Expresso WR62 GPS Watch REVIEW

I picked up the new WR62 GPS watch manufactured by Expresso Satellite Network (ESN) who is a relative newcomer to the golf gps market.  I placed the order in April through TGW.com.  The product delivery date was changed several times until it finally arrived today.  Needless to say, ESN's knowledge or management of it's supply chain was less than stellar.  Nevertheless, let's take a look at the product.  I will conduct my review in stages with the first being it's packaging and overall appearance.

PACKAGING

The product arrived well boxed and packaged.  No issues here.  There really isn't that much to this...a watch, a charging cable, and small booklet.

FORM FACTOR

The watch is sharp looking and looks like a typical sports watch.  The buttons are large and easily depressed...even with golf gloves on.  The most "controversial" issue seemed to be ESN's choice to go with a designer-style watch band with metal clasp rather than the typical sports watch band.  I'm glad they went with the watch band they did.  We all know what happens to sports watch bands in a relatively short time frame (year +/-).  They get brittle and start cracking where the band and buckle meet.  There is a small button on the side of the clasp that releases the clasp and opens the band.  You can see it in the photo that shoes the clasp and underside of the watch.  My only concern here is the durability of the post used that inserts into the socket on the metal clasp.  That's visible in the photo showing the open clasp.  Only time will tell if the WR62 band and clasp are more (or at least as) durable than a typical sports watch band.  The band is easily adjusted by removing the number of band segments needed to get a snug, but not too snug, fit.  This fitting is a minor inconvenience and certainly does not require a jeweler to do this.

CHARGING CABLE

I was wondering how a charging cable could be attached to a watch and still maintain a high degree of water resistance.  I don't know how other watch gps manufacturers do that, but ESN simply has a charging "clamp" that attaches to the watch and then plugs into a USB port on a computer.  One side of the clamp has a pad while the other has an alignment tab and pins that fit into slots and contacts on the underside of the watch.  I plan on checking to see if there is an AC adapter that is compatible.  Maybe the ones we use for my kids' ipods?  More on that later.

I hope to get this on the course later this week....Sunday at the latest.  So far the ESN WR62 watch looks to be a great bargain at $179.00 but I'll reserve final judgement until I've tested it during a few rounds of golf.

Will do. When I'm done, I'll consolidate everything and post at the link you provided.

Hi Topper.

The WR62 is engineered to accept both 3.7 volt and 5.7 volt, so any USB charger is safe to use (whether it is a USB port in a car, an A/C charger, any type of USB port is acceptable).

Thank you for picking up on the band. We use a premium band that is guaranteed to exceed the 2 year warranty of our watch.

We apologize for the delay in shipment. The initial demand exceeded our production capabilities. Please feel free to contact our office if you have any questions. Toll free: (866) 691-1350.

Thank you,

GolfESN

Seeing the word "Espresso" spelled with an X makes me cringe. I don't know if the reviewer did it on purpose or not, whether that's the actual name of the product and they made a mistake or did it on purpose, but someone out there wants me to die a little inside. Without the "O" at the end I wouldn't care, but that O was placed there on purpose to sound fancy.

The delicious nectar produced by forcing about 2oz of hot, 190-200˚, pressurized water at 9 bars through 14g or so of finely ground, fresh coffee, using only metal filters to preserve the oils, and taking about 25 seconds to do so, and yet extracting almost all the desirable flavor compounds and caffeine, is called "espresso".

"Express" is either a verb meaning to convey something, or rarely used to refer to the act of forcing out air from something, or an adjective referring to something physically fast or an expedited process, typically referring to transport or a delivery service. It is sometimes used as a noun referring to the train or service as a whole, as well as a (became generic due to the success of one brand's product line) term for rifles at the turn of the century which used reinforced barrels and larger than normal powder charges for the purpose of big game hunting.

I feel the need to point this out because, of course, people make this mistake all the time. Part of the problem is that people mispronounce the word or spell it like this, even within the premium coffee industry. This misspelling is so pervasive that many people, learned people, are unaware of it. When I worked at a certain well known coffee chain, my manager would routinely misspell and mispronounce the word despite its appearance in signage and product labels hundreds of times in the store. I would estimate that 75% of the collective staff were unaware of their error, let alone the customers.

"Expresso" is not the proper spelling, it's actually a pun or the result of false etymology. If you wish to use this term for your fine product, it is necessary that you and anyone reading this thread understand it's a portmanteau or pun rather than the proper spelling. I humbly take this opportunity to inform everyone that most of them frequently butcher the word for one of the tastiest beverages known to humanity.

Thank you.

Lucious,

That was quite a lengthy diatribe on "Expresso".  It's just part of the Manufacturer's name which I did in fact get wrong.  It's Expresso Satellite Navigation and not Expresso Satellite Network.

And let me expresso my fondness for espresso.  I drink at least 3 double espressos per day although I've had to switch to decaf due to a recent medical condition in my left ear which might be aggravated by caffeine.  There is a local coffee shop called, Freedom of Expresso.  Their original name was Federal Expresso but I heard they were sued by Federal Express and had to change their name.  There is "expresso" all around us.  I predict that it will eventually be added to a dictionary and become an official part of our lexicon.

I don't blame you for the name of the product, and I don't blame the manufacturer unless they are, in fact, referring to the delicious beverage, which I seriously doubt. However I felt the need to remind those of you who may be unaware of the correct term and the rampant misuse of the incorrect one.

By the way, I have a Rancilio Silvia V3 on my counter right now. That machine makes life worthwhile if you know how to treat her. A double ristretto with 5mm of crema is pure ambrosia.

And yes, I am a lot better at that shot than I am at golf shots.

I'm jealous now.  I've got an inexpensive espresso machine that does the job, but I can't wait until it dies so I can upgrade.

When you do upgrade, I humbly recommend that you spend good money on a grinder; I spent 90$ on my grinder and about... um, *cough*650 dollars*cough* on the machine. And I really had no business spending 650 dollars as a college student. If I needed a heart transplant to live I wouldn't have been willing to pay the doctor 650$. That's more than I'd spend on books in my entire career at university. If I had to do it again, I'd spend 300$ on a nice, dedicated espresso grinder, and get about 3-400 for the machine.

I love my machine and it has the best frothing wand under 1000$, and makes a killer shot, but when they say the grinder can do everything from coarse for french press to fine Turkish, I recommend you steer clear if you really want consistent shots. Most of them have like 20 settings but only one is usable. An espresso grinder will have 20 settings and like 8 or 9 will all make an acceptable shot any day. Lets you fine tune your shots and helps keep your dosing the same. Also, don't mess around with tampers, shell out 50 clams and get a nice piece of stainless steel. I bought my first 2 and another one came with the machine, none of them fit properly despite all being "58mm". Everything else like milk pitchers and shot glasses can be bought cheap (rattleware makes the cheapest stuff around, all plenty good quality). Don't use a thermometer either, just hold the bottom of the pitcher with your hand. I learned how to tell 150 degrees after steaming only two batches of milk, and I've loved the uncluttered pitcher since. Spend a couple bucks on a stainless cocktail shaker (It's great for iced drinks) and a mini drink whisk, and get cups with round bottoms if you like to pour latte art.

Something like the Saeco Aroma, which is a fairly inexpensive model and may well be the one you have, is plenty decent for standard use. As long as you are willing to put up with a slightly weaker steam wand that isn't as adjustable. The Silvia has a marine brass boiler and holds temperature better than anything under a grand; this means good shots but also a solid chunk of he price. The only thing I'd want added would be a second boiler to have the steam ready at all times, I currently need to wait a bit over a minute to steam after making shots. But the steam is good and dry with good pressure, and the wand is on a ball joint that twists and rotates freely. I only wish I could get the machine plumbed into my house's water supply instead of using the tank.

I'm a big fan of my Gaggia......machine and grinder. As Lucius said, don't cheap the grinder. Espresso, like golf is all about consistency. Nothing better than a perfectly pulled shot......and I ain't talkin' golf here! :-)

Espresso is one of my favorite topics...but now back to the WR62 GPS Watch:

REGISTRATION: First, register your device at golfesn.com.  Use the product ID (serial) number which is on the white sticker on the bottom of the box.  I'm guessing your number should read "WR62......"

FIRMWARE :  Then check to see what firmware you have.  There are two versions:  ESN.02 (v2) or ESN.03 (v3).  Check for the firmware using your watch by clicking MENU > SETTINGS > ABOUT.  You should see something like "Version ESN.03 Powered by iGolf".  If you see ESN.02, then you have an issue and will need to upgrade to ESN.03.  Call ESN at 866-691-1350 and they will give you the update software.  Mine came with ESN.03 so I had no issues.

SINGLE COURSE DOWNLOADS: I was informed by iGolf, that single course downloads will not be available for a 3-6 weeks.  The WR62 can hold 50 additional courses.

iGOLF CONNECTION PROBLEMS :  Also, I was not able to get iGolf to recognize my watch when trying to update my devices associated with my iGolf profile.  The iGolf web site went into a never-ending "Detecting Device" mode where I eventually had to use Windows Task Manager to shut down my browser.  I don't know if the detection problem was because I had an existing iGolf account that was associated with another device....which is surprising because I've never actually owned one even though I was looking at Bushnell products.  Anyway, I contacted iGolf and a customer service person quickly added my WR62 to my profile.  The WR62 information on my profile indicates that I have v2 of the software which is not true.  I don't really know why that is.  My iGolf connection issues are not resolved, but at the moment, it does not have any impact on me using my WR62.  It's fully functional with current course information.

RE-MAPPING REQUEST & ESN CUSTOMER SERVICE : One of my courses combined two existing fairways and added a completely new fairway in June/July.  I talked with an ESN customer service person and he indicated he would submit a re-mapping request and that I would be notified when the new course information was ready.  ESN Customer Service was very responsive and called me back in 5 minutes of leaving a message with their phone operator/receptionist.  If iGolf handles course updates, I hope iGolf will be able to detect my WR62 when I try to connect.

Sounds like the product was rushed to market too quickly.  These are typical problems when you're an early adopter to a new product.  I'm guessing they wanted to get the product out in time for 2012 golf season but in the long run they may have been better off waiting.  No many people will be as understanding, as you seem to be, will quickly lose patience and return it which is worse than had they never bought it.

I would if it didn't work.  But mine came with the latest firmware and course database.  I could use it now....if I could squeeze a round of golf in between work and family.  But to your point, it seems that iGolf is lagging a little in their ability to completely integrate the WR62 into their system.  Like anything new, I am not surprised by some minor hiccups during the initial roll-out.  The real test is how quickly they're resolved.  Hopefully ESN and iGolf are on their game.

Finally got a chance to use the WR62 today.  In short, it worked flawlessly.  I got to the course and selected "Play Golf" from the menu.  It immediately searched for satellites (see photo below) and located a short list of courses for me to confirm with the most likely course listed at the top...which was the one I was at.

I started on hole 10 and it was easy to select the starting hole on the WR62.  By the time I pulled the cover off my driver and teed my ball, the watch was ready.  After that, I never touched the watch except when I wanted a look at hazards like creeks that crossed the fairway or fairway bunkers.  It auto-advanced perfectly and seemed accurate.  I didn't have a laser for comparison, but I stopped on my last hole to compare to a 100 yard fairway plaque.  I suspect these may not always be that accurate either, but the WR62 and plaque were in reasonable agreement.

WATCH PROTECTOR - The watch bezel is 34mm and I placed a Klear Kare watch protector on it.  It was a little expensive and was a bit of a PITA to put on, but it's tough and crystal clear.  Check it out here: http://www.klearkare.com/watches.html .

NOTES ON BAND SIZING - A quick note about watch band sizing.  It is pretty easy but be sure to take 3 or 4 attempts to dial-in the size.  As you get closer to a good fit, each segment makes a big change in the watch fit.  My watch fits snug so it does not move around when I golf but doesn't constrict my arm either.  When I'm not golfing, the watch feels a little looser.  ESN was right on the mark when they suggested a loose fitting when you're not playing golf.  I suggest play a round with the watch feeling a little loose before deciding to remove that last segment.  In my opinion, this is a superior watch band compared to regular sports band watches.

WATER RESISTANCE - I haven't tested it's water resistance except rinsing it thoroughly in my kitchen sink after the round.  No problems.

BATTERY LIFE - My round lasted 4hrs and 15 min.  I seem to have a lot of battery life remaining!

The WR62 has proven to be a hassle-free way to get information on greens AND hazards.  No fussing around.

Iacas,

WR62 information has been consolidated in the Review section.

Hi Topper

I'm currently trying to decide between the Garmin S3 and the WR62.

As I'm new to golf, been playing around 6 months now, one of the features I would like is help with club selection. I've looked at the Garmin G6 (before deciding that a watch is the way to go) and it has the feature of recording shot lengths then giving you the information back to enable you to choose the correct club based on previous shots. Now I know the S3 doesn't have this feature, just wondering if the WR62 does?

Have you used the watch much over the last few weeks? If so, how are you finding it in general?

Thanks for your help.

Paul.

Sorry I haven't been around as much lately.  Busy with family, work, and when I can, golf.

Shot tracking works well and seems reasonably accurate and is a "sad" reminder of how far I don't hit the ball.  I wish I had a laser to give you a better definition of "accurate," but I don't.  It has been more than adequate for my needs.  It's very easy to use on the course.

Overall, the watch has done what it's supposed to do.  The only thing that's somewhat of a disappointment is the hazard information.  The watch is limited to 2 hazards per hole.   Fairway hazards are given priority over green side hazard....which is good.  But if you have multiple fairway hazards, it's hit or miss if the hazard you want is in the watch.  But from another perspective, any hazard information is a "bonus" since other watches don't currently provide hazard information.