I've owned a Rolex Submariner for 11 years, but needed a second watch that was more durable, less likely to be stolen, and kept better time with more time keeping functionality.I also own several Seikos, but these are all sitting in a drawer with dead batteries as I do not wear these often.I liked the idea of a solar powered watch with no winding and no batteries to replace.I also liked the idea of atomic timesetting as I've owned a couple of self-setting atomic clocks that have worked well for me.After researching various brands, I decided on Casio.After researching the various models here on Amazon and on the Casio site, I decided on the Casio Men's G-Shock Waveceptor Multi-Band Atomic Solar Watch #AWG101-1A.Here is my review of the watch. Construction:This is my first Casio, so it is my first G-Shock series watch as well.The construction is rugged.I'm well aware of the benefits of the sapphire crystal on my Rolex having owned it for 11 years without a break or scratch.This watch has a "mineral" crystal that is tougher than glass and it looks like it will resist scratches as well.The crystal is recessed in the watch face, protected by a ring of rubber (resin) and steel.The watch case, including its buttons, is further protected by rubber.The watch band is also made of rubber and seems durable.My only complaint about the construction is that the watch will not lay day flat, such as next to a computer for easy reading while working.Note that this watch is waterproof, but is not suitable for scuba diving at depth.
Usability: All of this protection means the watch face is relatively small as compared to the total watch case size.This along with the overall "busy-ness" of the watch face makes the analog time not the easiest to read.The small digital readouts are impossible to read at night and difficult to read indoors.This watch IS NOT backlit.It has an LED light that lights up the case allowing you to read the analog time at night.Also, the digital readouts are obscured at times by the watch hands.The buttons are large and easy to press.A half hour with the manual will allow you to work the timekeeping, stopwatch, world time, and countdown timer functionality.While not intuitive at first, it is not difficult to learn.
Solar Power: The watch has a rechargeable battery that is charged by a solar cell on the face of the watch that is not visible.It can be charged quickly with direct sunlight or slowly by ambient room light.I read someplace that a charge will last the watch 7 months, assuming the light and other functions are not accessed.This would be great if it needs to be stored for a while when not being worn.The rechargeable battery can only be replaced by a Seiko dealer, the expense of which is not known by me.The real test will be to see if the rechargeable battery can far outlast a regular watch battery.Perhaps I'll update this review in 10 years.
Atomic Timekeeping:The watch attempts to update itself several times during the night or can be updated manually from one of 5 radio sources (hence "Multi-Band") across the world.If you're in the continental U.S. this radio source is located in Colorado and has an effective range of 2000 miles.The other radio sources would only be needed if you were traveling far from home, say Europe or Asia.The watch needs to be placed where it can receive a strong signal at night in order for it to be updated with the correct time.This can be problematic as it has difficulty receiving a signal from within buildings, automobiles, etc. I live in Atlanta in a high-rise, so updating the time proved to be somewhat of a challenge.
The watch can show you the date and time that it was last able to successfully get the time from the radio source.When I first purchased the watch, it had been over 3 months since it received the time, which makes sense assuming the watch had been in inventory storage, transit, etc. and unable to receive a radio signal.A comparison of the watch's time via another atomic source showed that it was running about 15 seconds slow.My numerous attempts to manually update the time were unsuccessful.It was also unable to update itself from the top of my dresser the first two nights.A special insert in the manual listing suggestions told me that I wasn't the only one experiencing problems.Finally, after leaving the watch on my balcony overnight, the watch set itself and was now completely accurate with my other atomic time sources.As long as I can update it once a month or so, this difficulty in getting the time will not be an issue for me.
Overall, I'm happy with my purchase.While not cheap at $100, I don't worry about this watch like I do my Rolex ($7,000).It's timekeeping is accurate and I do not have any concerns over the durability of the watch.I won't be using the timekeeping functions enough to worry about the small size of the readouts, but this would be a showstopper for me if I wanted a stopwatch for running etc.Perhaps the other color (I have the black face with white-on-black digital readouts) is easier to read.
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Product Description:
Casio's Multi-Band Atomic watch for men is a high-tech timepiece designed for superior performance under a variety of conditions. Featuring a gray, brushed stainless steel case with gray dial, sporty, black plastic resin band, and a combination of analog timekeeping and digital stopwatch functions, this solar and battery-powered watch also offers accurate timekeeping for 28 time zones, water resistance to 660 feet, an LED backlight, a daily alarm function, a calendar function, and a power-saving option with battery power indicator.
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