I got a chance to check this watch out briefly at JCK in early June. It is pretty cool and and update to the Casio Pathfinder PAW-1500 watch that I reviewed favorably here. This is the Pathfinder PAW-2000 and represents a nice incremental improvement over the PAW-1500. The PAW-2000 watch is actually thinner and has a few more functions. I didn’t even think it was possible to make this watch any thinner, but Casio did it. A major new elements is the duplex LCD screen(s). This isn’t the first time Casio has done this, but the application is welcome here. What does that mean? Well basically it has two LCD screens that are stacked on one another. The top LCD screen is used for the compass function to allow for a full overlay. The previous model watch only has the compass “digital needle” show on a thin ring around the face.
In addition to having a thinner profile, the watch has more metal on it that the PAW-1500. The bezel has some polished and textured metal, which makes for a nice look. We aren’t talking about thick high-grade steel, but it does make for a better look. There are actually going to be two versions of this new Pathfinder PAW-2000 watch, there will be the PAW-2000-1, and the PAW-2000-7. They will have a resin strap or titanium bracelet respectively. My PAW-1500 has the titanium bracelet which is great, but each will work nicely. 
Functions retain Casio “triple sensor” family that has the compass, pressure sensor (barometer and altimeter), and thermometer. These are all easy to use and handy features. There is also the computer which does a tons of things like having the world time, calendar, alarms, countdown timer, chronograph, and other functions. The PAW-1500 has a tide chart and moon phase, not sure if this model has those features. It does however feature the sunrise and sunset time. This is good for all sorts of people including fishermen or hunters, and of course vampire hunters! Not to mention the rest of you who will appreciate this data that takes into consideration your timezone and the time of year. Realize that the PAW-2000 does not seek to put the PAW-1500 out of business, but rather will offer a slightly different feature set depending on what you need.
The watch is still powered by Casio’s solar powered watch that actually charges being exposed to most any light. This is a great movement and I have come to appreciate it in other Casio watches. The watch is also atomic clock radio controlled. For the PAW-2000, Casio has upped the movement to accepting 6 frequency bands, as opposed to 5. That just gives it that many more places on Earth where it can receive radio signals from the “local” atomic clock. Overall I think it is a great evolution of the Pathfinder multi-sensor watch line. The timepieces are perfect for just about anyone. Maybe not for full-time wear, but I can’t think of anyone who won’t appreciate having a Casio Pathfinder in their collection. MSRP price will be $350 for the PAW-2000-1 with the resin strap, and $450 for the PAW-2000-7 with the titanium bracelet. The watches will be available starting in the Fall of 2009. www.casio.com
See Casio Pathfinder watches on eBay here.
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