Customer Reviews

Casio Men's Reverse PAW1300Y-1VCR LCD Atomic Pathfinder Watch

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have admired (well, lusted after, actually) the Pathfinder series of watches since they first came out. Imagine a watch that can do everything except fire lasers and talk to satellites--the Pathfinders fit this well. I like this particular version because of the slimmer-than-normal face and the reverse LCD screen. Very sharp looking and very easy to use (at least as far as watches that do everything under the sun can be to use).

Unless you are in bright light a lot, I recommend turning off the auto-light-up option; each use of the light requires about 5 minutes of direct exposure to sunlight or several hours of office lighting to recharge from. The light only comes on when you move your arm into the classic "what time is is" pose, and then stays lit for only about 2 seconds. I sleep with my watch on (I'm in Iraq--the less I have to grope for in the dark, the better), and I apparently activate it a lot while I sleep.

The barometer, thermometer, and compass are all very accurate once you calibrate them--make sure you are wearing it when you calibrate for temperature.

A great watch that fits well and looks sharp.

Although the functional aspects of my orginal review remain accurate, I have noted that it is vulnerable to early loss of black coloring from the black coated ring that surrounds the bezel, seemingly without regard to abrasion or use issues. Other user comments appreciated.

Original review as of June 2009 follows: "An excellent update in size and usability from Casio. Separate function buttons are a real plus. Top grade fit and finish as well - back and front."

I got this watch last week and it's been great so far. I've been using Timex Ironman watches forever and this is slightly bigger but not at all bulky. The barometer has been spot on since I calibrated it. The altimeter worked great on a hill run that I did yesterday. Compass was off by 6 deg, but for a watch that isn't too bad. Thermometer is affected by your body temp so that's probably the most inaccurate sensor. The atomic timekeeping is probably the best thing about the watch.

The negatives are that the alarm isn't that loud and the countdown timer doesn't have a repeat setting, you have to start it over yourself. Overall though great watch, I would buy it again.

I spent the better part of 1 month researching all of the watches that fell into my specific requirements. Even at the time of ordering, I still had my doubts as to which model to order. So I took a leap and ordered the 1300Y Pathfinder... First Impression, it was a little smaller than I had guessed or thought from the pictures, fine by me as I was worried it would be a little big. Turns out, it was light, comfortable, and didn't feel like an anchor on my wrist. Next was set up and performance and it has performed flawlessly.. I have read every review I could find on all of the watches and this negatives on this one were the least critical in my opinion (not that I denounce any of the other users comments). The worst part of the setup was having to reference backwards and forwards in the manual but that can be eliminated by memorizing what buttons on the watch are A, B, C,D, and E..

The reports that the bezel loses color is not important to me since I bought this watch for tactical and recreational purposes. It is an everyday watch and I think that if you use a product, no matter how incredible it is, it will get the normal wear and tear look. If you want a dress watch, there is a whole section of watches for you to choose from. I own several all black watches and all of them show wear of color in one place or another.


The gadgets on the watch are surprisingly accurate but not without flaws, it is still a watch and it keeps time perfectly. If you intend on buying this watch to save your life lost in the woods after a plane crash, please carry a GPS in you pack and a standard old style compass,,, That is not what any of these watches are designed for. But, if you are planning on using it for recreation around your local State Park or in the urban jungle, it will work great to get you headed in the right direction. The barometer is a great function as it shows basic trends of weather to come, even if it is off a few Hg in. It still shows on the great little graph that the pressure is falling or rising and you need to take action. It is a barometer worn on your wrist and your body can alter the reading, not to mention altitude of your location.

The altimeter was only 4 ft off from what my GPS in my vehicle stated right out of the box. Good enough for me since I don't ever intend these readings to save my life... I took this watch up in a small aircraft and the Altimeter stayed within 20 ft +/- of the aircraft's static gauges.. There was a little time delay in climbing and descending but on level flight, it was pretty damn close.

I would recommend this watch to anyone and I have actually ordered a second on for the Mrs.. It is a versatile watch, good looks, functional gadgets, and would be great for anyone in an active lifestyle. If you are worried about the bezel rubbing off (which mine hasn't at all in hard use), or the sensory gauges being off a click or two, or what your friends will say when you show up to dinner in it, you shouldn't be looking at watches, the lingerie section is just a few pages over :-) It is an awesome WATCH with some really cool gadgets to suit an active lifestyle... Hope this helps...

This watch is really good looking and very functional. I purchased this watch for it's cool looks and for its functions while I am backpacking, hiking, climbing, etc.

Out of the box, the time was correct and the altimeter was within 15 feet of actual distance above sea level. Though I thought I would only be using the barometer function during backpacking trips, I find myself using it on a daily basis to help forecast the next few hours of weather.

The watch looks awesome when on a wrist too. It is a slightly larger face than most watches. It fits well on my small wrists with out looking too large. The reverse LCD on black is a very cool look. I wear this watch with casual wear all the way up to business wear.

I would definitely recommend to anyone on the fence about this watch. I have had it for a little over a month and wear it everyday and it has not began to wear or chip on the bezel.

First of all Id just like to address this whole discoloration issue about the black bezel area. Mine has worn some which has revealed what looks like stainless steel underneath, but now the fact is, the reason mine has worn is because it takes an ass whipping day in and day out. So for any metal part that has a coating that I wear on my body daily, which includes a gun (that also has wear) because I am a police officer, it has withstood much better than I could ask for. Those reviews that were critical of the black coating wearing off almost stopped me from buying this watch a year ago and Im glad I didnt take them seriously. So far it has a year of service on city streets and I work in a major metro area. It has seen thousands of rounds of shooting, wear and tear of a police car environment, multiple uniform sleeves and been covered in contents probably not tested by casio such as blood. Yet I occasionally disinfect it in peroxide and when I think it needs a solid once over I just wear it in the shower, boom, good as new. Ive taken it in the ocean, the jungle, lakes and underground rivers in mexico. Sometimes I come home and throw it into the sink because it is so contaminated with something crazy from work and leave it there for a few days, marble sink (clunk clang) and it takes every hit. I like the slimmer profile because it makes my life so much easier in winter when we are required to wear long sleeve uniform shirts daily which are the equal to a dress shirt sleeve. I found my fav G Shock watches to be so bulky that I either cannot get the watch out from under my sleeve to see the time or I cannot get my sleeve down over the watch, this watch is a perfect balance between those two evils from a uniformed mans perspective. The negative display is also the easiest black display Ive ever had to see. Has it worn as well as my G Shocks? Nope. Do I think it is as tough as them though? 100% yes. I love this watch and if it quit working tomorrow Id buy another one immediately. I looked at the Suunto, but something about needing a battery that makes me feel less crazy guy survivalist like. I enjoy the self sufficiency of solar power and atomic time. Its been a great time keeper for me and the other features have worked well too, but I see as just a bonus.

I was skeptical at first since the price is so steep and it did have negative reviews. I have to say that this is an excellent watch. The compass was, by eye, maybe less than 5 degrees off from a real compass. I take barometer readings maybe every 4-5 hours for my job and the watch is only off +/- a digit. After setting the altimeter, the reading is pretty close and is off because its reading is in multiples of five. The thermometer doesn't take readings "on the spot" which is probably its only downfall. It takes about 20-30 minutes to get an accurate reading of the environment and since I work outdoors a lot, I can honestly say that the temperature readings are very close to actual thermometer readings. I can't put a value on its inaccuracy, but if I had to I would say the reading is off by up to 10 degrees (keep in mind body temp).

In just the first week of owning this watch I have bumped it into plenty of different objects with different densities (wood, metal, etc) and the paint has not scratched/chipped off one bit. This is probably something that might happen in the long run, but so far it's holding up.

The watch is very easy to program and set while following the instructions in the provided manual. I really didn't have to adjust much on my watch since it came fully charged and compared well to external thermometers, compasses, and barometers. If you're looking for a solar powered, durable watch with extras that actually work then this is the watch you're looking for. Only in the second week of ownership and I'm very happy with it.

UPDATE:
It's only been a few weeks but I thought this would be important to share. In my third week of having the watch I bumped it into a concrete barrier really hard. The paint around the bezel scratched off a little, but considering how hard I hit the watch on the barrier the damage is very miniscule and all the features on the watch still work without a hitch. I work the night shift and rarely see the sun and my power indicator has never dropped below H. This is a great watch that is very durable and I believe it's going to last a very long time.

I bought this watch because I wanted two things: Atomic timekeeping and solar power. Both work wonderfully.

Additionally, the bi-hourly barometric reading has been more handy than I'd anticipated. I can see, without leaving the comfort of my bed, whether or not it's going to be a nice day by looking at my wristwatch. How awesome is that?

I've used the compass on several occasions while lost in the city (San Francisco). It works as you'd expect a compass to work.

The thermometer is always a bit high, which I suspect is due to it being pressed against my skin. Not sure how one would solve this problem, but I rarely use the thermometer and altimeter anyway. Perhaps if I were to go camping or hiking somewhere like Yosemite, it could be useful. We'll see.

Overall: This is an extremely useful watch. The alarms ring for 10 seconds, which is enough to wake me up. I only take the watch off to shower. It's size is perfect, and the face is huge and totally readable. I'd recommend this watch to anyone who wants a good, no-hassle atomic/solar watch.

Been checking my options and decided to stay with Casio. Five alarms (for different days of the week), waterproof to 100 m instead of significantly less on a Tissot Ttouch that I was comparing it to, no battery changes, accurate to about 7 seconds a month based on my manual resetting. I am happy to be able to configure it so it doesn't wake me up to tell me that it failed atomic reset and/or the light comes on when I move at night. Classy looking and thinner than the previous ones that I have owned.
Negatives: harder to clean the face, harder to read due to smaller alphanumeric and though I like the reverse look, not quite as easy to read at an angle. I suspect that the band will be expensive to replace as well (previous ones have been ridiculous)
Would I buy it again? Definitely
Compared to Suunto, Timex, Tissot, Polar

Ive read the reviews about this watch being prone to paint chipping off. Eventhough Ive had it only for a couple weeks I have banged it against doors and walls with no paint chipping off or dings. If you think the watch looks great just seeing pictures, it looks even better in real life. I was amazed at how beautiful this watch looked when I opened the package. The sensors are accuarate but the watch must be removed from your wrist for 5 minutes to give an accurate temperature reading.

Style 5
Accuracy 5
Comfort 5