Product Review: Casio Forrester Wristwatch

Having been a lifelong, dedicated Timex man I was disappointed, about three years ago, to have to purchase something other than a Timex. I tend to put my watch through the proverbial "wringer" and Timex had been with me a long time. I have had one strapped to my wrist while jumping out of aircraft in Alaska, working with high explosives, arresting bad guys, and cutting people out of wrecked cars in central Virginia. At one time I trusted my Timex Expedition without thinking about it.

About five years ago I broke the Timex Expedition I had worn for many years and, without thinking, I purchased an identical replacement. It died in four months. I tried replacing the battery but the watch itself was dead. I figured I had a bad watch and purchased another. About six months later it began losing significant time and then it also died. I tried once more with the same results before reaching the conclusion that Timex must be having "quality issues" these days.

This left me in a quandary, if I cannot trust Timex, what affordable watch manufacturer can I trust? I laid out my requirements and went watch shopping. I wanted a simple watch, analog with a calendar feature, a backlight and it had to be water resistant to at least 100 meters. Additionally, I preferred a "sports" type watch as opposed to a dress watch, especially considering how much I tend to bang one around. Oh, and I wanted one I could actually afford without taking out a second mortgage on my house.

After much looking, the Casio Forrester caught my eye. While it is bulkier than the Timex it still looked sturdy and it met all of my requirements. I had never considered Casio to be a serious watch maker but a friend told me that he had owned one for some time and it was giving him good service. On top of this the Forrester had an attractive price ($19.95 at the time).

I purchased one, set it and strapped it to my wrist. I did not consciously think about it again for almost three years until I noticed that I needed a new watch band since the old one was wearing out. At this time I took a hard look at my Casio Forrester and came to the conclusion that it is a pretty good watch, especially considering the price I paid for it.

While the words and logo have worn nearly away and there are scratches on the body of the watch, the face remains crystal clear. Further, the Forrester keeps excellent time and the green backlight is perfect for reading time at night without ruining my night vision.

While I no longer do many of the exciting and demanding activities I once did, this Forrester has still been camping, hiking, kayaking, orienteering and swimming with me. Through it all it has held up quite nicely and I have every reason to expect it to continue to do so.

It may not be an expensive, named brand, fancy watch but I have never gone in for those anyway. People who really do demanding jobs rarely strap a $200 watch to their arm and then do their level best to destroy it. Frankly the demanding jobs rarely pay enough to afford the $200 watch to begin with. We prefer our gear to be more down to earth and we value functionality and reliability over style and trendiness. Especially the functional item is more affordable.

Perhaps the highest praise I can pay the Casio Forrester is to say this, if I broke this watch today, I would buy an identical replacement without hesitation. I always encourage people to shop around but, if you need a good field watch, I urge you to take a second look at the Casio Forrester which has served me so well.