Now I do own a watch mind you, (I used to get hand-me-down watches from my dad) so technically this isn't my first ever watch. But this IS the first watch I've actually done the usual thing I do when it comes to purchasing gadgets; research, compare, and actually buying one to suit my needs. This all started thanks to my old Timex Expedition watch getting a nasty scratch on its face as seen on the pic below:
It's a slightly nasty scratch that was due in part of me accidentally bumping into another person in the mall and our watches hit one another. :( This particular watch of mine still works fine, but finally decided to get another watch as a "beater" watch. An everyday watch that can withstand abuse of my daily commute and on-the-road adventures.
That's when I remembered the Casio G-Shock.
To those who may not be familiar with the brand, Casio (a Japanese watch brand) is very popular for its G-Shock brand for a very good reason. It's known worldwide for being virtually indestructible, and is able to withstand insane amounts of abuse. Military, Service, Policemen have sworn to the brand's durability that it has become stuff of legends.
It was designed by Casio's engineer; Kikuo Ibe, who designed the first G-Shock watch after his own watch broke. He wanted to challenge the notion that watches are "fragile pieces of jewelry", and set out to create the most durable and reliable watches ever known. Thus the "G-Shock" was born.
Here's a video of tests done to the G-Shock, to prove its near legendary durability:
and here's another one done live on a Japanese show (test starts at 1:30 mark):
Seeing the insane endurance tests, and the numerous reviews of people who have actually worn the watch saying how reliable it is, I decided for my first watch that I'll personally purchase, to be a Casio G-Shock. And after reviewing, reading countless G-Shock models online, I've finally settled on getting a G-7900-1 model for my first G-Shock.
Here's the unboxing pics:
Pretty much straight-forward, with no frills. It has a thick user manual and international warranty card, but overall that's it. I suppose Casio wanted users to get the watch slapped on the user's wrist as soon as they open the box. :D
Here's some pictures of the watch upclose:
And here's some comparison pictures:
The watch is definitely more "chunkier" than my old Timex watch, which is actually a good thing coz I have big wrists. The face of the watch is also abit bigger. It's fairly easy to read the time and I love how the buttons on this particular model is very easy to press compared to other G-Shock models (which can be tough to press at times).
Another quirky feature of this watch is the "wrist flaps", as seen below:
Despite the flaps looking abit obtrusive, it actually feels good on the wrist. Infact, wearing the G7900 feels MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE on my wrist than my old leather Timex watch. And despite the watch looking bulky and chunky, it feels rather light. Infact it feels LIGHTER than my old Timex watch, which says alot considering it looks bigger.
This particular model has the following set of features:
- Shock Resistant
- 200M Water Resistant (yes you can swim in the pool with this thing on)
- Low Temp Resistant LCD screen (you can put this in your freezer, and it would still work)
- Auto EL Backlight w/ Afterglow (I love this function, as I don't need to press a button to activate the backlight. All I need to do is tilt it and have it up my face and my watch lights up automatically. Genius!)
- World Clock (featuring 28 Time Zones, 48 cities and Daylight Saving options)
- Tide Graph (useful if you're out on the sea to know if its hightide or lowtide)
- Moon Data (useful if you're into star gazing or watching the moon)
- Automated Calendar (that's pre-programmed until the year 2099 with adjustments to leap years, etc.)
- Stopwatch/Countdown timers
- Alarm mode
- Battery: CR2025 (common watch batteries) with battery life of approx. 2-3 years
Not bad indeed. I'm simply amazed with the amount of tech Casio engineers are able to squeeze in a relatively compact watch. I'm definitely happy with my purchase and if this thing lasts as long as they say it will, looks like this is the start of me collecting G-Shock watches then. :D
So what do you guys think? You got any G-Shock stories you wanted to share? Hit the comment box below! :D
