Casio Pro Trek PRG-270-1 Tough Solar Watch

Wanted a Casio tough watch, not disappointed. Didn’t think I would like the look but I do. The functionality was easier than expected to calibrate and set up. Great for hiking especially up in the hills and mountains, where I live. Knowing the temperature, altitude and barometric pressure can save your butt. There is an understated elegance to this utility style of watch that defies looking cheap. Accurate and confident that you can wear it under any condition without worrying your going to beat it up cause you won’t. The back light helps my bad eyes in the dark without worrying about the battery dying because it’s solar powered. Will probably outlive me.

I have owned similar models going back to 1994 with each sensor version. I am both a weather fanatic as well as a tech geek. I had moved away from the Casio lines in favor of my Citizen Eco-Drive Skyhawk AT last year but now that I have received this watch a few weeks ago I find I am wearing this more than 50% of the time. I still love my Eco-Drive and it remains my favorite of my well over 25 watch collection mainly due to its true “all-occasion” appearance (anything from beach to formal wear). This PRG-270 has now taken place as my general wear go-to watch and living in the southeastern U.S. I find having the weather related features to be valuable as we head further into spring.

I previously had the v.2 PAW-1300 ABC Pathfinder version which had been a favorite for several years until the solar rechargeable battery started to lose a bit of its storage capability after about 6 years of regular wear. It wasn’t abused or subjected to rough usage but it did get its share of bumps and bangs that occur during everyday use. I frequently used it for swimming in both the ocean and in pools and it also was exposed to water from hand washing and occasional watch cleaning (either thorough fresh water rinses or washing using mild dish detergent and water) and I never had any problems with water or moisture getting inside the case. Even living in a very humid region and exposure to harsh sun intensity didn’t seem to affect the watch. Prior to that I had one of the first v.1 models that I wore for several years without any problems until the battery finally died (that model was not solar like my PAW-1300 and the current PRG-270).

What makes this watch such a bargain is the fact that it includes the highly acclaimed v.3 sensor while keeping the ABC + thermo features as well as the Tough Solar option (I will only buy either solar digitals or automatic analogs because opening the case back either compromises the water resistance or requires an expensive battery replacement that also requires a replacement of the gasket/ring that creates the seal.). What makes this watch even better in addition to the improved sensor is the ability to manually set your home location (lat/long coordinates) which makes the sunrise/sunset data accurate. The only thing this watch is really missing is atomic time synchronization. For the price of this watch I can live without it and wouldn’t expect that it would be included given all of the other features included. I synchronized the time on my PRG-270 to my Eco-Drive which does have atomic synchronization and after about three weeks it’s still within about two seconds so this watch so far appears to keep very accurate time (with the exception of very specific specialized usage I would think that is more than accurate enough for almost all users and is more accurate than even high-end automatic analogs like Rolex and Breitling). This watch is on the large size for its case size but not excessively so that most wearers would not find it awkward or goofy looking. It is also fairly light for a watch of its size and the band size & length are appropriate for its size and the average person.

If atomic synchronization is a must then look at the ProTrek 3000 line and be prepared to spend about $100 more. If you can live without that feature then this is the watch you want if looking for an ABC watch with current sensor technology and solar power. Casio has a well established track record manufacturing these types of watches and a history of reliability and durability as well as continually developing and implementing improved technology over time. I would not hesitate to recommend this watch to anyone.

Just a side note – Most of the negative reviews I have read for this watch and similar other models appeared to be related to that user either not reading the manual and performing the initial setup properly or having unrealistic expectations from this watch. Please do not let them influence your decision to buy or not buy this model. If you do buy then be prepared to spend about 30 minutes or so to properly setup and calibrate the watch using accurate data for your location. Calibrate the temperature with the watch off your wrist at least 20-30 minutes to a known local and accurate thermometer. Do the same with the barometric pressure to a current accurate local reading. Location coordinates and altitude can be obtained easily from a GPS device or online sources (Wikipedia will work for those without access to GPS data or do not know where to obtain that information online.). Once you have accurate information entered I think you will find this watch to be valuable and enjoyable. If using the altitude feature for hiking/climbing you will need to calibrate the altimeter to a known reference at the beginning of your trek and if the weather/barometric pressure is volatile at the time then additional calibration to known reference points may be needed if on an extended trek. That would apply to even the most expensive ABC models so that is not a deficiency of this particular model.

Excelente reloj que tiene brújula o compás ya calibrado desde la fábrica, altímetro, barómetro, temperatura, cronómetro y más, excelente calidad, tamaño, precio, muy preciso

Arrived a week earlier than expected, no issues recommended seller.