Customer Reviews

Casio Men's WVAM490D-2A Atomic Waveceptor Sports Watch

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This watch was purchased to replace my 12 year old Seiko Kinetic that would no longer hold a charge. I am very satisfied with its two major features - it is solar powered (no more shaking my wrist to keep it charged) and it is atomic (I am confident the time is exact).

After the first day shake down and learning it updates every night at 12:04am sharp and it keeps a full charge with a little attention to light exposure. It is not so bulky as many of the other similar watches. The band was too large for me and with a some poking from a tiny screw driver I managed to remove enough links to get it just right. For the mechanically impaired I would suggest this be done with one of the cheap watch band pin-removal tools or just take it to a jeweler. I rate it 4 stars because I would have preferred it be just a bit smaller, a bit thinner and lighter. Big guys - no problem!

This is an update to the following review. After one month of normal wear, the band pin pulled thorugh the resin case. I sent the watch in to the Casio service center in Dover NJ for repair. After a month, I called but was unable to get through. I sent an email via the [...] website stating my issues. I received a prompt reply stating that my watch was un repairable and that it would be replaced with another style. The WVA-320J was suggested. This watch is a superior timepiece in that the case is completely stainless steel. The only drawback, and the reason I did not choose this model to start with is that it is a bigger watch. It is in the dive watch style and, though not as big as most dive watches, it is bigger than the 490D. After choosing the 320J, it was shipped promptly and arrived the following week. In the end, the resin case of the 490D was its only drawback, but it proved to be critical. As has been said, if the case were stainless, it would be outstanding. As it is, the delicate nature of the resin case makes it a risk.

This is a very nice watch. It compares favorably with a Seiko/Tag Heuer/Omega. And, prioritizing accuracy and functionality, it surpasses high end sport/dress watches. It is a slimmer watch than most regarding case thickness, but the diameter is comparable to the turning bevel fake dive watch chronographs. I am replacing two watches: a Seiko chronograph and a Casio Databank 150. This watch fills both those needs and admirably fits the bill for an everyday work watch (I'm a pilot) as well as a dress watch.

It fits well and looks very nice. The analogue hands are a classy look and the digital window is large enough to read and use, without overwhelming the analogue look. It has dual time, alarm, on-hour beeps, stopwatch, day-date and seconds read-out in the digital window, as well as the timesetting and watch management functions. There is not second hand, but the seconds are always visible in the digital window. It will continually display either day-date or digital time (either same time zone or dual time). It has illumination for the entire face including the digital window as well as luminescent hands and numbers. Its weight is heavy enough to feel substantial but not overly heavy. The band is stainless steel along with the face cover. Obviously it is accurate. It resets itself every night according to the clock in Fort Collins. The solar cell face continually keeps the battery charged and seems to work with very little light. This works extremely well and is everything I had hoped it would be. The watch is water resistant, claimed to be good for up to "water-related work and swimming".

On the other hand, this is not a stainless steel case. It is a resin case with stainless front and back covers. Resin is visible from all views, though it blends well with the stainless. I was taken aback at first, but have grown accustomed to it and don't mind. The resin is difficult to see without close inspection. The instruction book is small, though not out of the ordinary for a watch instruction book. The band has a two-button clasp that grasps a post. This seems to work well and holds securely. However, adjusting the band is difficult. It has pins that must be driven out. This is a delicate operation. I chose to take it to a watch shop for adjustment and was advised that many people were ruining this type band by driving the pins out themselves. Further, there is only one clasp adjustment slot. It gives you about a quarter inch of self adjustment.

All in all this is exactly what I was looking for. It has a classic elegance with the analogue face. It has the size and weight of the sport/dress watches but is slim enough to not snag on your sleeve. Where it shines is in utility. It is a true multi-function, highly accurate timepiece that is well laid out and easy to use. I am very satisfied with the watch.

This watch really is good and has very few flaws.

The concept, atomic & solar is the best.

Having said that, here are the problems.

Casio seems to have a mission to make cheap watches for some reason. This one has a plastic body which makes it feel like a cheap watch, but I paid almost $200 for it.

If the body were Stainless Steel and the face, which is mineral and good, were sapphire, this would be the best watch in the world.

Also, the band tends to pull hair on my wrist.

I had trouble figuring out the time zone setting until I googled UTC. Then it skipped my "5" going from 4 to 6. I think it had something to do with the dst setting. I put it on A and got the 5. Everything works fine, and I'd rate it a "5".

It replaces a 5 yr. old, 4 button wave ceptor which I also liked but wished Casio would put out a lighter, thinner model without all the bells & whistles I never used. Fortunately, my son needed a new watch so it's got a good home.

I like how thin it is, the perpetual day/date (although would be nice if display slightly larger). Like the solar power and accuracy of atomic clock. One small drawback for me is that the hands are luminescent, but the markers, if luminescent at all are unreadable. Three buttons instead of 4 make it quite easy to set and operate. The complaints about the back of the plastic case are of no concern to me.

I purchased this watch to replace another Casio atomic watch which I used for many years until the wrist band broke away from the case, making it unrepairable. This item, in addition to receiving time from the atomic clock, gets its power from light, so it will not require batteries as the previous one did.

With its polished silver look, simple bezel, and attractive bluish tinted dial, this watch is perfect for either dress or sport wear. I've only owned it for a couple of weeks now, but I am pleasantly impressed. The watch is relatively thin (for a sport watch) and very light weight. It does have some visible plastic (resin) all the way around the base, but that blends well with the stainless steel and is not easily noticed when wearing the watch.

The prominent criticisms I've seen in various reviews is that some folks have difficulty picking up the time signal; and that the settings (using the buttons), are hard to understand. But I found neither of these to be a problem. I live in the Philadelphia area, and if I leave the watch on my bedroom window sill overnight, it will always sync with the time signal from Colorado. It will not receive the signal, however, if I leave it on my night stand. It also seems very accurate without the time signal calibration. The time was right on when I received it and it hadn't been calibrated for over two months. It took one cloudless day for the battery level to go from "Mid" to "Hi", and it has stayed that way ever since.

I found the functions easy to navigate. In fact I'd say that the use of the three buttons is somewhat intuitive. "B" switches modes (or "sub-modes" within certain settings), "A" selects and exits functions and settings within each mode, and "C" changes the value of the settings. Buttons A & C also have "press & hold" functions: "A" allows you to set or change your "home time zone" (the time the hands will indicate). This is also how you change other various settings within the time keeping mode. "C" allows you to manually receive the time signal, should you ever want to do that. If you run into problems with the settings, the instruction manual is detailed, well organized, well illustrated, and easy to follow. It is, however, a bit difficult to read because of its small size. Casio does publish a PDF version of the manual on their web site, but it is more difficult to read than the manual that comes with the watch. It would be nice if Casio's web site made available a full manual in "normal" sized text, for the watches they make.

As someone else said, where this watch shines is that it appears to be a simple watch, but has many useful functions. I like the ease with which you can monitor two time zones at once, or easily change between time zones as you travel across the country without having to manually reset the time. (You just press and hold the "A" button, select the proper time zone, and the hands will automatically correct themselves.) The stopwatch feature is also handy and intuitive to use. It also has an alarm feature and/or will beep on every hour, if you program that. But the beep for either function is not loud enough for me to hear unless I am holding the watch against my ear. (I'll admit, though, that my hearing ability is not the greatest.)

In summary, the watch is beautiful, stylish, and extremely functional, with very few flaws. I love it. I give it five stars.

I bought this watch because it was light, had an atomic synchronization and a solar battery. It's a nice watch to wear, but it looks like my location (Boston, MA) is too far from the Colorado atomic clock transmitter. I have it for about a month and it did not synchronized with the atomic clock even once. The manual shows that Mass is on just on the border or slightly outside of the watch reception range. May be this will improve in the winter months when radio waves travel further away from the transmitter. I have also a wall weather station that has an atomic clock inside and it has no problems synchronizing with the atomic clock in Colorado. Probably the wrist watch receiver is weak. It's still keeps good time even without synchronization. Don't know if it will automatically adjust to the standard time when day light saving time will end in November.

I have already accidentally tested this watch in the shower and in the spa and it is still going. I like the fact that it is a really smart looking dress watch (not chunky) but i dont have to worry about taking it into the surf. Im still struggling a bit with the various buttons and would like to have seen a one page card with how to operate the main functions. Overall very happy.

I bought this watch to replace a watch that was ruined when I left it on during a MRI. This watch is thinner than my other one (much to my delight) and very pleasant to wear. They have replaced the 4 buttons with 3. It also receives the time signal 4 times a day. So far it keeps perfect time. It's great not to worry about a battery needing to be replaced. I like every thing about this watch especially since they have made it so much thinner. I would buy it again in a minute.