Secret Features of the Casio G-Shock Watches

Hello readers, you're in for a real treat today! You know how Mobile Phones, DVRs, Computers and even TVs have secret features? Well, turns out the same goes for Casio watches. After taking some time trying to figure them all out, I have a list right here. Now, before I begin, I should caution you that you need to be very careful. If you damage the watch using these tricks, that will void your warranty. OK, boring disclaimer over with, let's get to the fun stuff!

Now, first up, so you don't have to keep wondering what A, B, C and D are, just look at the below diagram. This way you'll know what to press. And don't worry if your watch doesn't look EXACTLY like the picture. The 4 buttons do not change places.

diagram

Right, our first hidden feature is the LCD Display Test. This feature lights up all possible parts of the LCD Display. This is really important, since it'll help you see if there's any flaws, or if the LCD isn't lighting up the way it should be. So, here's the trick to getting in:

On the main screen, the one that shows you the time/date where you are (aka Timekeeping mode),, press A, C, and D at the same time. Right away you'll see that all the parts of the LCD display have lit up (it's actually easier to do it indoors or in a dimly lit area, so you'll be able to tell what's lit up and what isn't. Now, if you press D, it'll go through the different segments, so you can tell if the lights are brighter in one place compared to others. The best thing about it is, you can actually use this diagnostic to check if your Casio is genuine, since the final screen will have your module number (which you can cross reference with your manual and back of the watch). To get back to the main screen, just press any button apart from D.

Cool isn't it? That's not the only trick though. Just to give you some background info, most (not all) Casio watches have a feature called Auto-Light. Basically, when you tilt your wrist back about 45 degrees, the light (if Auto-Light is turned on), will light up either your screen or (if you have an ana-digi combo) the analogue hands and markers. If you know your watch has an auto-light but it's not working, it'll help to go into the diagnostics screen.

This time when you're in timekeeping mode, press A, B, and C at the same time. Right, now looking at the screen you should see the letters TLT, which will mean you're in the Tilt Diagnostic Mode. Now, tilt your wrist back and at the correct angle the numbers will change to 88:88. That means the watch is working properly. If you don't see those numbers after activating TLT, then you may need to go to the person you bought the watch from, in order to get it repaired (remember, if you try it yourself, or go to a local jeweller, you may end up voiding the warranty)!

Next up, this feature is only for those who have a Solar Watch. If you've been out in the sun, but the watch is still not receiving power, or discharging too soon, there may be a problem with your battery or, more likely, the problem lies with the panels themselves. It's easy to diagnose however, so let's get to it.

In timekeeping, this time you need to hold A, B and D. All the numbers will disappear off the screen, and you'll see SLR. Put the watch into a sunny place and watch the screen. If 88:88 does not appear, that means there's an issue with the solar panels. If the battery is fully charged though, then the solar panels, to avoid overheating the watch, just won't accept more sunlight. So, your best bet is to do it at medium charge.

The last trick I'll show you is something that surprised even me. You see, I've reviewed lots of Solar Powered watches before, and I know they come with a power saving mode, but apparently, regular Quartz Battery watches also have this hidden. The power saver mode will turn off your display after about 6-7 hours when you're not doing anything on it. Don't worry though, if you set an alarm or if you have a fancy Radio-Control watch, the alarm and signals will still be active. Those functions will stop after 6-7 days of inactivity (so if you're going on holiday and don't decide to take your watch with you, that's pretty useful.

Now, doing this trick actually reminded me of playing a video game, because you have to enter a “secret code” to enter this function. First, hold A until the city code starts to flash. You there? Now, try not to lose count, because you need to press C NINE times. You'll know you've done it right once you see the power setting screen (marked as PS on your display). After that, press D to adjust whether it's on or off, and press a again to set it. That's all there is to it.

And speaking of, that's actually all there is to this article. Hope this was helpful to some of you. Let me know in the comments, and if any of those tricks don't work, tell us that as well, and we'll update this page.

Until Next Time

Jimmy B