By Osheen Arakelian
Casio has always been known for its cheap, durable, everyday style wristwatches that are designed to get bounced around and endure a lot of punishment whilst maintaining their sense of cool. This year however we saw a shift from Casio with the introduction of a new Premium line of wristwatches that are a step in a completely new direction. What we have today is the new G-Shock GPW1000 that’s the crème of the crop for Casio and a timepiece that has as much character as it does functionality.
The GPW1000 is the world’s first hybrid timepiece that utilises various GPS signals and radio wave time-calibration signals in order to transmit your location and keep accurate track of the time at any given location. Essentially, this means that regardless of where you find yourself across the globe, the issue of time becomes a non-issue as the GPS tracking system will ensure that the time is kept to pin point accuracy. The way it receives the signal however is for me the highlight of the GPW1000. Once the transmission is received from a GPS satellite the seconds hand indicates the current time and city name, while the small hand in the 3 o’clock position displays the latitude at the current location. What else could you possibly as for!?!?
The timepiece also utilises a Triple G Resist construction featuring a carbon band and bezel with scratch-resistant DLC coating to ensure that its rugged nature isn’t sacrificed for appearance. The case looks exactly as big as it feels, a whopping 66x56x18mm in overall diameter and depth giving it one hell of a presence on the wrist and although its enormous in size, it feels very light and very sturdy. For me personally I love big cases but if you don’t like a big wrist presence from your timepiece then this is a watch that might not be for you.
But how is all this powered considering how many functions it has and we all know that sending and receiving GPS signals are very draining on any device let alone a wristwatch. Well fortunately the folks at Casio have also stepped up their game when it comes to the longevity of the GPOW1000 with the use of a “Tough Solar” solar-powered system that will keep your timepiece charged and running at peak efficiency. Although it’s hard to say exactly how long it will last, it was more than enough to last for a day or two with just one trip to the local coffee shop and some time under the sun (Australian sun however is the harshest and strongest in the world and I’m not sure if this affects the system at all but damn it felt fully charged when I got home).
The new Casio G-Shock GPW1000 is definitely a no nonsense timepiece with an aim on making it as easy and functional as possible for those who love to travel and love to explore the deepest darkest corners of the globe.
Retail: $1,199
For more info, please visit casio.com
Product Specifications
- Colour Variants: Blue, Black or Orange
- Construction: Shock-resistant; resistance to centrifugal gravitational force; vibration resistant
- Water Resistance: 200 meters
- GPS Signal Reception: 2 GPS signals are received automatically when the watch recognises its location
- Radio Wave Reception: Automatic reception up to six times a day (except for use in China: up to five times a day)
- World Time: 27 cities (40 time zones, daylight saving on/off) and Coordinated Universal Time
- Stopwatch: 1/20-second stopwatch; measuring capacity: 24 minutes; elapsed time; split time, 1st and 2nd place times
- Countdown Timer: Measuring unit: 1 second (maximum 24 hours)
- Alarm: 1 independent daily alarm
- Other Functions: Full auto-calendar; 12/24-hour format; battery level indicator; LED light with afterglow:3.0 seconds;
- Power Source: Tough Solar power system (solar-charging system)
- Continuous Operation: About 18 months with the power-saving function ON after full charge
- Case: 66.0 ×56.0 × 18.1mm
- Total Weight: Approx. 126g
- Construction: Shock-resistant; resistance to centrifugal gravitational force; vibration resistant
- Water Resistance: 200 meters
- GPS Signal Reception: 2 GPS signals are received automatically when the watch recognises its location
- Radio Wave Reception: Automatic reception up to six times a day (except for use in China: up to five times a day)
Osheen Arakelian – Contributing Editor
Drawing on a lifelong love of horology and a more recent introduction to appreciation of fine whisky, Osheen brought the two together with watch & whisky. He is proprietor of the site, which covers everything related to watches and whisky. In between completing a degree in commercial law and supporting a rich social life, he is out and about attending all the latest watch and whisky events Sydney has to offer. His passion has also taken him around Australia attending a number of events and he hopes to continue his career in the watch industry on a more serious level after he graduates. Read his articles here.
