A watch is a handy instrument. And an even handier instrument if it dials in data that is what WE’RE ABOUT. Barometric pressure readouts for hikers and kayakers, altimeter for climbers, GPS for all manner of sports, and a TIDE GRAPH for those whose time on the water is tide dependent/influenced, kayaking and kayak fishing, for example.

For hardcore anglers, having the tide dirt strapped to our wrist provides that small margin of stimulus that trigger those spontaneous office getaways. A glance at the jet-black Oceanous tells us high tide is imminent; a glance out the window at our boat-topped rig waiting in the parking lot seals the deal. We’re oughta there!

Time keeping is precise with the Oceanous (you might as well live in Greenwich!), updated daily from an atomic transmitter in Fort Collins, Colorado. No more arguing about whose got the correct time. Another must on any watch I wear is a sapphire crystal. The accreted agonizing over scratches an ordinary glass crystal, until you have to squint to read the dial, is over. Unless you’re into disposable watches, get sapphire.

Then there’s the power source issue. I had a Breitling that I had to send in every year for a C not so the techhies could change the friggin’ battery. Bad enough, what if the batt dies when I’m in the field and really need it. No, just like our energy system here in the islands at our home, this baby runs off old Sol. Casio likes to call it Tough Solar. What that means is it charges from indirect light, even fluorescent and it draw power from an ultra-small solar panel featuring highly efficient electric power generation and a large-capacity rechargeable battery.

So not only do you not have to worry about resetting the watch to correct time, you never have to worry about a battery or recharge or any of that. VERY sweet! And if that isn’t enough, it’s fully waterproof at 100mm which comes everything but scuba diving. Finally, and reminding me very much of Papa Bear’s porridge, Casio got the size JUST RIGHT on this one. It doesn’t look like you’re trying to compensate for something smaller AND the buttons are easy to operate. And there’s more, the Oceanus is an all analog, 5 motor instrument with a salt resistant titanium bracelet. No more dweeby digital; however, the learning curve on this thing is VERTICAL (as in straight up). No slap it on the wrist and go. But I like a watch, like I like a woman, a book and a good board game—with DEPTH, it gives me something to work on when I’ve got a spare moment (which frankly, I am still doing).

I have used a good tide watch on long kayak expeditions before and liked the objective confirmation of what gradually became second nature. For kayak fishermen, who live by the tide book, it is a handy method of staying in touch with changing conditions from a quick glance at the wrist. Couple the tide graph with a slew of ubercool features and a cool stealth look and you’ve got a watch that anyone would be happy to strap aboard.