Quick Product Review: Casio Men s AQ-S810W-1AV Solar Sport Combination Watch

Very Quick

"The watch has a power-saving feature that turns off the digital display first, then after long enough also stops the hands moving, all while still keeping time."

"I've only had it a week or so, so durability is still up in the air, but this thing looks and feels like it can take a beating, and it already has a few times."

"If this is your first Casio (or the first you've had in a long time) do yourself a favor and spend five to ten minutes with the included manual getting to know the buttons and features."

"I read the manual one time for how to set the time initially, and the rest of the features I figured out intuitively."

Quick

"CONS: No analog second hand, Small LCD date window, Backlight is weak and only for the LCD, Manual DST setup (not pre-programmed), Case is huge in diameter, Complex setup, Intimidating looks I was looking to buy secondary exercise/swim/hike/travel watch... I personally don't care about alarm and timer (my smartphone is much more adept at these) but preprogrammed calendar and dual world time is something that I hugely appreciate... The only rather minor annoyance is that since the watch doesn't have atomic sync you have to set DST manually because it's not preprogrammed for different time zones as the rest of the calendar."

"I haven't bothered to replace the batteries since getting this watch (and an automatic Seiko for when a "nicer" watch is called for). The watch has a power-saving feature that turns off the digital display first, then after long enough also stops the hands moving, all while still keeping time... Having used two of them, and having seen how long they can go without any charge whatsoever, I would have no qualms paying more than twice the price listed here."

"I've had this watch for about three weeks now, have worn it about a dozen times, and find it to be comfortable (despite the very large casing) and relatively easy to read most of the time... It is too small to be seen while running or engaging in other vigorous activity, and would have to be fairly close to your face in order to be read in the dark using the built-in light... If this is your first Casio (or the first you've had in a long time) do yourself a favor and spend five to ten minutes with the included manual getting to know the buttons and features."

"When the watch partially shuts down it does this cool little thing where it rapidly rotates the minute and hour hands to catch up with the digital time which is stored internally until it totally runs out of power... The weakness of design is that the light function only lights up the little digital display which can only display the date or time but not both... I considered some watches that had compass and altimeter on it but I decided that since my smart phone can do those things more simply that the watch needed to just be able to do the more classic time,date,timer,alarm and be waterproof."

"I read the manual one time for how to set the time initially, and the rest of the features I figured out intuitively... I probably tend to sweat under the plastic band more than I would a metal band, but it is also much lighter... What I can say, however, is that I have smacked my wrist quite hard into filing cabinets or other large metal objects."

"Most of the time, when battery operated watches die, I tend to procrastinate with replacing the batteries (and would probably go on without a watch for a long period of time, then misplace the watch, and end up getting another one)... I am a huge fan of the G-Shock watches by Casio, mainly due to the resin band (which are the only type of material that I can tolerate for extended periods, on my wrist) and the large clock face... Love the fact that it's both analogue and digital, and the only reason I'm giving it 4 stars is because I'd wished the digital part was a little larger than what it is."

Less Quick

"PROS: Great value, Well-built and protected, Relatively light and thin, Water resistant at 100M, Highly legible face (in good light), No-fuss solar charging, Perpetual calendar, World time, Dual time zone display and easy switch between time zones, Wealth of extra functionality (alarms, timers, auto-save, sound control, etc. ) CONS: No analog second hand, Small LCD date window, Backlight is weak and only for the LCD, Manual DST setup (not pre-programmed), Case is huge in diameter, Complex setup, Intimidating looks I was looking to buy secondary exercise/swim/hike/travel watch... I personally don't care about alarm and timer (my smartphone is much more adept at these) but preprogrammed calendar and dual world time is something that I hugely appreciate... I especially like that just by holding two buttons simultaneously you can promptly swap currently set home and secondary time zones... The only rather minor annoyance is that since the watch doesn't have atomic sync you have to set DST manually because it's not preprogrammed for different time zones as the rest of the calendar... When I just opened the package watch appeared seemingly dead but as soon as a small ray of light hit its face it immediately magically came back to life and handles and calendar rushed like crazy to show correct time... I put the watch facing window for few hours and it was enough to get a full charge which Casio claims should last for 7 months."

"" I have never seen it fall below HI, even after not wearing the watch for several days, leaving it inside... I haven't bothered to replace the batteries since getting this watch (and an automatic Seiko for when a "nicer" watch is called for). The watch has a power-saving feature that turns off the digital display first, then after long enough also stops the hands moving, all while still keeping time. Once it is exposed to light again, the display comes back on, and the hands automatically adjust themselves to the correct time... I have taken it camping, canoeing, swimming, sailing, and need not worry about anything happening to it... A sharp corner would still be able to get "inside" this layer of protection, but in that case it would not matter either way... Having used two of them, and having seen how long they can go without any charge whatsoever, I would have no qualms paying more than twice the price listed here."

"I've only had it a week or so, so durability is still up in the air, but this thing looks and feels like it can take a beating, and it already has a few times... It charged up to full for me from mid within a day or so of wear, and I was outside only a few hours that day; I doubt I'll have to worry about it going out as long as I'm using it... It's the only part that gets lit up by the 'illuminator' which, despite being rather dissapointing, makes for a nice dim way to read the time. Cons: -The band feels uncomfortable at times, I'm not sure if it's the ridged design or the material, but it never fits on perfectly, and gets uncomfortable to wear after a while. -I don't know why some watch companies insist on plastering stuff like 'TOUGH SOLAR' and 'ILLUMINATOR' in big bold print, it's like self-advertising that can't be removed... It's not the most difficult thing, especially if all you want to do is set the time/date, but jeez, the system for the menu is about as far from intuitive as possible... -Might as well not use the analog hands for precise time keeping; the digital part is where the magic happens, the analog hands are just controlled by the digital clock, and not perfectly I might add."

"I've had this watch for about three weeks now, have worn it about a dozen times, and find it to be comfortable (despite the very large casing) and relatively easy to read most of the time. The digital display is only truly useful if you have good eyesight, good lighting, and are relatively still when you are looking at it. It is too small to be seen while running or engaging in other vigorous activity, and would have to be fairly close to your face in order to be read in the dark using the built-in light... Given my indoor desk job and general aversion to sunlight, I was slightly worried about whether or not this watch would be exposed to sufficient amounts of light to remain charged... If this is your first Casio (or the first you've had in a long time) do yourself a favor and spend five to ten minutes with the included manual getting to know the buttons and features... If it is left in the dark for an extended period of time, however, it will stop marking (but not counting) time all together... I store my watches in a case on my dresser, and most mornings the analog hands on this watch show the correct time, but the digital box is blank."

"The combination of comfort and lite weight means you really don't feel the watch on your wrist at all. When the watch partially shuts down it does this cool little thing where it rapidly rotates the minute and hour hands to catch up with the digital time which is stored internally until it totally runs out of power... The battery meter has read "high" ever since I got it but we will see how it does in the winter... The weakness of design is that the light function only lights up the little digital display which can only display the date or time but not both... I looked at lots of watches and for the price this watch has a unique set of features for the price. I could have paid more but I really want to find out if this solar option will add years to the life of the watch. I considered some watches that had compass and altimeter on it but I decided that since my smart phone can do those things more simply that the watch needed to just be able to do the more classic time,date,timer,alarm and be waterproof."

"I did not find the watch difficult to set the time, or to use any of the other features. I read the manual one time for how to set the time initially, and the rest of the features I figured out intuitively... There are 11 sizing holes on the wristband, and I wear it on the 5th smallest one... I probably tend to sweat under the plastic band more than I would a metal band, but it is also much lighter... When the hands have been in the light, they glow brightly... Looks like something you would expect to see in the military... What I can say, however, is that I have smacked my wrist quite hard into filing cabinets or other large metal objects."

"I have been using this watch for more than a year, and it's probably the longest lasting watch I have ever owned. It works perfectly (if your requirement are a watch that tells time accurately, and does not die on you)... Most of the time, when battery operated watches die, I tend to procrastinate with replacing the batteries (and would probably go on without a watch for a long period of time, then misplace the watch, and end up getting another one)... I am a huge fan of the G-Shock watches by Casio, mainly due to the resin band (which are the only type of material that I can tolerate for extended periods, on my wrist) and the large clock face... Love the fact that it's both analogue and digital, and the only reason I'm giving it 4 stars is because I'd wished the digital part was a little larger than what it is. When one of the hands are directly on top of the digital display, you could hardly make out the information... These complaints aside, this is one watch that I'm going to be wearing tirelessly for a long time."