G-shock Why?

I have killed many watches. Working in a warehouse will do that. Never met a crystal I couldn't smash, a band I couldn't break, or a digital that I couldn't shake to death. I gave up wearing a watch.

About 15 years ago, I was walking around the bottom of the docks where they had drawn down the local lake. I picked up a watch that was covered in mud. After wiping the slime and mud off I was shocked to see it was still working...and almost still showing the correct time. (about ten minutes off.) I washed it off in the sink, and put it on my wrist. It was an older radio shack model g shock that had the small white illumination in the corner. (Hard to see, but this was before the now standard full backlighting.) A year later it was still working. (I had never had a watch last this long.) I bought a newer model and never looked back. I've had 4-5 g shocks since that time, but never killed one. (I have had to occasionally replace bands.) I did lose one in the ocean when I tried a velcro fabric band. I paid less than 70 dollars for my latest one using a coupon at Kohl's. (3 years ago or so.) solar, and auto syncs to the atomic clock. I literally wear my watch 24-7 unless I'm wearing a suit. (Funerals and weddings.) I swim, eat, shower, and sleep with my watch on.

As for them being ugly? to each there own but I find beauty in things that work. My watch works.

Grizz
 
I'm thankful the OP posted this. I've wondered the same thing. No need to slam him. This is an interesting thread to me.
 
Well I have destroyed my share of watches too. the vibration of the belt grinder and all the other power tools not to forget all the angles & edges to smash the crystal on and lets not forget all of the sand blasting from grinding.

The funny think is that I was familiar with the Casio brand from years ago when they first came out. i didn't realize that they are now called G-Shock name until I read this.

So if I wanted to get a Atomic time set Solar model, what would you guys suggest?

I don't want the top, just a great work horse so I can leave my Raymond Weil & Invicta watches for evening and dress.
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
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The funny think is that I was familiar with the Casio brand from years ago when they first came out. i didn't realize that they are now called G-Shock name until I read this....
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Hi Laurence, just wanted to clarify that G-Shocks are just a line of Casio watches, they didn't change their name from Casio to G-Shock, and still make regular digital and analog watches.
 
NaturalMystic said:
Hi Laurence, just wanted to clarify that G-Shocks are just a line of Casio watches, they didn't change their name from Casio to G-Shock, and still make regular digital and analog watches.
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Thanks,
I understand that, I had just seen a few ads or heard some buzz about G-flex watches and just didn't connect that they were Casio until this thread.
 
You'll see guys say that when they see a man wearing a Rolex, they instantly know what kind of man he is.
When you see a man wearing a G-Shock, you instantly know what kind of man he is.
G-Shock is the only tactical watch.
When you see a man wearing a G-Shock, you know that he flosses his teeth with paracord; you know that he knows his way around every weapon ever made; you know that he can build a shelter for 17 with a SAK, in the desert, in 24 minutes; he shaves with a Strider; all of he pants are light brown; he only drives 4 wheel drive stick shift vehicles; he eats his steak rare; he never whines about heat, cold, mosquitoes, or poison oak; he can replace a head gasket blindfolded; he'll be wearing 5.11 Tactical boxers and socks at his funeral; his tactical sunglasses have kydex frames; he can tell a 5/16" socket from a 1/4" by touch, while wearing Mechanix gloves; he can do 60 pull-ups in a minute; he can go from dead sleep to fully clothed in less time than it takes you to hit the snooze button; he doesn't need a sleeping bag, or a tent, unless it's snowing; he can shower in under 2 minutes; he can track a deer for miles in the dark; and all the extra dials and gauges let everyone know how important and intelligent he is.
I don't own one, but I'm thinking about getting one.
 
After years of not owning a watch and just using my smartphone to tell time and date etc. I finally matured enough to understand that having to dig into a pocket and fish out my iPhone to tell the time while I am doing some laborious dirty task is a hell of a pain in the ass and just stone cold inconvenient leaving me often with a sweat drenched and dirty as hell iPhone when I could have just had a solid durable affordable watch on and done the same checking of time in a quarter of the time it took to dig out my phone leaving me feeling like a dumbass that doesn't know good enough to have a watch. But which watch? I have very fond memories as a kid in the 80's getting these cheap Casio digital watches that always worked and were durable. My dad had one of the 80s Casio calculator watches and was very proud of it as the calculator actually worked very well.

Fast forward to dreading the tasks of searching online for a durable cheap watch under $200. It didn't take long for me to Google Casio digital watches and BAM! Almost immediately pulled up images of the original G-Shock with the 940 module which I recognized immediately as my favorite watch that I had during later grade school. I had no idea it was a G-Shock at the time that I had it or that it was anything really special I just knew that it didn't cost much and always worked no matter how rough I was with it on. In those days I was in a local soccer league and the G-Shock never left my wrist. It got beat on, bled on, drowned in water and sweat, slammed, knocked, kicked, punched, smacked etc. and barely showed a scratch after a couple of years of this. Sadly one day at school I took the watch off to meet strict uniform code (Catholic School) and somebody stole it.

Fast forward to today, I couldn't believe that that watch is now a classic and fetches high dollars even in rough shape! Even more so I couldn't believe that the same line of 5000 series watches are still made today and have a rabid following. Studying the modern facets of all things G-Shock today sent me reeling. Only a couple models have "bling" levels low enough for me to wear at work (work in a doctors office). The only thing I don't like about todays G-Shocks are that most are made in China. Have no problem with Thailand and am very happy to see that a few models are still made in Japan and that the MIJ models are all range toppers with the best build, fit and finish etc..

So after pouring over watch blogs, manufacturers websites and youtube reviews of everything from Seiko to Timex to Omega etc. I kept winding up back at the modern lineup of Casio G-Shock 5000 series watches. Until I started this research I had no clue that anybody made watches run by atomic clock radio signal synching or that anybody made a solar powered watch that actually worked. I would have called these things Voodoo and Black Magic had you told me a few months ago and I would have asked you if you were drunk lol.

Any watch with atomic radio synch and solar powered has gotta be some high dollar Rolex right? It took a lot of watching user guides on youtube to get me to believe that they work well and that it can be had cheap. So as of yesterday my new Casio G-Shock 5610 showed up and I could not be happier. It looks even better than the square Casio I had in grade school somehow. The digits are bolder and sharper. Watching the daily atomic time signal get received and synched to the atomic clock at Ft. Collins in the middle of the night was like something out of Star Wars for me. The watch cost me a hundred bucks shipped, keeps better time than any non atomic watch without even touching it and has a battery that supposed to last ten years. Although I greatly admire the technology packages you get in the Pro Trek series and the higher end G-Shocks they tend to be huge watches with questionable styling. I want to get a Rangeman as all the tech its crammed with actually works and I really like the digital compass "eye" it has as well as a barometer and altimeter that from what Ive seen on youtube are more accurate than any Pro Trek. Sucks that to get an accurate temperature reading you gotta take the watch off totally and let it site for a bit. I would have thought Casio engineers would have compensated for body heat screwing up the reading. Oh well.

Only thing missing from both my 5610 and the Rangeman are stainless steel cased screwbacks like my old G-Shock was. I am very happy with my 5610 for awhile and I know it will serve me well at and out of the office. The made in Japan stainless cased screwback GW-5000 is calling my name. It really does look more tightly put together and has a higher more professional looking polish to it. Somehow the GW-5000 has one of the clearest, sharpest most legible displays Ive seen on a digital watch even on youtube its obvious. Wish I knew how they did that.

All of the above models mentioned are $300 or less and even these just flat out smoke every other non Casio watch I have looked at. Until Rolex puts out an atomic, solar anything and cuts their pricing at the same time then nothing else I have seen packs what Casio G-Shocks and Pro Treks pack feature and functionally at all. Im not a watch pro but I don't know of any other watch manufacturer that does atomic solar let alone atomic, solar, barometer, altimeter etc in one package. I guess there are other watches just as feature packed but I am sure there is no way in hell they are anywhere near Casio's price points and most likely don't last as long.

Thanks for letting me vent

Will most likely get the Rangeman as my outside, camping, biking etc watch and pick up the sweet GW-5000 for the rest of the time. I have no doubt they all will last me a couple decades or more and look forward to using them to the utmost. You can keep the Rolex.
 
medusaoblongata said:
You'll see guys say that when they see a man wearing a Rolex, they instantly know what kind of man he is.
When you see a man wearing a G-Shock, you instantly know what kind of man he is.
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Just because guys say it, doesn't make it true. One thing I've learned in years of watch collecting is that you can tell nearly nothing of a man by the watch he wears.
 
Homeboy with the g-shock definitely isn't the survival type.................. Yo.......... ;)
 
I got my Tags, Seikos/Citizens, an Omega but my GShock DW5600 series watches get plenty of wrist time especially at work.

I agree that most models are over the top (just a matter of taste) but the trusty old DW5600 series which includes atomic versions, black lcd versions, etc. is the perfect digital watch for me. Like all GShocks, they are practically indestructible and are dependable tools and it looks good without doing too much.
 
leghog said:
Just because guys say it, doesn't make it true. One thing I've learned in years of watch collecting is that you can tell nearly nothing of a man by the watch he wears.
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I agree. You see astronauts, blue collar workers, and "uber cool" kids wearing GShock- you cannot tell me that they can be all grouped into one category... Millionaires who know nothing about watches wearing Pateks simply for status and not because what is inside. I have a successful uncle who has bought my cousin all the fancy brands known to man and while impressive, I wouldn't say that he impresses as a man on his own merits... If you're going to judge a man purely by his watch and not by his character- what does that tell about you?
 
G-Shock is a tough watch.... But if your not into all the rugged construction of them the Pro-Trek are a tough watch as well and nicer looking IMO. Been wearing a prw-3000 for almost a year. Altimeter, barometer, compass, solar, atomic. Still pry not as tough as a gshock but close and more functions.
 
I was given a used beat to heck G-Shock and over a year later it is still going strong, Charges by the Sun and automatically updates it's self. Never take it off to wash my hands. I really can't say enough good things about it. I'm a G-Shock Lifer!
 
Stays Sharp said:
I agree. You see astronauts, blue collar workers, and "uber cool" kids wearing GShock- you cannot tell me that they can be all grouped into one category... Millionaires who know nothing about watches wearing Pateks simply for status and not because what is inside. I have a successful uncle who has bought my cousin all the fancy brands known to man and while impressive, I wouldn't say that he impresses as a man on his own merits... If you're going to judge a man purely by his watch and not by his character- what does that tell about you?
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Yup. And I know millionaires who wear GShocks or other CBPs (cheap black plastics) because they got their millions by investing their hard earned money vs. spending it.
 
Well, I will be purchasing a G-Shock today, either on-line or @ a B&M store as long as I can get the coupons to work. Atomic and solar analog for sub $90.
 
slg98 said:
Some of the girly plastic ones might be a little weird looking but GShocks are the best in my opinion for the money.. Rugged and last forever I own a lot of watches and a few gshocks and I love them...

6xOFNXn.jpg
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Geeeez! How do you tell what time is is? :confused: :D

I have to agree with RevDevil. I can't see spending $$$$ for a watch. My $12 Casio is almost 10 years old and I can see what time is +30 sec. -0. I usually set is once every couple of months or so.
Every moderately expensive watch that I have owned turned out to be nothing but a money pit. Hey! If it makes you feel good, go for it.

I am reminded of a flight to VA a long time ago. There were two salesmen sitting across the aisle discussing their Rolex watches for 2 hours straight. :roll eyes:

I used to buy Anschutz rifles because I considered them the best. I sold my last one for $1250 last year and bought a Savage .22WMR for less than $300. Guess
what? The Savage is more accurate and I don't have to worry about dinging the stock. :D

Time for a Rolex joke?

A salesman opened the door of his BMW into traffic and a semi took the door off. A cop saw what happened and ran over. The salesman wailed, "My Beemer! Look what he did to my Beemer!"
The cop said, "You yuppies are so materialistic that you don't even notice that your left arm was ripped off." The salesman looks and yells, "My Rolex! Where's my Rolex?"
 
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