Keep track of the important outdoors details with the Casio Protrek PRTB50YT-1

When you’re headed to the great outdoors, you’ve got decisions to make for what watch you bring. Do you bring your beater? Your everyday three-hander? Do you go for perhaps a fitness watch to track your activities? Or do you want to have the watch help keep you oriented? Well, with the Casio Protrek PRTB50YT-1, you can get those latter two down in a cinch.

Over time, I’ve taken a look at a number of Protrek models (including a version of this model over at Knapsack last year). So, by now, we should be up to speed on what they offer – digital compass, altimeter recording, barometric and temperature info, and now step tracking. That’s right, there’s an accelerometer that’s taking the triple sensor to a quad sensor setup. Add in the capability to set things on your phone with the Protrek app, and you’re ready to head to the woods.

So, what makes the Casio Protrek PRTB50YT-1 different from the prior version I looked at? Well, first and foremost, is the bracelet. I’ve gotten used to a number of different bracelet adjustments, but this one had a new one for me. You see, there are no visible (on the edges) pins. Instead, you are given a small plastic tool that presses into that hole (see above) in the center of the link. That forces the springbars to retract, and voila! You’re taking links out. It’s quick and clever for folks not used to adjusting watches, but don’t you lose that plastic tool, or you’ll be having fun trying to do it with a screwdriver.

In terms of day-to-day usage, the Casio Protrek PRTB50YT-1 was very much the same as what we saw in last year’s review. It’s a super-capable watch, but even in day-to-day life, it’s super legible to read. I particularly liked the capability to have the LCD display display the world time (I had it set to UTC). While the 50mm case is large, it’s mostly resin. So, even on the bracelet, it’s only 95g (hollow links will get you that) which is pretty light, all things considered.

Where a watch like the Casio Protrek PRTB50YT-1 really fits in how unlike an outdoors watch it looks like, courtesy of it’s color scheme. Many outdoors watches can be bright and colorful, and quite large. Which means they don’t fit in other non-outdoors settings. Here, this Protrek is a bit more stealth, and can fit into a broader slice of life without drawing undue attention. If you want to pick one up at $380 just head on over to protrek.casio.com

Editor’s note: Looking for something less outdoorsy? Check out this Casio Edifice review we published today over on Knapsack

Review Summary

Brand & Model:?Casio ProTrek PRTB50YT-1
Price:?$380
Who?s it for??You?re looking for a wrist-mounted companion for your outdoor adventures

Would I wear it??Sure would! That said, while the bracelet was interesting, for this sort of watch I’d probably opt for a textile or rubber strap, though
What I?d change:?The free-rotation on the bezel is ok, but I wouldn’t mind if that was a clicky so it could be set in place
The best thing about it:?While the accelerometer and Bluetooth could have been gadget-like checkmarks on the spec sheet, they?re actually being used for something useful and cool

Tech Specs from Casio

Double LED light
- LED light for the face (Auto LED light, Neon illuminator, selectable illumination duration (1.5 seconds or 3 seconds), afterglow)
- LED backlight for the digital display (Auto LED light, Super illuminator, selectable illumination duration (1.5 seconds or 3 seconds), afterglow)

Low-temperature resistant (?10?C/14?F)
Mobile link (Wireless linking using Bluetooth?)
Digital compass
- Measures and displays direction as one of 16 points
- Measuring range: 0 to 359?
- Measuring unit: 1?
- 60 seconds continuous measurement
- Hand indication of north
- Magnetic declination correction
- Direction calibration (2-point calibration, figure eight calibration, auto calibration)
Altimeter
- Measuring range: ?700 to 10,000 m (?2,300 to 32,800 ft.)
- Measuring unit: 1 m (5 ft.)
- Hand indication graph of altitude differential
- Manual memory measurements (up to 14 records, each including altitude, date, time)
- Auto log data (High/low altitudes, cumulative ascent and descent)
- Others: Relative altitude readings (?100 m /?1000 m), selectable measurement interval: 5 seconds or 2 minutes (1 second for first 3 minutes only)
- Changeover between meters (m) and feet (ft)

Barometer
- Measuring range: 260 to 1,100 hPa (7.65 to 32.45 inHg)
- Measuring unit: 1 hPa (0.05 inHg)
- Hand indication of pressure differential (?10hPa)
- Atmospheric pressure tendency graph (last 20 hours or last 56 hours)
- Barometric pressure tendency information alarm (beep and arrow indicates significant changes in pressure)
- The atmospheric pressure tendency graph can show the last 20 minutes or last 56 minutes of measurements. The hand indication of pressure differential shows values in units of ?1 hPa.
- Changeover between hPa and inHg
Thermometer
- Measuring range: ?10 to 60?C (14 to 140?F)
- Measuring unit: 0.1?C (0.2?F)
- Changeover between Celsius (?C) and Fahrenheit (?F)

Step count using a 3-axis acceleration sensor: 0 to 999,999 step count display range
Power Saving: Auto sensor sleep state entry after fixed period of non-activity
World time
- 38 time zones (38 cities + coordinated universal time),
- daylight saving on/off, Home city/World time city swapping
Sunrise, sunset time display: Sunrise time and sunset time for specific date

1/100-second stopwatch
- Measuring unit:
  - 1/100 second (for the first 60 minutes)
  - 1 second (after 60 minutes)
  - Measuring modes: Elapsed time, split time, 1st-2nd place
Timers
- Countdown timer
- Measuring unit: 1 second
- Countdown range: 24 hours
- Countdown start time setting range: 1 second to 24 hours (1-minute increments and 1-hour increments)
5 daily alarms
Hourly time signal

Hand shift feature
Full auto-calendar (to year 2099)
12/24-hour format

Button operation tone on/off
Regular timekeeping:
- Analog: 3 hands (hour, minute (hand moves every 10 seconds), second)
- Digital: Hour, minute, second, am/pm, month, date, day
- Accuracy: ?15 seconds per month (with no mobile link
- function)

Approx. battery life: 2 years on CR2025
Module Number: 5601
Size of case / total weight