An unusual Gshock : GW 700A 1-V

[gettocard]

In a few words :
A sporty/sharp looking G shock with an embarrassing bad module.

Please don't be so harsh about my english.....


When I chose to buy this watch a year ago I was going through a Suunto-hate time of my WIS life. Now don't get me wrong,Suunto makes some excellent watches (I own 2) but imho way too expensive for what you get from them.
This G shock was refreshing. A Suunto styled design at a Ghshock price tag,radio controlled (USA only),solar powered and the legendary 200 meters WR.
The watch syncs with the Fort Collins radio signal only. I live in Italy,so no syncronization for me. I've tested this feature on a USA trip and worked as expected anyway.
Now,the Gshock design part. While most of other Gshock models( I own several of them) are a bit on the "ugly" side,this model looks undoublty good,round and sturdy. The shiny aluminum bezel brings a nice contrast with the usual black resin case. My model has some red parts around the buttons wich furtherly add some sporty character.
The strap is made for my wrist. Even if a bit tall and bulky,the watch literally hug my wrist perfectly and stays in place. It's a watch that fit like a glove,really.

And now on to the bad part. Yes,I do have some complaints.
Design ok,comfort ok,module ?? Soooooo bad. As previoulsy said,I own several Gshocks,both solar or battery powered. Casio makes some excellent modules,fully loaded with a lot of useful functions. In this case,it looks like Casio spent all the money in developing the best looking watch with the worst module ever. Let's see what I'm talking about:

Hour/Date/Day : ok,large numbers,very clear letters,best watch to quick "glance" at the time.

Stopwatch : move along,nothing relevant to say here,just the aforementioned large numbers.

Alarm : as most of their solar lines,do not rely on this Gshock's alarm if you need it to wake up.

Second time zone : another standard Gshock feature.

Multiple city times : again,another common Gshock feature.

Registration mode : What ???? This watch can record up to 3 "starting time" (they may be more,I do apologize,never used this function) of any event. Example : a football match is starting,just press the assigned button an the watch will freeze and store the time so that you can bring it up later once the event is done. Wow,big deal,really. A sort of stopwatch function actually. And since during stopwatch mode the time is visible you can use that to track your event. Why not put a simple yet very handy countdown timer then ?? Ever present in most of other Gshocks,it's a features I use daily when cooking my pasta. I really do consider this a major letdown.

Well, here is my GW700A 1-V. I'm very happy with it after all. I'm an avid mountainbiker and this watch looks cool while wearing MTB gloves. I've decided to write this review since I've just started recently to wear it,the poor guy spent several months in my drawer. With the battery level steadily on high,of course !!!!

[GeorgeRex]

Cool review, unusual watch! Thanks and well done on your English.

[adnj]

I really like the red accents.

[blackhabu]

Hi, all. I am also from Italy. I own the european version (GW 700 E), with metal bracelet, since 2007.Here are my comments after all this years of _continuous_ use.Sync: ok here in north Italy where I live. Noticed sync failures when working (too late) in front of cathode ray tube monitors. Does not sync on the red sea or on Canary Island. I do not remember in Spain (near Barcelone).Solar power: always full or mid (in winter, when watch gets covered by clothes).Size: sometimes gets banged against something, but no problem at all. Not even scratched!Wearability: I wear it h24, except that I do not take showers with it. During hot summer days sweat accumulates under the watch and becomes annoying. My be I am slightly allergic ?Daytime dial readability: mid/to good, my eyes are getting old and I wish it could have larger (and/or thicker) digits for time and date. Nighttime readability: poor, the backlit dazzles me.Esthetics: after 2 to 4 watch cleanining per year (water and neutral soap) the black paint in the writings near the buttons is gone, as well as the 'G' in the ligth button. Red 'G-SHOCK' painting is still there untouched. No visible scratch.Overall judgement: I bought it wanting a tough and accurate watch, with date and 2nd time zone, radio controlled to be always accurate and solar powered so there is no need to open the watch. Satisfied. The only complaint is the dazzling issue and my eyes that are getting older. Looking forward for an analog solar radio-controlled G-Shock withtritium light and a clear uncluttered dial like real pilot/military/diving watches.

[Packleader]

Updated reports and reviews after extended continuous use are greatly appreciated!

Thank you, Blackhabu.

Cheers,
Packleader

[dunl12496j]

Nice watch, very good english actually. As an American I only had to re read one sentence. Ask me to write a watch review in french and it'll sound worse than if a toddler wrote it. :P