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Most durable and heavily-featured G-Shock watch

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military
6K views 17 replies 15 participants last post by  Tomer Michaeli 
#1 ·
Hey there,
I'm looking for the most durable and heavily-featured G-Shock watch that there is.
Am willing to pay an extra few-hundreds for it to last my 9 years military service (and longer).
I managed to ruin EVERYTHING, even unbreakable glasses and phone cases (costed me 200$ and I still broke my phone) so that's very important to me. Also I would prefer it to be well-featured and completely digital.
Thanks a lot!!!
 
#2 ·
Depending on what you put the watch through, don't know if any g-shock will last you 9 years of military service. The resin may deteriorate before then, don't know. But you could always buy an extra strap. Or, just a new watch after 4-5 yrs.

My recommendations are the GW-9400-1 Rangeman, or the GW-9300-1 Mudman. Mudman not quite as many functions/features as the Rangeman, but a decent set of features and still a durable watch.
 
#3 ·
Here‘s my list of recommendet watches for you: GX-56, GW-9110/9100, GD-100, GD-120, GD-400.
I really doubt that any military person will goin to use wristwatch to measure temperature, atmospheric pressure, altimeter etc. just sound silly since they have their own tools for this purpose(if is needed anyway). You say the watch should last at least 9years. So it is best to be solar. this reduce the list to GX-56 (prob the most durable and shock resist g-shock) and GW-9110 or GW-9100(light, relatively small, titanium bezel, back and screws ,and is master of G). So if you have big wrist go for GX 56, if not GW 91xx is for you.
Of course GW 9300/9400 are great watches with tons of features, but are all plastic without alpha gel i.e not the same level of shock resistance as GX 56. Oh I almost forgot Frogman is also an option.
 
#4 ·
I'm looking for the most durable and heavily-featured G-Shock watch that there is.
Am willing to pay an extra few-hundreds for it to last my 9 years military service (and longer).
I managed to ruin EVERYTHING, even unbreakable glasses and phone cases (costed me 200$ and I still broke my phone) so that's very important to me. Also I would prefer it to be well-featured and completely digital.
There are literally dozens of threads around here with titles like "Best G-Shock for the army?" https://www.google.com/search?q=site:forums.watchuseek.com/f17+best+military&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

Besides durability -- and pretty much EVERY G-Shock is going to be much more durable than a "normal" watch -- there are many other factors you should probably consider, such as "will it fit under my uniform sleeve?" and "will it be easy to tell what time it is at a glance?" ("Tacticool" negative displays are stealthy-looking, but they're not always easy to read in real-world situations.)

As other have said, nine years may be longer than a lot of G-Shocks are going to last without some maintenance, like strap or bezel replacements. "Heavily featured" sounds good in theory, until you actually understand how some of those features work. The altimeter on "ABC" watches is tied to the barometer, so every time the air pressure changes due to weather, the altimeter needs adjustment. The thermometer on those watches is relatively accurate (and adjustable) but it won't give accurate readings while it's strapped to your wrist because of body heat. An atomic watch may be appealing because of the extreme accuracy while you're in range of one of the six broadcasting towers around the globe, but it won't do you any good if you're stationed for months in parts of the world where there isn't any reception.

Read some of those threads in the link above and you'll probably realize why so many people recommend more "basic" G's for military service: they're inexpensive, quasi-disposable, and won't draw attention to themselves!
 
#5 ·
when i read this kind of thread i always wonder why people arent looking for the watches with the dimmest displays and no alarms and no sounds it seems to me a bright watch with distractions and noise and flashing lights is a good way to get killed.
 
#6 · (Edited)
For my money, it would be between the GD-350 and the GD-400 in one of their various color variations. It all depends on whether you prefer vibration alarms and battery life (350) versus multiple time zones and tough design (400). Fwupow has videos on both on his YouTube Channel. By the end of these videos, you will have picked your favorite.
 
#7 ·
My choices: Mudman, Rangeman, Frogman, and Gulfmaster. Out of all those, I would go with either Gulfmaster or Rangeman. Between the two, I would go with the Gulfmaster because it has analogue (with digital) because analogues allows me to see time at a glance.

Sub4
 
#8 · (Edited)
These are extremely durable but only have the usual standard digital features...STW, CDT, Alarms, etc.

King G-Shock, GX-56 and GWX-56 are even more heavily protected than standard Gs.

 
#10 ·
I was looking for something dependable and rugged as well. Ended up buying a G-7900 as suggested by cal..45
It has 2 stopwatches, countdown up to 24 hours, moon phase (althought it's tricky to set), tide (useless, but fancy), various timezones (haven't tried it myself, thought I think it can manage unusual timezones settings, like Caracas(?) -4.5 during DST) , 4 independent alarms + 1 snooze alarm, chime. And the buttons are a pleasure to press, unlike the stiff ones on the mudman.



Further reading here

https://www.watchuseek.com/f105/tribute-almost-perfect-g-shock-g-7900ms-all-black-536176.html
 
#13 ·
King is big and bulky => bigger target, more chances of getting hit / hence the smaller 5600 is better

Metal enforced lug of the GD-400 win over the King which has screwbars

King has gel but so is the GDX6900

I have most of the Kings, but the regular red, and the KG
 
#14 ·
[...]
Am willing to pay an extra few-hundreds for it to last my 9 years military service (and longer).[...]
Save the extra hundreds, and get a cheap and basic watch. The cheapest G-Shock can take all and much more than any of the expensive models can take. But you can still break them, more likely you'll just break the band and lose it. When your cheap G lives your nine years, you can be happy and cherish that inexpensive tank. If it doesn't you still have a few hundreds to get a replacement. (It would be most surprising should you need one more than once or twice.)

Do ignore those frilly things like barometric sensors or compass. They are not reliable enough in the field, increase the price and bulk, and the risk of breaking.

One watch no-one mentioned is the very sturdy G9000 Mudman. A very compact and extremely tough watch. The module is perhaps the best Casio made in years. The buttons are easy to press with gloves and it fits under a combat dress sleeve.

Watch Digital clock Analog watch Watch accessory Strap

Casio stock photo
 
#15 ·
The crystal on the GX-56 is very unprotected compared to most g shocks, with a tiny resin 'lip' as opposed to eg any 6900. And it is too thick to wear under sleeves - as it is so big it will get whacked around and get in the way. I'd just get a gwm-5610, job done - or failing that the 6900 equivalent
 
#17 · (Edited)
For what it's worth, I bought a $90 G-Shock while active duty in 2009 and it has stood up very well to me constantly wearing it basically every day through all sorts of training and FTXs. I did eventually get out of the military, but the watch is still as solid as ever except for some very minor scratches. It definitely looks as if it would have lasted until 2017 even if I were still in the military.

The bezel is metal and the strap seems to be some kind of very resilient resin and is shaped a little thicker in a way that I don't think will fall apart as easily as other G-Shock straps I've seen.
I can find genuine replacement straps for it for about $12 on amazon, but it doesn't even look like I would need those for a long while still.

It looks like they are calling the model GWM530A-1 now. It used to be a slightly different model number without the M, but looks to be identical as what I bought in 2009.

Watch Analog watch Watch accessory Strap Fashion accessory


I'm willing to bet my bottom dollar that this watch will last every single day of your 8 year service and plenty more.

For your convenience, I found it on amazon. I believe any of the same type of watches listed on the page will last just as long, but the black with red trim is my personal favorite.

Amazon.com: gwm500a-1
 
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