I really wanted to give this watch a higher rating.I've been wearing Casio watches for quite a few years now.In my desk drawer (the Watch Morgue), still working, are a couple of basic Casio calculator watches, one of them over ten years old.The main reason I'm not wearing them any more is that the metal tends to corrode over time, given the acidic nature of my perspiration, and the calculator buttons have gotten mashed down to the point that they've become very difficult to use.
When, last summer, I decided that I needed a new watch, two problems presented themselves.The first is that Casio no longer appears to make the kind of calculator watches I like.The second is that I've reached a point in my life where I need something a little more elegant-looking.Thus, I started to look into hybrid analog-digital watches.Eventually I settled on the AWS90D-2AV model featured on this page.
First, it has very sleek, rounded contours.This is important because a recent Casio Databank, while a very nice watch, had rough edges which shredded my shirt and suit sleeves, causing hundreds of dollars of damage to my wardrobe.(Yes, the Databank too is sitting in the Watch Morgue, still humming away the last time I checked.)
Second, the AWS90D is quite pretty to look at, with an appealing mix of steel and blue as the picture on this page will show you.When exposed to bright sunlight for a few minutes, the fluorescent strips on the dial have almost an iridescent quality to them.
Third, the watch is solar-powered.In theory at least, it should work for about ten years, until the battery no longer accepts a charge.Of course, by then no doubt I'll have gotten a new watch, due to the usual corrosion issues.
Fourth, it comes with a stopwatch and "dual time" mode, two features I've found very useful over the years.
And finally, it's incredibly accurate.It gains only about three seconds a month.The only clock in the house that's more accurate has a radio receiver to keep it in synch with the Atomic Clock in Boulder.I reset the watch at the start of each month, and otherwise just leave it alone.If it's mid-month, I know it's 1.5 seconds off.
One minor issue which I had right away was the size of the band.Too big for my wrist, it tended to slide around uncomfortably.Your best bet, should you encounter this problem, is to go to a jeweler, where they should have a special tool which can remove a link or two from the band, thus shrinking it.With a jeweler's screwdriver, a large paper clip, and a certain amount of dogged tenacity I was able to do the operation myself at home, but I don't recommend this for just anyone.
A second issue, again minor, is that when you need to set the watch back an hour, either for a time zone change or for the end of Daylight Savings Time, the hands have to race forward 11 hours to reposition themselves.It would be nice if they could just run backward for one hour instead.But no big deal.
Alas, the watch does have one major flaw which makes it hard to live with.Because a solar-powered watch obviously depends on getting enough light to function properly, the AWS90D has various power saving modes and power level indicators for those long winter months when the wearer is staying indoors under weak fluorescent lights, and wearing long sleeves to boot.When the batteries get critically drained, the watch basically switches off.The hands stop moving and there is no more digital display.When the charge is restored somewhat, the watch switches back on and the hands catch up to where they should be, the watch having kept track of the time internally.
Alas, this feature has begun to malfunction.Twice in the past week, it has suddenly switched from the "Hi" indicator (full power) to "Low-C", which means deep power-down.Today it was during the lunch hour, when one might expect there to be plenty of light.This effectively left me without a watch; it didn't switch back on again until half an hour later, when I was almost back to the office, walking along in bright sunlight and holding my wrist up awkwardly.This really does defeat the purpose of having a watch.
So, as much as I hate the thought, it looks like I'm going to have to go shopping again.In the meantime, I'm sticking my watch on the windowsill to see if the afternoon sun can fortify it a little.
Sigh!
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I've had a half-dozen calculator watches over the years--they're handy on my job--but by far this has proven to be the best design. Simple and basic, this watch always delivers.
