Casio Rangeman: A Review of the Brand’s Toughest Watch

Casio is widely regarded as being home to some of the toughest watches in the world. While this Japanese brand has numerous refined collections that have greatly contributed to horology, it only truly made a name for itself with its legendary Casio G-Shock collection. This is a line of exceptionally rugged tactical timepieces designed to survive any sort of harsh conditions.

One particular high-caliber watch in this collection is the Casio Rangeman GW-9400. Equipped with G-Shock’s famous triple sensor technology and a robust build that is virtually unmatched in the watchmaking world, the Casio Rangeman has become the perfect companion to professionals and adventurers working in extreme conditions. In this article, we will be taking an in-depth look at the Casio Rangeman GW-9400, including its specifications, price, and just what makes it so popular.

Brief History of Casio G-Shock Rangeman 

In 2013, Casio launched a new series of modern G-Shock watches. Known as the Master of G line-up, these new additions to the G-Shock collection were notable as they came with Casio’s newest, state-of-the-art triple sensor technology. Among these watches was, of course, the Casio Rangeman GW-9400.

Today, the Casio Rangeman has become the most coveted model out of the many G-Shock watches in existence. It is the number one pick amongst outdoorsmen and sportsmen of all categories. With its superb features, rugged, combat-ready profile, and accessible price, the Casio Rangeman’s popularity is truly no surprise.

Anatomy of the Casio GW-9400 Rangeman

Case and Bezel

All of the Casio Rangeman GW-9400 watches are built using solid resin cases. The Casio Rangeman’s case is incredibly thick, which provides greater protection against shocks and impacts. They also tend to be large, measuring around 53mm to 55mm in diameter. However, despite their robust sizes, the use of resin means that the Casio Rangeman is actually very light, weighing around 93g, so you can still wear the watch comfortably for extended periods of time. The Rangeman’s thick case is also constructed to have a more three-dimensional profile, with the dial being submerged and surrounded by layers of resin so that the screen of the dial is always protected.

As a digital watch, the Casio Rangeman comes packed with an array of useful functions. As a result, the case is also crowded with pushers and buttons that allow you to control these features. For instance, a larger, protruding pusher located at the 3 o’clock position allows you to access the triple sensors’ different modes. Other pushbuttons can be used for the watch’s chronograph functions, to change between different time zones, and so on. You also don’t need to fear being confused by all these buttons and features. The pushers on the Casio Rangeman are all carefully labeled in clean grey and white typefaces, allowing you to get the hang of this watch very quickly.

Dial

As previously mentioned, the Casio Rangeman has a digital dial that is filled with useful features. It consists of a layer of scratch-resistant mineral glass, with a gray backdrop text in a highly legible, typical black font. Casio opted for a digital dial instead of an analog one because they wanted to optimize this watch in terms of readability and ease of use, so as to better serve the adventurers and hikers that were the main target audience of the Casio Rangeman. With a segmented digital dial, wearers could take one quick glance at the watch face and immediately see all the information they needed.

In order to accommodate all of the functions the Casio Rangeman has, the dial is split into four different screens. When in the default modes, the screens each display the time, day of the week, the month and day, and a chronograph display. By pressing the different pushers on the side of the case, you can change the modes of the watch to bring up different types of information such as the compass, the barometric pressure readings, and so on.

Movement

The Casio Rangeman’s impressive functions are all driven by a high-performing quartz movement. As a quartz caliber, it offers a superlative accuracy rate of ±1 second per day, or ±15 seconds per month. It is also equipped with an incredible 8-month long battery. If necessary, you can also turn on the watch’s power save function, which allows the Casio Rangeman to last up to 23 months when fully charged. Furthermore, this is a solar movement, so you can charge it with solar power, simply by exposing it to light.

Bracelet

The Casio Rangeman GW-9400 also comes with an integrated resin band, which completes the watch’s sporty and rugged aesthetic. This strap is ergonomic and feels comfortable against your wrist even after hours of use. A stainless steel buckle keeps the strap securely wrapped around your wrist.

Resistance

The Casio Rangeman GW-9400 is not called one of the toughest watches in the world for nothing. With its sturdy resin case, Casio designed this watch to have water, mud, and shock-resistant properties. It can withstand low temperatures of up to -10°C or 14°F and is water-resistant up to depths of 200 meters. Whether you are diving, swimming, hiking, or doing any other outdoor adventure, this timepiece is the best partner you could have, since it can take a beating and still remain functional no matter what you put it through. That said, make sure to give your Casio Rangeman a good rinse afterward so it always looks clean and pristine.

Functions

First off, the Casio GW-9400 Rangeman is one of the first timepieces to ever feature the brand’s triple sensor technology, which means that it is equipped with a barometer, altimeter, and compass functions. These are essential to those who are out and about in their adventures. Aside from this, the watch also contains sunrise and sunset data, a thermometer, and Casio’s MultiBand 6 technology, which allows the watch to keep precise time by staying calibrated to surrounding radio waves.

This watch also comes with features that are incredibly useful in everyday life. These include a chronograph stopwatch that can measure up to 1000 hours, 31 different time zones, a countdown timer, 5 daily alarms, a full auto-calendar, and much more. With everything that it can do, the Casio Rangeman is a watch that is truly meant to serve you and make your life easier.

Best Casio Rangeman GW-9400 Models

Now that we have established the Casio Rangeman’s impressive specifications and everything it can do, let us take a look at some of the best GW-9400 models available right now: 

1. Casio Rangeman GW-9400J-1JF

The Casio Rangeman GW-9400J-1JF is an instantly recognizable G-Shock model with its rugged, mostly grey build, which is complemented by some vibrant red accents. This is one of the most sought-after models of the Casio Rangeman for the power and practicality it boasts.

The Casio Rangeman GW-9400J-1JF comes in a 53mm case and strap, primarily crafted from resin, rubber, and silicone. These are materials renowned for being highly flexible, hypoallergenic, and having excellent water-resistant capacities. Its digital screen displays the hour, minutes, seconds, date, and day of the week and is filled with grey hues of varying shades. This is complemented by bright red accents dotted around the watch, in the form of red texts and a red stripe around the stainless steel pusher, which serve to brighten up this Casio Rangeman and enhance its sporty look.

The Casio Rangeman GW-9400J-1JF is equipped with an in-house quartz Caliber 3410. This powerful movement ensures top-notch accuracy, with a precision rate of ±15 seconds per month. It also offers Multiband Atomic Timekeeping and a 200-meter water resistance capacity, making it an ideal piece for your next water adventure. This Casio Rangeman retails at around $449 USD, which is a very budget-friendly price for such a tough watch.

2. Casio Rangeman GW-9400DCJ-1JF

The next watch on this list is of the best Casio Rangeman models is the GW-9400DCJ-1JF, also known as the Rangeman Desert Camouflage. This is another powerfully-built Casio Rangeman with a design that is based on the camouflage uniforms of military units assigned to work in the desert. As the newest member of the Master of G sub-collection, this Casio Rangeman piece was crafted with desert adventurers and military soldiers in mind.

The Casio Rangeman GW-9400DCJ-1JF comes with the standard black resin case with some carbon fiber inserts to better reinforce the case’s sturdiness and resistance to shocks and impacts. Its strap is different from other Rangeman models, coming in a light brown camouflage pattern that blends into its desert surroundings.

This Rangeman piece has a stunning digital dial with sharp black text and a lighter-colored background than the Rangeman GW-9400J-1JF. This dial is protected by a flat layer of scratch-resistant mineral crystal. In addition, you can find gold and beige-toned markings all over the thick resin bezel, complementing the softer hues of the dial and the resin strap.

The Rangeman Desert Camo GW-9400DCJ-1JF comes at a slightly more expensive price tag of $770 USD.

3. Casio G-Shock Rangeman GW-9400-3DR

Last but certainly not least, we have the all-green Casio G-Shock Rangeman GW-9400-3DR. This watch bears the standard Rangeman build but stands out with its unique, forest-themed colorway. It is a tough-looking watch equipped with innovative features that correspond to its price.

The Casio Rangeman GW-9400-3DR features a case and strap both made out of dark green-coated plastic resin, paired with a mineral crystal that provides the digital dial with greater protection. This watch is slightly larger than the aforementioned models, coming in at around 55.2mm in diameter. It is a rugged, sturdy timepiece that can withstand shocks, mud, low temperatures, scratches, and even has a water resistance rating of 200m. As with other versions of the Rangeman, the GW-9400-3DR is equipped with a solar-powered quartz movement and the brand’s famous triple sensor technology.

You can purchase this watch for approximately $300 USD, making this the most affordable Rangeman piece in this guide.

Final Thoughts 

While there are other durable and rugged watches out there, there is still no timepiece that can be as tough and reliable as the Casio Rangeman. Equipped with the G-Shock’s impressive technological innovations and signature robust build, this is the best survival watch to use in any and every adventure. Furthermore, with its very accessible price range, virtually anyone can own a Rangeman of their own.  

Featured image from Casio Official Website.

All images courtesy to Casio’s Official Website unless stated.

Want to know more about other toughest watches from the Casio collections you should never miss paying attention to? Check our guide about the Best Casio Dive Watches.