Casio's solar-powered Pathfinder watch plays the green card twice
By Sean Hollister 
posted March 19th 2010 3:44AM
posted March 19th 2010 3:44AM
Plotting their latest spread of watches this spring, Casio executives decided it was time to "go green." Some poor schmuck in R&D took them at their word. Thankfully for mother nature, the Casio Pathfinder PRG110C-3 is more than meets the eye; the watch -- suited for argonauts needing an altimeter, barometer, thermometer and digital compass -- also has a miniature solar cell built into its face to automatically recharge the battery. Though Casio's claim that this last will cut down on the three billion batteries Americans trash each year seems a little reaching -- watch batteries last a lot longer than a AA -- the timepiece does help the planet some merely by being packaged in recyclables. The $250 device will be available exclusively from Amazon, and yeah, the color you see here is the color you'll get.
Return of the G-Shock? Gosh, I remember how they were the popular thing kids had in the 90s, but I though the fad was long over.
@pika2000
1. G-shock is not a fad. It's a line of durable watches that can take a beating.
2. This watch is NOT even a part of G-shock line, so I'm not sure what you're freaking out about.
@pretol Who's freaking out? Are you serious? LOL. Ever seen anybody wearing a G-Shock lately? Or any Casio watch that has a similar design/size to this? Not me, no since the late 90s.
@pika2000 G-Shock hasn't gone anywhere. They may not be trendy with your friends any more, but they are still constantly bringing new models, with a huge variety of styles. Most of these don't make it outside Japan though.
Regarding this new watch, it's a G-Shock in every way but name (and it is possibly missing the shock protection as well). All the features - solar charging, altimeter, barometer, etc, have all been available in G-Shocks for many years. The only thing that makes this "special" is that it is "green" in colour as well as marketing.
If you're interested in G-Shocks, have a look at this forum:
http://forums.watchuseek.com/forumdisplay.php?f=17
@pika2000
The G-Shocks are back, apparently. I know teaches high school in the Bronx and the kids lose their minds when they see her watch.
It's not even a G-Shock, it's just made of transparent plastic.
Pathfinder watches are nothing new. This is just a different color of a older watch. big deal
@pika2000
Yes, I have. I know at least 5 people with solar powered atomic G-Shock watches. I myself have one (now for camping) but it's been replaced by a Casio Lineage with the same features.
@pika2000
This is a really cool watch...I've had the first two generations. I picked up each of them for a great price at Sam's Club. My only complaint is that neither one really does well with the temperature when you're wearing the watch on your wrist. Other than that I've loved them.
LOL. Apparently there are plenty of Casio nerds downranking me. Nerds.
@pika2000
tard.
why is it that environmentally conscious products are so often designed to be so much uglier than their... environmentally uncounscious counterparts?
is it that people need to feel like they've "sacrificed something for the greater good" or that people need to be sure that everyone else can see how environmentally conscious they are?
Will there be a "enwatchet" section of the site¿
@Mustangsamjr
It's AS IF a weareable electronic device that can measure atmospheric pressure, altitude, temperature and magnetic north (on top of measureing time in any direction, in absolute and relative units) is somehow NOT A GADGET.
I was given a watch as a gift over 5 years ago (pretty sure it was Casio) which had a couple of tiny solar panels in the face to charge it. Thought it was a stupid idea then as I would prefer to replace a watch battery every 4-5 years than replace the entire watch when the non-replaceable yet chargeable battery wears out in say .... 4-5 years! Lucky for me it stopped working under warranty and I replaced it with a normal watch with a replaceable battery.
@Damo The rechargeable battery is replaceable, just like any regular battery. What do you think this is, an Apple product?
250$ for a green device?
Have this watch in Titanium edition. Much cheaper than $250... Best watch EVER.
@zoltano I have it as well with the radio time sync, I've found the temperature is generally unreliable unless you leave it off your wrist for ages making the entire thing pointless!
@DuncanB
The temperature is great for water measurement (no need to take it off)...
I hate that people complain about such a common sense thing... OBVIOUSLY a thermometer reading is going to be contaminated by your body heat when you're wearing it... The thermometer reading is not WRONG or OFF, it's actually reading the temperature on YOUR WRIST... and that's where the watch IS.
Did anyone really EXPECT these watches to give you outside temperature? do people even think about this kind of stuff before they blurt out dumb complaints like that?
This watch is also known as PAW-1300, and it comes in regular colors. I assure you, the non-slime-green versions of this watch are just as "green".
@pretol
Oh wait, PAW-1300 is better. This one doesn't have atomic radio reception.
@pretol Yup these companies that market "green" products are almost as annoying as the people they are marketing to. Almost.
@Atkins
Slime green could be fashionable. Maybe?
But aside from the questionable color choice... It is a very sophisticated outdoorsy watch... Altimeter, barometer, thermometer and a digital compass are not exactly common watch parameters.
I want one. I'm bored of black and grey watches. Needs radio reception though. It should be illegal to make a watch that doesn't set it's own time, unless it is purely mechanical.
While the Titanium Casios are nice they are let down but the plastic bits between the face and strap which the coating wears off and leaves you with an ugly watch.
@pretol The watch is in fact very well featured. But this color... I mean if they want to show that it is "green", there are other colors in nature ;)
Atleast it's a pretty green
@Atkins Thats what I was thinking. Might save trees but not the green in our wallets
I'm wearing a G-Shock right now.
So the green color is probably the only thing new here. The Pathfinder goes back several years, and this latest model in a variety of colors is probably about 3 years old. I've had a solar Casio since 2001 (not a Pathfinder; much cheaper that way). It's also self-setting; gets the radio signal from the atomic clock every morning and adjusts. So I've had mine for 9 years or so now, and have never needed to set it or put a battery in it.
Anyway, I thought the article was a little misleading. Solar watches are old news. Oh, and to charge it? A charge lasts something like 4 months. A few minutes in the sun or a few hours in artificial light, and it's full. In fact, mine has never indicated less than "high" over its whole life.
Oh, and while I love our mother earth, I didn't buy it for any green bullshit. I bought it because it's awesome.
@rodan32 My PAW-1300T tends to run down unless I put it under my desk lamp while I'm working. But then, I live in north Wales, someplace that hardly ever gets any sunshine. Maybe a solar watch wasn't my best-ever choice.
Not quite sure why this is news worthy?? This watch has been out for quite some time in Japan and comes in other colors http://www.c-watch.co.jp/ww/prg110cj.html
Also, don't expect it to cost retail in the US. Casio watches in general in the US seldom fetch retail. They do however in Japan.
Lastly there are plenty of g shocks which are much more visually appealing that have the solar feature as well as the capability of synchronizing with the atomic clock.
Yep, nothing new here other than the gag inducing color. Casio and others have been tossing solar bits into their watches for ages. Must be a slow morning.
Why is this even a story I have had my Solar Pathfinder PAG-50 model for years which is basically the same watch without the green.
my old g shock has this too.
If you want all the same features for a LOT less, get one from Lacrosse at $60. I've had one for a year, used it while hiking the AT and it has performed flawlessly. Ok, it does not have the solar feature but I can bu a lot of batteries for the difference)