Solar field watch for people who forget to wind things
By Abby Turner, Melbourne ยท
Most of the grads on my ward would be well served by this one, with one big asterisk.
First the good. It's Eco-Drive, so it runs on light and you basically never think about it. Any light does the job, including the awful overhead fluorescents in the staff room. It's 37 mm across and 9.5 mm thick, which is a really comfortable size for a smaller wrist and sits under a sleeve without fuss. The black dial with big white numbers and a proper seconds hand is easy to read in a rush, which is the whole reason I like field watches for nursing. There's a date too. 100 m water resistance is plenty for hand washing, showers and swims.
Now the asterisk: it comes on a fabric strap. I love the look, but fabric and hand sanitiser twelve times a shift is a bad combo. It soaks it up, stays damp, and starts to smell by the end of the week. I'd swap it straight onto an 18 mm rubber or a cheap steel bracelet for work and keep the fabric one for days off.
The mineral crystal is fine at this price, though it's not as tough as sapphire. And the lume is only so-so, so it's not ideal for reading in a dark room.
At US$130 to $200, I reckon it's one of the best value no-fuss analogue watches around. Pick it over a Timex if you want to never buy a battery again.