Quick Product Review: Casio Men s PRW-3000-1ACR Protrek Sport Watch

Very Quick

"I spend more time indoors now than out and this watch looks professional, performs all the functions of a Pathfinder, and doesn't beat up my wrist like the old unit did."

"My old G-Shock allowed contrast adjustment of the negative and this one does not, so you get what you get."

"I found so much useful information about my PRW3000 and came to the conclusion that it was the real thing and that this new generation of Protrek watches are significantly smaller than in the past."

"Some complain about the negative display, but I haven't had any issues seeing it in any light."

"This time around, I wanted the negative display, which I think is very cool and not the norm, sometimes more a bit more difficult to see, but I like it very much."

"Over all the watch looks good, is rugged and reliable, and easy to figure out with a number of good features that can be used to help you while on the trail and are solid back ups to other options."

Casio Men's PRW-3000-1ACR "Protrek" Sport Watch (Compare Deals from $189.80)

Quick

"As I had left my previous profession I was not in need of such a large, "masculine" design but as a recreational outdoorsman, wanted to have the features of an ABC watch, the robustness of the Pathfinder design, a water-proof case, and Casio's dependability... I settled on picking up another Pathfinder/Protech and then settled on this model for its low profile, light weight, solar charging and atomic timekeeping... I spend more time indoors now than out and this watch looks professional, performs all the functions of a Pathfinder, and doesn't beat up my wrist like the old unit did."

"It tucks under your sleeve and doesn't take an entire wrist to mount... The simplified time display with just the essential info (time and date) are a refreshing change from the gizmo clutter that G-Shocks are so typical for... My old G-Shock allowed contrast adjustment of the negative and this one does not, so you get what you get."

"I found so much useful information about my PRW3000 and came to the conclusion that it was the real thing and that this new generation of Protrek watches are significantly smaller than in the past... It is a very sleek, very handsome watch packed with power and the ABC features I wanted. Its looks are more similar to a Suunto Core (albeit smaller) than a typical Protrek."

"While shopping for a watch, I knew I wanted a solar ABC watch with a sunrise/sunset mode that came in a small package... Some complain about the negative display, but I haven't had any issues seeing it in any light... The first couple of days that I had this watch had me concerned as it would not receive a signal from the atomic clock in Ft Collins, but after a little more reading I realized it was user error."

"I've been a user of these watches for over 19 years, this is my third Casio ABC watch, two previous instruments were of the Pathfinder series... This time around, I wanted the negative display, which I think is very cool and not the norm, sometimes more a bit more difficult to see, but I like it very much... Overall, I'm quite happy with this watch and know we will be long-time friends.."

"This watch has been great for all of my outdoor and day-to-day activities!... Monitoring heavy drops or rises in barometric pressure can be the difference between being in your tent or still setting it up when the rain hits... Over all the watch looks good, is rugged and reliable, and easy to figure out with a number of good features that can be used to help you while on the trail and are solid back ups to other options."

Less Quick

"Since that iteration of the Pathfinder series I was pleasantly surprised to find that the new generation are battery-free and solar powered. As I had left my previous profession I was not in need of such a large, "masculine" design but as a recreational outdoorsman, wanted to have the features of an ABC watch, the robustness of the Pathfinder design, a water-proof case, and Casio's dependability... From both the reviews I've read and reports I was getting from people using these products, the Garmin looked to be the better product but for my purposes it was overkill with a pretty big price tag... I settled on picking up another Pathfinder/Protech and then settled on this model for its low profile, light weight, solar charging and atomic timekeeping... Unlike my old Pathfinder I don't even realize I have this one on half the time... I have about 20/20 vision and this thing can be hard to see, esp... I spend more time indoors now than out and this watch looks professional, performs all the functions of a Pathfinder, and doesn't beat up my wrist like the old unit did."

"It tucks under your sleeve and doesn't take an entire wrist to mount... The simplified time display with just the essential info (time and date) are a refreshing change from the gizmo clutter that G-Shocks are so typical for... It's dimmer than my previous G-Shock Negative Display, though. My old G-Shock allowed contrast adjustment of the negative and this one does not, so you get what you get. I end up tilting the watch a bit, and using the back light more than my old watch... I'm sure they help, but I frequently find myself staring at the barometric pressure reading when I was hoping to see the time instead... Typically, after you use the stop watch, or set an alarm, the next mode push brings you back to time."

"When I first opened the box and took this watch out I was taken aback by how small it was... I found so much useful information about my PRW3000 and came to the conclusion that it was the real thing and that this new generation of Protrek watches are significantly smaller than in the past. They are however packed with more power and accuracy than the previous versions... I have Suuntos and a couple of Invictas so I was looking forward to adding a big Protrek to my collection... It is a very sleek, very handsome watch packed with power and the ABC features I wanted. Its looks are more similar to a Suunto Core (albeit smaller) than a typical Protrek... I'll use it as my everyday work, workout, surf, snowboard, yardwork, play watch so my only reservation is that its so pretty I don't want to bang it up."

"While shopping for a watch, I knew I wanted a solar ABC watch with a sunrise/sunset mode that came in a small package... I am an avid hunter, so having the sunrise/sunset feature is very handy to make sure I'm within legal shooting time. After putting in the longitude/latitude coordinates of where I live, the sunrise/sunset times are spot on!... Living in Charleston, I haven't been able to really test the altimeter, but it seems to work fine after calibrating it... Some complain about the negative display, but I haven't had any issues seeing it in any light... The first couple of days that I had this watch had me concerned as it would not receive a signal from the atomic clock in Ft Collins, but after a little more reading I realized it was user error... Overall, I would recommend this to anyone looking for an every day watch that packs many useful features!"

"As an ABC watch, it has all the features I've grown accustomed to in a watch/ sensing device. There are times when I need to now if the barometric pressure is dropping, which way is North, etc.. I've been a user of these watches for over 19 years, this is my third Casio ABC watch, two previous instruments were of the Pathfinder series... ), and the next the case mounting point for lower band was crushed when a heavy door was closed on my wrist (saved my wrist-bones or so I believe). This time around, I wanted the negative display, which I think is very cool and not the norm, sometimes more a bit more difficult to see, but I like it very much... I am surprised more people don't comment on the display type, but then I guess I'm a watch nerd... Overall, I'm quite happy with this watch and know we will be long-time friends.."

"This watch has everything I need: * An understated look (I'm not into bling) * Medium sized, but still masculine (I have a small wrist for a guy) * Comfort (it weighs nothing) * Auto time keeping (I hate setting clocks, especially in the information age) * Solar power (I hate changing batteries) * Altimeter, barometer, compass, thermometer (I use these for rough estimates of the weather) Some reviews point out that the negative display is hard to read (white on black). While I understand why people would say this, it's not an issue for me. The watch is solar powered, so it uses the minimum amount of energy possible to perform any given task, including powering the display. As such, the display can appear dim in low light environments, and is harder to read than standard black on white. In my opinion, it's bright enough and has enough contrast to see (I have perfect vision), and it looks extremely cool. If you can't see the display, you can use the backlight, which is blue in color, and also very cool looking. There isn't a single thing about this watch I don't like."

"This watch has been great for all of my outdoor and day-to-day activities!... Looks aren't everything but it's nice to have a watch that looks good on the trails and in the office... The other additional features take quite a bit of getting used to in order to be completely functional and honestly aren't designed to be fully relied upon for scientific accuracy... Monitoring heavy drops or rises in barometric pressure can be the difference between being in your tent or still setting it up when the rain hits. I wouldn't recommend using the elevation change feature as it goes primarily on pressure which matched with any change in weather would give a less than accurate reading. In order to be accurate you need to calibrate often at known elevations, which if the elevations are known..... Over all the watch looks good, is rugged and reliable, and easy to figure out with a number of good features that can be used to help you while on the trail and are solid back ups to other options."