Reply With QuoteThis is a very interesting piece!
I don't like the look of it, but interesting indeed. Nice find.
Casio has been going to town with analogue watches, or ana/digi, with actual crowns, as compared to pure digital, recently.
Even in the Pro Trek range we find a number of these type of watches in current issue. What is in not so well known is that Casio tried some analogue Pro Treks many years ago. I don’t think they were that popular as they were soon discontinued in favour of the pure digitals, which are particularly suitable for the range of functions found in these types of watches.
I recently obtained a couple of these old analogue Pro Treks mainly for curiosities sake. Here is one of them.
As you can see it appears to be just an ordinary three hander analogue watch with a non smart crown. Of course the words ‘sensor’ and rotating compass bezel hint at further functionality.
The bezel rotates smoothly and needs a firm touch to move and is unlikely to be moved accidently. Directions obtained using the bezel are not as accurate as those obtained using a compass function on ABC watches.
The dial has a sparkle to it and it has nicely applied gold markings with inner 24 hour markings. The hands are gold skeleton affairs apart from the rather elegant second hand. I would have preferred the hands and markers to be silver rather than gold. The dial is deeply set under a domed crystal.
The watch has a fabric and leather strap with a clever locking deployant clasp for easy adjustment. It has double strap keepers that keep the strap looking neat. The lugs are not integrated and therefore it is open to having any number of straps fitted unlike most G Shocks. The strap on this is very nicely designed is very comfortable and has a particularly lovely finish on the underside.
This watch is a limited edition dedicated to Jean-Henri Fabre a famous etymologist. It is the PRT-501J and is Japan made.
So how does it display its information? Well it does it like this.
It is quite a stunning visual effect actually. The information appears to be ‘projected’ onto the crystal surface. In reality it must be some sort of dual layering in the crystal that is invisible until power is applied.
In timekeeping mode you can have two different displays Day/Date or full Day/Date and digital time.
To save power it reverts to just analogue time after a couple of minutes if you are not operating the watch but automatically switches the display back on when you angle the watch towards you to check the dial. This is a very neat way to conserve power and works seamlessly. In the other modes the display stays on the whole time.
The watch has a barometer mode with a 24 hour trend graph and with the current temperature and pressure shown as well as the digital time.
It has an altimeter mode with trend graph, temperature, altitude and digital time displayed.
It has an auto or manual memory function that will display up to 50 records. it records the current temperature and altitude with the time and date. This is similar to the current Rangeman and can be a useful way of remembering the time and date of specific events. It automatically records maximum and minimum altitude achieved during a particular sesssion.
It has a recall mode to display all this information.
It has an altitude alarm, which is not seen that often on current Casio's and which could be useful on a trek actually.
It has hourly signal and a full 20 second alarm which is usefully loud. In addition it has a 24 hour stopwatch with the usual splits etc.
It has auto EL function with an insect ‘nod’ to Fabre in the display.
In addition it has a switchable auto display function that runs through the timekeeping and sensor modes in sequence, unlike most auto displays on watches, this could have some use on a trek.
The crown is definitely not ‘smart’ and is just used to set the analogue time, which is not connected to the digital time and therefore you could also have dual time zones displayed if you wished.
The watch is in excellent condition. It is smaller than a Rangeman for instance but is still substantial at 52 mm wide and 49 mm to the lugs.
Here are some wrist shots.
So what’s your verdict on this ‘blast from the past’ analogue Pro Trek? It got around the problems of displaying information readily on a pure analogue and of hands obscuring the digital information on an ana/digi, by overlaying the digital information on top of the hands! Pretty unique solution.
Casio went away from this analogue approach on its Protreks but has now returned to it big time, along with many of its new G Shock models.
So this vintage Casio was ahead of its time in many respects, do you think Casio should revisit this overlaying of digital information on an analogue design on some of its future models?
Mitch
This is a very interesting piece!
I don't like the look of it, but interesting indeed. Nice find.
That is a really cool and intresting watch, really like that.
Rare but F'ugly...
May be that's why it is rare.Originally Posted by reggie747
Rare but F'ugly...
Amongst other reasons......
It's no beauty that's for sure.This is a very interesting piece!
I don't like the look of it, but interesting indeed. Nice find.
It is a different approach to an ABC watch though. Instead of an ultra complicated dial it can be a simple three-hander if you wish, until you want to view other information. It then does not use the LCD, a la the X-33, to display this information but the crystal itself. This does not produce quite as sharp a display but avoids the problem of hands obscuring the information.
Interesting as you say which is the reason I got it not for its look per se. Also the strap is rather nice and comfortable with the ability to switch to other generic straps if I wished.
Mitch
Ouch.
Well its always about personal perception.
If you cannot see beyond watches aesthetically as jewelry requiring symmetry and a restrained design approach subservient to possible functionality then you will never see merit in this watch.
I look for more. I like a bit of drama and functionality in a watch and performance is at least as important as looks to me.
It is a sensor watch, therefore the sensor has to stand out a little to let air in so that it can be measured it is just a design element essential for its function, this means symmetry is not there but the look is matched with the crown guard, thought and effort has gone into it. Then when you look closely at the almost art deco SS sensor cover, with a nod to an old style American truck grille, there is a design element to appreciate. It was not just thrown together some thought and effort went into it.
The strap has some nice design in it, as well as being of a suitable material for the type of watch this is.
The bezel is marked with degrees and therefore it could also double as a timing bezel if you wished.
I try and look at a watch in totality, pretty it ain't. Attractive? Well it might be to some.
Mitch
Last edited by Mitch; 3rd November 2015 at 11:07.
Well, the kid sure is ugly.
This is the dominant opinion for sure but see my post above for a different perspective.
In addition to those points you have a strap that is quickly and infinitely adjustable to the changing size of your wrist during different conditions during the day. You can have a perfect fit anytime you wish it in seconds. Not many watches give you that.
Mitch
A very interesting watch for sure!
Also did anyone else see Bane in the 'grill' side of the watch?
A very interesting watch for sure!
Also did anyone else see Bane in the 'grill' side of the watch?
More like a funky American car grille to me.
Mitch
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