 2012)

Yeah I tried them but they've had delays getting stock in. Snow and Rock have a few in stock online. 

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## andy from embsay (Sep 14, 2012)

S+R just seem to have red 2S now - i'll stick it out for the Sapphire (or pop over to Settle and compare them!).


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## Mystro (Oct 26, 2008)

Since you have a killer GPS watch, I would get the Sapphire Ambit simply because its a first for Suunto and it will have a better resale value. It looks the best but if I were penny pinching and this was my first GPS watch, the mineral glass is plenty robust.


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## andy from embsay (Sep 14, 2012)

Thanks Mystro - i do wish the Fenix looked a bit less "robust" as I wear my watch every day. Features-wise the Fenix ticks virtually every box (swimming excepted) but it's too "chunky" for me to wear every day.


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## Mystro (Oct 26, 2008)

Then looks are important and you have to get the Sapphire. I wish Suunto would offer a trade in program that would give a significant discount to upgrade to the new Ambit2. 
They would go from zero to hero pretty damn quick on this forum.
They could recon the trade ins and sell them to the military. They buy over priced outdated stuff all the time.



andy from embsay said:


> Thanks Mystro - i do with the Fenix looked a bit less "robust" as I wear my watch every day. Features-wise the Fenix ticks virtually every box (swimming excepted) but it's too "chunky" for me to wear every day.


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## ancient_mariner (Jul 21, 2009)

It is actually strange they did not offer sapphire crystal with the all black version.


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## martowl (Dec 31, 2010)

yes, I wish they offered sapphire with the black too. I ordered an Ambit2 black, need the battery so the 2S was out for me.


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## ifarlow (Jul 11, 2012)

I can't decide between the 2 and the 2S. Do I really need what's missing from the 2 versus what's lacking in the 2S? Hm...


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## Rem_ (Oct 21, 2012)

Hi all,

I'm Ambit 1 owner and , as many of us, was in the "haters" camp for some time.
But i now convinced that Ambit2 has a true HW improvement and plan to sell Ambit1 , buy Ambit2.

I wonder though if there were any improvement in log, battery.
Does anyone know / have tested if , with 1s GPS fix, we can log more than 15hours thanks to external portable battery and ambit2 larger memory ?

Thx

Rem


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## twelveone (Jan 18, 2012)

ifarlow said:


> I can't decide between the 2 and the 2S. Do I really need what's missing from the 2 versus what's lacking in the 2S? Hm...


I went for the 2S on the basis I didn't really need the features it lacks. I've been pushing Suunto for the stuff that the 2S has over my old Ambit1 since last Feb, namely the multisport and swimming features. Shame it didn't come in the form of a firmware update, but hey-ho, whaddayagonnado? Happy with my new 2S so far, although all I've really done so far is look at it! Mmmm shiny 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## ifarlow (Jul 11, 2012)

Interesting. I do wish the 2S came in all black. Not a fan of the color options, really, but hm... If I could get the silver ring on a 2S with the black buttons then that might be a decent compromise. Of course, I wonder if the silver is matte or shiny? No one that I know of here in the US has one on display, let alone for sale, so I can only wonder at this point.


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## twelveone (Jan 18, 2012)

ifarlow said:


> Interesting. I do wish the 2S came in all black. Not a fan of the color options, really, but hm... If I could get the silver ring on a 2S with the black buttons then that might be a decent compromise. Of course, I wonder if the silver is matte or shiny? No one that I know of here in the US has one on display, let alone for sale, so I can only wonder at this point.


Here you go. From ultra168's fb page.









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## twelveone (Jan 18, 2012)

Some pics of the lime Ambit2 S if anyone is interested. 

Some observations:
Feels significantly slimmer/lighter than my Ambit1. 
Strap feels more flexible/lighter than Ambit1. 
Has two strap loops, that have catches on them unlike the Ambit1. 
Only one home screen as obviously no barometer. Compass can appear as second home screen if you switch it on through menu, and can be switched off in a similar fashion. Same goes for chrono/countdown timers. 
Beeps seem louder but maybe just my imagination. 

Will be putting it through its running and cycling paces over the next week or so. Will try swimming functions later. 

Looking forward to being able to log power output from my Kinetic Road Machine app on the TT 


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## ifarlow (Jul 11, 2012)

Where are the pics? I'm ready to be frustrated that no retailers in the US seem to have these at the moment.


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## twelveone (Jan 18, 2012)

ifarlow said:


> Where are the pics? I'm ready to be frustrated that no retailers in the US seem to have these at the moment.


Sorry something went awry there. Gimme a few I'll try again.

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## twelveone (Jan 18, 2012)

ifarlow said:


> no retailers in the US seem to have these at the moment.


It was a mission finding someone that had them here in the UK. I bought it from snowandrock.com, but they had only got an initial shipment if 10, most of which have gone already! Most retailers I asked said end May / early June.

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## ifarlow (Jul 11, 2012)

Ah... the pictures have shown up. Thanks for that.


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## pjc3 (Mar 26, 2012)

twelveone said:


> It was a mission finding someone that had them here in the UK.


Bizarrely it is occasionally of benefit to live in the Antipodes ....... HTA were the first to release the Ambit and now the Ambit2. GMT+10 meant retail peices were on wrists Downunder before anywhere else.


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## Joakim Agren (Feb 12, 2006)

What are your evaluation of the button pushes?

Do they feel distinct? Are the feeling similar to Ambit 1? I read somewhere that someone from Suunto did not oppose the use of buttons while swimming. But in the manual it states not to use buttons under water. So that is confusing, the reason I bring this up is because I think the buttons on this new Ambit look almost identical to the stinger buttons found on the Suunto Core. And those buttons are made to be used under water. So I am curios about this!

Could it be that the new Ambit also have stinger buttons just like the Core?


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## pjc3 (Mar 26, 2012)

Joakim Agren said:


> What are your evaluation of the button pushes?


The button mechanism feels the same IMO.


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## ifarlow (Jul 11, 2012)

Two questions so far:


The manual for the 2S indicates that the device has the "find back" feature, but the Suunto web site indicates that the 2S does not. Which is correct?
The Ambit 2 will support multiple bike pods, but I can't figure out if the 2S will as well. Can you tell if the 2S will support multiple bike pods?


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## ifarlow (Jul 11, 2012)

Well, I found in the 2S manual a reference to three bike pods, but I also found reference to the altimeter/barometer, so it appears that the 2S manual was not fully proofed, so I'm no closer to knowing one way or the other.


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## twelveone (Jan 18, 2012)

I've seen multiple errors on both the website and manual so don't take any of it as written. The 2S does support multiple bike pods, and find back. 

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## ifarlow (Jul 11, 2012)

Nice... thanks.


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## andy from embsay (Sep 14, 2012)

Collected my 2 today after a mad dash across the Dales. Spent 15 minutes umming and ah-ing over a "graphite" (silver) 2S but in the end the barometric altitude made me plump for the 2 sapphire. I really liked the look of the 2S - slimmer and noticeably lighter. The antenna is smaller than the 1 on both versions, and both feel lighter.

i'm not sure it's worth the extra £175, but i definitely prefer it to my 1.


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## anto1980 (Jun 9, 2008)

andy from embsay said:


> Collected my 2 today after a mad dash across the Dales. Spent 15 minutes umming and ah-ing over a "graphite" (silver) 2S but in the end the barometric altitude made me plump for the 2 sapphire. I really liked the look of the 2S - slimmer and noticeably lighter. The antenna is smaller than the 1 on both versions, and both feel lighter.
> 
> i'm not sure it's worth the extra £175, but i definitely prefer it to my 1.


Pics please!!!


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## pjc3 (Mar 26, 2012)

andy from embsay said:


> The antenna is smaller than the 1 on both versions, and both feel lighter.


It is exactly the same size on the Sapphire vs Ambit Black. Sapphire definitely "feels" lower profile on the wrist though.


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## twelveone (Jan 18, 2012)

Ooh I've just noticed you get a battery % display on this bad boy. Only when it's charging though 

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## pjc3 (Mar 26, 2012)

twelveone said:


> Ooh I've just noticed you get a battery % display on this bad boy. *Only when it's charging though *


Nope! It is there all the time if you want.


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## pjc3 (Mar 26, 2012)

Just another nuance ... Holding "View" button short-cuts to altimeter reference when in watch mode but goes back to toggle reverse display when in sport (record) mode.


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## or_watching (Nov 13, 2008)

pjc3 said:


> Nope! It is there all the time if you want.


Jealous!!!


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## martowl (Dec 31, 2010)

pjc3 said:


> Nope! It is there all the time if you want.


I will be using that one, my Ambit2 black should be here mid May.


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## pjc3 (Mar 26, 2012)

martowl said:


> I will be using that one, my Ambit2 black should be here mid May.


Combining that with switching between 60sec & 1sec record modes on the fly will make it easier to manage battery life for your "longer than average" runs you seem to indulge in!


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## bowesmana (Apr 22, 2012)

pjc3 said:


> Just another nuance ... Holding "View" button short-cuts to altimeter reference when in watch mode but goes back to toggle reverse display when in sport (record) mode.


Ah, almost what I was after, but very useful


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## twelveone (Jan 18, 2012)

pjc3 said:


> Nope! It is there all the time if you want.


Ah sweet, I see it now, thanks!

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## ancient_mariner (Jul 21, 2009)

Maybe this page helps you guys, it is a Finnish retailer but you can see all the models in one page and there's photos too.

Suunto Ambit - Keskisen Kello Oy


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## cue003 (Nov 2, 2012)

Wont the bezel of the sapphire show scratches easily since it is so shiny? I would think that within a month you will have a ton on spider type scratches all over like many get on "regular" metal watch bands etc. 

I wonder how easy it is to buff out any scratches.


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## anto1980 (Jun 9, 2008)

Will be Ambit2 Black bezel more scratches resistant??? It got a Steel bezel but the problem is cosmetical...


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## martowl (Dec 31, 2010)

pjc3 said:


> Combining that with switching between 60sec & 1sec record modes on the fly will make it easier to manage battery life for your "longer than average" runs you seem to indulge in!


That appealed to me as well as using for ski mountaineering--I can have a "downhill" and "touring" sport. Heck I was wondering if one could design an app that would switch for you depending on the speed I am going to be looking into that.


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## bowesmana (Apr 22, 2012)

martowl said:


> That appealed to me as well as using for ski mountaineering--I can have a "downhill" and "touring" sport. Heck I was wondering if one could design an app that would switch for you depending on the speed I am going to be looking into that.


Hey, that would be neat. I'm running to the gym this evening (45 mins) then doing a 45 min cycle class followed by a run back. It would be great if it could figure out that when it loses GPS signal and there is no fuseSpeed activity going on in the wrist and that my HR is >150 then I must be on a stationary bike...
I looked at getting the Sapphire yesterday as they have them online in Oz, but as Ambit1 meets my needs still, I can't quite justify the 2.

How seamless is the exercise mode switching and is it just one move on Movescount when uploaded? The 60/1 second switching sounds useful, but I wondered how that looks online. Also, do you know how Sporttracks would handle the XML, whether it would show it as 1 or multiple activities?


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## or_watching (Nov 13, 2008)

I don't see a way to switch recording interval or GPS on/off mode by using an App. 

The crazy thing is that I'm addicted to this App developer thing. But I have to keep most of them private because I don't yet have an Ambit2 to properly test them. Oops, did I just say "yet"?


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## twelveone (Jan 18, 2012)

Nice comparison of a hike (@60s) and a run (@1s) from my 2S:
















Considering a lot of the route was under tree cover, I'm very happy with the accuracy of both. Only issue I had was during the hike, the altitude reading got stuck at 912ft after I had paused & resumed the track once, and never fluctuated after that. Hoped it was a bug in the watch display, but movescount shows the same (incorrect) flatline.


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## twelveone (Jan 18, 2012)

And liking the ability to log my kinetic road machine power app 

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## martowl (Dec 31, 2010)

I keep checking the REI shipment page for my black2--still not yet shipped:-(


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## pjc3 (Mar 26, 2012)

Just thought I would mention Suunto have halved the vertical scale on the Barograph i.e. double the resolution and changes are now more obvious.


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## anto1980 (Jun 9, 2008)

pjc3 said:


> Just thought I would mention Suunto have halved the vertical scale on the Barograph i.e. double the resolution and changes are now more obvious.


pjc3, I sent you a PM!


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## Joakim Agren (Feb 12, 2006)

pjc3 said:


> Just thought I would mention Suunto have halved the vertical scale on the Barograph i.e. double the resolution and changes are now more obvious.


I suspected as much when I saw the pictures of it. That is good to know, do you now rank it on par with the barograph on the Core?:think:


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## martowl (Dec 31, 2010)

pjc3 said:


> Just thought I would mention Suunto have halved the vertical scale on the Barograph i.e. double the resolution and changes are now more obvious.


Does that make it as good or better than the Fenix?.....sorry I just couldn't help myself.

but...I am jealous, I have to wait at least a week or more to get mine.


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## eeun (May 31, 2012)

Now I've got my shiny new Ambit2 black bezel on my 'original' Ambit, two questions.....


Should I lie and tell people, or at least let them think I have a '2'?
Can I join your '2' club as an honorary member?

b-)

I think this is a win/win for me now. Looks and functions better than the old bezel and the wife won't notice if I do decide to upgrade to a '2'! She is VERY observant about these things.


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## martowl (Dec 31, 2010)

eeun said:


> Now I've got my shiny new Ambit2 black bezel on my 'original' Ambit, two questions.....
> 
> 
> Should I lie and tell people, or at least let them think I have a '2'?
> ...


Now I know why you paid for the upgraded bezel! Wait a few weeks and send it back to Suunto stating it does not run all of the Ambit2 apps and ask them what the problem is.


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## randfee (May 20, 2013)

is the altimeter truly worth the extra buck?


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## or_watching (Nov 13, 2008)

randfee said:


> is the altimeter truly worth the extra buck?


You mean a Barometric altimeter?
To lots of folks, yeah. For plenty of them it's much of the reason they dropped $300 on a Core.

But probably not worth it if you want only a general idea of the altitude (from GPS), or don't care about having an accurate cumulative ascent/descent while out with the watch. Or don't want a barometer.

So, like, Hikers say yeah. Bikers probably say yeah. A few runners say yeah. Most swimmers say Nah.


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## Joakim Agren (Feb 12, 2006)

or_watching said:


> You mean a Barometric altimeter?
> To lots of folks, yeah. For plenty of them it's much of the reason they dropped $300 on a Core.
> 
> But probably not worth it if you want only a general idea of the altitude (from GPS), or don't care about having an accurate cumulative ascent/descent while out with the watch. Or don't want a barometer.
> ...


But I have read that you can not even read the GPS altitude inside the watch on Ambit2S, you need to use Movescount for that which is lame!

The big flaw with the Ambit2S vs the regular Ambit2 is the poor battery life only half the battery time compared to the regular Ambit2. So for me I would say yes it is worth getting the regular Ambit2.


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## twelveone (Jan 18, 2012)

Joakim Agren said:


> But I have read that you can not even read the GPS altitude inside the watch on Ambit2S, you need to use Movescount for that which is lame!


Not sure where that came from. My 2S displays altitude fine, albeit only during exercise mode, unlike using the altitude screen on the ambit 1 or 2.

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## or_watching (Nov 13, 2008)

Yeah, it'd be good to get complete clarity on this.

My understanding was that the 2s does show GPS Altitude. But no Ascent/Descent values (which makes sense with GPS only). And the 2 natively shows Baro altitude or the "Fused Alti" (also a baro value, but 'adjusted by GPS'), and can also show the GPS Altitude via an App in exercised modes.


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## Gerald Zhang-Schmidt (Oct 30, 2011)

You can see what you can see later in Movescount in my review (of the Ambit2, as it were), under "Altitude": Only highest and lowest point are given by the 2S (in Movescount, later).

I kinda hate having my blog completely Suunto-nized, but I think I'll also be doing an Ambit2S review. Which is to say: questions welcome.


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## cleanton (May 15, 2012)

I definitly advise Ambit 2 Sapphire. Mine has arrived yesterday and it is awesome. Steel bezel and sapphire glass are awesome, the watch looks very high quality and robust.


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## anto1980 (Jun 9, 2008)

I also got a Sapphire version!



cleanton said:


> I definitly advise Ambit 2 Sapphire. Mine has arrived yesterday and it is awesome. Steel bezel and sapphire glass are awesome, the watch looks very high quality and robust.


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## Beisner (Jun 25, 2013)

No reply on the question about the whether or not the Black "2" holds its paint on the bezel better than the "1"? And will the Sapphire catch scratches easy?


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## cdmackay (Feb 8, 2008)

Beisner said:


> And will the Sapphire catch scratches easy?


I've got the Sapphire.

The satin/brushed stainless steel bezel does scratch, just like any stainless steel. But it hides the scratches well, and people say scratches can be buffed out with e.g. ScotchBrite. I've not tried that.

In theory, the Sapphire crystal won't be scratched by anything other than diamond, in the wild, or perhaps carbide tools, etc.

I've had sapphire crystals in other watches for years, and have never managed to scratch any of them.

One thing: it is _brittle_, however. Drop the watch onto a hard floor, and the crystal could shatter. That's rare though.

Another lovely point about sapphire, which I only just noticed: water beads on it, and runs off, leaving a dry surface. I tried sprinkling water on my fenix (mineral glass) and Ambit 2 sapphire, and there's a huge difference in readability, as the water just smears over the surface on the fenix, until carefully dried, whereas on the A2 I can just shake it off. Or even just leave it.

The only downside of the sapphire is the price. But I think it's _really_ worth it.


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## redpoint (Jun 25, 2013)

I got the Sapphire and I think it's a very nice looking piece. For the types of sports I bought this for, the sapphire crystal will serve me well + a scratched s/s bezel looks better [patina wise] than a chipped/scratched black bezel. Unfortunately, it's buggy. I can't sync reliably and the FusedAlti has got some major problems. I'd wait until they iron-out all the problems.


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## arhuaco (Jun 4, 2013)

Beisner said:


> No reply on the question about the whether or not the Black "2" holds its paint on the bezel better than the "1"? And will the Sapphire catch scratches easy?


Had the Black 2 for a month, and done 240km of running - probably half on trail. Also wearing it as a day to day watch. No scratches so far....


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## Jrsnow (Jun 18, 2013)

I've had both the Ambit 1/2 all black, so far the 2's bezel definitely seems to resists scratches and chips easier. The sapphire looks great, but I really like the band that comes on the all black version. The band on the sapphire looks very similar/same to the band on the 2S.


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## cdmackay (Feb 8, 2008)

Aren't the bands interchangeable though?

The Sapphire band has a nice brushed steel buckle, which matches the bezel nicely.


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## pjc3 (Mar 26, 2012)

cdmackay said:


> Aren't the bands interchangeable though?


I've had 3 bands on my Ambit2: Ambit Silver, Ambit Black and Ambit2 Sapphire. All fit fine. The Saphire band is slightly better fit for me so I have gone back to the original.


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## Jrsnow (Jun 18, 2013)

Of course they're interchangeable, the all fit, I just like the mesh/holes look of the Ambit2 black band.


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