Outdoor watch

aznpos531

aznpos531

I like sharp and pointy things...
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
1,176
I've been looking to find something to wear on hikes and fishing trips instead of my Seiko Arctura Kinetic. Nothing wrong with it really but my main concern is that I can't see the time in the dark unless the watch was in someplace bright previously. So for my outdoors watch I would like the following:

Must have:
- Backlit digital or tritium hands; either way must be clearly visible in the dark
- Metal strap with a reliable clasp
- Crystal, scratch-proof face
- Waterproof
- Self powered; solar or mechanically powered - no fiddling around with batteries

I was looking at the Casio Protrek PAG240T-7 and it seems to fit the bill very well but I wanted to see some other options before making a decision. I don't necessarily need all the bells and whistles on the Protrek (compass, barometer, altimeter etc.); those are more in the "nice to have but not absolutely necessary" category.

Ideally I don't really want to pay more than $200 but I can stretch my budget for the right watch.

Thanks in advance guys! :)
 
I'm facing a similar decision, and am looking hard at the Citizen BM6400-00E. It's an Eco-Drive, so batteries shouldn't be a concern. The face is very legible, and the lume is quite good, from what I've heard, still not tritium, but good nonetheless. Also its got 200 meters of water resistance, which is way more than I need. Just a practical, no frills, field watch.
 
whetrock said:
I'm facing a similar decision, and am looking hard at the Citizen BM6400-00E. It's an Eco-Drive, so batteries shouldn't be a concern. The face is very legible, and the lume is quite good, from what I've heard, still not tritium, but good nonetheless. Also its got 200 meters of water resistance, which is way more than I need. Just a practical, no frills, field watch.
Click to expand...

Indeed a very practical, utilitarian watch. I would still prefer it have tritium though.
 
Any of the "Tough Solar" G-Shock watches would work for you. They do not have a scratch proof crystal but it is recessed enough that they're pretty hard to scratch. I like the Mudman GW9000, not too big, very simple, tough solar, and atomic time keeping.
 
I second the Mudman GW9000. You can't go wrong with any G-Shock for a relatively inexpensive outdoor watch that can take a ton of abuse. FWIW, a lot of cops and military guys swear by them.
 
I have a solar mudman went through a deployment and since have wore it 3 years working on a disturbance controll team at work! and it still works like the day i bought it!
 
I love Casino G-Shock watches but don't depend on the alarms. They are not loud enough. I slept through one in Germany that cost me train ticket. Get yourself $40 Timex Iron man.
 
I have a lot of watches of various prices. My go-to, works all the time, tough, cheap enough to not worry about is the Casio Men's MTG920DA-1 G-Shock MT-G Atomic Solar Watch. I have two of them (silver and black, I like the black better).

The band is tough metal, the crystal is recessed. I can be set to put on the indiglo backlight when you flick your wrist.

I highly recommend it. I paid about $100 for it
 
I have a couple of Luminox watches for weekend and outdoor wear. I also have an Eco-drive that I wear sometimes on weekends, and I've owned 2 other eco-drives. IMO the eco-drive technology is not perfected and can be more trouble than it is worth. If you wear the eco-drive frequently and/or store it where it gets lots of light, it will work pretty well. If you store it in the dark it will need repair quickly. If you wear it under optimum conditions it may still need repair after about 5 years. I've arrived at this conclusion after lots of internet research and experiences of other people. The Luminox OTOH is battery operated, and you can easily change the battery yourself. The batteries can last a long time, maybe up to 7 years on some of their models. The eco-drive must go back to the factory for a $100 repair when it has problems as my latest one did.

DSC_9166b.jpg
 
Traser and Deep Blue (stupid name but cult following) are a couple more tritium watches in your price range. For digital I really like Casios, but think that most look like crap. I REALLY like the High Gear Altis ABC watch. Discontinued, but readily available. Try to get it in titanium with a regular (positive) display. The negative display looks cool, but is really hard to read in anything but bright light. I got tired of pushing the button almost every time I wanted to see the time and sold it, but I'll get another with a positive display eventually. It has a mineral crystal (I think the pathfinder is plastic), and while it is cased in China the innards are Swiss and the final product is as nice as any Suunto I've seen other than an Elementum.
 
Lol, scratch all of those except maybe Deep Blue for your battery requirement and price range. Prometheus also makes tritium watches with inexpensive Miyota and Sea Gull automatic movements, possibly within the $200 mark.
 
I have several watches that I bought for outdoor use. One of my favourites is the Citizen BN0000-04H. I own it for 3 years now and it still runs great. Another favourite of mine is the Casio SGW-100B. Not a G-Shock, but nearly as tough and much better legible. It isn't solar powered though. It went with me on several mountain hiking/camping trips.

Your choice, the Protrek PAG240T-7, seems to me a great option as well. I have several Casio's and none of them ever failed on me. They're reliable watches for a good price.
 
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