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Thirty years is a long time to stay in the spotlight. You have to stay relevant, you have to bring attention to yourself again and again (most importantly, the good kind)! So how did G-Shock manage to do this? By listening to its customers, and adding a lot of different watches, for all walks of life.

G-Shock was created by Casio, and its main concern is toughness. In fact, their first ever watch, the DW-5000, was said to be indestructible. That claim has since been proven accurate, after a series of exhaustive tests – one of which included dropping the watch from a helicopter!

Ever since, Casio listened to consumers, and brought out watches that were relevant for them. There’s “Tough Solar” watches (with panels so powerful that even artificial light is enough to charge the battery). There’s two different types of Bluetooth watches (one of which lets you control your iPad’s music library at the touch of a button, while the other one lets you set the time from your mobile phone). And that’s just scratching the surface!

At the start, people using G-Shocks might have been explorers, hikers, anybody working outdoors, but Casio slowly started to win over all sorts of crowds. How? Well, one way is partnership.

This year, Casio teamed up with a company called In4mation. The group, made up of four partners Ryan Arakaki, Todd Shimabuku, Jun Jo, and Keith Kanagusuku, has proven to be  one of the fastest trendsetters for skateboarders, surfers, and many others.

The fruits of their first collaboration is an update to the most popular Surfing watch Casio has come up with – the G-Lide GAX-100X-4A.

The watch is bright orange, with a sky-blue display, and has the In4mation logo on the band, the buckle rings, as well as engraved into the back of the watch.

Not just there for looks, the watch has a Tide Graph, which can tell you how high the tide is throughout the day (one of the reasons this watch is so popular among professional surfers).

Casio focuses on trends, as well as what its customers want, and that is one of the main reasons it has remained relevant and top selling.

We’ve done the G-Shocks, now it’s time for the Baby-Gs. Boys and girls, these are the top 10 selling Baby-G watches of 2016! Ready? Here we go!

1. BA-110-7A1

We’ve already talked about the GA-110 and just how powerful it is. It revolutionised the Extra-Large case design, so naturally, Casio wanted to do the same for the Baby-Gs. The BA110-7A1 has a large analogue/digital display, with the hour markers being extra-large, to help you read the analogue time.

2. BGA-151-7B

While it’s been around for a while, the BGA-151-7B had a major upsurge in popularity, leading to a larger sale than you’d expect for the 151 series. It could be the stainless-steel Bezel, the 43g weight, or the 3-year longer lasting battery life.

3. BA-125-2A

The BA125 series is quite a recent newcomer, but the great range of colours, the extra-large face and the studs in place of the hour markers have proven to be a hit.

4. BGA-220G-7A

This Baby-G has quite a few things going for it. Apart from the always popular Tide-Graph for surfers, the watch has markers that are impossible to miss, 200-meter water resistance, and a hand-shift feature (for those times when the hands keep getting in the way of the digital time). The stainless steel octagonal shaped Bezel adds even more flair to this unique watch.

5. BA-110TP-8A

Another newcomer to the Casio Baby-G range, this watch has a unique, tribal pattern motif only seen in the matching GA-110TP series. Both were brought out by Casio at the same time as a matching his and hers collections. The great thing about these watches (other than making you stand out) is they can be worn by men with smaller wrists as well as the ladies, as there’s nothing “girly” about them.

6. BGA-210-2B

A true-blue watch is an apt description, but it’s also perfect for travellers. This Baby-G not only has the extra-large markers to help you read the time, but it has a smaller analogue display to let you see what time it is in another city. The touch of a button easily swaps the two times around.

7. BG-169R-2B

Yet another older style model makes a comeback, this is one of the few all-digital Baby-G models since Casio is concentrating on the ana-digi combos. The unique thing about the BG-169R series, apart from the face protector, is the tele-memo feature, which will let you save names and phone numbers into the watch.

8. BA-111-1A

An offshoot of the BA-110 series, as you can see these feature bright neon colours all around the display. All watches in this range have a negative display, which really sets them apart from the rest of the competition.

9. BGD-140-1A

Another in the fully digital range, this watch has the extra-large screen of the BA-110 Series, but without the analogue part. This gives a much clearer view of the screen, and as an added bonus, when you turn on the backlight, the whole screen lights up (the analogue/digital combos only light up the analogue part).

10. BA-120LP-7A1

A leopard might not be able to change its spots, but it’s still an impressive sight, which is what Casio tries to replicate in the last (but by no means least) of this top 10 list. Eye catching, display with the shock and water resistance you’ve come to expect from a Casio watch.

Welcome, and welcome back to the best guide around, Jimmy B’s guide to Casio Watches. For the past few weeks I’ve been talking about the best G-Shocks and the best Baby-Gs. I’ve showcased what I thought were the most important features. Thanks to an emailed question from one of you though, today’s article will be more in depth than before. I’ll be comparing Casio’s flagship GA-110 series, with their Baby-G version (BA-110). What’s changed? What was kept in? Ready? Here we go!

The GA110 series is undoubtedly the flagship of Casio’s Extra-Large cases. Out of all the models, the GA-110 has the most variations. With that in mind, Casio decided to give kids, girls and women with smaller wrists a chance to enjoy this series. Thus came the BA-110 series.

The picture you’re looking at now is the GA-110GB-1A and the BA-110-1A

First thing’s first: the size. As you can see in the picture above, the style looks almost exactly the same, but the Baby-G case is a bit smaller. 8mm smaller to be exact. This helps it look less oversized on a smaller wrist.

While it’s smaller, both watches are pretty much the same thickness, which ensures the same toughness. They also match so it’s a great “his and hers” watch model (I’ll be talking a little more about this later on).

So, as you can see, when it comes to looks, both the GA-110SN and its BA-110SN counterpart look almost identical.

Now onto something else that matters: The features.

Now, right away we can see there are some major differences. While both watches are Shock Resistant, only the GA-110GB is magnetic resistant and 200m water resistant (as opposed to the 100m water resistance of the BA110).

On the other hand, the BA-110 has 5 daily alarms, as opposed to the 4 in the men’s version. The final main feature difference, is the GA110GB has a 1/1000-sec stopwatch, which gives a little bit more accuracy compared to the 1/100-sec (and also comes with a nifty speed approximator).

Externally, you can see the GA-110 is wider, and it has a larger band length than the BA-110. Finally, the BA-110 is lighter by almost 15 grams.

Now, you may be wondering what the point is in getting a BA VS a GA. Simple, sometimes you don’t need the functions missing in the female version. Not many people are desperate for a 1/1000-sec stopwatch, and some people might be more comfortable with a smaller band and case.

As an aside, while this table concentrated on the BA-110 and the GA-110, the functions and sizes are the same in any BA-110 and GA-110 variants.

So we’ve had the size comparison and feature comparison, but what about the watches themselves? While the Baby-G has struck out on its own with a BA-111, BA-112 variant, Casio still comes out with new GA-110 variants. If you’re after watches for yourself and your partner, then simply look for variants with a BA or GA.

For example, Casio have the Denim watches. Here you’ll find both the his and hers variants, and they match pretty much perfectly. While the band itself is made of resin, a first, second and even third look would make people think you’re wearing a watch with a denim case.

They also have the Tribal watches. If you’ve ever been to the Philippines, or Samoa, you’re likely to recognize the tribal patterns on these watches. While the Baby-G here has a wider range of colours, the black and white G-Shocks still complement each other perfectly

Well that’s it for today’s article. I hope it was informative and don’t hesitate to send more questions and suggestions. Until Next Time. Jimmy B.

G Shock watches gained popularity in the 80s as a rugged alternative to the standard analog watch, which was fragile and old fashioned. They quickly became popular for those that played sports and for people that lived more active lifestyles.

The most popular G Shock Series are:

• The Rangeman

Known as the Master of G, the Rangeman is a fully digital watch that comes with a thermometer, compass and all the tools you need for the great outdoors. It’s also solar powered, which means no more changing the battery

• The Mudman

Made for people who are not only active but spend a lot of time in the mud, the Mudman is popular among people in the army. Specifically protected against mud and other weather calamities, the Mudman comes in two versions (Solar powered and Battery powered) with a variety of colours for each.

• Big-Case series

The GA-100 series has been considered a trendsetter due to being one of the first big-case series of watches. It also introduced the 1/1000-sec stopwatch, which gives you your approximate speed after you finish your run.

• GA-110 Series

Also known as the Extra-Large series, this was the evolution of the GA-100s. Keeping the same features people loved (such as the above mentioned stopwatch, and a resistance to magnetic fields), the digital display is split into the top and bottom of the display, for easier reading. This case is the basis for a lot of Casio’s updates, such as the Tribal Pattern Limited Edition watch

• Gulfmaster Series

Rounding off the top models is the Casio Gulfmaster. The watch was made for divers as well as surfers. The watch can be used to calculate how high the tide can get, and it also introduced the “Hand Shift” feature, which allows you to move the arrows out of the way, if they get in the way of a digital display).

Top 10 selling G-Shocks in 2016

Having trouble figuring out what to buy? We hear you! Sometimes there’s so many watches even we have trouble choosing. So let’s let our sales record help you choose. Below you’ll find the top 10 selling G-Shocks from 2016. Come back here every month to see if these figures change or if something new takes up one of these spots!

This list is in the right order so the first model sold the most, second the next most, etc…

Alright, let’s get to it!

1) GD-350-1B (RRP $269, our price - $199) – A fully digital extra-large face watch, that’s also discrete. Instead of a beeping alarm, the watch has a vibration setting. Perfect for those who are hard of hearing, or if you don’t want to draw attention to yourself.

2) GA-110TR-7A (RRP $279, our price - $209) – The first of many Ana-Digi combos in our range, this combines multiple colours to catch a person’s eye. Also comes with a 1/1000-sec stopwatch, which can give you speed approximation – perfect for runners

3) GW-9400-1 (RRP $589, our price - $419) – The Rangeman is considered top of the line. It’s solar powered, has a digital compass, thermometer altimeter and barometer – perfect for exploring the great outdoors

4) GA-100-1A2 (RRP $269, our price - $199) – the original big-case model, the blue markers make it easier to read the analogue time. 200m water resistant, among other great features.

5) DW-6900MS-1 (RRP $209, our price - $159) – The cheapest of Casio’s Master of G range, this watch is military style digital watch. Jet black, the watch is perfect for undercover ops.

6) GST-S110-1A (RRP $529, our price - $379) – Stainless steel case with a resin band, the watch utilises a brand new shock resistance technique, to keep your watch working after a shock. It’s also 200m water resistant so you can carry it anywhere.

7) GA-400-1B (RRP $269, our price -$209) – Black and red Ana-Digi combo, this watch introduces the rotary switch, letting you switch between modes much easier. Extra-large display and Magnetic resistance.

8) GA-110GB-1A (RRP $329, our price - $239) – Black and gold watch with a shiny black band, the gold hands and display capture your attention. This watch has an auto-light feature, which turns the backlight automatically on when you move your wrist.

9) GA-100CM-5A (RRP $289. Our price - $209) – Created due to popular demand, this watch has a camouflage motif. Extra-Large screen as well as 1/1000-sec stopwatch so you can tell how fast you’re running.

10) GA-110RG-7A (RRP $289. Our price - $209) – White with a rose-gold background, this watch has an analogue/digital extra-large display. To protect the display from damage, it has a mineral glass covering it.

That’s it for this top 10 article. Feel like we missed something? Leave us a comment below.

Until Next Time - Jimmy B.

Smart Watches. They seem to be all the rage these days, but are the features really worth the premium you’d pay compared to your average G-Shock watch? Well, I bought an Apple Watch to test it out, and my first reaction was… “Meh”… Why? Well, keep on reading and let Jimmy B educate you.

Now, let’s just start off with some good stuff (I have to be unbiased after all). The watch is thin and light… Oh and the numbers on the display are pretty big, making it easy to read the time. You can also check and dismiss any incoming notifications without having to take the phone out of your pocket. Unfortunately, that’s about all that’s good about the Apple Watch. Now on to the bad.

First of all, the setup. In a G-Shock, depending on how basic it is you just have to set the time, your city code, and if it’s a Tide watch, your location to get the correct information. 5 Minutes tops it took me. The Apple Watch (once it’s actually fully charged [and don’t you just “love” having to do that before you can even start using the watch?]) took me 20 minutes just to set everything up. I had to connect it to the Bluetooth, set up SMS messages so that I’d see them on the watch, set it up so I could get calls… And after all that I could final continue with my day, knowing I wouldn’t need even half the features that I set up (but needing to set them up in the first place just so the watch would actually show me the time).

OK, you might be thinking that I’m complaining over nothing – after all, computers take a while to set up as well. You may be right, so let’s just continue with my experiences. When you have a normal G-Shock, you press a button, go to the stopwatch, and use that to help you with your training. Basic, efficient, and it works. Apple (in their infinite wisdom) decided to introduce the “Activity Tracker”. In theory, it’s a great little program that tells you how many calories you’ve burned, and a way to keep you moving forward towards your goals. In practice? It turns on automatically pretty much every time you move your wrist above your waist. So if you need to scratch your head, or nose, the tracker thinks you’ve just started exercising (and that can drain your battery really quickly).

Now, remember how I said you could dismiss any notifications without taking the phone out? That’s all well and good, but let’s face it, we’re practically buried by notifications on our smart phones. My iPhone sends me Facebook notifications, changes to the weather report, incoming emails (of which I get 20-30 a day!), so every single time this happens, the watch either vibrates or beeps, distracting me from work. And even if I mute it, the display on the watch, when I do look at it, will say “You have 20 new messages” forcing me to either ignore them and risk drowning in more, or reading them all and distracting me from work. Personally, I’d rather keep the phone and the watch separate.

Lastly I want to warn all of you. When a person buys a watch, that style should be timeless. It should be a reflection of who you are and why you bought this particular watch. A smart watch (like a smartphone) changes designs practically every year, and they make it so some software won’t even work on an older watch. So if you bought yourself a smart watch, you’d have to keep paying obscene amounts of money every year or two. A G-Shock would last you a lot longer, and you might just need to shell out some money for repairs, but nowhere near the amount of money as for an Apple Watch.

So, it’s up to you guys, but personally, I’m asking for a refund. To me, a G-Shock beats an Apple Watch any day of the week.

Until Next Time – Jimmy B.

It's that time of year again. Time to get start looking for gifts and spending all your hard earned money. Wouldn't it be great if you knew the best things to get at a price that won't break the bank? Welcome back to my column, and this article is all about the top 5 Casio G-Shocks that are under $200.00. These are all in high demand, and different enough that there's something for everybody! Are you ready? Let's get to it!

Starting at number 5: The G-7900A series. This watch comes in either red or white and is a purely digital watch. The screen is pretty large with the bottom two thirds reserved for the time and date, while the top third is reserved for the Tide Graph and Moon Data (more on that in a minute).

As a fully digital watch, the backlight that comes with it is much brighter than on an ana-digi combo, so when you turn it on, the whole face will light up, making it a lot easier to find your way at night. The large portion of the screen also means that the numbers are much bigger, which helps if you've got bad eyesight.

As mentioned before, the G-7900A series has a tide graph. For those of you keeping up with my previous articles, you'll know that the tide graph is usually part of the GLX series, so it's an unexpected, but welcome, bonus. This range of watches are affordable an gift that won't break the bank.

Number 4: The DW-9052 Series. Another Digital series, the watch comes in either blue or black. It features shock as well as water resistance, protecting it from most elements.

The 200m water resistance comes in handy when you're out for a swim, because it means you don't have to worry about taking of the watch when you go for a swim. Only thing you do need to be careful about is not pressing any buttons while submerged, since that might break the water resistant seal.

The watch is actually one of Casio's lighter models, weighing only 59g so it won't weigh down your wrist while swimming. This series is very affordable so if you're looking for an affordable model then this could be right for you.

Number 3: The GA-110 series. Now, I hope you clicked on the link because there are lots of variations, but it's the original GA-110s that I'll be talking about today. It comes in either Black and Red or Black and White, with your eyesight being the main difference between the two. By that I mean, the GA-110-1B is white writing on a black display, which some people may have an issue with reading, while the GA-110-1A features the normal black on white that you're used to dealing with.

This is the first of two analogue/digital combos that this list will cover. Here the digital display is a little bit smaller, to make room for the analogue part.

This series is resistant to magnetic waves, which is quite essential since the metallic gears look unshielded when you're looking at the time, and if you're near strong magnetic waves, it'll interfere with the time keeping on the watch. Reasonably priced, this may be more expensive than the digital only models, but it's still considered one of the best and most accurate Casio Watches.

Number 2: The G-9000 series. This series comes in black or grey and it's more commonly known as the Mudman. Again the choice is yours which one you'd like, as the 1V has Black numbers on the white display, and the 3V has the opposite. To some with bad vision, that could make a big difference.

As implied by the name, the Mudman can not only withstand water and if you drop it, but the watch is resistant to mud, so if you're out and slip on a muddy patch, the mud won't get into the mechanism of the watch (which is a relief, because it's hell cleaning that up!).

Now, this watch actually has something in common with the eariler GA-110 series I mentioned. The display is extra large, almost the same size as an analogue/digital combo.

Apart from that little tidbit, the G-9000 also includes a feature called dual illumination, which works alongside the backlight to make things easier to see at night.

This is a a great watch for anybody in basic training as well as camping. Cheap, easy to use, add that to your list of potential, great, inexpensive gifts.

Finally at Number 1 we have the GA-100-1A series. This is the original Extra-Large model. It comes in black/red, black/white and black/blue. It's also frequently described as the military series.

Like the GA-110 series, these watches have a magnetic resistance, adding to the protection of the watch. When you combine it with the shock and water resistance, as well as the scratch resistant band and face, this becomes a watch that'll serve you for a long time.

As it's a combo watch, the GA-100s only light up the analogue part when you turn on the backlight. If you're on a military operation, that could save your life.

This series was voted the best of our under $200 range. Hope this list inspired you. Keep an eye out for my next article, where I will tell you the top 5 of our Baby-G range.

Until next time.
Jimmy B.

Reviewing the GW-9400-3

Now, a few editions ago, we were looking at the GW-9400-1DR, the Black Rangeman. Well, due to popular demand, and because I have noticed even more things, we will be focusing on the GW-9400-3DR (camouflage green) version. As usual I’ll run through the specific features, and at the end tell you who I think the watch would be suitable for. Ready? Let’s get started!

One thing I didn’t mention before, is that the Rangeman is part of a special lineup called the “Master of G”. These watches are actually specifically made for extreme sports. That’s why lots of people have remarked that the Rangeman is more sturdy, it was built that way.

Now, a weird thing is that this watch touts a “triple sensor” because there’s actually four sensors (maybe quadruple sensor wouldn’t fit?). The four sensors are Thermometer, Digital Compass, Altimeter, and Barometer.

That’s perfect for climbers and adventurers! You can go hiking, and if you get lost, you can always get your bearings with the compass, while keeping an eye out on the conditions with the barometer and thermometer. (so you’ll know when it’s time to seek shelter). Plus, the altimeter lets you check just how high you’ve climbed.

The sensors are actually good for the military as well. I bought this watch as a present for one of my friends in the army, and aside from loving the olive green colour (which is great for when you’re camouflaged), he was impressed by how much more accurate the sensors made his shots. The Rangeman provides temperature and barometric pressure readings, which are two of the most useful non-wind weather readings for ballistics. This, along with Sunrise/Sunset information would help him when scouting out a location, because he could record the time of day, wind direction, as well as the location of the sun. Then he’d just use the thermometer to adjust for ambient temperature. Yeah I know, it sounds complicated, but if you’re in the military, or just like to shoot for fun, this is a great model for you.

I said before that this watch is tough, well it’s also 200m water resistant. So if you like swimming you don’t have to worry about the watch. Just make sure you’ve dried it off before pressing any buttons, or the seal will fail. But look on the bright side: If you’ve forgotten to take the watch off when you’re going for a bath/shower (and let’s face it, most of us are guilty of doing that at least once), the watch will still be working perfectly once you’re done.

One of the nicest things about the Rangeman, is that you don’t need to worry about setting the time. It’s got a radio controlled feature to do that for you. Now, by radio control I don’t mean that you can use the radio or a remote to control it. What I mean is that the radio frequencies from the atomic clock in your area, automatically update the time a little after midnight every night.

For runners, one of the most frustrating things I’ve found in other Casio watches is it takes ages to get to the stop watch mode (with some watches you have to press the mode button 6 or 7 times just to get to what mode you need). Well they’ve redesigned the features so all you have to do is press the lower right button while in time mode, and you’ve got the stopwatch. And if you want to get back to the home screen, you don’t have to keep tapping the mode screen, just hold it for a few seconds and you get back to the main screen. Personally, I’m really impatient so I kind of like that feature.

Now, this wouldn’t be a true review if I didn’t mention the frustrating bits, and there are only a few. The first is actually mentioned at the top of my article. The watch is HUGE. If you have a small wrist, it’s more likely to fall off, and it would look way too big on it. Sure it’s more of an aesthetic complaint, but in this day and age, looks mean a lot more.

The other annoyance, though quite minor, is the metal keeper on the watch (the keeper, for those who don’t know, is that rubber/metal “thing” [sorry actually can’t think of a better word for it] that keeps the excess part of the watch band in place). A few people have mentioned that they end up having to adjust the keeper every time because it wouldn’t hold in place. I did find myself adjusting it a few times but it was more of an annoyance than anything else.

So, who is the watch good for? Well, as mentioned earlier it is perfect for adventurers, hikers, and anybody who’s active, as well as people serving in the military, or those that like to shoot. The compass will help you keep from getting lost, the barometer and altimeter will help you keep an eye on the weather, and if you like to run laps, it’s easy to get to the stopwatch. There are a LOT more features than what I’ve gone through, but I have to stop somewhere or you’d get bored!

So, I hope you enjoyed this review, and if you feel I missed something, or you have an idea of what model you want me to cover next, then feel free to let me know in the comments.

Until next time.

Jimmy B.

Welcome back to our regular column (and for those just joining us, where have you been??)! Today I’ll be reviewing the GBA-400 series of watches, also known as the G’Mix.

Now, we stock these models come in three different colours. Red, Grey and Black, so it should suit quite a few different tastes. What makes these watches different is the Bluetooth capability. I’ll talk about all this in the next few paragraphs, as well as what other features make the GBA-400 stand out. As always, if I find something negative to say, that’ll be in this column as well (I want you guys to get the full picture before committing to the watch!). So let’s get to it!

We’ll start with the basics. The G’Mix is an analogue/digital combo watch, so you have a digital display at the top and bottom, and through the whole face of the watch you have the analogue hands. A great advantage of that is this makes the display area much larger, so you don’t have to squint your eyes trying to see small numbers (which can happen with some digital only displays).

Now, some people complain that ana-digi combos have one glaring weakness; the hands get in the way of the digital display. So, Casio decided to fix this. If the arrows get in the way of the display, there’s a button you press, which will move the analogue hands out of the way, and after a while put them right back. This helps the visibility tremendously.

Now that we’ve got the basics over with, let’s get to the real meat of these features. First of all, the watch is radio controlled. Now, for those who don’t know what that means, it doesn’t mean you can control the watch with a remote, but the time is automatically updated every night, so you don’t have to worry about daylight savings, or when you’re travelling overseas. Your watch will automatically know the correct time and adjust itself accordingly (just like a smartphone)!

And speaking of smartphones, that’s what you need to get the full benefit from these watches. What you do, is download an app called G’Mix (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.casio.gmixapp&hl=en or . https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/gmix-app/id878523026?mt=8) This connects your phone with the watch and if you have music on your phone, your watch will find it and you’ll be able to turn the music on just by pressing a button or moving the rotary switch.

The app doesn’t just give you control over the music. There’s a Shzam-like software as well. Now for those who aren’t in the know, Shazam is an app that’ll give you info about any background music (IE what the song is called, the name of the singer, etc…). This puts all of the information right on your phone, and it shows up at the top of the screen.

Another cool function is what’s known as the “Sounder” mode. Say you have a favourite song in your playlist (up to 6 favourite songs). Instead of looking for it in your playlist, assign it to one of the watch buttons, and when you press that watch button, the song will start playing. No more searching through tons of files just to find the one you’re looking for near the bottom of the pile!

So this watch really makes things easy if you like music, and easy to read because of the large display. Now while it does sound like a smartphone, you can’t send any SMSes or see who’s calling. But on the plus side, smartphones, while light, don’t have enough material covering them in case you get in an accident or bump your wrist. The Shock Resistance Casio is famous for makes that issue a moot point in the GBA-400 series).

Now while there are lots of positives to this model, there are a few negatives I have to mention. Quite a few people have complained about the positioning of the rotary dial. If you wear the watch on your right hand, then the dial is a bit difficult to operate.

The Battery life as indicated by Casio’s website is also a bit misleading. They say it will last two years, but it depends on how much you’re using the Bluetooth features, since from experience Bluetooth does take quite a chunk of power. Still it’s better than most smartwatches that I’ve had the (dis)pleasure of trying. Those needed to be recharged pretty much every day.

The other bad thing is the compatibility. Now, while the app is compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S5, some older models as well as some Note models aren’t represented (including the Note 4). This is bound to be fixed soon but still a bit disappointing to see.

Well that’s all for today. Hope you enjoyed my article and if you have any questions, comment and I’ll do my best to answer.

Until Next Time! Jimmy B.

Welcome back to my column on specific G-Shocks. This week I’ve decided to focus on a very sturdy exploring model, the Gulfmaster. There’s a reason why it’s earned the moniker of MASTER, and you’ll get to find out why in the next few minutes. Excited yet? Here we go!

Knowing that this watch would be used by explorers, Casio knew they would have to make it tough enough to withstand any environment. Well, this watch definitely delivers. On top of the 200m water resistance and 100m shock resistance, it has a unique feature called Tough Movement. This is a godsend if you’re  in rough terrain or trip and jostle the watch. You see, when an analogue watch is hit, the arrows would most likely get knocked out of place. With ana-digi combos, that will mean your analogue and digital time would be different. Tough Movement gets around that issue by automatically putting the hands back to where they belong, so you’ll never have to worry about that issue!

To complement this, we have Tough Solar. Now, I have talked about this in my previous columns, but for those that are new (or have a bad memory), Tough Solar is a small range of solar panels fitted around the display. These panels are so powerful that even the smallest amount of light is enough to charge up the battery, giving you a practically unlimited supply charge, so unless things go catastrophically wrong, you won’t have to change your batteries.

One of the most impressive features is the “Smart Access”. This is kind of hard to explain but stick with me. Casio inserted a special crown switch, which allows you to switch to almost any function just by turning the crown. So you don’t have to keep tapping on the buttons to get to a compass, altimeter, stopwatch, etc. It’s impressive and really helpful!

Of course this wouldn’t be a review of the Gulfmaster without talking about why it is so good for explorers. Toughness aside, this has a triple sensor (which is actually four different sensors but for some reason Casio kept it as “triple sensor”. You have a digital compass with a bearing memory (so you can tell whether you’re still walking in the right direction). The thermometer helps you know how cold it is outside, so you know how many layers to put on. An Altimeter is there if you’re a mountain climber, as it can tell you how far up you’ve climbed. The barometer is the final piece of this triple sensor puzzle. If you’re up in a plane, this helps not only measure the pressure outside but will also give you an idea of what the weather will be like, helping you prepare for any turbulence.

To be honest, the only negative I’ve found with this watch is that it’s NOT for beginners. You need to know what you’re doing and why you’re getting this watch. But in all other respects this watch is an amazing piece of technology.

There are tons of other features, which would take at least a few more pages to discuss, so I’ll leave you here. If you’d like to see our full range of GWO watches, click HERE