Casio Pathfinder PAW-1300T-7V

Today I'm wearing my newest Pathfinder, a PAW-1300T-7V. PAW for Pathfinder (in the world outside the U.S.A. these are called "Protrek" and the model numbers start with PR,) 1300 for the series (newer than my 1100,) T for Titanium, 7 for silver accents, and V for international (non-Japanese) version. This has all the functions of my PAW-1100T but weighs less and is much slimmer (only 11.5mm thick, while the 1100 is over 14mm thick.) This was the ultimate Pathfinder, all the functions available in a Pathfinder in a package that made it very wearable under most conditions. Of course, Casio couldn't rest on their laurels, so the PAW-1500 series is the newest King of the Hill, which adds tide graph, moon phase and 200m water resistance to the long list of features. I'm not sure if I'll get a 1500 or just wait for whatever comes next. It's almost certain that Casio will keep improving their technology and packing more features into smaller, more durable packages.

Casio G-Shock DW-9800J-1B Wademan

Somehow I forgot about this watch when I was doing the "Non-Stop G-Shocks". It's not like it was hidden or anything, it was just sitting there with the rest. And it's not as if I don't like it, I do, I like both of my Wademen very much and wouldn't mind having more. I think it's a combination of having a whole bunch of yellow watches, and also trying to get the EL backlight working on my Eric Haze 6900 when I got down to only a few Gs. Anyway, I'm wearing it today. It has a compass and thermometer just like my Men in Khaki Wademan and is pretty much identical except for the colors, strap keeper (MIK has a nylon keeper, this has a regular resin one) and no picture in the backlight. This was just a basic version, and it was also available in black with red details. I can't say enough good things about the Wademan (still the only G-Shock with rotating bezel) and I like it a lot. I suppose I should keep an eye out for the other Wademan models, but there are so few that even the "basic" ones are pretty rare.

Non-Stop G-Shocks: DW-8600YJ-9 Men In Yellow Fisherman

Today I'm wearing my last Men In Yellow G-Shock, my DW-8600YJ-9 Fisherman. I always thought the Fisherman models were pretty much the same as the DW-9700 Gulfman models, but it appears that the Fishermen use a different module (a 1629 vs. the Gulfman's 2080) which includes a temperature sensor in addition to the tide graph and moon phase which both models have. The Fisherman model seems to be the rarest of the Men in Yellow series, but I don't know if they just weren't popular or if they were produced in limited numbers. I bought this brand new one on eBay recently, and hadn't seen any for a while before that, but have seen at least one since. As you can see from the Men in Yellow group shots below, it's similar in size to other G-Shocks, although it seems to wear a little smaller, like the modern Gulfman. The Fisherman has a unique nautical look to it, maybe because of the shrouded stainless steel ring around the bezel and grey accents; it just looks like it would be at home on a boat. It has an interesting buckle on the strap, sort of a double buckle, which keeps the loose end of the strap tucked under and out of the way. It also seems like it would be well protected from impacts and would be low profile enough to keep from snagging on things in a fishing environment. I'm not a fisherman so I'll probably never try it under those conditions, but I like it and it's a fine addition (and conclusion) to my Men in Yellow G-Shock collection.

Non-Stop G-Shocks: DW-6100CF-3 G-Python

Shortly after I wore and wrote about this watch I found a brand new green camouflage version and bought it, and today I'm wearing it. So, everything about the other watch also applies to this one. I am a little disappointed that the watch has black "G-SHOCK" writing at the top, and the orange "G" at the bottom is kind of a muted orange, unlike the picture here. But it's a small nitpick, and I'm very happy to have it. Of course now I'm looking for the blue and grey camo 5600s to complete my G-Python collection.

Casio G-Shock DW-6100CF-8 G-Python

I didn't really want to wear another G-Shock today, but I remembered I hadn't worn this one yet and I really couldn't resist. It's a Casio G-Shock DW-6100CF-8 from the G-Python series. It not only has a very attractive grey camouflage case and strap, it also has a thermometer with a graph showing change in temperature over time and a very cool "Sunrise, Sunset Time Display" which is in the little "eye". It's actually a 24-hour dial as it has a blinking digital "hand" that shows the current time, but it also has two non-blinking lines that show the sunrise and sunset times based on the latitude and longitude you enter. This watch also happens to be my only G-Shock with an old-style incandescent night light, pretty much the same thing you would find on the original G-Shocks. I would love to find the green camo version of this watch, especially in the same condition as my current one.

Casio Sea Pathfinder SPF40-1V

The watch that I'm wearing today, my Casio Sea Pathfinder SPF40-1V, was my first Pathfinder. I got it pretty recently after seeing it worn by Hugh Laurie on House, M.D. I had always noticed the Hamilton Khaki King he wore and still want to get one, so I was very surprised to see a new watch show up this season, and more surprised that it was digital and huge. I tracked down the model on Casio's website and ordered one the next day. It's not the first time I've done that as I also have some sneakers that I first saw on House. I did think the watch would be a one-shot deal, maybe something to do with the plot of that episode, but it was never mentioned nor shown close up and he's worn it in every episode since. When I recieved it I was pleasantly surprised by the large size (54mm wide x 17mm thick) as well as its legibility and myriad functions. I've since bought some other Pathfinders but the Sea Pathfinder is still the biggest. It also contains some features that my other Pathfinders don't have like yacht race start timer, moon phase and tide graph, but is missing the solar power and radio-controlled atomic time setting. I believe the newest Pathfinder, the PAW1500, has all the features of the regular and Sea Pathfinders (except the yacht timer, I believe) but is probably still smaller than my PAW-1100T. All the gizmos come with a price on the Sea Pathfinder: battery life. It's only rated for 3 years but I'll probably get more since I won't be wearing it too often. I don't think I'll be buying another battery-powered Pathfinder, but I'm very glad I got this one

Day 3: Casio G-Shock DW-9800NKJ-3JR Wademan

I'm wearing my Casio G-Shock DW-9800NKJ-3JR Wademan "Men in Khaki" watch today. This is another of the "Masters of G" series. While it's definitely unique and large, it's certainly not as stange looking as the Riseman. Before I started collecting G-Shocks I don't think I had any idea how diverse the range of watches was. This particular model includes a compass, thermometer and multiple time zones as well as all the usual G-Shock stuff like stopwatch and 200m water resistance. The Wademan is also the only G-Shock model to have a rotating bezel, and this "Men in Khaki" version is the only one with a black PVD bezel. It has compass directions on it so you can rotate it to match the digital compass bearing, which is taken by pushing the "Bearing" button and shows the direction in degrees as well as indicating north with three segments on the outer LCD ring. While the watch may look all black it's actually very dark green and black with text in silver and orange and a camouflage strap retainer. From what I've read, the "Men in Khaki" models were supposed to have a military look to them and I think this one does it quite well. This series also has the recurring "Moleman" character that shows up on the casebacks and in the EL backlight, in this case looking very outdoorsy with his axe and posing with the tree stump.