Suunto

Suunto was founded in 1936 by an outdoorsman and a keen orienteering enthusiast Tuomas Vohlonen, who had long been bothered by a problem: the inaccuracy of traditional dry compasses and their lack of steady needle operation. Being an engineer with an inventive turn of mind, he discovered and patented the production method for a much steadier needle, better readings and a new level of accuracy.

In 1960s Suunto introduced its first diving compass - initiated by the divers themselves. A British diver attached a Suunto compass to his wrist, and found that the device also worked underwater.

In 1987 saw the appearance of the SME dive computer. A dive computer that fits on the wrist, combined with an electronic compass, Suunto Spyder, provided the foundation for Suunto's next market conquest, the Suunto Vector in 1998.

The Suunto Vector paved the way for the next generation of wrist computers that were developed in the new millennium. In 2004 Suunto introduced Suunto D9, the first unit that combined a dive computer and digital compass, time information and advice.

Today, Suunto is a leading designer and manufacturer of sports instruments for diving.