Review of the Casio Riseman GW

So what is it about the GW-M5600BC that I like so much? It has all the right features (atomic, solar, world time, etc.), and it's much smaller and lighter than your average G-Shock which makes it more compatible with my narrow wrists. But what I like best is that it has the most unusual band I've ever seen on a Casio.The bracelet is a combination of metal and hard plastic links held together with spring pins rather than the traditional pins and collars. There are several advantages to this type of band over the resin straps you usually get on a G-Shock: It can be sized and adjusted without any special tools. It can be sized for a more precise fit (most G-Shock straps are too big for my wrist).It's very quick and easy to put on and take off. The bracelet is so light that it doesn't add much weight to the watch at all.Admittedly, the bracelet seemed kind of cheap when I first inspected it, but after wearing this watch on and off (mostly on) for the last six months, I've come to really like it. And I'm not alone. I've seen this G-Shock model for sale on forums without the bracelet from people who removed it to attach it to another G-Shock. Interesting idea.Five daily alarms (one with snooze option). Electroluminescent backlight. Perpetual calendar (day and date are visible simultaneously, which I really like). Waterproof to 200 meters, or about 650 feet.The Casio G-Shock GW-M5600BC certainly isn't all that much to look at which is why I never expected to become so attached to it.

the Suunto Clipper compass clips to the watchband

The biggest single difference from the 1500 is the absence of the compass -- almost certainly a worthwhile tradeoff for overall size.Here's a comparison shot with a basic Timex Ironman men's watch. As you can see, the pressure sensor makes the pathfinder a bit wider, but not much.Certainly at 45mm, this is a watch with presence and quite well sized for a man or woman. On my wife's smaller wrists, it was a bit large but quite comfortable. On my 7.5" wrist it looks perfectly normal. The pressure sensor is on the left of the watch between the two buttons and is protected by a plastic shell that looks quite well designed. As is the case with other Pathfinders, the strap is custom-fitted to the watch and can't be exchanged for, say, a nylon NATO strap. We quite like the combination of solar power and multiple sensors for an outdoors watch -- if you're a long way out, a watch battery is one less thing to worry about.The 11.5mm height keeps it nice and low-profile.You also lose the tidal display and moonphase, the utility of which depends on your lifestyle. Werewolves and surfer girls probably want those; hikers and outdoorsy types perhaps less so.Construction is a mix of rubber (most of the case and strap) and metal (reinforcing on the case and strap, plus caseback and front of watch) that gives it a light weight and very sporty look. The buttons (2 on the left, 3 on the right) are grooved and recessed, with small ledges to prevent accidental presses.

Review of the Casio Pathfinder PAW500

As with all quartz, it'll keep excellent time and just require a battery every few years. I happened to like this one for its looks - Arabic numerals, red-tipped second hand and addition of the date window. They give it a bit of style and function that appeals nicely. The body and case are an unusual, sculpted, shape with organic curves that flow nicely and function well. The very light weight, low profile and shaped curves mean that this will slip beneath the tightest of shirt cuffs and the understated face makes a good dress watch. The hands and numerals are filled with lume, but it fades quickly enough to have little practical value. A lot of my non-watch-geek colleagues wear Skagens. They're practical, attractive, reasonably priced watches with a clean, uncluttered aesthetic. You'll need a light if you want to see this one after dark.The leather strap is very flexible and comfortable, more so that you'd expect on a watch of this price. Note that the use of custom attachments means that you have to use Skagen-brand replacements, or be ready to improvise a bit.Skagen is a bit of a departure for WatchReport in some ways: No fancy movement, water resistance, techno features or looks. From the upcoming 'Skagen Leather' collection, it's very much down the center of the Skagen style: Quartz, slim, and low-key in appearance. Some specifications:30g in weight, with leather strap - incredibly lightweight.7.6mm thick, 37mm wide without crown and 39mm with, 41.5mm lug to lug.Black calfskin leather strap, secured by two screws on each side. Thorn buckle, signed with Skagen logo.30m (100ft) water resistant.'Super hardened' mineral glass crystal.Stainless steel body, brushed finish with polished snap-on caseback.

Casio Develops New Movement for G

The crown is tapered, signed, and fluted. It's very easy to grasp, wind, and set, but has ample clearance so as not to irritate the wrist below. Lacking crown guards, I can see a bit of risk in it getting caught and damaged on straps or similar if you're not careful. It doesn't screw down, though the watch still manages to be rated for 50m (150ft) of water resistance. The luminosity on the watch is quite good. The blue lacks the initial intensity of, say, the Orange Monster, but remains very legible for eight hours. The numerals (in white) are not lumed, but the hands, minute markers, and *** are. It's easy to read, and if you look closely you'll see that the second hand has two colors of lume on it; a nice detail to appreciate. A quick search of Watch Report lists 30 instances of '2824', giving you an idea of just how popular it is.The case is non-glare brushed 316L stainless steel, as is the signed crown. The matching rivets on the strap are also brushed, lending the watch a tool-like appearance I find appealing. The only reflections are from the applied *** at 12 o'clock and the inset metallic ring around the date window. I'm not sure why he went with the date window surround, to be honest, as it doesn't help readability, but this is a small minus. The strap is 22mm wide at the lugs, tapering to 20mm at the double deployant clasp.

Traditionally Casio

When I think atomic, I usually think Japanese. Traditionally Casio, and increasingly Seiko. I'm happy to report, however, that it's time to start thinking German, as well.Not only is the new Junghans Mega 1000 atomic, but it's a worldwide atomic watch, as well, which means it is capable of receiving time signals transmitted by almost all the atomic clocks in the world. The Junghans Mega 1000 can calibrate with atomic clocks in Mainflingen, Germany, Fort Collins, Colorado, and the two atomic clocks in Japan (the only one missing is the one in Rugby, England, but I think the theory is that the one in Mainflingen has Europe pretty well covered). Multi-time signal functionality definitely the new trend in atomic watches as evidenced by the new Seiko Brightz worldwide atomic watch, and the new Casio Triple-region Waveceptor.Features of the Junghans Mega 1000 include: World-wide atomic functionality. Manual synchronization (meaning that instead of waiting for the watch to synchronize in the middle of the night, you can force it to synchronize at any time -- pretty standard feature for atomic watches). Automatic DST adjustment. Easy time zone adjustment when traveling. Dual time (monitor the time in a second time zone). Automatic date. Reception indicator (lets you know whether the watch has been synchronized recently). Stopwatch with split time memory and a resolution of 1/100th of a second. Countdown timer. Daily alarm. Electro-luminescent backlight. Low battery indicator (expect about 2 years out of the Mega 1000's battery). Multiple display languages (English, French, and German). Mineral glass crystal. Water-resistant to 5 bar, 50 meters, or 165 feet.If you can read German, check out Junghans' site for more information, or you can download the Mega 1000 instruction manual (PDF, multilingual).