I use a garmin and I love it. It even allows me to upload my data onto the computer so I can track my stats. It keeps track of my pace, my distance, heart rate, and a bunch of ther stuff. I bought it when I started training for a half marathon!
Garmin is awesome but so expensive. If your a beginner I love my Timex Ironman Triathlon. It doesn't calculate distance but you can always use https://www.mapmyrun.com/
Another Garmin fan I've got the forerunner 110. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles that the 405 has but it suits what I needed and wasn't as expensive. It does pace, distance, heartrate, and time and you can upload all the info and keep track of your progress. Plus the 110 comes in a women's model- so it looks a little cuter, not a necessary feature but one that made me happy!
Re: Rec your watch for running...