There are plenty of multifunction watches (built in stopwatch, alarm, light, etc.) that have been around for 20-30 years, were relatively cheap (even in 1987-1991ish), and are waterproof. If the 2014 "smart watch" ain't waterproof, it ain't smart enough for me.
People themselves should be responsible for choices they make. In this scenario a smartphone app could act as a supplement but not a replacement for an avalanche tracker.