The perfect water-holiday watch - Casio W-215H

Sometimes I get a hunch that a watch is going to be really good, but after using it, discover that it goes beyond even that.

In August 2016 I went to a floating barbecue party. In Hong Kong you can rent these spaces near fishing villages, built on pontoons made of wood and plastic barrels. 

There was a girl there wearing a pink Casio matching the colour of her bikini. She let me try it on (the watch),  but the pink looked odd on me. Later I found a white version at a street-level watch shop for US$25.

Look at the ridgy-didge sides! 

Much later, I was on a surf holiday in Siargao, Philippines, and discovered that the W-215H and surf are a match made in heaven - I could wear it all day in the water, and then all night in sandy village bars and restaurants where dogs emote for your food at the table.

What up dog?

Features

• The time and date are always right. It's a digital quartz watch! Knowing the time at sea is important for gauging high and low tide (which you should know beforehand). This is important in some places, where low tide signals poorer surfing waves.

• A sixty minute stop-watch, and one alarm.

If you come across others with this watch, which I did, you'll exchange a look. I like exchanging looks with strangers. If you're a watery person, go out and get this thing.

My suggestion to Casio: The band and the case are made from different stuff, so the band discolours off-white after first immersion in salt water. You can do better than this.