This watch has about all the gimmicks you could want in a watch. Well, perhaps a GPS, heart rate monitor and MP3 player would be nice inclusions… However, it is solar-powered with a generous battery reserve and should never die with normal light exposure. I’ve never seen my battery level fall below H (high). It has a thermometer, barometer, altimeter, compass, moonphase indicator, tide chart, automatic synchronization with international atomic clock radio broadcasts and the standard multi-function watch stuff like stopwatch, world time, etc.
That’s all fine and dandy, but let’s face it, this is NOT a precise instrument.
The compass is surprisingly consistent, though I did have to calibrate it away from the factory preset initially. I feel this feature is the watch’s strongest feature due to its accuracy and the fact that it could someday save your life. Still, it’s not perfect. The compass display only lasts a few seconds, so you can’t use it like a real compass.
The barometer also is quite consistent once calibrated, though I have seen errors of 2 hPa in either direction.
Thermometer is rather fickle if the watch is being worn on skin. I’ve noticed as much as 5 degrees Fahrenheit error in either direction. It’s typically within 1 F degree either way. Have never verified the thermometer’s accuracy when not being worn, so can’t comment on that.
Altimeter gives decent approximation. I live at sea level and get readings as low as -10 meters and as high as 10 meters while at sea level. Typically it reads 0 or 5 meters. On a recent trip about 250 miles from home, with the watch calibrated at my home’s sea level, I reached a peak altitude of 1195 meters, according to the watch. On my descent, I compared the watch’s altitude reading with a posted USGS altitude sign. At 457.2 meters (1500 feet) the watch read a pretty consistent 420 meters.
The moonphase indicator is, of course, very accurate.
Tide charting leaves much to be desired. It calculates first high tide to within 20 minutes. Pretty good. However, this is the only actual high or low tide to be seen and to actually see the actual time, you must go into the Adjust mode. The actual graphing of the tides is sloppy and inaccurate. A dot-plotted chart like that used for the barometer should be incorporated. The 2-hour increments of the present graph also hinder true accuracy. Also, this mode ALWAYS defaults to showing tide at 6:00 am. This time can be adjusted manually each time you enter the mode, but the default time CANNOT be changed. Tide charting is the watch’s weakest feature.
Rather disappointed with the atomic clock synchronization too. I live in HNL, one of the listed time zones that should be able to receive atomic calibration. Has not happened yet, after over a month. When I try to manually synchronize, I get a level 1 (low, but existent) signal indication, but no synchronization. Frustrating.
It’s also a little disappointing that a “titanium” watch has a PLASTIC shell and stainless back and presumably a something-other-than-titanium case. The band does appear to be legitimate titanium but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s titanium-plated aluminum or something. This watch, despite it’s substantial bulkiness, is very light. My Citizen Eco-Drive Skyhawk, which is TRULY a titanium watch and is notably smaller, is noticeably heavier.
All in all, it’s a cool watch. It’s very stylish for a digital watch. It’s comfortable. It’s very durable. And you’ll always have reasonable accuracy from any function (maybe not with tide charting), with a good compass. Worth the Amazon price, but not the suggested retail price.
