Casio Men's Pathfinder Multi-Band Solar Atomic Ultimate Watch #PAW1500-1V

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Product Features

• Quartz movement
• 12/24 Hr. Formats, 1/100 Sec. Stopwatch, 5 Daily Alarms, Countdown/Yacht Timer, Tide Graph
• World Time (31 Cities), Digital Compass, Altimeter, Barometer, Moon Age & Moon Phase Graph
• Auto EL Backlight
• Water-resistant to 660 feet (200 M)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description
Perfect for rugged adventurers and weekend warriors, the solar-powered Casio Pathfinder men's sport watch is loaded with a digital compass and altimeter/barometer/thermometer--perfect for both mountain trekking and cave spelunking. It also includes tide and moon graphs and moon age data, and is very precise thanks to its atomic timekeeping features. The altimeter offers 5-meter measurements from -700 to 10,000 meters, and it can store altitude, month, date and time data, provide tendency and differential graphs, track cumulative ascent/descent, and sound an alarm when you reach a specified altitude. The watch also has a digital compass with 16 points of measurement displayed on the dial face. Other environmental and timekeeping features include:

• Barometer with atmospheric pressure tendency/differential graphics
• Thermometer
• World Time: 29 times zones (30 cities), city code display, daylight saving on/off
• 5 daily alarms
• 1/100 second stopwatch with 24-hour capacity and elapsed/split time modes and 1st-2nd place times
• Countdown timer with 60-minute range
• Auto Calendar (pre-programmed until the year 2099)

This watch also features a ±20-second accuracy per month, Afterglow backlighting, and water resistance to water resistance to 200 meters (660 feet)--which will stand up to the rigors of recreational scuba diving. This solar-powered watch has a battery life of up to 5 months on a full charge (without further exposure to light).

This multi-band radio-controlled watch receives a time calibration signal transmitted from several locations across the globe (the U.S., UK, Germany, and Japan), and it has an auto receive function (up to 6 times per day). You can choose to automatically receive this signal four times a day, or manually update the watch to the atomic clock.

Development of the Timepiece Business
With the launch of its first watch in November 1974, Casio entered the wristwatch market at a time when the watch industry had just discovered digital technology. As a company with cutting-edge electronic technology developed for pocket calculators, Casio entered this field confident that it could develop timepieces that would lead the market.

In developing its own wristwatches Casio began with the basic question, "What is a wristwatch?" Rather than simply making a digital version of the conventional mechanical watch, we thought that the ideal wristwatch should be something that shows all facets of time in a consistent way. Based on this, Casio was able to create a watch that displayed the precise time including the second, minute, hour, day, and month — not to mention a.m. or p.m., and the day of the week. It was the first watch in the world with a digital automatic calendar function that eliminated the need to reset the calendar due the variation in month length. Rather than using a conventional watch face and hands, a digital liquid crystal display was adopted to better show all the information. This culminated in the 1974 launch of the CASIOTRON, the world’s first digital watch with automatic calendar. The CASIOTRON won acclaim as a groundbreaking product that represented a complete departure from the conventional wristwatch.

Casio transformed the concept of the watch — from a mere timepiece to an information device for the wrist — and undertook product planning based on this innovative idea. We developed not only time functions such as global time zone watches, but also other radical new functions using Casio’s own digital technology, including calculator and dictionary functions, as well as a phonebook feature based on memory technology, and even a thermometer function using a built-in sensor. The memory-function watches became our DATA BANK product series, while the sensor watches developed into two unique Casio product lines of today: the Pathfinder series displaying altitude, atmospheric pressure, and compass readings.

In 1983, Casio launched the shock-resistant G-SHOCK watch. This product shattered the notion that a watch is a fragile piece of jewelry that needs to be handled with care, and was the result of Casio engineers taking on the challenge of creating the world’s toughest watch. Using a triple-protection design for the parts, module, and case, the G-SHOCK offered a radical new type of watch that was unaffected by strong impacts or shaking. Its practicality was immediately recognized, and its unique look, which embodied its functionality, became wildly popular, resulting in explosive sales in the early 1990s. The G-SHOCK soon adopted various new sensors, solar-powered radio-controlled technology (described below), and new materials for even better durability. By always employing the latest technology, and continuing to transcend conventional thinking about the watch, the G-SHOCK brand has become Casio’s flagship timepiece product.

Today, Casio is focusing its efforts on solar-powered radio-controlled watches: the built-in solar battery eliminates the nuisance of replacing batteries, and the radio-controlled function means users never have to reset the time. In particular, the radio-controlled function represents a revolution in time-keeping technology similar to the impact created when mechanical watches gave way to quartz technology. Through the further development of high radio-wave sensitivity, miniaturization, and improved energy efficiency, Casio continues to produce a whole range of radio-controlled models.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0017U1MJU
• Item model number: PAW1500-1V
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #124 in Watches (See Bestsellers in Watches)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great watch that "has it all", May 20, 2008

By	scottjl (USA) - See all my reviews

Picked up this watch last week (found it somewhere else for a for a bit cheaper) and loving it. The watch has all the functions mentioned and all work smoothly. The only thing to note is that the watch case itself is a mix of dark green and black (it's hard to make out in photos). Keep that in mind if you're "fashion conscious," didn't bother me one bit. The watch is a little on the large side so if you've got a very small wrist it might be huge on you. I'm a lefty and wear it on my right wrist and have no problem with button operations. For some reason the moon display was reversed but the documentation explained how to fix that quickly. Like all temperature sensing watches, your measurements will be off if you try taking a reading with it on your wrist (body heat and all). Everything else appears accurate. The radio receiver has worked flawlessly every night, even receiving a signal with the watch deep inside my house.

Pros:
Watch has everything except a GPS!
Solar powered, don't worry about batteries.
Large, easy to read numbers.
Bright backlight, auto backlight if you enable it.
Calendar programmed until 2099.
Great water/depth resistance (200m).

Cons:
Large size (only a problem if you have a small wrist).
Disclaimers in manual to take all readings with a grain of salt (not meant as professional quality measurements).
Two-tone case (dark green and black, why not just back?).
Non-standard watch bands, can't swap it out easily for non-Casio band.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very cool and useful, June 6, 2008

By	Tim Crumley "timmyjane" (South Carolina) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Great watch with many useful features. I bought this as a backup tool for aviation. It has proved to be fairly useful. I give it only 4 stars because of the functionality of the measurements.

I calibrated my watch at the airport with actual observed conditions. Once calibrated it will provide fairly accurate measurements, I use fairly loosely. The barometer only measures in increments of .05 inches. Yesterday the barometer was as 30.07 observed and my watch read 30.10. I suppose 30.05 would have been closer but I was thankful that the watch read that close. The temperature measurements have been dead on. I have an outdoor digital thermometer at my house and they generally read the same to .2 degrees F.

The altimeter and compass do not continually measure. They have to be refreshed. I believe that the compass reads for 20 sec and the altimeter might be the same. The altimeter has shown to be the most inaccurate of the measurements. It tends to fluctuate a lot.

My biggest complaint though is the backlight. It only stays on for about 2 seconds once the button is pushed. It isnt nearly enough time to take in all the information that this watch provides. I havent found a way yet to change the duration.

I could certainly have gotten away with the 1300 series but my wife thought the 1500 looked better so who was I to argue. The moon feature of the 1500 is pretty cool. I do enjoy knowing what phase the moon is in and how high the tides are.

Overall I really enjoy this watch. I wish that it was a little more accurate but I guess that is why aviation instruments are thousands of dollars and this watch is hundreds. BTW, I really like Amazon and buy most everything from here...except this watch. I bought it at my local Casio dealer for about $30 less than advertised here. The casio pathfinder website has a dealer locater function. If you are thinking about this watch...get it.

Edit:
Seems as if the price is dropping on Amazon. It is currently under $225. I doubt that you will find it cheaper. Maybe, but prob not. Amazon came through again for me. They most always have the best prices.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great watch, but a step backwards, December 14, 2008

By	Megarat "a well-intended critic" (Squirt Island, USA, Earth) - See all my reviews

I recently received this watch as a gift, as I already owned a Casio Pathfinder PAW1300G-1V (the earlier model), and it was thought that I would appreciate the upgrade.

In short, this is a nice watch, but there aren't that many features over the PAW1300 line to justify the increased size. Unfortunately, in spite of these new features, I find that I still go back to the PAW1300 as my daily watch, simply because it's a better package as a whole.

There are three major new features in the PAW1500 series that are not in the PAW1300:

-- Tide calculator
-- Moon phase calculator
-- Water resistant to 200m (instead of 100m)

The increased water resistance is terrific, as this turns the Pathfinder into an actual diving watch, instead of a mere snorkeling watch. But the other two features, in my opinion, are underwhelming, and the cost in the module's case-size are quite great.

To whit: the PAW1300 is 47.4mm round and 11.5mm thick. The PAW1500 is 51mm round and 13.9mm thick. This may not sound like a big difference, but side-by-side, it's palpable. Before obtaining this watch, the PAW1300G-1V was the largest one I owned (in a close tie with the Seiko Orange Monster). Now this watch completely dwarfs it. It's so big, I feel like I can use this watch to deflect bullets, Wonder-Woman-style.

(If you like big watches, then don't listen to me. If you don't care, but want this watch anyway, then get ready for the predictable, "Good thing that watch is water-resistant to 200 meters, because you'll need it when that watch drags you down to the bottom of the ocean"-type jokes from your friends, and even strangers.)

Additionally, the 1500PAW has some shortcuts, like the countdown timer. The PAW1500 only has a "yacht" timer, which means that you can count down only from a maximum of 60 minutes. Instead, the PAW1300 has a full 24-hour countdown timer, which is something I use frequently. To find this feature crippled in the PAW1500 was a disappointment. (Also, the altimeter only has a 20-record capacity in the PAW1500 compared to the 40 records in the PAW1300, but I don't think many people will be affected by this.)

The PAW1500 does have one minor pro that I should mention: the information is better-displayed than it is on the PAW1300. Despite the watch's large size, there is technically less space in the LCD display for numeric/text/icon information, but to me the information is presented with a cleaner layout and is more intuitive to read. I.e., I think it makes the best of what it has, and I wish that the PAW1300 had done a better job in this regard.

In short: if you are looking to get a cool outdoor-gizmo watch, this one will deliver heaps of features in spades. The solar power is awesome, and once you have atomic syncing, you'll never go back. The other features, when you learn how to use them, are extremely powerful in combination.

Still, I would advise that you be honest with yourself. Do you really need 200m water resistance, and calculators for tides and moon-phases? (And do you really want a watch the size of a beverage coaster?) If not, then I would recommend that you take a look at the PAW1300 series. It's considerably cheaper, and the size is less obnoxious.

(The PAW1300G-1V in particular is noteworthy in that the band is not integrated with the case, but can be swapped out for standard one-piece 22mm bands, like the Zulu or NATO straps.)

There have been many generations of Pathfinder watches over the past several years, and to me, the PAW1300 feels like the golden version: the Pathfinder done right (well 90% right). Unfortunately, the PAW1500 feels like an awkward, next-generation compromise in order to pack in those few extra features. Maybe the PAW1600 will be an improvement.

As a final note: I see a lot of reviews for the Casio Pathfinders complaining about the lack of accuracy. Please note that these watches need to be calibrated to local conditions if you want them to be truly accurate, and even still, you should fully understand how the features work (and the basic science behind them) if you want to get the best use of these watches. If you are looking for a zero-maintenance, GPS-quality dashboard for you wrist, I would recommend looking at the Garmin Foretrex 101 (while a terrific piece of equipment, it's not solar-powered, and will require changing the AAA batteries every 10 hours).