G-Shock Watches: A Guide for Beginners

While G-shock is just another line of product from Casio, nobody can say the collection numbers in the ‘little’ range. As a matter of fact, the number of shock-absorbing time-keepers is dizzying! And you, as the wearer, have options in the classes:

• Sports
• Military
• Outdoor-oriented activities

So, for most beginners looking to pick one, the Japanese brand’s cream-of-the-crop collection isn’t that easy to navigate. To that, we’ll be going through some of the variants (exotic and otherwise) of this robust collection that you should consider buying first.

Features to Expect from G-Shock Watches

All Watches: 200M Water Resistance, 12/24 Hour Formats for Digital Display Models, Shock Resistance, Alarm, Full Auto Calendar, Stopwatch or Chronograph.

Most Watches: World Time, Backlight (electro-luminescent or LED), Multiple Daily Alarms with Snooze Alarm (digital and analog-digital models), Countdown Timer.

For a Few Watches: Tough Solar power, Multi-Band 6 (automatic time calibration), Triple Sensor (including compass and thermometer for high-end models), and Bluetooth capability for mid to high-end models. 

DW-9052 Digital Watch Series

The DW series is filled with the cheapest watches that you can buy from this collection. Better yet, let’s call it the introductory series to other more advanced timepieces that Casio offers. Having said that, we shouldn’t digress too much.

The DW-9052 is the military’s choice around the world due to its extra-rugged build and functions. For the latter, it has standard features like a countdown timer, daily alarm, stopwatch, and 200M water-resistance capability. The con if you want to choose this option though, is that its durability makes it bulky, and somewhat underwhelming in terms of appeal.

GA-800 Analog-digital Watch Series

Notice the “Analog-digital” tag? With this GA-800s, the time can be displayed in both analog and digital layouts.

Other functions like a stopwatch capability are limited to the small digital display at the bottom of the dial.

Still, the highlight of these models isn’t the long list of features. Instead, it’s the fact that they have a Seconds hand (reserved for pricier models), and their build is more compact. You can get the GA-800-1A around $100, which is still rather modest.

Tip: Get this bold timepiece in red with a black dial.

GA-700 Analog-digital Watch Series

The GA-700s’ price hangs around the $80-$120 range.

For the low to mid rangers, G-Shock enthusiasts love them because they have the longest battery life outside of the solar-powered models that the company makes.

Other than that, most GA-700 models have the same features as the rest of the collection, though in the case of the GA-700UC (a favorite), a few of the colors used are quite different. You can get it in militaristic olive green and dark gray. The only gripe here is that this line has weak low light capabilities, which is a let-down considering their convenient positioning of the LED light button.

GX-56BB Blackout Models

The GX-56BB Blackout models are solar-powered and according to Casio, extra-rugged as well.

With that, it’s only normal that the watches turn to be a bit chunky, though with the square case (despite being 55 mm), being called bold would be better. They also come with all of the usual features such as a stopwatch, daily alarm, and the likes. Now, with all of these features mentioned, the GX-56BB’s con is due to its large size.

It’s more or less meant for large people, who want extra durability for their watches in the case of extra shocks and vibrations. The brand does this well enough to an extent that the GX-56BB is regarded as one of the toughest watches in the collection. It has a cult following at this point in time.

G-SQUAD GBD-800 Step Tracking Watch Series

With the G-SQUAD GBD-800 series, you should be someone who’s very concerned about his or her fitness.

The watch, unlike the ones before it, supports Bluetooth connectivity and a pedometer. Other notable essential functions that this watch has include the timer and stopwatch features, which have been tweaked to fit the tastes of fitness enthusiasts.

Other than these, the watch has a Step Tracker that monitors your steps, smartly uses the Bluetooth feature to sync the time, and also doesn’t cost much. In fact, it’s the introductory timepiece of the collection with Bluetooth. So, it’s quite cheap at just around $100.

GWG-1000 Mudmaster Solar Analog-Digital Watch Series

The GWG-1000 Mudmaster is the successor to the Mudman model.

It’s one of the higher-end models of the collection that’s created for the brave adventurers. Or in some case, perfect for extreme environments and large wrists. Watches in this series have functions like Tough Solar, and Multi-Band 6, Triple Sensor. If you travel a lot and you like the functions, it’s an ideal buy.

Our Final Thoughts

These are just four options that you can consider. And through most of them, maybe you would have noticed the trend. The more features you want from your G-Shock, the higher the cost. Still, regardless of which one you choose, most models from this collection are always more functional than most mechanical watches out there. At least when it concerns time, not value.