Skip to main content

Casio’s new Pro Trek watch is made of corn and castor seeds

Casio’s new Pro Trek PRW61 outdoor watch is its first to be made using renewable biomass plastics, which combined with packaging made from recycled paper, is helping the company reduce its overall carbon emissions. Rather than just a single part of the watch being made from the material, the PRW61’s case, case back, and band are all made from biomass plastic. Biomass plastics use raw materials from organic, renewable sources like plants, with Casio specifically mentioning castor seeds and corn.

Casio Pro Trek PRW61 watch dial.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re more familiar with Casio’s G-Shock range than Pro Trek, these watches are best suited to hikers, climbers, and anyone who loves being out and about in nature, meaning the use of sustainable materials fits in perfectly with the brand’s image. The PRW61 has Casio’s Triple Sensor array built into the case, which features a barometer/altimeter, a compass, and a thermometer. To maintain accurate time it uses Casio’s Multi Band 6 system to sync with dedicated radio towers around the world.

Despite the change in materials, the PRW61 is still a tough watch. It will resist low temperatures and continue working (down to -10 degrees Celsius or 14 degrees Fahrenheit) and is water-resistant to 100 meters. Other features include an alarm, timer, and stopwatch, plus a world time mode. There’s no need to charge the watch or to replace the battery on a regular basis either, as it has solar power which on a full charge will keep it going for six months even if it doesn’t see any light at all.

At 53 grams and 14.7mm thick, the watch is light and wearable, at least compared to some of the larger G-Shock outdoor watches like the 92-gram Mudmaster GG-B1000 or 106-gram Mudmaster GWG-2000. Neither the Mudmaster nor the Pro Trek PRW61 has a Bluetooth connection though, despite it becoming a more common feature on Casio’s G-Shock watches.

The PRW61 was first announced in Japan in February but is now official for the U.S. The watch will be available in April for $420 and sold in a single design with a black case and band with silver accents. In Japan and Europe, there are two other versions available, one stealthy black-on-black model and a more outdoorsy khaki and black version.

Editors' Recommendations

Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
Watch the Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max face off in brutal drop test
samsung galaxy s23 ultra iphone 14 pro max drop test watch phonebuff

Samsung’s latest flagship, the Galaxy S23 Ultra, is one of the year's best phones. It comes equipped with the powerful new, purpose-build Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip, a 200MP main camera, and Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back of the device (which means heavy durability).

But there’s another question — how does Gorilla Glass Victus 2 hold up against Apple’s confidently-named 'Ceramic Shield' on the iPhone 14 Pro Max? YouTuber PhoneBuff did a drop test to find that very answer.

Read more
I think I made a huge mistake with my iPhone 14 Pro Max
An iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro standing upright on a desk.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is — without a doubt — an incredible smartphone. It's easily one of the best phones you can buy in 2023, touting hardware and software that are nearly perfect on every level. It's the phone I've carried with me every day since it launched last October, but after living with it for about five months, I'm worried I made a big mistake in choosing it to be my primary iPhone.

There's nothing wrong or bad about the iPhone 14 Pro Max. It's the most capable and technically impressive iPhone currently on the market. But even with that being the case, I can't use it anymore — and I'm moving on to something else.
My biggest issue with the iPhone 14 Pro Max

Read more
The new Honor Magic 5 Pro smartphone has a truly unusual design
The Honor Magic5 Pro in Meadow Green.

The Magic is back at Honor, with not one but two new Magic-branded smartphones being revealed during MWC 2023. The Honor Magic 5 Pro joins the Honor Magic Vs folding smartphone and is the company’s latest “normal” non-folding flagship.

Like many Honor phones over the years, it’s all about the camera and an unusual design.

Read more