I’ve had my Casio GW-300 for a couple of years now. By far the most expensive watch I’ve ever owned. Before this little baby, the most I ever spent on a watch was probably around $12 -and I was proud to say so! But the day I learned about this watch, I simply HAD to have it. It’s most important feature? Perfect timekeeping! It receives a signal several times a day from the atomic clock in Colorado and manages to keep the time perfectly. On some days, the time is the only thing I have that’s “right” in my life. But that’s not where it ends. Part of the bezel is made of solar panel material that manages to keep the battery charged (effictively for the life of the watch). Also, it knows where you’re tilting your wrist to look at the watch in the dark and automatically turns on the backlight! Boy, did that scare me the first time that happened. But as any capitalistic company knows, making the perfect product is simply impossible…
There have to be improvements. There have to be new features. If you fail to make a “better mousetrap”, no one will ever feel the need to go out and buy the newest thing your company makes! So, oh a whim while stuck on the floor with lower back pain, I decided to poke around eBay looking at some of the latest watches by Casio and Nike…
This little baby (model WA-0018) first caught my attention since it has both an altimeter and a digital compass. Why in the world I would ever need such instruments I may never know but the watch sure looked cool and I DO always like to be “prepared”. But the problem with this watch is that it is missing the one reason I purchased the watch I now have: “atomic” timekeeping. So I thought I’d check out the latest from my old friends at Casio…
The new Pathfinder PAW1200 was just what the doctor ordered! Not only does it have the same features as my current watch, they are even better! The solar panel is larger and charges more quickly and lasts longer wihout sunlight. The receiver for the atomic clock signal is more powerful and picks it up more easily. But those crazy guys at Casio have also added the digital compass and altimeter to this watch! What a country!! Who would ever think of cramming so many features into a simple timepiece? Without the continual greed of large companies like Casio, why would they ever concieve of such a watch? I love it. Only now I have to start saving up again…