Got My Expresso WR 62 Today - Not Off To A Good Start

[Rickochet]

After having a great year with my Garmin S-1 Approach GPS watch I was intrigued with the Expresso WR62 watch that advertised hazard distances and better battery life than the the S1. Intheholegolf had a very nice Memorial Day weekend sale so I jumped on it knowing it was backordered with expected shipping of 6/11. Well, software upgrades dragged delivery out an I finally got it two months after ordering. No problem with IntheHole as they shipped it as soon as they got them,

 

So I pull it out of the box and it is indeed a very nice looking watch and seems a tad lighter than the S1, not that it was too heavy. The first complaint I have is the watch band. It is not a simple stick the end of the band through the other end and stick the post in the hole like most normal watch bands. It has a click to close custom fitted band that must be trimmed on both ends. Trim it too short and the band is toast. And you have to be able to pull the spring pins out to do this. The quick start guide says to take the watch to a local jeweler or watch store to get the band fitted. WTF?

 

Next problem. The quick start guide that had limited info gave a link to download the full instruction manual. The link doesn't work..

 

So next issue. I go to iGolf to register the unit. Registration goes ok although it was a bit tough to wade through their website. It would have been easier to register it through Expresso with a link. Now to sync. I read somewhere on the web of people having trouble syncing to iGolf using Win 7, 64 bit. I called the Expresso CS and was told that this would be no issue. I tried syncing with iGolf and it would not sync. The site says unless sync is done withing 90 days it cannot be done.

 

Anywho, the watch may perform superbly and I may never have to sync. I just think things got off to a very clumbsy start.

 

Anyone with any experience with the WR would be appreciated.

 

Rick

[bag302]

I got in on the same deal. Mine arrives today and is also replacing a Garmin S1.

Im taking a chance on the WR62 based on promises of hazard distances and better battery life at a better price. The Garmin did work great but I hated the charger.

I hope it works out.

[Rickochet]

[quote name='bag302' timestamp='1343130284' post='5340384']
I got in on the same deal. Mine arrives today and is also replacing a Garmin S1. Im taking a chance on the WR62 based on promises of hazard distances and better battery life at a better price. The Garmin did work great but I hated the charger.

I hope it works out.
[/quote]

I got my band adjusted. I ended up clipping about a half inch off of each end. It seems to fit ok. My problem is that it is too tight when trying to get it over my hand and it takes a bit of stuggling to get it on.

I emailed Expresso this morning and got a quick reply. Regarding the band, they are considering and adjustable band. They also attached a copy of the full manual. He also said that he would send me an email in August with something to load on my PC to resolve the sync issue.

The WR62 charger has a similar spring clip like the S-1 but it seems a little easier to plug in.

Good luck with the band. It is a bit of a crap shoot to get it where you want it. Be careful not to trim off too much or the band will be toast. You can trim it shorter but you can't make it longer. My wrist measurement is 7 3/4". I trimmed at the fifth groove on each end of the band. It fits just a teense loose without sliding which is what ESN recommends. I used an exacto knife to get the pins in and out. It does say in the manual that if you cut the band too short to call them and they will send another.

I attached the full user manual file.

[bag302]

Let's hope this thing works ok on the course. I really like using a gps watch

[Rickochet]

Watch band update. I tried the watch on again and it was too loose. I didn't like the band from the get go so I went to Walmart and bought a generic black sports watch band. It was $7 and was "All Strap" model TX16G13W. It had a sticker on the top that said 16mm and "Fits Casio." I took some very minor trimming to fit the WR62. The pins in WR62 case are not spring pins like the ones in the clasp. They are solid and you just need to poke them out of the casing with a paper clip then pull them out the other side with some pliers. The watch feels sooo much better with this band on and you wouldn't know by looking at it that it wasn't the OEM band. Plus there is adjustability if your wrist swells some during the day.

[bag302]

[quote name='Rickochet' timestamp='1343160381' post='5344094']
Watch band update. I tried the watch on again and it was too loose. I didn't like the band from the get go so I went to Walmart and bought a generic black sports watch band. It was $7 and was "All Strap" model TX16G13W. It had a sticker on the top that said 16mm and "Fits Casio." I took some very minor trimming to fit the WR62. The pins in WR62 case are not spring pins like the ones in the clasp. They are solid and you just need to poke them out of the casing with a paper clip then pull them out the other side with some pliers. The watch feels sooo much better with this band on and you wouldn't know by looking at it that it wasn't the OEM band. Plus there is adjustability if your wrist swells some during the day.
[/quote]

Any pics of the new band? I just got through cutting mine to size. Not bad, but I might like an alternative.

[Rickochet]

[quote name='bag302' timestamp='1343178031' post='5346696']
Any pics of the new band? I just got through cutting mine to size. Not bad, but I might like an alternative.
[/quote]

Here tis. There is no gap between the watch case and the band as it may appear in the pic. The new band is a bit thinner than the case. BTW the latch is a standard "post-in-the-hole" type.

[bag302]

Looks good. I assume this watch will advance to the next hole automatically, but I couldnt find any info on the website.

[Rickochet]

[quote name='bag302' timestamp='1343225456' post='5350042']
Looks good. I assume this watch will advance to the next hole automatically, but I couldnt find any info on the website.
[/quote]
Click on the PDF file in post #4 to open or save the full WR62 manual. It auto advances and also you can go to any hole by manual selection. it seems about as easy to use as the S-1. I will get to try mine out on Friday.

[bag302]

Great. Thanks!

[thejuice]

I have an S3 and it is great! I would bet these two watches will compete against each other for 2012-13 dominance.

[friscoloco]

I received my WR62 and have been very pleased with it. I have had extensive conversations with Expresso and understand the following:

1- Some watches requre registration within the first 6 months at iGolf. Some do not. It depends on which version you received. Either version works exactly the same, but one is pre-registered. Moving forward all watches will be pre-registered.

2- If you have a version that needs to be registered (You will notice the first time you play it says 180 days to register at iGolf or something like that) you probably shouldn't try to register it at iGolf because it probably won't work. Register at www.golfesn.com (fill out the form with your information) and they will email you an updater application in the next few weeks. This will remove the registration block.

3- Band. Personally, I paid $7 to a jeweler and got the band sized. It fits perfect and I have had no issues on the course.

The only issue that I have had so far is the bezel sticks to my dress shirts. But, it is very minor and I solved this by going to the wider button instead of the smallest one.

Looking forward to playing more golf with it.

[bag302]

[quote name='friscoloco' timestamp='1343329464' post='5359332']
I received my WR62 and have been very pleased with it. I have had extensive conversations with Expresso and understand the following:

1- Some watches requre registration within the first 6 months at iGolf. Some do not. It depends on which version you received. Either version works exactly the same, but one is pre-registered. Moving forward all watches will be pre-registered.

2- If you have a version that needs to be registered (You will notice the first time you play it says 180 days to register at iGolf or something like that) you probably shouldn't try to register it at iGolf because it probably won't work. Register at www.golfesn.com (fill out the form with your information) and they will email you an updater application in the next few weeks. This will remove the registration block.

3- Band. Personally, I paid $7 to a jeweler and got the band sized. It fits perfect and I have had no issues on the course.

The only issue that I have had so far is the bezel sticks to my dress shirts. But, it is very minor and I solved this by going to the wider button instead of the smallest one.

Looking forward to playing more golf with it.
[/quote]

How did the watch behave on the course? Does it meet your expectations?

[Rickochet]

[quote name='thejuice' timestamp='1343273973' post='5355360']
I have an S3 and it is great! I would bet these two watches will compete against each other for 2012-13 dominance.
[/quote]
I don't know about that. The S3 is about twice as expensive. And it doesn't have any better battery life than the S1.

[Rickochet]

Well, the saga continues. When I got the WR62 if put a full charge on it. The watch said "Full" and the battery symbol showed it as full. I shut the watch off. I wore it to the course and hit "Play Golf." It locked on and recognized the course and off I went. On the 7th hole I was going to check my distance and the watch said "Recharge before using golf mode." It would work in watch mode but not in the golf mode. The battery symbol showed "empty." After waiting two months and now this I am not a happy camper.

[avgjoe]

sounds like one to wait on until v2

[oliversax]

Don't give up just yet, Rickochet. After charging my Expresso the 1st time, the battery ran down after just 1 round in GPS mode, but after the 2nd time I charged it, I've used the watch on 2 different courses on 2 different days and still using it in regular watch mode 5 days later without recharging.

There's not another product on the market that can do that. I'm extremely happy with this watch. The hazards info works great too.

[quote name='Rickochet' timestamp='1343473529' post='5368668']
Well, the saga continues. When I got the WR62 if put a full charge on it. The watch said "Full" and the battery symbol showed it as full. I shut the watch off. I wore it to the course and hit "Play Golf." It locked on and recognized the course and off I went. On the 7th hole I was going to check my distance and the watch said "Recharge before using golf mode." It would work in watch mode but not in the golf mode. The battery symbol showed "empty." After waiting two months and now this I am not a happy camper.
[/quote]

[thejuice]

[quote name='Rickochet' timestamp='1343345975' post='5360904']
[quote name='thejuice' timestamp='1343273973' post='5355360']
I have an S3 and it is great! I would bet these two watches will compete against each other for 2012-13 dominance.
[/quote]
I don't know about that. The S3 is about twice as expensive. And it doesn't have any better battery life than the S1.
[/quote]

Well I'm getting two full rounds with absolutely no pre-registration or other obstacles with mine. Sometimes, the extra money is worth it.

[bag302]

Are you guys finding the wr62 to be accurate?

[Rickochet]

[quote name='oliversax' timestamp='1343486278' post='5369084']
Don't give up just yet, Rickochet. After charging my Expresso the 1st time, the battery ran down after just 1 round in GPS mode, but after the 2nd time I charged it, I've used the watch on 2 different courses on 2 different days and still using it in regular watch mode 5 days later without recharging.

There's not another product on the market that can do that. I'm extremely happy with this watch. The hazards info works great too.
[/quote]
I am not giving up on it just yet. I still remember several times when I forgot to recharge my Garmin S-1 after a round and it quit during the next round.

One thing I have to say is the ESN customer support has been great and responded quickly to my issues. I emailed them this morning about the battery issue. I wondered if it could be a software issue since I could not sync up with iGolf. I got a prompt reply back with a PDF file with a program that updated my firmware. I was really surprised that they replied back on a Sunday morning.

[Rickochet]

Got round 2 in today. Battery issue seems to be resolved. I updated the firmwear version to v3 and gave it a full charge. I topped it off before I left to play this morning and made sure it showed "full." I finished the round and there were still 3 of the the 4 bars showing on the charge meter. The watch behaved very nicely and the yardages seemed right on. One disappointment came on a par 5. I hit a short drive and had a second shot over a creek which crosses the fairway. It was a blind shot and I needed the distances to clear the water. I hit the "Hazards" button and the only hazards listed were the two bunkers at 250 to the green and no mention of the creek. If the watch only shows two hazards points per hole I will be very disappointed.

[Rickochet]

[quote name='Rickochet' timestamp='1344383411' post='5426500']
Got round 2 in today. Battery issue seems to be resolved. I updated the firmwear version to v3 and gave it a full charge. I topped it off before I left to play this morning and made sure it showed "full." I finished the round and there were still 3 of the the 4 bars showing on the charge meter. The watch behaved very nicely and the yardages seemed right on. One disappointment came on a par 5. I hit a short drive and had a second shot over a creek which crosses the fairway. It was a blind shot and I needed the distances to clear the water. I hit the "Hazards" button and the only hazards listed were the two bunkers at 250 to the green and no mention of the creek. If the watch only shows two hazards points per hole I will be very disappointed.
[/quote]

I talked to ESN customer service today. I left a message and they did call back within 5 minutes. I was disappointed to learn that due to memory limitations the WR62 is a big disappointed and the watch will only show two hazards per hole. Igolf apparently also selects the closest two hazards to the green. So if there are other hazards like a creek or fairway bunkers and two greenside bunkers you will not get the fairway bunker or creek info. That would have been a deal killer had I known that. I really don't need greenside bunker info. All I need is green F-C-R.

So in summary, ESN has great customer service, the WR62 is a nicely priced GPS watch with good battery life compared to the Garmin S1 Approach and it does some other tricks the S-1 doesn't do. But, if you bought it for hazard information you will probably be disappointed.

[bag302]

That's too bad. Seems logical that a creek would take priority over a greenside bunker.

I only played one round with mine and lookung back I remember being faced with a water hazard creating a bottle necked fairway on a par five. I checked the watch for layup and carry, but the hazard was not there. Splash!!

Now I know why

I like the watch otherwise though. Better than the Garmin S1 I had.

[Rickochet]

[quote name='bag302' timestamp='1344446793' post='5430748']
That's too bad. Seems logical that a creek would take priority over a greenside bunker.

I only played one round with mine and lookung back I remember being faced with a water hazard creating a bottle necked fairway on a par five. I checked the watch for layup and carry, but the hazard was not there. Splash!!

Now I know why

I like the watch otherwise though. Better than the Garmin S1 I had.
[/quote]

I have a 30 day return option which I am considering. I might go for the Garmin S-3 but need to do some research.

[bag302]

I was happy with the S1 but I am happier with the wr62. It is clearly the best bang for the buck right now as far as watches go.

[Rickochet]

[quote name='bag302' timestamp='1344463303' post='5432618']
I was happy with the S1 but I am happier with the wr62. It is clearly the best bang for the buck right now as far as watches go.
[/quote]
I agree if you aren't expecting much as far as hazard info. I think marketing it as showing hazard distances is a bit misleading since it doesn't show all hazards and only the two closest to the green which will be bunkers the majority of the time.

Anywho, for a basic GPS watch the WR 62 seems good. I will try it again tomorrow on a course with lots of hazards and I am guessing it won't show squat for most hazards.

And I did more research on the Garmin S-3. It will show layup distances i.e. 150yd, 100 yd. to the green and doglegs for par 4's and 5's but no pre-loaded hazard info. For the $349 MSRP I think I will pass.

I guess the technology just isn't there yet to get the memory and battery size in a unit small enough for the wrist to provide hazard info that is usefull.

[bag302]

I'm sure in a years time there will be better choices available.

[Rickochet]

[quote name='bag302' timestamp='1344467969' post='5433024']
I'm sure in a years time there will be better choices available.
[/quote]
I asked the ESN rep about that and he said that they will have some better stuff coming up in the future but it doesn't help now for those buying their product and expecting more in the hazards display area.

[Newy]

Its all about the hazard info and with only 2 greenside bunkers per hole you are presented with basically nothing of use. I've had a laser for over 6 years and can tell you honestly I can't recall ever lasering a greenside bunker. A front bunker, maybe. A side bunker, never.

It would be great if you could just download the courses you need. That would solve the memory issue.

I'd love to return it for a refund. Oh wait, I already resized the band.

Maybe there will be a firmware update to address this but I'm not holding my breath.

Contacting ESN about a refund...

UPDATE: ESN got right back to me and offered a refund. Top quality customer service to say the least.

[melcoeb]

I'm glad members are posting their reviews of the WR62. I was ready to buy it, thinking that all hazard info is on it; turns it that it only shows distances to 2 hazards per hole. Not good enough to make me switch from my S1.