Gear Review: Casio ProTrek Watch

For many anglers, the search for a rock-solid, dependable watch can be as challenging as a quest for the Holy Grail. I have a drawer filled with discarded—some very expensive—time pieces to prove that. On the one hand (not literally), you want something that’s hyper-functional, and ready to take a beating. On the other hand (again, not literally), if you’re like me, a little class and fashion is in order. You don’t want to look like you’re wearing a dive computer under the cuff of a business suit, should you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having to actually wear a business suit.

Casio ProTrek Watch

Truth is, I also know I’ll never be in the financial position to wear a Rolex Submariner (I’m a fishing writer), and I’ve come to grips with that. But I also find myself changing time zones, diving in oceans, getting slapped by salty surf, and I’ve actually been in many situations where knowing things like the time (of course), changing barometric pressure, altitude, etc., helps keep me safe.

This Casio ProTrek (pictured at left) is what I wear and have worn for many months now. I never have to wind it (it’s solar-powered); I never have to set it (it has an atomic time gauge); I’ve worn it 100 feet below the surface of the ocean, and as high as 14,000 feet in elevation. It’s sharp, and unlike many watches that come with an instruction manual as thick as the Philadelphia phone book, it’s intuitive on the operations side.

I’ve actually worn other performance sports watches, and I just find most of those heavy… to the point where I feel like sewing lead sinkers in my off-watch cuff, just to ensure one arm doesn’t stretch longer than the other. I don’t want to know I’m wearing a watch. I just want the information I need to be at hand (in this case, yes, literally) when I want it.

If you’re looking for an all-rounder time piece that you can trust, won’t make you look like a cast member in “Revenge of the Nerds” and won’t break the bank like an heirloom might (though at $480, this isn’t a cheap Timex), this Casio is a very safe bet.