From precision compasses to GPS watches and open-ear headphones, Suunto’s 90-year history is a story of innovation, adventure and the relentless pursuit of going further.
There aren’t many brands that can genuinely claim to have spent nine decades helping people explore the world around them. Since 1936, Finnish outdoor technology brand Suunto has been doing exactly that. To celebrate its 90th anniversary, the brand has opened From Depths to Heights, a comprehensive archive exhibition exploring nine decades of exploration, design and technological innovation.
Curated and designed by Werneri Vanhanen and the Garbadura collective, the exhibition brings together a vast selection of material from the Suunto archives, including historic instruments, photography, catalogues, advertising, documents and previously unseen footage.
But this isn’t simply a trip down memory lane. For a brand whose products have evolved from compasses to sophisticated sports watches and headphones, the exhibition offers a look at how technology has changed the way we move, train and explore.
The Beginnings
Suunto’s story begins in 1936 with Finnish inventor Tuomas Vohlonen. Vohlonen developed a new field compass designed to be more accurate, stable and durable than the navigation instruments available at the time. Built to cope with Finland’s harsh conditions, it established a philosophy that would remain central to Suunto for decades: create reliable tools that help people navigate, measure and understand their environment.
That adventurous spirit is deeply rooted in Suunto’s Finnish identity. Finnish design is known for functionality, simplicity and durability, while the country’s forests, lakes, long winters and dramatic seasonal changes have provided a natural testing ground for Suunto’s products.
That influence is visible throughout the exhibition. Three Artek stools designed by Finnish design legend Alvar Aalto feature Suunto-red tops arranged in the shape of the brand’s iconic triangle. Classic chairs by Yrjö Kukkapuro have been reupholstered in Suunto colourways, while Helinox outdoor seating brings a more contemporary, adventure-focused feel to the space.
The result is an exhibition that feels connected to the landscape that inspired the brand in the first place.
Suunto expanded into new territory. Its expertise in precision instrumentation led to innovations in diving, mountaineering and outdoor exploration, including some of the earliest dive computers and wrist altimeters. Eventually, the analogue world of compasses and instruments gave way to GPS, sensors and digital tracking. The technology changed. The purpose didn’t.
The Watches
Today, Suunto is perhaps best known for its sports and adventure watches, bringing the company’s heritage of precision into modern training.
The Suunto Race 2 is designed around performance, training and racing, while the Suunto Run takes a more focused approach for runners. For those heading into the mountains or further off the beaten track, the Suunto Vertical 2 is built around outdoor adventure and endurance.
Then there’s the Suunto Ocean, which combines the functionality of a sports watch with the company’s long-standing expertise in diving. It’s a fitting example of how Suunto has managed to bring together seemingly different worlds allowing one device to follow an athlete both above and below the surface.
For runners and athletes, these watches have become far more than glorified stopwatches. GPS, heart-rate tracking, training metrics and performance data can turn a run into a detailed picture of how your body and fitness are developing. In many ways, it’s the modern interpretation of the original compass. The compass told you where you were going. Your sports watch can now tell you how quickly you’re getting there, how hard you’re working and how you’re progressing.
The Headphones
Suunto’s expansion hasn’t stopped with watches. The brand has also entered the world of sports audio with a range of open-ear headphones designed with outdoor movement in mind.
The Suunto Wing uses bone-conduction technology, allowing runners and cyclists to listen to music or podcasts while keeping their ears open to their surroundings. Integrated LED lights also provide additional visibility, while head-movement controls allow users to interact with their audio without reaching for their phone.
It’s a particularly relevant proposition for runners. Being able to listen to your favourite playlist or podcast without completely blocking out traffic, cyclists or other people around you makes sense when you’re training outdoors.
The newer Suunto Wing 2, alongside products including the Suunto Sonic, Suunto Aqua and Suunto Spark, shows how far the company has moved beyond its original navigation roots. From magnetic needles to bone conduction, the underlying philosophy remains the same: technology should help you move through the world rather than disconnect you from it.
Preserving the history
Suunto is also using its 90th anniversary to ensure its history isn’t confined to an exhibition. As part of the wider archive project led by Garbadura, the company is contributing a curated selection of historical documents, catalogues and previously unreleased material to the Outdoor Recreation Archive.
Developed in collaboration with Utah State University’s Special Collections and its Outdoor Product Design and Development programme, the archive aims to preserve the history of outdoor recreation for researchers, students and future generations. It’s an appropriate move for a company whose own history has been so closely tied to the evolution of outdoor culture.
What’s next?
After 90 years, Suunto’s biggest achievement might not be any single product. It’s the ability to evolve without losing sight of what the brand was created to do.
The field compass of 1936 and the GPS sports watch of 2026 may look worlds apart, but they share the same fundamental purpose: helping people understand their surroundings and push further into them. As Werneri Vanhanen, head designer and curator of From Depths to Heights, puts it, Suunto’s products are carriers of stories objects that move through time alongside the people who use them.
And that’s what makes the anniversary feel less like an ending and more like a starting point. After all, 90 years is a long way to travel. Suunto have some really cool products planned that TONE will be reviewing very soon so keep your eyes peeled!
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