The Pathfinder PRW2500T-7CR was my personal upgrade to the
Casio Men's PAW1300T-7V Pathfinder Multi-Band Solar Atomic Silver Watch
I purchased about 3 years ago, and I'm very impressed with its performance, though I'll honestly say it's far from perfect - especially for nearly $300 (after taxes).
There's a lot to cover, so let's start with the features and upgrades Casio has made to the PRW2500T to previous watches. This is Casio's latest (2001) edition of their Pathfinder Tough Triple-Sensor Atomic Solar watches - which is a real mouthful. Basically this series of Pathfinder watches really are the Crem della crem of those offered, as they include a tough design to resist damage & wear, includes some form of significant water resistance (20BAR, 200 meters), has a triple sensor (temperature barometer, altimeter, and digital compass), has an atomic timekeeping feature, and is solar powered. In short, this watch is extremely feature rich - but this is nothing new for Casio. The PAW1300T I mentioned earlier came out about four years previously and has the exact same features - save for a weaker water resistance (10BAR / 100 Meters), so Casio is certainly staying the course in offering what its most outgoing and resourceful customers want. What this watch DOES offer as an upgrade significantly is new moon and tide data, which the aforementioned watch did not have - so this is something to consider if this is what you're looking for.
What makes this watch such an effective upgrade is the great display redesign that it has given compared to previous pathfinders. the PRW2500T, from the home screen, allows you to view the moon phase, day of week, barometer graph, tide chart, date, and time without pressing a button! That's a big upgrade, as previous watches required you to trade the day of the week for a barometer graph or other exchanges of information, making it more inconvenient for the quick glance. Of course, as a cost the time display is much smaller, so you'll have to look harder for this view. The watch's physical design has also gotten a serious upgrade, with resin supports around the stainless steel casing to ensure less denting and help maintain a water-resistant seal when possible. The band also connects to the watch face much more securely compared to the PAW1300T, meaning your band won't break as easily (which is why I ended up buying this watch in the first place!) and you're not going to have to replace the band as likely. Long story short, the watch has been built much better compared to the PAW1300T and is a step in the right direction for Casio
The sensors and general timekeeping are solid. Atomic timekeeping is a pain in the butt, and i have to say I've yet to get a solid update unfortunately, but bear in mind this was done in a metropolitan environment on the 4th floor, not a rural one away from buildings where it's mostly expected. Then again this is nothing different from past pathfinder watches, which
The watch has everything you need, and only a few shortfalls. The titanium band - while strong and lightweight - is not very scratch resistant. The paint on the surface (such as on the direction dial) is also very prone to scratches, which really kill the clean and finished look I just loved when I got it. I'm a week in and it's already chipping paint and scratching up, and I've yet to take it on my first hike. Despite this, it's extremely resistant to wear and will last you years - so long as you give it the maintenance it needs every so often and keep it away from harm. It's no G-Shock, but a very good watch, and light on the hand!
The titanium band is a great option that's very classy and resistant to damage - but where the watch face and band meet is connected by metal and plastic/rubber resin - which has in the past broke on my other pathfinders. The new design is much more beefy and resistant to damage, but I still feel Casio has a conspiracy to sell you titanium bands that break and get scratched up, especially when they only offer a 1 year warranty.
Speaking of warranties, this thing - for what you pay - deserves a 3 or 5 year warranty. Casio's 1-year warranty is an insult, and they should really back their watches more long-term. The watch face will probably outlive you - but the watchbands are very likely to break every few years. The titanium band is an easy $70 to replace, so keep that in mind!
In the end there's a lot to be said about this watch - most importantly it will suit your needs no matter your interests, whether they be personal, business, or military. I also feel I've barely scratched the surface with this watch, so please feel free to individually ask questions if you feel this review isn't sufficient of how much this watch covers. This is a watch that will go with and last just about anything you throw at it. I love it, even despite its shortfalls, and think the pathfinder is the most feature-rich watch money can buy.
UPDATE - May 15 2013
Nothing has changed for this watch except some wearing on the compass dial. Apparently the paint can't survive, though everything else is in fair order. I don't get why this feature is even on the watch but nonetheless it does hurt the aesthetics. Bear this in mind as you use it! Regardless it's still a fine product and everything else seems to be working great.
UPDATE - July 2014
Just a short update. I ended up shelving this watch for a bit as I use my smartwatch more often. My only disappointment is that the device doesn't store its charge for as long as my previous Casio (in fact this one is dead while the other Casio is sitting on Low after over a year!) which was a little surprising, but not a deal breaker.
Nonetheless the unit is holding up fantastically even before I switched to a smart watch. I definitely will keep it around for the more outdoor days.
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From the manufacturer
Casio Pro Trek PRW-2500 Key Features
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Atomic TimekeepingMulti-Band Atomic Timekeeping (US, UK, Germany, Japan, China) Receives time calibration radio signals which keep the displayed time accurate Auto receive function (up to 6 times per day/up to 5 times per day for China) |
Pro Trek Version 3 Triple SensorVersion 3 triple sensor altimeter, barometer, thermometer and compass |
Pro Trek Tough Solar PowerIntegrated Solar Panel That Uses Sunlight and UV Light to Recharge the Watch’s Battery |
Casio Pro Trek PRW-2500 Additional Key Features
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Water ResistantWater Resistant to 200 Meters |
Multi Alarm5 Independent Daily alarms |
Stopwatch1/100 second stopwatch Measuring capacity: 23:59'59.99" Measuring modes: Elapsed time, split time, 1st-2nd place times |
World Time31 times zones (48 cities + UTC), city code display, daylight saving on/off |
Casio Pro Trek PRW-2500 Series
From Pro Trek, authentic gear for the outdoor adventurer comes a new addition to the 200M water resistant PRW2500 Series. The bezel is also imprinted with directional markings to help when taking bearing measurements. For easy viewing of Triple Sensor data such as direction, atmospheric pressure, temperature, altitude and even tide & moon data, a duplex LCD display and full auto EL backlight are employed. Topping off a host of additional features is Self-Adjusting, Multi-Band 6 Atomic Timekeeping and Self-Charging Solar Power.
Model in the images may not be the actual watch for sale
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| Customer Reviews |
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| Price | — | $230.99 | $268.99 | — |
| Solar Powered | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Atomic Timekeeping | ||||
| Triple Sensor | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Metal Band | ✓ | |||
| Stopwatch | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Countdown Timer | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sunset/Sunrise Data | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Tide/Moon Data | ||||
| Bluetooth Connected | ✓ | |||
| Quad Sensor | ✓ |
Videos
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Casio Protrek PRW2500 - Adjust DST Settings
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Casio Wristwatches (Model: PRW2500T-7CR)
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Reviews with images
It has everything for a reasonable price tag.
This watch is very helpful and stylish. I can use the compass to position my telescope outside of cellular service areas which is extremely useful as any good place to observe the night sky is almost exclusively found in nowhereville, where there are no cell towers or even people around for miles. It's best application for astronomy is very accurate time because of the atomic time feature, this makes a great difference in the alignment accuracy of the scope. Be careful which way you push the pins to adjust the band, follow the arrows or else the pins will deform and will no longer "stick" inside the band and can wiggle themselves loose. It's moonphase feature is also nice for determining when to go out skywatching because the moon makes so much light pollution that fainter objects (like messier #, galaxies, some nebula etc) become less visible. It is kind of cool this watch has real moon phase instead of the analog kind because of the moon's quirky movements are too complicated for analog watches. The only thing i can complain about is the watch case, it is made of plastic but it has a metal band. Kind of deceiving considering that it looks metallic in the pictures. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat though if the one i have broke somehow. 👍
