Casio’s G-Shock recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and for good reason, they’ve been constructing solid time pieces that are technically sound and built like tanks. Types like John won’t be giving up their fancy Omegas or whatever other watch that has a ginormous face, but they’re not meant to. Come along as I take a look at five unique pieces with varying degrees of functionality. My only problem with the G-Shocks is that I don’t know which one I want to wear when I get up in the morning.
Two of my go-to pieces are the DW5025B-7V (white) and DW5025D-8 (grey), which are the same exact watch. These are both Limited edition classics re-released for G-Shock’s 25th anniversary. They’re both very basic with an alarm, countdown timer, stopwatch, backlit electro-luminescent and water resistant up to 200 meters. Oh, and they’re shock resistant, too. Being limited edition pieces, you’re going to want to grab these ASAP assuming they’re still available. Amazon has the white version for $130 and the skeleton one for $95.
Next is the Gulfman (G-9125A), which is geared towards folks who surf, sail, fish, or have interests that are dependent on tides and moon phase. This is the one that I take when I go to surf on Long Island and it’s probably going to be the one I take to El Salvador when I go on vacation next week. It’s rust and corrosion proof with titanium screws and pretty sturdy.
There are 3-multifunction alarms, a countdown timer, stopwatch, calendar (programmed till 2099) and 29 time zones spanning 48 cities. The battery is said to last seven years. It’s not the prettiest thing and I wish the backlight stayed on longer so I could see the tiny moon phase dial. The tide display is easy to view at a glance and jumping into the tide/moon feature reveals the tide height by the hour and moon age/phase by day.
The model I have doesn’t seem to be available anymore, but you can get different colors (blue, black/red) for as low as $63 on Amazon. There’s also a bright orange search and rescue themed version for $130.
The next Gulfman is a special edition G-Shock (GW9101K-7) that supports the Dolphin & Whale Eco-Research Network, which is a project run by I.C.E.R.C. (International Cetacean Education and Research Center). A portion of sales from this $250 piece goes directly to the project. This is the fourteenth model dedicated to the project and features a translucent resin band with markings that denote the Dolphin & Whale Eco-Research Network. Titanium adorns the screws meshing around the bezel and back plate.
Aside from all the other features of the Gulfman sans moon/tide this Gulfman has built-in Multi-Band 5 Atomic Timekeeping that receives standard radio waves from five time transmitters around the world. Locations of the five stations are as follows: Fort Collins (CO, USA), Rugby (UK), Mainflingen (GE), Fukushima (JP) and Kyushu (JP). When the Gulfman picks up the radio signal the 5-pod dial fires up and rests on the pod nearest my location.
It’s also a Tough Solar watch that can last 9 months on a full charge. It charges with the faintest amount of sunlight or fluorescent light. There’s a power saving mode that turns off the display after a certain amount of time.
Definitely one of my favorites. Find it on Amazon for $247.83 (only three left!).
The MT-G (MTG1000G-9A) is a high-end chronograph for the line that also features Multi-Band Atomic Timekeeping as well as Tough Solar technology. This is the one I wear when I go out for the night. The band is a combination of stainless steel and resin and continues the look of the watch face. Chronograph watches have always confused me but that’s probably because I never take the time to actually read the manual. The MT-G is a good looking watch with plenty of features that you can wear out on the town or out and about on Mother Nature’s playground.
You can find this one on Amazon for $280, which is a $120 saving over the list price of $400.
And last but not least is the Riseman (GW9200-1). This one has all the bells and whistles you’d ever need or want. On top of the Mutli-Band 6 Atomic Timekeeping (extra station in China and receives signals up to six times a day) and Tough Solar technologies, the Riseman measures altitude, barometric pressure and temperature.
It’s way more watch than I need while living in NYC, but when I venture home to Oregon and California it comes in handy when I go hiking. Of course, it’s not like I’m climbing Mt. Hood or anything, but it’s neat to know vital stats like temperature and altitude. Another neat feature is the ability to record altimeter measurements in conjunction with the stopwatch for cumulative ascent and descent altitudes and such. It’s super technical, so probably not the right choice for the average joe. There’s also a power saving mode that shuts off the display when it’s been in a dark location for a certain amount of time.
Check out the full G-Shock lineup here.
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