For years, I’ve used G-Shock watches both on duty and off. During that time, I’ve put them through some very hard use, and they’ve taken some knocks. A number of times during altercations that I was involved in on duty in the prison where I worked, they were slammed onto concrete floors or steel doors. Aside from that, I wore G-Shocks through a few sniper schools and tactical schools, not to mention call-outs on the prison’s fire team. Not once did they let me down — I’ve never had one break.
People who enjoy adventurous hobbies, as well as active careers, tend to love G-Shock watches. Firefighters, law enforcement, emergency services of all kinds, the military, people who spend time outdoors… all love the G-Shock.
I confess to becoming a bit obsessed with watches over the years.
The Genius Behind the G-Shock
Casio introduced the G-Shock line in 1983. The genius behind the design is Kikuo Ibe, who endeavored to create watches that wouldn’t break if dropped. His idea of drop-proof testing was hurling the watches out the third-story window of a building.
Success eluded him at first, as he’d analyze which components broke and then make adjustments to the design. Frustrated and on the verge of giving up, he took a walk in a park where he saw children playing with a rubber ball. Seeing that inspired him, giving him the idea he needed to finally produce a successful design. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Let’s take a look at some of the watches in the Casio G-Shock lineup.
GBD-800UC-3 Tactical Watch
The GBD-800UC-3 is a cool-looking tactical watch that sports a step tracker and a smartphone link. It’s an ultra-durable watch that people will comment on when you wear it.
This particular watch is in green, but it’s also available in tan. The case size is 54.1 x 48.6mm and it’s 15.5mm thick. It’s incredibly light and has a resin case. For the window, Casio uses mineral glass, which holds up very well.
Because it’s a G-Shock, wearers can rest assured that it’s highly shock resistant. The watch is also rated for 200 meters underwater, or 660 feet.
This one has a multitude of features packed into it:
- It keeps time just like any other watch, and has the 12/24 hour option.
- The face of the watch has a “negative” display, which means a dark background and light-colored characters.
- In the upper right corner of the display, there’s a round window that counts off the seconds, acting as a sort of minute hand.
- The watch also features “World Time” for approximately 300 cities.
- There’s also a Dual Time mode so users can monitor a second time zone, which is useful for traveling away from home so you can see your home time as well as the time where you currently are.
- The display also shows the day of the week, month, date, and year.
- A stopwatch records up to 1/100th of a second. Up to 200 records can be saved on the watch. A timer can be set for up to five different time settings.
- For illumination, the LED backlight works great, and can be set for either manual activation or automatic. Lighting duration can be set for 1.5 or 3 seconds. When activated, the characters glow a bluish color, which looks very cool.
- Five daily alarms can be set, along with an hour chime that’s optional.
- A CR2025 battery powers the watch and has a life of about three years. There’s a power saver mode that engages if the watch sets without being used, which extends the life of the battery.
- The resin band is pliable, supple, and very comfortable.
For the blue tooth function, Casio has an app to interface between your watch and the phone. An accelerometer keeps track of your steps and a multi-timer allows the user to keep track of up to 20 timer combinations. There’s enough memory to keep record of up to 200 laps. It can also tell you how many calories you burned. The app also updates the time on the watch several times per day. Casio’s website goes into greater detail about all of these features, with in-depth directions.
Overall, this is a comfortable, attractive-looking, durable watch that sells for $79.99 as this is written.
The Rangeman
The G-Shock Rangeman is one of my favorites in the line. It’s substantially sized, at 55.2mm long x 53.5mm wide x 18.2mm high. Personally, I enjoy larger watches, and this one definitely qualifies.
The band, bezel, and case are all constructed of resin, which means it’s a durable watch. Regarding the band, this one is great, as it’s very adjustable for all sizes of wrists. A metal keeper secures the end of the band not being used, which is outstanding. It’s also one of the most comfortable bands I’ve ever used.
The window is constructed of mineral glass, which is very durable. To make it even more so, the glass is recessed slightly, with the bezel of the watch being higher, which offers protection.
Speaking of protection, this watch is water resistant down to 200 meters.
This G-Shock offers the standard features that most other G-Shocks do: Alarms, a stopwatch, 31 time zone options, an LED backlight, count down timer, a calendar, power saving mode, 12/24 hour time format, and it receives atomic time signals to recalibrate the time.
On top of those features, the Rangeman has a few more up its sleeve, in the form of the the ABCs. That is, an Altimeter (so we can tell our altitude), Barometer (complete with thermometer), and a Compass (a very accurate one, I might add). These three features are useful in the field. When using the thermometer, though, one has to take the watch off the wrist for about 20 minutes so it can get a true reading. Personally, I’ve found the compass to be the most useful feature of the three.
Other features include the following:
- The Rangeman is powered by Tough Solar, so you’ll never have to be concerned about replacing batteries.
- The Rangeman uses a positive display, which is to say that the background is light, with the characters being dark. For me, this is the most desirable option (as opposed to the negative display) because it’s the easiest to see in all conditions.
- The buttons are all stainless steel with checkering knurled into them. The knurling offers a better purchase and the buttons are sturdy. The large button in the center of the watch just below the display window operates the LED light, and it’s very easy to find in the dark to activate.
- There are a few different color schemes available for the Rangeman: Black, OD Green, and very dark grey (nearly black) with yellow highlights.
Overall, the watch looks fetching and people often comment on it when I wear it. This is one serious watch! At the time of writing, it sells for $299.99 at GunMag Warehouse, which is the least expensive source that I’ve found so far.
Mudmaster G9300-1
As the Mudman moniker suggests, this watch is extremely mud-resistant, as well as water-resistant (to 200 meters).
The case is aluminum with a stainless steel back and a thick resin covering. The band is also made of resin. The mineral crystal glass is not prone to shattering, making it very durable, and a good choice for a G-Shock. To make it even better, the window is slightly recessed below the level of the bezel, which offers extra protection.
The case diameter size is 51mm across and 18mm thick. To put it bluntly, it’s a large, masculine watch. Despite its size, it wears well on the wrist and doesn’t get in the way.
Other features you’ll find on the Mudman include:
- All of the buttons on the Mudman are large and covered with checkering, which makes it easier to push those buttons.
- The Mudman is powered by Tough Solar, so there are no batteries to ever have to worry about.
- The backlight is a very neat shade of blue and works great for lighting the face up in low light.
- Aside from all the standard features that most G-Shocks have, the Mudman has a few other interesting gadgets. There is a Moon Phase Graph, so we know what to expect from the moon. In addition, there’s a compass (very useful and accurate) and a thermometer.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more durable watch anywhere. At the time of this writing, the Mudman is available for $220, and it’s well worth it.
Frogman
The mythical Frogman is a monster of a watch, measuring 58.3mm long x 52.8mm wide x 18mm thick. Yeah, it’s a big one.
Like many other G-Shocks these days, this one gets its fuel from the sun, using Tough Solar to power its internal battery. You’ll never have to buy a battery for this watch.
Aside from the usual array of alarms — the calendar, stopwatch, etc. — the Frogman has a few unique features, which include a tide and moon graph, dive time and Surface Interval Measurement, and Multi-Band 6 so it can be updated regularly. To put it bluntly, this watch has so many features that it’d take a small book (the user’s manual is just that) to list them all, but here are a few:
- The Frogman sports a blue LED backlight that does a tremendous job illuminating the face and can be set to light up automatically.
- The buttons are all metal, with two of them being very large. Two others are smaller and recessed partially into the body of the watch.
- The positive display is very easy to see under all conditions, so it gets high marks for that.
- The resin band is one of the best in the industry. One minor complaint I have about the band, though, is that the unused tail sticks out pretty far and sometimes catches on things.
As the name Frogman implies, this watch is highly water resistant down to 200 meters. The case, bezel, and band are all resin, while the case back is stainless steel and screws down.
If you’re after the ultimate G-Shock that makes a statement, the Frogman might be the choice for you.
In Summary
These are, by no means, all of the watches in the G-Shock line; they’re just a few of the ones that I have. I believe they represent the line fairly well.
If you buy into the G-Shock line, be warned — they can be very addicting! I know a few people who have well over a dozen of them.
For those looking for a watch that will take all sorts of abuse, that you just can’t seem to kill, then a G-Shock is for you. To top it off, they are some of the coolest-looking watches in the world, in my humble opinion.
If you haven’t yet, check one out, you’ll enjoy them! GunMag Warehouse has a nice selection with excellent prices.
