Buy Watches Online Blog

Which Casio Watches Can I Wear for Work?

A common complaint about Casio Watches, is that the bands are made of Resin, and it “looks cheap” according to some buyers. Now, normally this isn’t a problem, but some folks want a watch they can take with them to work. That’s where the Edifice range comes in. In particular, the EFR-552, EFR-539 and the EFR-303L

The EFR-552 comes with either a Black Leather Strap, a Brown Leather Strap or if you prefer stainless steel, there’s a two-tone Stainless Steel and Rose Gold model. Now, these watches differ quite a bit from the Casios we usually have on sale. Mainly because they’re purely analogue (a rarity these days).

In all three cases, the watch has what’s known as a screw lock back, which helps protect the module, as well as making the watch as water resistant as possible. It still has a stopwatch, but an analogue version called a Chronograph. May take a little while to get used to, but even NASA prefers analogue chronographs to the digital stopwatches!

If you’re worried about being able to see the analogue hands (a common worry for people who are used to digital watches, the hour markers stand out like they’re popping out of the screen, so even with bad eyesight, it’s pretty easy to see the time. A small advantage that the stainless steel band has over the leather bands, is you can buy more links for it to increase the band length.

Now, as mentioned before, you might be interested in the EFR-539L series. All three have leather bands, with a choice of Dark Brown, Light Brown or a Light Blue leather band. Each of these watches come with a matching colour display. As before, these watches have a screw lock back, but also have Ion Plated bezels, which are much tougher than Resin bezels.

Finally we have the EFR-303L. This watch serves two purposes because while it looks great at work, it’s also a traveller’s watch. The display even has a world map to go with the Traveller’s motif. The stainless steel analogue markers are very easy to see, while the leather band means it’ll look good on your wrist.

An added advantage to the 303L is the ability to have the World Time showing on your watch. Located at the top of the display, you can even pre-program the dial with a specific city, and it will always show that city’s time. Helpful if you’re away on long trips.

Another advantage is the watch has a low battery warning, so you won’t be caught by surprise!

Well, there you have it. If you’re after a watch that you can proudly wear at work, one of these three models will definitely do the trick.

Until Next Time. Jimmy B.

Adjusting the Accuracy of a G-Shock Watch

Welcome back to the help column, now before I answer the question, I need to warn you guys: do not do this unless your watch is out of warranty. These instructions WILL void your warranty, so do this at your own risk, or wait until it’s out of warranty first. Got that? Good, let’s get started, by asking WHY we want to adjust the watch in the first place.

See, a lot of watches, not just G-Shocks, tend to lag after a while (years usually). 5/10 seconds is ok, but it all adds up. If you want to save some money, and would rather not go to a jeweler, it’s up to you, so these instructions should help you make your watch great again!

Before we get started, there’s a few items that you’ll need.: A back removal tool (such as a screwdriver), a stopwatch, a notepad to record your results (or use a computer so you don’t have to worry about the paper running out), a well as a site with a completely accurate time. Something like timeanddate.com, which uses an atomic clock.

Alright, I want to warn you beforehand, this WILL take a while (and I mean days) in order to get the best result.

So we don’t get too confused, the watch you’re trying to set will be Watch A.

First, go into a site such as timeanddate.com and set the watch to the exact time (up to the second). Then you need to figure out, just how much the watch is lagging. To do this, look at the site and take out your stopwatch. Wait until the seconds end in a 0 (so for example 9:31.00. As soon as it hits 0, start your stopwatch and look at watch A. Stop the stopwatch when watch A hits (in this example) 9:31.05 and have a look at it.

Now then, say the stopwatch says 9:31:05.25. That means, when you take away the 5 seconds, your watch is faster than the atomic clock by 25 milliseconds. If the stopwatch said 9:31:04.80 then it’s slower by 20 milliseconds. Now, you’re going to have to do this a few times if you want to find the exact number, so make sure you’re writing it down!

Once you’re sure you have the exact time difference between your watch and the atomic clock, leave your watch for 24 hours. That guarantees the best results. Set an alarm on your phone to remind you if you have to. Alright, so you’ve had a good rest, it’s been 24 hours, what next?

Remember the 9:31 test? You need to do it again. So back onto the computer, wait until it’s 9:31:00, start the stopwatch and stop it when watch A reaches 9:31.05. Now, say this time the stopwatch says 9:31:05.95. Not only is your watch faster by 0.25ms, it’s now added a further 0.70ms. At this point it’ll definitely be helpful to write down yesterday’s result as well as today’s, or you’re going to get REALLY confused.

Remember, write the date and time when you did the test, for the most accurate results.

Now comes the complicated part. What, you thought the test was complicated? Well now you’re going to unscrew the back of the watch, and play around with the gears (hence why I said at the start, make SURE that it’s out of warranty!).

Now, obviously I can’t see your watch, so here are a few pictures of what a Casio’s insides should look like, and WHERE you need to poke around.

If you look closely, you’ll notice that the time screw is quite different from the one keeping the module from falling apart. Now, the good news here is, the screw is so distinctive, that if you look for it, you’ll be able to find it quickly, and there’s no need to take out the module.

Here’s where guesswork comes into play. You’ll need to either turn the screw clockwise or counterclockwise. Now, I’m not saying a huge turn, more like 1/16^th to 1/32 of a turn. Wait 24 hours again, and perform the test again. If the watch gained any more time, then open it up again and turn the screw the other way. If it’s gotten better but not 100%, unscrew the watch again, and turn the screw a little more in the same direction. Keep doing that until the watch is as close to correct as possible (unless you’ve got lightning-like reflexes, you’ll never get the watch EXACT, but close enough means it’ll run smoothly for another few years. Just remember, for the best possible results, leave the watch for a few days, to a month. That way you’ll know just how much the watch is losing or gaining every month, and you’ll know how much to fiddle with the screw.

I hope you’ve found this helpful. Don’t forget to send me any questions. Until Next Time. Jimmy B

How do I set the alarm on a Baby-G watch?

There’s a LOT of Baby-G watches out there, some with just 1 alarm, some with up to 5 separate alarms. So how do we set them? And how do we turn them off afterwards? Well, you’re in luck because this is the topic of this FAQ. So if you’re ready, here we go!

Before we start, I’d like you to look at your watch – specifically at the 4 buttons on the side. Label them A, B, C, and D per the picture below.

If your watch has a button at the bottom, we can call it L (these buttons aren’t on every watch, so most of the time you won’t even have to worry about it).

Got everything labeled? Then the next step is to press the C button four times. That’ll bring you to the alarm mode (you should know that you’re in the right place, because you’ll have the letters AL and a picture of an alarm clock at the top. If you’ve got multiple alarms, then it’ll be AL1

Now that you’re in the right mode, if you have no other alarms set up (and if you do, why are you reading this guide?), you can start setting the time. If AL1 is used up though, press D to go to AL2, then keep tapping it for AL3-5.

Right, so you’ve got the slot ready to go, next it’s time to set the time (if you’ll pardon the pun).

Hold down the A button until you hear a beep. If you look at the screen now, you should see some numbers flashing on the screen. In this case, the default would usually be 0:00 (or 12 AM for those unused to 24hr time). Press C once to switch between hours and minutes. You’ll know which ones you’re going to change, because that set of numbers will start flashing.

Now, say you want to change the alarm to ring at 7:30 am. First you need to press B 7 times (again this is assuming that the alarm is at 0:00). Press C to switch to minutes, and then hold B for a few seconds until you reach 30. If you’ve gone too far, that’s not a problem, simply press D a few times to take away the extra minutes.

Once you’re done, save the alarm by pressing A once.

Now, here’s the last bit for this part. Have a look at the screen, and see if the words ALM are on. If they are, that means your alarm is working. If not, simply press B while you’re still on the screen, and the alarm should switch on.

Now that you’ve done that, press C a few times, until you’re back to the timekeeping screen.

So, now that we’ve done this, the next step is to turn the alarm off (so it doesn’t wake you up every morning at 7:30 am.

Don’t worry though, that part is a lot less complicated. All you need to do, is go back to the alarm mode, and press B to turn the alarm off. That’s it!

Well I hope I’ve made your lives a little easier. Until Next Time – Jimmy B.

Through my many years of playing with G-Shocks, people have been sending quite a lot of questions, so for today’s column, I thought I’d answer one of the most frequent. Now, unlike what you’d usually find in a FAQ, this isn’t going to be a one or two sentence answer, so hopefully it will satisfy even the most curious researchers.

To answer this question, I decided to use both a 100m and 200m water resistant watches to see whether there was any difference.

Firstly, I went over to a local beach, and jumped straight in the water.

The 100m watch that I used was the BA-110-7A1. I had a bit of a swim (20 minutes) while wearing the watch, and there was no water inside the display (which means the seal stayed intact the whole time).

I then tested my BG-169R-7C, which is 200m water resistant. Same time in the water, same result. So far so good!

Then to perform the chlorine test, I went to a swimming pool with a deep 3m max depth to ensure there was maximum pressure applied to the watches. In this case I used the GA-110TP-7A for the 200m water resist test, and the BA-120LP-1A for the 100m water resist test. Both watches got a similar workout, and I even stayed around a bit longer.

Please note: While you may notice some condensation, when you first get out of the pool - you just need to wipe off the display. The reason for the condensation is the atmosphere change, and it goes away within minutes to an hour tops.

One unfortunate thing that I noticed when I got home though, the band on the BA-110-7A1 was a little dirty (the water at the beach wasn't the cleanest you could ever find). While it is scratch resistant, it can get dirty. This is  especially noticeable if the watch is light coloured. Luckily, most dirt can easily be cleaned up using plain water. If you want to find out more about cleaning your Casio Watch, click here for our expert guide.

Hope this answered your questions, feel free to email us if you have any more inquiries.

Until Next Time!

Jimmy B

A while ago, we showcased the GA-700 series. Well, Casio wasn’t happy to just coast on its success, and has come up with an upgrade for this budget model. Introducing the GA-710 series!

This series has three models. The black GA-710-1A, the black and blue GA-710-1A2 and the black and gold GA-710GB-1A. Each watch is analogue/digital, with a garish colour scheme, making it easy to spot even in the dark due to the glint they give off. That’s because the band and body of the watch is half matte, half sheen.

Both the analogue and digital parts have a very large display area. It’s easy to read no matter what you focus on. However, if you feel the hands are getting in the way of the digital screen, simply press a button and the hands will move for a small amount of time. After a while, the hands will come back, so you don’t need to do anything else.

When it comes to analogue/digital combos, there’s been one complaint from pretty much everybody that buys them: The backlight is too dull. To take care of this issue, Casio added a super illuminator, so both the analogue and digital screens can be easily read at night. To turn on the backlight, simply press the metallic button just below the display. It’s out of the way so you don’t accidentally press it.

One new feature exclusive to the GA-710s is the target time alarm in the stopwatch. What this means is, you can set a time limit for your jog (or even for doing exams), and when the watch gets to the time limit, it’ll start making noise. That’s a great way for you to practice!

The GA-710 series is coming soon to BuyWatchesOnline!

Until Next Time

Jimmy B

Be a perfect match for your loved one with these 6 pairs of watches.

GA-110TP-1A & BA-110TP-1A

Bring out your wild side with the black Tribal Pattern watches.

GA-110TP-7A & BA-110TP-7A

Nothing vanilla about this white pair of watches! Be the talk of the party with your matching tribal pattern G-Shock and Baby-G!

GA-110GB-1A & BA-110-1A

Add some bling to your wrist with the his and hers, black and gold big case series! Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but gold isn’t too far behind.

GA-110-1B & BA-110BC-1A

If you and your partner prefer to play rough (hey we’re not judging) you’ll need extra-tough watches! What could be better than a military watch?

GA-110DC-2A & BA-110DC-2A2

Relax, be casual, go out in your jeans! Your watches will still match thanks to these denim printed watches.

GA-110C-7A & BA-110-7A3

If size really matters, go out together with this matching pair of Big Case models!

GA-110LN Layered Neo-Coloured Series.

For those of you who want their watches to stand out, you can’t look past the all-new GA-110LN Layered Neo-Coloured series. Using the ever-popular GA-110 series as a template, each model has the usual dark matte colours for the outer band and bezel. It’s when you look closer that you notice the big difference.

Each of these four watches has a brightly coloured band, corresponding to the bezel colour. You’ve got the Black and blue GA-110LN-1A, Blue and yellow GA-110LN-2A, Green and orange GA-110LN-3A and finally, the Grey and green GA-110LN-8A. Each watch band is made using a new process, called bi-colour molding, which is what gives the band its unique dual-colour look.

The neon-colours match the hands in the analogue display, as well as the digital numbers, so you can easily see the time.

Because these watches use a GA-110 template, you know you’re getting an extra-large screen, magnetic protection, along with 200m water resistance and 100m shock resistance.

Look for the GA-110LN series early this year. If you'd like a closer look, then please see the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_zXZI7u3qs

GA-700 Series

Welcome to today’s in-depth look at the all new GA-700 series! This is a budget model that comes in five options – Black, Black with Red Highlights, Red, White or Blue.

The XL casing gets an updated design - one that's sure to turn heads. With this series, Casio have combined the successful designs from a few different models and the result speaks for itself.

This is a great alternative to the GA-100 series, being quite a bit cheaper, while keeping the analogue-digital combo functions, and adding new ones that weren’t in the GA-100s. One such cool function is what’s known as the Hand-Shift feature.  If the hands get in the way of the digital window, the press of a button moves them out of the way. After a set amount of time, the hands will move back to where they’re supposed to be, without losing time sync. While this particular function isn’t new, it’s new to the budget models, and helps to always ensure visibility.

Another good feature that I noticed, the backlight is much more powerful than the GA-100 series, which means easier visibility in the dark. That’s always been one of the main complaints with combo watches, so it’s nice to see that Casio are listening.

With regards to the digital display, if you prefer a negative display, then you’ll be happy with the GA-700-1B, GA-700-4A, and 7A. If you’d rather have the normal (dark numbers on a light background) display, then you’ll be looking at the GA-700-1A and GA-700-2A.

On the analogue side of things, it’s hard not to talk about the hands. With a silver coating, the hands look as metallic as the hour markers, making them easy to see.

As with all G-Shocks, the GA-700 is shock resistant, 200m water resistant, and the resin band, along with the mineral glass, are both scratch resistant. Casio knows that a watch is a long-term investment, and treats it like one.

The GA-700 Series is on sale NOW! Until Next Time. Jimmy B

The GA-100 by itself is innovative. It’s the first Casio watch to have magnetic resistance, as well as a 1/1000-sec stopwatch. It’s paved the way for the Camouflage series, and the originals are being used by the military to this day! Now, with the cracked pattern series of watches, The GA100 Series is back in a big way! This set of 3 watches (Black, white and navy) have a series of patterns looking just like cracks showing throughout the band and body, even including the display! The cracked pattern, according to Casio, represents the toughness of the watches, because even if your watch becomes cracked, it’ll still work perfectly.

This pattern will definitely stand out from the crowd, and it can add to the longevity of the watch by masking normal wear and tear, making the watch suitable to wear for a longer period of time.

The process used to transform these watches is amazing in its own right. Instead of simply imprinting a pattern like they did with the Camouflage models, Casio’s machines add a layer of paint to the band and body, then use lasers to peel off part of the paint as it’s still fresh.

As this is based on the GA-100 Series, you’ll find the same innovative qualities that made the GA100 a force to be reckoned with. You get Magnetic resistance, 200m water resistance as well as 100m shock resistance.

If you’re a runner, you’ll love the 1/1000-sec stop watch, which comes with an exclusive feature called the Speed Indicator. If you put in the distance of a lap into the stopwatch, then when you do the run you’ll also be told how fast you were going.

I hope you enjoyed this feature, look for the GA-100CG Watches in early 2017. Until Next Time – Jimmy B.

If you’re an avid collector of G-Shock watches, then you’re familiar with the Master of G series. These watches are considered top of their range. The most powerful, with specialised features. Well if you’ve ever wanted to bling your watches up, and show off to your friends, you can’t go wrong with these three models.

First up, the Mudmaster. Arguably the most sought after watch, the GG-1000GB-1A is completely resistant to mud and dust, so you can use it in all sorts of locations. The Mudmaster has gold letters, as well as a golden dial ring, and hands.

Next we have the Gravitymaster. Made for pilots, the GA1100GB-1A has gold lettering, index and hands, and also has twin sensors, which give you a compass bearing sensor (so you won’t get lost) and a digital thermometer. It actually looks worn out of the box – by design. This as a powerful, almost unbreakable model.

Finally, we have the Gulfmaster. This essential sailing watch, the GN-1000GB-1A has a golden metallic Bezel and hands. Apart from the twin sensor of the other two models, you get a tide graph and moon phase indicator for those out at sea.