Time for another watch review. I'm going into it thinking this will be shorter than my last one. Let's see if that happens.
My Casio Protrek PRG-600Y-1CR:
It took me 2 tries but I now found a watch I like and will not be returning. The features are all the same as my other watch but this one doesn't have atomic timekeeping.
Here are some pros and cons.
PROS.
-Depth. Even without being a G-Shock with the huge resin bezel, this watch as many layers of depth. Bezel, inner ring, hands, hour markers and digital display are all on slightly different levels giving the watch a real nice depth.
-It's fun watching the hands move around when I use different functions. Like the barometer will show on the digi display and the second hand will point to an area that indicates how much it has changed recently. There is also a function where I can move the hands all into 1 position so they are out of the way of the digi screen. Those are 2 examples, there are at least a couple more, where the hands move around and it fun to see.
-The lights and lume are amazing. The light on the digital display is very similar to what I have on my other model. The light for the analog display is a super bright LED at the 6 o'clock hour that illuminates the whole watch. In a pitch black room it can function as a weak flashlight. I'm really impressed with the lights. There is also a generous coat of lume on all the hour markers and hands. It is way brighter than what I have on my Seiko and it looks great.
-It's brand new. Check out the serial number in this pic:
See where it says 44H as the last 3 markings? That means the 44th day of the 8th year. So this watch was made on February 13, 2018. My other model was made on July 8, 2016. Knowing it was made less than 2 months ago makes me happy.
-Size. While big at 52mm, it doesn't feel or wear huge like the one I sent back. The crown on the right side doesn't get in the way when I bend my wrist and it sits much lower than the G-Shock on the wrist.
-Crown. I mentioned the crown above and it's a fun way to set the watch. It's a screw down "smart crown" as Casio calls it and unlike what I was expecting, it's not used to control the hands at all. It controls all the functions on the digital display and once those are set the hands automatically move into the proper positions.
-Feel. I love the feel of this thing. It is the cheaper of the 2 versions I have but it feels the best. The band on this one is silicone instead of resin and that makes all the difference. It has such a nice feel on the wrist that I will never consider changing the band.
-It has a setting where I can have the barometric graph, time and date visible all at once. With the other model I have to toggle between barometric graph and date.
-Look. Overall I just like how it looks. I like the ana-digi display and the bold hands and hour markers.
And that sums up why I like this watch. Now let's talk about some of the downsides.
CONS
-Atomic. No atomic timekeeping.
-Buttons. Besides the "smart crown" all the other buttons on this are plastic instead of metal like the other Protrek. They push fine but it's kinda cheap and I guess one of the ways this is a lesser model.
-Negative display. Like I've said before, I'm no fan of the negative digital display. It's not as bad as I was expecting but a positive display is still easier to see at a glance. There is a way to change it to positive by taking the watch apart and flipping the polarized lens over the display but I'm never going to do that.
-Countdown timer. The countdown timer's max setting is 1 hour. That is annoying for cooking, which is where I have mainly been using the feature with my other watch.
-Crystal. It's mineral. I've learned to expect that from watches in my price range but it still sucks. What makes it worse with this model is that the bezel sits flush with the crystal so it is much easier to scratch it. I have ordered bullbars for both my watches and just today I put a tempered glass screen protector on the crystal. I guess I measured wrong because the protector is about 1mm short. I could live with it, but I think I'll order a bigger protector since they are pretty cheap.
Here you can see the protector is short about 1mm. Look on the left side:
But in a non-closeup shot it is far less visible:
I was a bit worried that the screen protector would fall off when wet but I soaked the watch a few hours after installing it and it stayed in place.
-Clasp and keeper. The clasp curves outward and I don't like that. Not a major deal but I still don't like it. The keeper slides around a bit too much. It has never come undone yet but I like keeping it right at the tip of the extra band and it will slide down and that's annoying:
And those are the only negatives worth talking about. Nothing major but the watch isn't perfect. I am still very happy with it. Once I install all the accessories (I went a bit crazy and spent like $60 on accessories for the 2 watches from this Etsy site I found) I plan on making this the one I wear when I am doing less stressful stuff like staying at home or out with friends and I'll wear the other one in more hazardous conditions like work or cycling or swimming.
Here are a few more pics.
My three watches. Big, medium and small:
The new one from both sides:
And my 2 Protreks together:
Overall I am very happy with my purchase and glad to have this model as the 3rd watch in my collection!
