Casio WS1000H review and instructions

This is a brand new model for 2019, and it's the best Casio digital sport watch I've ever owned.

At a Walmart I was browsing the watches and spotted a WS1000H, and almost bought it on the spot after trying it. The reason I didn't is because of color, green. I figured Casio must be offering this in other colors, so after I got home I searched online, and yes, two other colors were offered, blue and charcoal. I found the charcoal one on eBay and got it. Shortly after I received it, I ordered up the blue one too because I like it that much.

~~A search for this watch on Amazon shows it's not even there yet.~~ [Edit: It's on Amazon now.] Strangely, the watch is also not on the Casio USA web site even though it's sold in USA Walmart stores. It is however listed on the Casio International and Casio Europe sites. Again, strange.

Why is the best Casio digital sport watch I've ever owned?

This model literally has everything I like in a digital timepiece, which is this:

Crisp, legible, uncluttered display
Big digits that can be read easily
Case size that fits my smaller wrist (48.3mm lug-to-lug, 42.6mm case size, 12.7mm thick)
Light in weight (38g)
100M water resistance
Multiple alarms (it has 3)
Forward or reverse number direction for setting time and timer
Strap that has a notch at the end so it doesn't accidentally leave the strap keeper and flop about
Strap that is curved so it hugs the wrist better
Countdown timer with auto-repeat
Time, weekday and month/day on the face all at once to give me all the info I want at a glance
Adjustable night light to shine 1.5 seconds or 3 seconds
Night light is an amber color incandescent bulb (this is the best look)
In 12-hour time, A is shown during morning hours and P for evening hours (many models only show the P and no A)
"10-year" battery (will probably only last 5 to 7 years, but that's still really good)
Small raised "lip" on top and bottom of dial to keep the acrylic crystal from getting scratched

No other Casio digital that has all this stuff in one watch. Casio finally got it right with this one and stuffed in everything that actually matters.

I own many Casio watches, and for years wished I could take the features I wanted from different timepieces and combine them into one that does everything I want. The WS1000H is that watch. And I happened upon it totally by chance.

I wasn't even shopping for a watch the day I saw the WS1000H. At the Walmart I was in, I looked at the Casio display just to see what was there. The watch just stuck out not only because it was green but also because I didn't recognize the model. This was something totally new and different.

Walmart's price was $19.99. eBay price was $23. I'm pretty sure the price will stay this way because that is about the same price as other Casio digital sport models with a similar feature set. When this watch gets on Amazon (as I'm certain it will), it should also stick to that price point.

Better than a Timex Ironman?

It would not surprise me if Casio made the WS1000H to directly compete with the Timex Ironman Classic 30 and Timex Ironman Classic 50, as it has a very similar feature set and layout.

Where runner's watches are concerned that aren't smartwatches, Timex absolutely owns that segment. When you want a runner's watch, you get an Ironman. That's the way it's been for many years.

But now Casio is finally offering something that's a genuinely decent alternative to the Ironman. Yes, Casio has had runner's watches and pretty much always has. In the current lineup there are models such as the STR300 and STLS300H. The WS1000H however is truly Ironman-like, which is good.

I'm not a runner and just came upon the WS1000H just by chance. It has everything I want out of a digital sport watch, so even though I don't use the running features, it was still a no-brainer to buy it.

How to set the time, date and use running features on the WS1000H

The video below shows how to set everything up on the WS1000H. It's a little different compared to other Casio digital models because of the button layout, but not that hard.

Published 2019 May 17