We tested the Casio Illuminator AE-1500WH in-game and found that it meets if not all, many of the real needs you may have during an airsoft game. Not being a smartwatch, the watch is inexpensive, but it offers everything a player needs; you can find it on Amazon and similar sites for around 30-35 euros. So having pointed out the first "pro" – that is, its negligible cost compared to the quality offered – let's get to the other features.
The pros of the Casio Illuminator AE-1500WH
Robustness: the Casio Illuminator AE-1500WH is not afraid of shocks or the impact of BB pellets. It is in fact equipped with a large acrylic crystal that can absorb impacts, even those caused by BBs fired during games – obviously, not direct hits from very short ranges. In addition, the watch's resin case is durable, light and less susceptible to temperature changes. The strap, which is also made of resin, offers resistance and elasticity; moreover, like all Casio Illuminator or G-SHOCK watches, it is firmly attached to the body of the watch; the strao lugs are considerable thick, thus preventing accidental loss of the watch in the vegetation during the most frantic phases of a game.
Water Resistance: with a 100-m Water Resistant certification (10 bar ISO 22810), the Casio Illuminator AE-1500WH can safely be submerged in water without any time limit unlike many smartwatches. Fording any waterways in the game is thus possible and safe.
Battery life: the strong point of this Illuminator is certainly the long battery life, which the Japanese manufacturer assures reaches a full 10 years. Thanks to newly developed electronic components, power consumption has in fact been minimised and considering Casio's seriousness, we have no reason to doubt this.
Time visibility: the size of the numbers on the large display and their contrast is another indisputable advantage of this Illuminator. You will always be able to quickly see the time in both bright sunlight and poor visibility conditions. The fact that there are no disturbing hands on the dial also helps in no small measure. The dial is LED backlit with a pleasant amber colour that is very useful during night-time MILSIMs.
Camouflage: available in three versions, black, black with negative display, and tan, which is the most "camo" and most decidedly military model.
Weight: the illuminator's mere 57 grams make it wearable on any set-up
Timekeeping and other functions
The stopwatch has a 1/100 second measurement over 24 hours, with elapsed time measurement. The fraction indicates the unit of measurement while the number indicates the maximum measurement time. The timer with automatic repetition and countdown is very useful for calculating the time remaining for the completion of a mission.
Alarms: this model is equipped with five independent multifunctional alarms.
The cons of the Casio Illuminator AE-1500WH
- Dimensions: the footprint of this Illuminator is a real mastodon, 54.4x51.21x15.73 mm, and this despite its featherweight.
- Strap: the strap is fitted with a pin buckle made of lightweight plastic, which does not give the feeling of robustness that the rest of the watch conveys, especially when fastening or unfastening the strap.
- Night lighting duration: sufficient for seeing the time but not for operating the menu without having to press the relevant Start Light backlight button again.
