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A tribute to a (almost) perfect G-Shock - the G-7900MS all-black

112K views 125 replies 65 participants last post by  singkarak105 
#1 ·
I've been buying, selling and keeping circa 50-60 G-Shocks in the last seven years, which brought me to the point where I get pretty picky, but also do know exactly what I want.

When it comes down to the most rugged Casio Series, my preferences are pretty much well defined, since I deal with G-Shocks long enough. I do know what the watch should look like or not, which functions it should have or rather not and what the watch should be able to do or not.

Generally speaking it looks like this:

- mainly a dark colour, with few or no coloured applications, especially no red, orange ect.
- all digital
- no square (rectangular) case
- prefered bulky
- no atomic, no Solar (explanation later)
- CR20xx Lithium Battery
- good EL-Backlight with at least 3 seconds duration, No LED illumination
- at minimum, a 24h countdown timer
- at minimum, a 24h stopwatch
- loud, audible alarm
- easy to push buttons
- 5th. dedicated light button

The G-7900 got all those attributes. Many of you already know the module of the G-7900 (3194) from the G-9000 Mudman (module 3031), which is basically the same, only without a moon - and tidegraph. For those of you who are not so familiar with the technical specs of G-Shocks, but might think about to purchase a G-7900, here is a short list of the featured highlights:

- 2x 1000h stopwatch
- 24h countdown timer
- auto el-Backlight switchable for either 3 or 5 seconds duration and automatic shutdown after 6 hours
- 5 alarms (with one snooze alarm) freely programmable for the whole year (target alarm)
- time, day of the week, month and date at a glance
- worldtime with 48 cities around the globe
- high capacity CR2025 Lithium Battery (170mah)
- backlight flasher for visual alarm
- extremely good to operate buttons
- moon and tide graph
- 200 meters wr (20bar)
- long lasting alarm (20 seconds)
- low temperature LCD (-20° celsius)

The G-7900MS avoids any coloured accents. It has a black, matte finished case and a 28mm wide, very comfortable to wear nylon strap. The appearance of this watch can be pretty well described as "uber-stealthy", but without the trade-off of lesser legibility known from negative displays. Unfortunately, Casio was not so stealthy thinking when it comes to the buckle, which is (absurdly) shining polished. Not, that I needed desperately a black PVD buckle, but at least a matt or brushed one would have been nice. Oh well, luckily there are enough brick and mortar stores around and in them you'll find lots of sandpaper

Alright, a few pictures first:










(Mods, please feel free to erase this, if inappropriate)


(Mods, please feel free to erase this, if inappropriate)

As already mentioned, the watch avoids all coloured applications and shiny parts (except for the buckle). The writing on the case and the "G" on the light button are painted in a very subdued white, actually it's a rather bright grey. The important thing is, that on one hand the letters never distract from the stealth look, but on the other hand are visible enough, to let the more inexperienced user know the functions of the buttons. The whole upper part of the LCD inlet (which surrounds the moon and tidegraph, both stopwatches and the day of the week) is also made of a non-shiny, dark grey material, which is best described as titanium-grey. It matches the subdued look of the watch very well.

The G(W)-7900 series is one of the bigger watches in the current G-Shock line. With dimensions of W=50mm, H=52.5mm T=18mm, the watch can be considered as a hefty and bulky piece of plastic. Nevertheless, the wearing comfort is excellent and the strap wraps around the wrist very well, which is greatly supported by the two "wings" beneath the strap:



Those two plastic pieces are not to be underestimated. They are the reason, that also people with rather small sized wrists can wear the watch without problems and convenient. As usual with a plastic watch, weight is rather a non-issue. The watch shows 67 grams on my kitchen scales, so it's not exactly made for training your muscles.

The 28mm wide nylon strap enhances greatly the bulky character of the G-7900MS. As already mentioned, the wearing comfort is excellent, but that opinion might differs from others, such as people who might sweat a lot or live in/near tropical parts of the world. In this case I would also suggest to swap the nylon strap for the normal black resin strap which is attached to all "non-MS" models. Here a few pictures of the nylon strap and a comparison to the resin strap. Don't wonder about the O-ring, I attached it to the strap because the retainer tends to slip off:









I mentioned above that an ideal watch for me shouldn't have neither atomic timekeeping nor solar. I have several reasons for that:

To put it simple, atomic is at best for me a „nice to have" feature that one can have, but in my opinion is far from essential. Given the great level of precision modern day quartz watches do offer, the aberration of such a watch is seldom more than 6-8 seconds (+) per month . If the watch is worn on a regular basis, its even less to non-existent, keeping the temperature stable due to body heat. I honestly also never understood, the hassle some people go trough, desperately trying to sync their atomics, when a manual, perfect sync can be done in few seconds, given the amount of high precise time sources (cells, internet, rc alarm clocks, ect) we all see and have around us every day. Although not really important, but something to think about is, that any additional electronic device is always a possible source for failure. The old saying "keep it simple, keep it stupid" carries a lot of wisdom…

When it is about solar, I have several good (for me anyway) reasons to avoid it.

First, I had two solar powered watches stone cold dead, without a reason and without any hint. One was a Casio Protrek PRG-80YT, the other was a Citizen Eco Drive Chronograph, which I don't remember the model. It's not that those watches had seen not enough light or something, they just died, the Protrek got into "Recovery Mode" but - you guess it - never recovered, lol. As you can probably imagine, such incidents do not exactly help to gain trust in a certain technology.

Don't get me wrong, right now I have six solar G-Shocks and four of them are also atomic. They sit on a window sill to be charged all the time and the all work fine. But honestly, none of them get much wrist time anymore, whenever I wear one from time to time, it isn't usually longer than a day, because it just doesn't feels right - it's a mind thing I guess.

A watch that houses a CR2025 Lithium battery (or even bigger), drives solar somewhat down the ad absurdum road. There are enough proven cases, (lots of them here in this forum) that CR20xx batteries last for many years, even for decades (!!!). The often heard and read argument of the non-existing battery change with solar watches, became for me so lame, that it fails to put even a tired smile on my face.

Probably the biggest argument against solar watches is in my opinion, the often inferior module, compared to their non-solar counterparts. Functions are often cropped, and that is a fact. It is pretty common in the G-Shock line and as of now, I'm not aware of one single solar model that is superior in functionality to a non-solar model. Not that the GW-7900 is a bad watch - not at all - but compare it to the G-7900 and you have an excellent example of what I just described.

In the end each and everybody has to make the solar vs. non-solar decision for himself, depending what features and functions are high on the priority list. I've made my decision quite some time ago (live is much easier if you know what you want, respectively what you don't want) and couldn't be happier with it.

Utterly positive and well worth to get an extra mentioning are the huge and very easy to push buttons of the G(W)-7900 series. In my opinion, there is no model, which can hold up in this discipline, some other series - like the G-7710 for instance - come close but can't match 100%. Big and handy enough to be pushed even with thick winter gloves, it's made sure the watch is always fully operable (extremely important for soldiers, also in summer). No bothersome fumbling or even the use of fingernails is necessary - Casio have done this as good as it gets. Usually not so worth to get extra mentioned, but still worth somewhat, is the protection of the module and the mineral due to the massive amount of plastic around them. The glass is recessed by almost four millimeters, measured on the highest peak of the bezel, which gives an enormous additional protection:



The Thread title is „A tribute to a (almost) perfect G-Shock" and so I will also explain the things, which could have been done better: Actually it is in my opinion four points which keep that watch from being perfect - without „almost".

- current time visible in all modes (only visible in the countdown timer mode)
- negative (reversed) EL-Backlight for even better night readability and enhanced stealth
- countdown timer settable to the second (can only be set by minute)
- vibration alarm

To be fair, those four points are rather seldom to find in the G-Shock line and I'm not aware of any model that have all four points united.

Conclusion: Even with the (minor) four negative points, the G-7900 represents in my opinion the best G-Shock, Casio brought to market to date (sorry to all fans of the D(G)W-6600, D(G)W6900 and D(G)W-5600 series, but that is how I see it) and because it is most likely, that THE perfect G-Shock will never be made, the all-black G-7900MS and her sister - the olive green G-7900-3V - will stay my undisputed #1 for a long, indefinite time. To close this review, a few more pictures from the two beauties:







cheers
 
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#82 ·
Much, Much better imo without those yellow lug / wrist supports! In his case (since the back side of the strap is yellow) the black support may not look cohesive. Unless it's a matter of how it fits on your wrist, I'd save the bucks and leave it as is!
 
#83 ·
^ Thanks for the nod, pops. :)

I actually wouldn't have minded the wings visually if they didn't stick out so much, but not only does the yellow not quite match the inside color of the band, it caused the watch to sit up high on my wrist. The spare wings are fairly cheap, just $2.60 a piece. But in the spirit of reducing clutter, I think you're right--I'll probably never use them so better to just forget about it.Do you have any G-Shocks from the 7900 series?
 
#84 ·
I put black wings on mine for the same reason - too much yellow and the plastic looked a bit 'toy' like. Much better in black or indeed as you've done though mine's snug enough a fit for it to stay as is :)
 
#85 · (Edited)
Let me add mine to the mix, I just received it in the mail today. :)







I bought it used for $55 including shipping from a guy on ebay who said he only wore it a couple times. It came with everything but the manual, and I downloaded that, and I can't tell it's not brand new. I had to look close to tell it's not actually black, you can just tell the difference in color of the black G button and the bezel in the first pix, and there isn't a scratch or blemish on it that I can see. The strap didn't smell like it had ever been worn either but I washed the watch off once it got here anyway.

I've only been wearing it about 6 hours, but so far I'm very happy with it. It's the largest G I own, and sits up higher than any of the others, but I'm 6' 210lbs with an 8" wrist so it's not like it's too big on me or anything. I really like the ballistic nylon strap, it's very comfortable and easy to forget it's on my arm. I'm not a big fan of resin straps and prefer a metal bracelet, but this is a nice alternative. It's the first one I've owned with the wings but I kind of like the added yellow it brings with them and think it balances out the colors nicely.

I have a moon clock on my computer so setting the moon and tide functions was pretty easy since I already knew my Latitude and Longitude, though I did have to look up the Lunitidal data for my area.

I have a Mudman on the way and will have to see which one I like best once it arrives, but it will have to do a lot to beat this everything considered. My first DW-6900 should show up about the same time. b-)
 
#86 ·
:-! Good catch and welcome aboard OCDood


cheers
 
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#87 ·
Here's mine a standard GW-7900-1ER, with 4 tiny drops of superglue on the bolts as they were free to spin and that annoyed me! Also a bit of added mud from the weekend's actvities!



Love the buttons on the 7900, great when you have bulky winter Mountain Biking gloves on.

Should I have got a Mudman? Maybe, but really love my GW-7900!
 
#90 ·
I got the adapters from a watch store in Berlin, I don't know where to get such in the US respectively in the lone star state, sorry.


cheers
 
#91 ·
cal..45, thank you for such a detailed review! I remember you mentioned in another thread that G7900 is one of the best G's, and today walking through the superstore I see -ta-dah!- reds and blacks (regular) on sale! They look more attractive in person and I'm planning on buying both... Thanks again!
 
#92 ·
Good decision :-!

The G-7900 is still one of the best G's made to date in my opinion.


cheers
 
#94 ·
Hey buddy,

yes I think the G-7900 is still worth buying, especially if you like the good old el-backlight better than the newer LED backlight. The buttons are still the best I have had on any G to date and I wish the GD-350 was on par with them. (if the GD-350 had the same great tactile feel of the buttons as the G-7900 and the el-backlight, it would be THE uber-reference G, for me anyway)

Unfortunately the olive model seems a bit hard to find nowadays, ebay.com do not list any of them right now, but you still can get it via amazon.com:

Amazon.com: Casio Men's G-7900-3DR G-Shock Green Resin Digital Dial Watch: Casio: Watches

cheers
 
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#95 · (Edited)
Hey buddy,

yes I think the G-7900 is still worth buying, especially if you like the good old el-backlight better than the newer LED backlight. The buttons are still the best I have had on any G to date and I wish the GD-350 was on par with them. (if the GD-350 had the same great tactile feel of the buttons as the G-7900 and the el-backlight, it would be THE uber-reference G, for me anyway)

Unfortunately the olive model seems a bit hard to find nowadays, ebay.com do not list any of them right now, but you still can get it via amazon.com:

Amazon.com: Casio Men's G-7900-3DR G-Shock Green Resin Digital Dial Watch: Casio: Watches

cheers
Hi mate, thanks for your advice, and thats a great price.
Whats the size like, i have a 1000 frog and a ranger to compare it too, i like a big G, cheers and thanks.

Edit, sorry one more question, ive got no idea about G-shock batteries, having only bought my first G-s this year ive never had to change one.
I noticed the specs said it has a two year battery, that seems a very short life, can i put a 8 year battery in it like my GD-120 has in it?

Can most older G-S like this have longer life batteries put in them?

thanks
 
#96 ·
One thing with Casio watches is never to worry - or even to care - about battery specs. They are extremely conservative and yet I have to face my first Casio, that comes even rudimental close to their specs. In real life you can at least double, in my experience often quadruple (or even longer) the lifespan of a battery. In case of the G-7900 the CR2025 (170mah) should give you many years of worryfree battery juice, unless you use the backlight 100 times per night and/or the alarms frequently, 6-10 years is a realistic value to be expected.

cheers
 
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#99 ·
Nice review. Thanks.

 
#100 ·
G-7900 are very comfortable on everyday use...look rugged,bold,stronger and muscle but not to heavy. The moon and tide are very accurate. The screen face are clear, the date and time are big so easy to see. Very clean. Oh and the wings too...really gives you the great handle on ur wrist. The wings make the watch not up and down in every activities. This one of the best g shock in his class with friendly price. Very recommended G shock.

Nice review mate. Watch Wrist Watch accessory Stopwatch Dive computer


[emoji4] [emoji106] cheers
 
#101 ·
Hi Cal..45, and everyone else here. I'm new in this forum, but I've been wearing my loyal G-7900 (black/red) for the past year and it's simply a wonderful watch. But I began to notice the G-7900MS version like the one you had, and wonder if they both run the same "hole" sizing. For example, I'm wearing my G-7900 on the "2nd" hole from the number "6". Will I be wearing the G-7900MS on the same hole (2nd hole, from the number "6") as my G-7900 ?? I'm in Indonesia and Casio here said they don't carry that version, so probably I have to buy it online. And I can't risk buying it if it's going to be "loose" or "too big" just because the "hole measurement" is different. I hope you or anyone here can enlighten me on this matter. I really appreciate any answers from you guys!!!! :) Thanks in advanced!!
 
#102 ·
My green 7900 says hi.

It was NOT easy to get one of those. I had to order from northern Italy and was not exactly happy about the price (110 €, but I had a 50 € voucher). I have no real use for the moon and tide graph but I configured the tide to my hometown so I can observe low and high tides for a city 750 km away.b-)

 
#103 ·
Wonderful review. I've been thinking about adding to my rather small and recently acquired G-shock collection and the G 7900 might be just the way to go for me. I've gotten two G-shocks so far, the GWM5610-1 and the AWGM100B. I'm really happy with both watches but both have some drawbacks for me. The 5610 is proving to be a bit smallish for my wrist. Depending on how tight, I only have one or two notches left and the end of band tends to fall out of the catch on occasion. I do like the large easy to read digital screen though. I also very much like the looks of the AWGM (Costco version with Green hour hand and highlights), but the three small digital windows are hard to read at a glance, (or impossible if the analog hands are in the way). It does fit me a bit better though.
Anyhow, I've recently been considering a G-shock with the tide and moon data. Either the GLX5600, which I'm assuming would be an identical fit to the 5610 which is really too small for my comfort, or ... the G7900, (either green G-7900-3DR, black G-7900-1, red - G-7900A-4, or maybe the blue resin model - G-7900-2DR). Then, I came across this review which is certainly helping make up my mind. Thanks :)
Now that I mention it, does anyone know any difference in the above mentioned models other than the color?
 
#104 ·
I'm still tossing around which model of the 7900 to get. One additional consideration I have is being a sort of tech junkie the solar models are attractive to me. Just something about the watch being active and synchronizing itself is rather cool to me. But ... I'm not a fan of the reverse display on the GW7900, nor the considerably smaller moon graph. No, I definitely want an easier to read display.

One other thought along these lines, does anyone ever fear getting a watch that has sat in a warehouse for years? The G7900-1 has been around since 2011 I think? This is one area where a solar rechargeable might have an edge, at least you have a battery charge indicator. My worse case scenario is buying a new watch which has been on the shelf for years already then going on a trip and depending on it only to have it peter out due to an old battery. Probably a silly paranoia, and one that could be resolved by having the battery changed right off, but who would do that with a brand new watch?
 
#105 ·
I'd rather have a normal battery G-Shock that's been sitting in a warehouse for ages over a solar one. A Solar battery will only last so long, even with power save on, and a total drainage of the battery can be bad for it's storage capacity. So what if you have to change a battery straight out of the box? It's a very easy procedure, and a lot quicker than leaving a solar watch in the sun for a week.
 
#106 ·
OK, I guess a little background is in order before I profess my total ignorance :) I had a cheapo Casio many many years ago, I loved it. Then, I went for decades without owning a watch at all, partly due to work restraints and partly not a jewelry fan. Anyhow, wanted to get a couple of watches for my boys, that's how I came across Casio's again and I've been semi addicted looking at all the different models etc.
Anyhow, I've never actually changed a watch battery before, seems I remember hearing something about damaging the seal or water resistance. If it's really not a big deal, (guess I'll have to research a little more), then it's a non issue. Though, I do think solar charging and auto syncing is the way of the future. But, in this instance I really like the screen of the G7900's vs the GW7900B.
 
#107 ·
Well it sounds like you know what you want, and I'd agree with you. I had a GW-7900B, and the display was just too poor for me to keep, so I sold it. The solar/atomic features are nice, but not much use if you're struggling to see the display. As far as changing batteries goes, there's at least one tutorial in the Articles & Tutorials section if you need to see it done by someone else first, and there are videos on YouTube and the like.
 
#108 ·
Well, after adding a G-7710C-3 to my collection, I still want to get one of the 7900 models. I have definitely decided to forgo the solar and multi band due to price and size of the moon phase graphic. However, I am having one heck of a time deciding on the color to get.

As I see it, from Amazon, my choices are:

1. Black G-7900-1
Watch Analog watch Strap Watch accessory Product


2. White G-7900A-7
Watch Watch accessory Product Strap Analog watch


3. Red G-7900A-4
Watch Red Strap Watch accessory Product


4. Blue G-7900-2DR or G-7900-2ER (I belive one has yello highlights, the other orange)
Watch Analog watch Watch accessory Strap Product
Watch Analog watch Watch accessory Strap Fashion accessory


I'm really attracted to the red and white ones but not sure if they are too flashy to wear around or just otherwise attract unwanted attention. Maybe the blue one would be a good compromise as I don't really want ALL black watches.
Anyone have any thoughts on this? I can't say I see a lot of multi colored watches on men, though I did buy my wife 2 baby G's, one white and one kind of off white pink or coral color. The white one does look good.

Anyhow, once I decide I'm hoping this will satisfy my G-shock urge for awhile :) As this post says, the 7900 is certainly a classic and will be the largest of my collection. I did find some MS versions, wow, nearly $500, oh and interestingly a Rastafarian addition, also nearly $500 for what looks like a regular black one with red and green corner screws and a yellow light switch, um, no thanks :)
 
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