i purchased this watch pretty much to save myself from buying one for about double the cost. when i received the watch i found out why:brthe band is what you would find on a very cheap watch / the box makes reference to being made in germany, however the watch clearly states, "made in china" / the directions were poorly translated / and the sealer of the deal for me was that the mode button was very poor - sometimes it would advance two modes ahead on one press, other times it wouldn't advance at all.bri'm definitely returning itbrTAKE CARE!

Bought this a year ago today actually.pFirst of all...the band broke after one month...then...the casing started to wear showing that the casing is actually painted on...that is not the true color of the casing...and then...this weekend while on a hunting trip I noticed that no matter what direction I was headed...it always said NE. Luckily a friend brought a compass and we were able to find our way back to the truck...and ultimately me back to my PC to write a review for this terrible product.pSo...consider this you warning...and BUY SOMETHING ELSE!!!

I bought this thing for about $20 plus shipping from Homeland. It has a 12/24 digital display, which is easy to see, it tells yopu what day it is, and that part is easy to read. It has an alarm that has never failed to wake me up, and a light you can press to see what time it is at night.brI bought it, however, for a trip to France, as I thought the compass, the light and the alarm would be really useful. The compass, no matter how many times I "calibrate" it, by spinning it around clockwise (it recommends 3x) is never accurate, not in Miami, not in Paris and not in the Pyrenees, either.brThe batteries (it has two) are not the most common, but are readily available, and I had to replace them after one month. Maybe I used that light too much. The compass ceases to display first (it never 'works'), then the face gets dimmer and dimmer and goes blank.

I scanned a host of web sites looking for an economical compass watch. This watch looked great on the web site and I liked the options so I ordered. Well, Oregon Scientific sent the wrong one. We started over. As another reviewer noted, the chrome effect wore off fairly quickly. I was frustrated because the LED was nearly impossible to read without turning my wrist for a 'straight-on' reading. To my chagrin, while changing the watch band the LED went flat and disappeared altogether. So much for a watch that lasted less than a year. Get a real compass and find another watch.

My wife bought this watch in Feb 2003. I liked it at the first sight. However, the alarm kept ringing till the battery was running out. And then I opened te case and changed it. The inside looked pretty bad. Moreover, the alarm doesn't work anymore and the casin g is easy to peel off . The last thing I want to mention is that the warranty is only 90 days. (I guess there will be something wrong in you watch after that time). brBTW, I came from China. "Made in China" doesn't tell the product is good or nottell you much. We can make good stuff.

This watch is incredible. I would only reccomend it to people who are either 1. out on the hiking trails a lot, or 2. really sporty and keeps up with their physical training. This watch looks cool and is pretty light. Stop watch, countdown timer, glow light. It's really wonderful and can be a lifesaver (if the situation ever arises). Say you need a compass in the wilderness, yup, this watch has it. Alarm (of course). This watch is pretty hot.