Review of Casio Protek PRG - 270-1 (SL 71)

Here is a quick review of my latest watch Casio Protek PRG - 270-1 (SL 71). Since i live in India, here is the official link to Casio India page http://www.casio-intl.com/in/en/wat/watch_detail/PRG-270-1/.



Before i get on with the specifics let me quickly point to where i bought the watch from. I bought it from snapdeal.com (link for the watch http://www.snapdeal.com/product/casio-stylish-mens-watch/1525802208)  Everything from packing to delivery time was better than expected. I had the watch delivered to my doorstep within 48 hours of ordering the same. Kudos to snapdeal and its team.


Some pictures to start off with.

This watch is the latest in the Protek series and was announced by Casio in Japan on July 8th 2013. As per Casio this watch is equipped with Triple Sensor Ver. 3 for even better accuracy. This is the same sensor that you will find on the new PRG/PRW 3000 series. The only exception here being the fact that Casio has removed the waveceptor (or equivalent of atomic clock where you can receive time directly from satellites and no need to adjust). Rest all the functioanlity is the same on PRG/PRW 270 series as that of PRG/PRW 3000 series. So the PRG/PRW 270 series is smaller than


Packing: This is my first Protek series watch. This watch came in a soft board material which had the model no, make, date and the price mentioned on one of the wider sides. As you would see from pictures, this model comes in a nice hard card board box, that is i think made in a manner that it gives you a feel that it is made from solid wood. Do not be fooled, this is cardboard, not wood (as if we care ;) ). Overall the box has a nice feel to it and it seems like it can protect the beauty inside the box without a fuss.

Once you pull open this hard board box, pull open the manuals aways you will see the gleaming Protek 270 in all its glory.Full points to Casio for the packing 5 on5.

Display: I have the PRG 270-1 which is positive display ABC watch (hey man too much lingo). In simpler terms, it is a clear bright display, not a dark one (called positive display) and that it displays Altimeter (A), Barometer (B), Compass (C). We all know positive displays are always more legible and this watch doesnt disappoint. It has a nice clear display which is crisp to read. It can on the home mode display the following:
1) Day and Date (not year)
2) Date and Year (not day)
3) Current time (in24 hours format or 12 hour format with a small p displayed on the left which denotes PM)
4) This same mid tier also shows whether power saving has been enabled or not
5) Seconds in the third tier and bottom tier of the display
6) this same third tier displays alarm if it is set, snooze if it is enabled.


Two quick pictures of me wearing the watch on my left hand showing the same (one with flash and the other without). You can notice the crispness of the display.

Functions: All the functions mentioned in the watch seem fairly accurate so far as the day of writing the same. The Altimeter seems to lock in fairly quickly and displays results quite accurately. Likewise, the compass seems accurate, checked with the GPS on mobile as well. Temperature is the only function where i have a gripe. This seems to be off by a few degree centigrade. The reason for the same will be taking into account the body heat. When you leave the watch on a neutral surface like wood and then re-record, it gives accurate results. So i reckon, when wearing on hand adjust for the body temperature compensation. Another feature close to my heart is accurate Sunrise/Sunset data once the Latitude and Longitude are set as per your location. Also, for me most of the functions were factory preset and didnot need any adjustment. Made me not go through the manual (which is a huge tome) on the very first day. Also, if you enable the power saving, the watch display blanks out if you keep the watch in complete dark.
 
Another thing worthy of mention here is that it is incredibly quick to switch between modes and functions. The watch responds very very quickly.

Here is a quick official video on youtube.com as posted by Casio Japan.

 

Looks: Again this would depend on person to person. I love the look and feel of the watch in my hand. I would have loved if Casio would have included an additional strap especially steel or a non-resin/cloth strap. This would not only enhance the visibility of the watch as per the personality of a person, but also, is a step in enabling customers to choose for themselves/occasions.

Ergonomics: This is again person/personality dependent. However, i love it for it is light, easy to wear and easy to use. It is also very useful for when I am outdoors or I go swimming. Also, its auto light makes looking at the time incredibly easy.

My overall score for this watch 4.5 on 5 (i am deducting the 0.5 for lack of extra strap, but it is not much.)

Reviewed-Citizen ProMaster Navihawk World Time Chronograph # JN0040-58L

Practical, Precious & Smart

This is my newest Citizen and newest watch – added to my collection on 20^th July 2013, lovingly presented to me by my wife. Please note that this watch is part of the Citizen collection and goes by the name “Citizen ProMaster Navihawk World Time Chronograph # JN0040-58L”. This is part of the Eco Drive watch series of Citizen and is the only NaviHawk series of watches that have been launched officially in India. It can be found on Citizen watches India website. Also, please note that this is the 1st generation Navihawk. It is no longer offered in stores/websites apart from in India and some select countries I guess. This watch series is now in its 3rd generation with several advanced features and are in the INR 35,000 plus range.

Some of the official ads for this series of watches are following: 

I own about few other watches from brands including, Timex, Casio, Fossil, Espirit, Skagen and this watch is the best that I like. There is no one reason that I choose to make this as my main watch. There are several, listed some of them below. Before I go there, some pics of the watch:

(The packing)

 (The Backside)

Some of the features that stood out and made the deal for me are:

      1)      Professional Blue Angels Pilots Watch

      2)      Flight Time and distance calculation

      3)      Time and Calendar in 22 Time Zones (30 Cities)

      4)      Digital Display (must for me)

      5)      One-Touch Interchangeable Analog/Digital Times

      6)      Luminous Hands and Markers for increased night and dive  visibility

      7)      Movement Made In Japan

      8)      Hand retracting system to ensure clear view of digital display

      9)      Selectable zone setting to reduce number of displayed cities

     10)   Easy setting/removal of daylight saving adjustment

     11)   3 Separate Alarms

     12)   Eco-Drive (recharged by any light source, no need to change battery)

     13)   Over charge protection

     14)   Calendar programmed from 1994 to 2099

     15)   Usual suspects – chrono, timer, etc

     16)   Warranty Official Citizen 1 Year International 

     17)      Dimensions - 42mm Diameter, 12mm Thickness (small not too big, so can look good on any wrist)

The good thing about this watch apart from the fact that it looks brilliant is that it is not too large and can look good on small-medium wrists men. It is a combination of practicality; good looks (drop dead gorgeous) and compactness that made me go for the same even though it is 1^stgen. 

Flipkart shipped it quite fact infact and I had my watch within 3 days of ordering. However, the downer was that the warranty card was not stamped. As usual, you try and you decide. My 5 on 5 for this watch.

There are a lot of good models available in the market. What you choose is going to be your personal flavor, the functions you covet, and the depth of your pocket.