Frankly, the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 rather surprised me.

Initially, I thought I would come across a running watch of which dozens already exist. But after several weeks of use, I quickly understood that Huawei had wanted to appeal to serious runners without making the watch complicated to use.

The first thing that struck me was its weight. Or rather its lack of weight. It's so light that I often end up forgetting I have it on my wrist. For long outings or even at night, it's real comfort. Not that “brick on the arm” look that some sports watches sometimes give.

In terms of autonomy, nothing to complain about. I'm one of those people who hates having to charge their devices every other day. Here, I easily last more than a week with notifications, health monitoring and several GPS sessions. It's relaxing... really.

The GPS is also one of the big strong points. The recorded routes are precise and the satellite lock is fast. Whether running or cycling, the data seems consistent to me. Same feeling for heart monitoring and training statistics which seem reliable on a daily basis.

I also liked the AMOLED screen. In direct sunlight, everything remains perfectly readable. It seems like a detail, but when you check your appearance during an outing, it changes everything.

Of course, not everything is perfect. Some advanced features take a little time to master and the Huawei app could sometimes be more intuitive.

In short, if your goal is simply to receive notifications, it is probably too specialized. On the other hand, for someone who runs regularly and wants a light, durable and precise watch, the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 ticks a lot of boxes. Personally, it's clearly one of the good surprises of the year.