Casio's Pathfinder PAW2000: A Solar, Atomic, ThermoAltiBaroCompass
When you think of watches, there are a few iconic brands. We’ve reviewed a few of them, not to mention some fairly offbeat names as well. And of the biggest and best known is Casio, from whom we’ve checked out everything from their eco-friendly green line to their fancier model which, similar to today’s, offered solar-powered atomic synchronization. Today, we’re checking out a newer line, the Pathfinder series, and specifically the Casio PAW2000-1.
This is a watch with a thick manual, and does have a learning curve. But, once you’ve gotten your fingers used to the various buttons and menus and functions, you’ll find a deep and powerful device that is much more than a timekeeper. Like many of the multi-purpose tools today, some of the features feel a bit unnecessary. But others, like the altimeter and compass, end up being really useful in a variety of situations. We don’t do much surfing, but did miss the tide readings that some other watches have offered. However, that was about the only feature we noticed absent- sunrise/sunset data, a barometer, and the aforementioned solar power (no batteries to worry about or winding to hassle with). And thanks to the atomic synchronization, you can be certain that you’ll be on time- or at least your watch will.
We had no real issues with accuracy- everything was fast, if occasionally awkward to access. The only exception was the thermometer, which seemed a couple of degrees off of our other instruments regularly. The screen is large, which means it’s easy to read, but also a bit heavy and large- this is definitely a man’s watch. Our only other complaint was a slightly uncomfortable band- this model is equipped with a resin band in any color you like, so long as it’s black. The more expensive 2000T-7 upgrades it to titanium. At $240 or so, available widely, it’s a pretty reasonable price for one of the more feature-filled wrist computers out there, waterproof to 100m, and extremely durable.
