CasioCasio AQS800W Series | Analog Digital Watch | 100M WR | Solar Powered | 1/100 SEC Stop Watch | 6-Language Day of The Week Indicator | Countdown Timer | LED Light | Multi Alarm

I have been looking for a watch for some years now that is solar powered, and have had my eye on the Citizen brand for most of that time. However I spotted this one in a shop and checked online to get more information, and I fell instantly in love with it.WaterproofIt's waterproof down to 100 metres, which is rare at this price point. A lot of suppliers point out that their 'waterproof' watches are in fact splash proof and shouldn't even be taken in the shower. As a sailor I get drenched from time to time so I wanted proper waterproof. As a first simple test I dropped the watch into a jug full of water and left it there while I drank a coffee and perused a news site. There were no bubbles at all and the watch seemed to sit happily and when I fished it out it was working perfectly. I just laid it on a piece of kitchen towel to dry, which it did fairly quickly.There is no indication of how long the waterproof gaskets will last, so it’s difficult to asses the cost of maintenance. My last Seiko was £320 every 2 years if I wanted the pressure testing, and it’s pointless not having it, so it was costly to keep. At least on the Casio there’s no regular battery change so it has to be less expensive. I have written to Casio to ask when gaskets should be replaced and what the likely cost will be and I will update this review when I find out.Strap and bodyI have been used to a steel bracelet for around 30 years so moving over to this resin type was odd. It felt flimsy and I was convinced it would snap off if I flexed my wrist. However it has not broken and it feels very comfortable, moreso than the steel bracelet ever did. It's got an inbuilt 'spring' in the strap so it will move and flex as your wrist does.It is of course modelled on the famous G shock even though they don't say that. It looks much chunkier than it is but I do dislike the dust traps in the case design. Being waterproof I guess it will be easier than some watches to clean though. I can't tell what material the lens is made of: it could be acrylic or mineral glass. But it is satisfyingly solid.LCD displayThe LCD display is tiny and mirrors the time displayed by the hands. you use this tiny display to set all the functions of the watch and it is really easy to use. Before use, set the display to show your time zone, then set the time. Your watch always shows this time until you choose to enter World time mode and choose the city you are in and the time changes to that time zone. This feature is so complicated I don't even understand it after reading the manual 3 times. It basically lets you swap your home city time, to a different time zone and swap back and forth between the two. The second city can be altered any time you like as can daylight savings time. Download the manual, the book that comes with the watch is tiny and it's quite difficult to understand anyway.You can also choose how time is displayed. I prefer 24h display but instead of 23:41:16, it displays 23:4116. It's a bit off putting but I quickly got used to it and I won't use the screen except for the date anyway.If you see 'R' on the display it means your battery is very low and needs charging. You also have stopwatch and countdown timers showing the display, and you can set 5 alarms. There is a tiny 'second hand' graphic on the right of the display but it has no function really, except as a second hand.If your hands and the display are out of sync you can reset the watch so that the hands and display all point to zero. Then reset the time as normal.If the display goes completely blank it probably means your battery is low. The watch automatically turns functions off when the battery is low and you can recharge with a torch if there is no sunshine.Day/date displayThere is a very odd date feature to this watch. Once set to the correct date, you can display the day in the LCD display, and seconds will also tick by. If you set the display for day, it shows 'SATxx' for Saturday, and xx representing the current seconds past the minute.If you display date, you will get (for example) 12, 9 for 9th december, and then seconds ticking. So the 9th of December will look like '12, 9xx' the xx being the amounts of seconds past the last minute. In Day display you can't change the American style 12, 9 for the British styled 9, 12. Very bizarre!IlluminatorI loved the idea of being at sea in pitch black and being able to see the watch face. However something you might want to note: the face itself does not illuminate. The tiny LCD display is all that illuminates. It's difficult to tell by the photo, but in the dark it is illuminated very well and you can set the length of time the LED is lit: between 1.5 and 3 seconds. I was disappointed that the face didn't light up like some Timex and other watches, but it's not a deal breaker. I can see the time with it so that's what counts.Analogue displayThe time is very, very easy to see even at a rapid glance. The numbers are bold, and the hands designed to be distinct so even in the dark you would not confuse which hand is which. The glow in the dark is very poor. Even with a 1000 lumen torch on it for 20 minutes, it only glowed bright for a short while until fading quickly. In total pitch black you may still see the marks and hands for a short while, but if there is even moonlight that helps them to stand out very well. All in all the display is really nice despite the dark background and you would never guess it was light powered.DimensionsFrom left to right extremities the watch is 50mm, and from top to bottom it’s 54mm. It’s perfectly sized unless you have a tiny hand. It’s 13mm thick so does not appear bulky on the wrist, and unlike some, if you bend your wrist it does not feel as though it’s digging into your flesh.Overall in a nutshellSolar Powered, 100M Water Resistant, LED Light,5 Daily Alarms, 1/100th Sec. Stopwatch, Countdown (Interval) Timers(up to 10 interval each), Full Auto CalendarWorld Time (31 Time Zones/ 48 Cities + UTC), Multi-Lingual Day of the Week Display (English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, Italian), 12/24 Formats, Mute FunctionQuartz MovementCase Diameter: 46.63mmWater resistant to 100m (330ft): in general, suitable for swimming and snorkeling, but not divingAnd all for £40. This is almost a bargain and I am extremely happy so far.Update: Casio have not replied but a local watch repairer told me to expect at least 5 but more likely 10 years before the seals wear out. Watch out for condensation inside the face: that's a giveaway sign that there is moisture inside the watch.He also said the price of new seals and pressure testing would be around the same price as the watch if not more. £40 for 10 years? I'd say that's a bargain and I'd happily buy another.

The recipient was very pleased with the quality of watch. Working very well.

I've owned six G-Shocks, including my current favourite GG-B100 (orange strap of course), and my elegant Lineage watch but when I found out that this one has plastic glass I tried to cancel, but too late. I know its a cheap work watch, but a plastic crystal on a near £40 watch - really????? - edited - now have the watch and I like it, looks good and lots of functions. As always, its easy to set up (Casios all have very similar setting up) so once you take the time to acquaint yourself with the method you'll never have a problem. I can't fathom how many say "oh its SO difficult to set up". So yes, I'm pleased with it but I expect the plastic crystal might not wear well.

Great quality watch thanks

The price of this Casio Tough Solar watch was so good that I bought a couple for presents. Just the fact of the watch being solar charged means that you don't ever need to buy batteries which will save the price paid many times over. Being part of the 'Tough' range means it is shock resistant and can take a whack too.I have a Tough Solar that's over 20 years old and still going.The look of the watch is fairly chunky and quite masculine, so that's good if you are a bloke but arguably less so for ladies. Recommended.

Nothing to dislike here, very nice watch for the price. Looks like a much more expensive watch, everything you need with no stupid gimmicks.

Fiddly. To set up.Could be easier. Apart from that, I like it.