Set a course for adventure every day you wear this solar-powered
Casio Watches Pathfinder Triple Sensor men's digital watch (model PAG80-1V), which includes a built-in digital compass, altimeter, barometer, and thermometer. This extra-large, round watch features large function buttons that are easily accessible even when wearing gloves. Both the case and strap are made from durable resin. The digital compass displays 16 directions and has a 5-set memory capacity that captures direction, month, date, and measurements time data. The altimeter measures up to 32,800 feet (10,000 meters) in 20-foot (5-meter) increments, and it can store 50 sets of altitude memory with date and temperature. It also provides a target altitude alarm and graphing capability for target and altitude tendency.
Because it's solar-powered--charging in either sunlight or indoor light--you'll never have to deal with changing the battery. Light enters the watch through the sapphire crystal and dial, and hits a solar cell beneath the dial. Current is created and stored in the battery. The duplex LCD provides two liquid crystal panels, enabling you to select from among different display patterns.
It offers a 1/100-second
Stopwatch Watches with a 60-minute measuring capacity and elapsed time, split time, and 1st/2nd place time modes. It also includes a yacht timer, which is used to time the start of regattas. The countdown period can be set from 1 to 10 minutes. An acoustic signal is emitted after each minute has elapsed and then once a second for the last ten seconds. Other timekeeping functions include a daily alarm, optional hourly time signal, and 12/24-hour formats. Other features include a comfortable resin strap, scratch-resistant mineral crystal, AfterGlow LED electro-luminescent backlight, and water resistance to 100 meters (330 feet).
Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism
This is a really well-engineered watch with many features that are far superior to my previous-generation altimeter watch. But I bought it heading into an upstate New York winter and that is presenting a problem since the watch is inside my sleeve and not exposed to light as required for solar charging. As a result I'm finding I have to wear the watch one day, then leave it in a window all the next day to get an adequate charge for operating. Too much of a tradeoff for the cool feature of solar charging, so I'd recommend you buy the same watch in the battery-operated model.
UPDATE: according to the manual (p. E-87), "in order to generate enough power for normal daily operations" the watch needs to be exposed to 5 minutes a day of outdoor sunlight or 21 minutes a day of sunlight through a window. So now I just leave it on a windowsill till I'm ready to wear it. And next summer when I go backpacking I'll strap it on the top of my pack (something that's advisable anyway for accurate altimeter readings, which are affected by temperature/body heat) and perhaps achieve the 6 hours of full sunlight required for a complete charge.
UPDATE: continuing with my reading of the manual, there's a supplement on charging that says you should charge the watch to its maximum before using. I left it outdoors for 2 days on a trip to Texas and now have "high" battery charge at all times with just a few hours on a sunny windshield every couple days. Would like to change my rating to 4 or maybe 5 stars with this big concern out of the way.
