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Today we are going to take a look at Casio ProTrek PRW-6900YL-5ER. This watch comes as yet another addition in the toolwatch lineup from the famous Japanese brand. It actually continues the overall toolwatch mood and features several color versions. In our case we will see black-orange watch with brown strap. Whole specifications list looks quite impressive, so I decided to take a closer look at the newcomer. Moreover, price tag is not small either, let’s see what is offered inside.
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Here you can read about another great Casio watch.
Get this watch here in Helveti webshop.
Dial
Just like any previous ProTrek watches, this one combines analog dial together with digital display in lower section. In my opinion this is something you can’t avoid if you have more functions on your wrist. Casio ProTrek PRW-6900YL-5ER features a lot of things, but we will talk about it a bit later. For now I would like to focus our attention on this black dial where Japanese designers placed orange accents. Keep in mind that the main color and bright accents change with different versions.
Careful look will help you see that this is not a plain dial, instead we get a multi-level composition what adds sophistication to the looks. Moreover, Casio managed to escape just plain background insert and replaced it with help of textured part. In my opinion it works nicely with brushed metal on indices and subdial.
As all accents on our watch are orange, ProTrek logo is also in this color, while all other writings come in kind of grey color. I am not sure if I like such accents, but Casio just loves to add such things, and this watch is not an exclusion from the rule.
Handset includes large hour and minute hands together with thin seconds hand which has white color on the end. Of course, such combination is easy to “read”, and you will definitely find it easily on the dial. Hour and minutes hands have luminous inserts which help in dark conditions.
Nice design touch can be found in dual-color design, where “tails” of hands are painted in black color. This thing makes whole design less cluttered. Important to note that subidal hand is black-and-white, what is slightly off at the first sight, but then you get used to it.
All indices are raised parts with brushed finish. As far as I can guess it is not metal, but plastic with metal surface imitation. Nevertheless, it looks like right in place here, and helps with legibility. 5, 6 and 7 marks are slightly shortened in order to fit digital display. Casio ProTrek PRW-6900YL-5ER also features luminous inserts on those parts, you can see it also in the video-review above.
If you take a bit more careful look at the dial, you will also notice huge amount of additional writings here and there. All those things are needed for additional functions on the watch.
Now it is the turn to talk about digital display, which was mentioned several times already. This is a simple LED part with amber color on it. Don’t expect something sophisticated or high-resolution here. Such design is used in order to preserve battery and also keep the legibility on the top. Casio added backlight feature for this element, but it is one LED in the bottom. Nothing special, but it does what it should.
Case
To be honest, when I saw first photos of this watch, I expected really big piece. Well, it is 44.8 mm, so definitely not something I would recommend to wear on thin wrist. All color versions feature black case “body” with accents in different colors.
Casio combined here several finishes, so those angular corners come in polished look, while 12, 3, 6 and 9 sides feature brushed surface. This adds variety to the whole case and help avoid look of blunt box on your wrist. Note that lugs go “outside” of watch, so it is also something to remember.
Toolwatch styling and all the features require buttons, and you will find them on both sides and even on the faceplate. All those parts are easy to find and press, they also feature ribbed surface, what might come handy in certain conditions. Button movement is slightly longer than what I expected, but I guess it is necessary in order to avoid accidental presses.
Another “side element” is the pressure sensor on the left side. It is covered by mesh for protection, so you shouldn’t worry about any possible mishaps. Screwdown crown is quite large, so it is easy to operate this part. Moreover, the setting position is marked with loud “beep”, so you won’t miss it.
This watch weighs 65g, so it is not a heavy piece which will feel tiresome on your wrist. Note that edges feature compass marks only. In my opinion it is a quite clever design solution which helps to keep whole appearance clean. Rear cover is literally filled with text and closed in place with screws. I think now is the time to move to the next part of this review.
Movement
Inside we get solar movement 5673, so power reserve counts crazy 6 months before you need to “charge” them again. This is quite handy thing for a survival watch, so I think future owners will appreciate it. You have to remember that such watch is better to be stored at light or in the watchbox with cutout. This will prevent the completely empty battery on your timepiece.
As for the functions, we have almost all the stuff which you can think of. Altimeter, stopwatch, alarm and other things are inside, you just have to remember how to use them all. 😀 I added few examples of those functions in the video-review, so you can take a look too,
Strap
Today’s version comes with brown leather strap with brown stitching. Main surprise for me is the softness of this accessory. Strap is easy to wrap around your wrist, and it doesn’t bother you while wearing daily. Note that inner side features black leather, and the buckle is simple in its design, but finished in silver color. Another interesting surprise comes in form of quick release bars, which might be handy for those who like to change their straps often. 🙂
As you can guess, there are no additional options in the box, but it should be easy to find something to combine with this Casio. I think ZULU strap might work fine here.
Casio ProTrek PRW-6900YL-5ER – In Use
First photos suggested that it would be quite large timepiece. Well, in reality it is not small, but definitely reasonable and should look fine on average-sized wrist. You have to remember about extended lugs, which put the strap a bit further though. Weight will be a dividing feature here as some will like the overall light feeling, and others would expect a bit more presence from such large timepiece.
Legibility is not an issue with this ProTrek. Yes, dial might look a bit cluttered, but it is easy to get used to, and you will know where to look. Features controls are similar to what we are used to see on other digital Casio timepieces. Nevertheless, I would still recommend to read the manual, just to be sure that you understand the overall scope and possibilities. 😀 Large buttons come handy in this, so it should be fine to click even in the gloves. Nighttime experience is okay, but don’t expect something similar to diver watches.
Overall experience here is just fine, and this might be a good choice for some outdoor activities. I am just not sure about using polished surfaces on the casing. Who knows, maybe that was the only way to make whole appearance a bit less bulky and featureless.
Price and Availability
New watch should be already available for purchase, and you can get it in Helveti webshop. Of course, all versions are available there. Price tag will feature 500 EUR on it, and that’s where it gets tricky. From one side you get a nice toolwatch with quite cool features inside. From another side, you can get some extra things in Casio watches from other series – G-Shock or Edifice. In some cases it will be a choice between this or that feature, so be ready to decide what is useful for you.
In my opinion it is an interesting timepiece for people who are not obsessed with automatic movement in their watch. Moreover, this one is a bit more durable in everyday use and might come handy in various situations. Whole styling looks clean and should be nice to look at even after several years. Of course, solar movement will be useful here as you don’t have to worry about winding the movement. Just be sure to charge it at least once a week. 🙂
