I used to write reviews here a few years ago, but after the server got flushed I mostly stick to the Swedish forums for reviews. English isn't my first language, so please be nice. :)
Background
5 years after the first quartz model was released Casio launched their first watch model Casiotron (1974). This was during the quartz crisis when mechanical watches lost a lot of sales and the more versatile, robust and cheaper quartz watches got popular.
Casiotron was the worlds first digital Quartz watch featuring a calendar which corrected for short months (perpetual calendar). Casio took advantage of the brands technological advantages in making pocket calculators which made the transition to developing digital watches natural.
G-Shock
http://youtu.be/VSI0o6M_vLU
Casio released their flagship line G-Shock 1983, a line of watches developed to be the worlds toughest. The watches were developed from the concept "Triple 10" meaning they should be able to withstand a free fall from 10 meters, have a battery life of at least 10 years and have at least 10Bar WR.
The G-Shocks models quickly became popular and I always say that you can't be a WIS without owning at least one G-Shock. During my teens I had a Casio Forrester which I frequently threw at the wall to show my buddies at school how tough it was. I have also owned several G-Shock models with fun functions as for example vibration alarm. This for me is what G-Shock stands for, toughness and innovative features. Some of the latest models feature GPS+Bluetooth synchronized timekeeping and music control.
MT-G/MR-G
More info:
http://www.g-shock.eu/euro/watches/premium/mrg/
G-Shocks have long been considered cheap bulk collectors items, and by that I mean the collectors tend to collect them like Pokémons with a "Gotta catch em all" type mentality, trying to buy the limited edition models, but this, I believe is about to change.
Since 1998 Casio has released a few steel models. The MR-G/MT-G models (MR-G pictured above) are the culmination of the G-Shock line. They feature AR-coated sapphire crystals, steel/titanium cases and they now incorporate Sallaz polishing (also called Zaratsu polish or Blade polish) a polishing technique previously used only on premium dress watch models. The prices vary from approx $800 and up depending on model and they use GPS+radio synchronization for timekeeping.
G-Steel
The new G-Steel models position themselves as a cheaper alternative to the MT-G/MR-G models. The sapphire crystal is replaced by a mineral crystal, GPS+radio synchronization is replaced by radio synchronization and the models feature conventional polishing. There are also some models without radio synchronization.
GST-W110D-1AER
Measurements
Diameter: 52,4mm
Lug/lug: 59,1mm
Thickness: 16,1mm
Weight: 195g
List price: Approx $350-$400 depending on model
Release date: Aug/Sept 2015
Functions
- Full-Auto-LED light - Just twist your wrist
- Shock/Vibration resistance
- Solar powered
- Radio synchronization (EU, USA, Japan, China)
- Luminous paint on the hands
- World time
- Chronograph - 1/100 sec. Max 1 hour (also split time)
- Timer - 1/1 sec. Max 100 min.
- 5 daily alarms
- Hourly alarm
- Automatic hands clear function -The hands move to enable easier reading of the digital displays.
- Perpetual calendar
- Mineral glass
- End of life battery indication
- WR 20BAR (ISO 22810)
Case
The glass ring is vertically brushed on top and bead blasted on the sides. The screws that keep the glass ring in place are nicely chamfered which match the glass ring nicely.
Under the glass ring is a shock absorbing gasket and the next layer is metal. The middle case material is urethane (a sort of plastic material). All the buttons are protected by the middle case and Casio calls the system "layered guard structure".
All the edges are distinct but not sharp and there is nothing to complain about when it comes to the fitting.
Bracelet
The bracelet is fitted by hex screws which seem like the natural choice. Perhaps Casio should have used hex screws for all the case screws for a more coherent look, but it works as is. This is where the design language/features change. Instead of distinct edges and a brushed finish as with the case, the bracelet links are curved and have partly high gloss finish.
When I first held the watch I was sure the bracelet had solid links, the weight is good and it feels sturdy. Upon closer inspection it turns out that the bracelet links have folded parts inside the links. it doesn't bother me, but it would be interesting to know why the links are constructed this way. Is it a cost compromise or is it to make the bracelet better in some way?
A funny thing is that the bracelet links are held together by "regular" spring bars. The system enables very easy size adjustment.
There isn't much to say about the clasp. It is a regular snap lock type made by stamped metal.
I would of course had preferred the MR-G/MT-G clasp which I've read good things about but I guess some shortcuts are necessary to keep the price down.
Caseback
Sunburst finish with the specifications engraved. You'll never have to worry about the screws on the back since the watch is solar powered.
Functions
All functions work well as usual with G-Shocks, the menus are familiar and the only thing to note is that the chronograph buttons (as usual) are inverted compared to on a mechanical chronograph.
The LED-light, button or "twist of the wrist" activated, works great and the lume on the hands is surprisingly good. Radio synchronization works relatively fast and as expected.
A closer look
The mineral glass offer few reflections which is nice. The hands don't reach all the way to the edge of the dial but the long indexes meet the hands so it still looks good. The hands have black painted sections which look a little odd on photos but don't look strange on the wrist. I would have loved if the hands would have had a brushed steel finish as the glass ring and the case but they still look nice.
The depth of the dial is great partly thanks to the shape of the indexes. The dial offers both vertical brushed finish and circular finish.
On the wrist
If the watch would have been 42mm x 12mm, then I could have worn it for 99% of the time but on paper the watch is 52mm x 16mm which sounds insane. Don't forget though that the middle case is "plastic" which is a great advantage when it comes to wearability. It still weighs approximately 200g, but it feels well balanced on the wrist.
The outer part of the diameter is also plastic and the glass ring is 43,5mm across so it wears smaller than it's specifications imply. Don't get me wrong, it's a big watch, a very big watch, but it's definitely wearable.
Toughness
Casio claims the watch is near indestructible and I believe them. After 18 hrs in the freezer, it still keeps perfect time.
G-test
Still to come since I've had a few technical issues with my testing equipment. ;)
Final thoughts
According to Casio, the G-Steel models are indestructible and I don't doubt it providing you have it on the wrist. They are built like tanks and the bracelet is even put together with regular spring bars, it doesn't get more tool than this.
So, is this the perfect beater? Perhaps, it's cheap enough that you wont have to worry too much about scratching it and it offers something special when it comes to design. A tank of a watch with a great bang for buck ratio.
Radio synchronization and solar powered battery makes for a care free relationship and I can't wait to put some scratches on mine. I won't be wearing it all the time, but for active sports, building on my house or wrestling it will surely be on my wrist.
More info
http://www.g-shock.eu/se/gshocklife/promotion/gsteel/
Last edited by yonsson; 9th October 2015 at 07:19.
What a fantastic review. Many thanks for taking the time to put this together. Having owned one briefly i agree that it is a big watch, and that is the only reaso I didn't keep mine - a 42mm version or somewhere near that size would have made it a keeper for me without doubt.
Last edited by Binsull; 8th October 2015 at 20:14.
I was looking at these on skywatches only a couple of days ago, IIRC they were up for £170 which I thought reasonable indeed. The site has zip all details on the watch though and I didn't realise it was so darn huge, however I'm used to my GW-3000 which is pretty much the same and it doesn't look so large in those wrist shots.
Cheers for posting, much appreciated ☺
Very nice review.
Not for me but that Casiotron is lovely..
Wow great review and really comprehensive too. Thanks for taking the trouble to write all that detail and interesting to see what a step up these are vs the regular resin model and also good value.
I'd love one of these if it was Sinn U Series kind of size. Just too big for me unfortunately but I love the idea of a grown up G.
The Casiotron is absolutely lovely.
The G shocks I find a little too fussy.
Great review. Good looking but A smaller version would be nice but it ain't ever going to happen.
A new icon?
Superb review and photos
Shaming many of us who cannot claim the same !English isn't my first language
Paul
Good effort, thanks for that yonsson!
Inspired me to go for the rubber strap version,
Pics lifted from the net, mine should hopefully arrive before end of next week.
Superb reading for my Friday morning train journey. Thanks 👌
Great write-up!
Superb write up and pictures.
Casio are going big now on analogue G Shocks and reducing their emphasis on digital, it must be where the money is.
Here is my latest MTG.
Mitch
Absolutely brilliant write up, you've inspired me to go on the hunt for a, GST-W110D-1AER.
Thanks a lot for the kind words!
Very nice Mitch! It would be fun to make a review of that model as well to compare the quality and to point out the specific differences. I have only seen pictures of the MR-G and MT-G models but they sure look great!Originally Posted by Mitch
What a great review. I've been thinking about one of those for a while. That might just have convinced me - thanks.
Super post & I really enjoyed your write up on the GST-W110D-1AER. I recently owned one of the higher end MTGs but it was a little too expensive IMO to use as an out & out beater. I think this could be ideal as I like the metal look, its atomic, solar & is a reasonable price.
Well I did do a review of this watch, here it is for a comparison.
Usual MTG box
It is the MTG-S1000BD-5AJF.
The detailing on this watch is top notch. The bevelled edges are Zaratsu polished giving a really mirror like finish and adds a bit of class to the look. The knurled buttons are repeated in the lug end pieces, which freely spin as do the bracelet screws. Quite nice to give them a twirl from time to time.
The case is a steel capsule enclosing a resin case with alpha gel cushioning. This helps the the shock resistance and keeps the weight down. The bracelet similarly has resin inserts helping comfort and weight reduction.
The watch is crammed full of Casio’s ‘Smart’ technology that features heavily in their more upmarket analogues. It has dual time and 24hr dials, with an am/pm indicator for the second time zone and has an alarm, World Time, stopwatch with autostart and a countdown timer.
The watch has a real quality feel and look. The black and rose gold combination makes it stand out and gives it a bit of a classy look imo.
The dial has some lovely contouring and its 3D look is really attractive. The large, substantial batons are nicely engraved as well showing a good attention to detail and adding further interest to the dial.
Gold back and made in Japan.
The bracelet links are backed by black and orange resin.
This one is a limited edition and they stopped production after just a short run. Most of the other issued MTG-S1000s are still in production.
Here are a few wrist shots. It is a big watch, it is 58mm to the lugs and 54mm wide but it fits me ok when viewed from a realistic distance and not as the usual ‘wrist shot’ distance.
Here it is with my silver and red MTG.
You can see the difference in the colour of the bracelet links here.
A wrist shot of the silver/red one.
Mitch
Cheers Yonsson,
Very interesting to read and with great pics as usual.
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Thanks Mitch for sharing that.
OP - Great review.
Casio - please make smaller versions of these. I like my Gravity Defier, but would really like it & wear it much more often if it were 42mm or so. After all these watches are made in Japan where the majority of the population are pretty small.
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
Excellent reviews, excellent photos. I guarantee there will be much fizzing amongst G-Shock fans on this thread! I have three MG-Ts and love them. Sweet pieces of tech.
Thanks for sharing Mitch, good stuff! I did however mean I, as in me personally would have liked to make a comparative side by side review. :D
Last edited by yonsson; 9th October 2015 at 18:40.
Very much enjoyed reading that !
Yes, excited at this until I looked up the dims! We need a smaller version for the rest of us...
I am wearing a Sinn U1 as I type this, and coincidentally tried on a G steel today in a store (on a rubber strap but the same model as the OP's) and I would say it wears almost the same as a U series in terms of size, but a little lighter. In fact I also have a Gw3500 on bracelet which also wears smaller than my Sinn. I think Casio have a weird way of measuring their watches tbh. The only truly big Casio I own is a gwf1000 frogman which is probably more down to the odd shape and the weight if the steel case. Don't let the quoted size of many Casio G's put you off!
The rubber model has a positive display and lack radio synchronization. I agree that the specs are somewhat misleading. This model doesn't have a crown, and most mechanical models have measurements excl crown.
The rubber model I had had radio synchronisation
http://www.casio-europe.com/euro/wat...gst-w110-1aer/
Then there are 2 versions of the all steel model sold on rubber, didn't know that. :)
Interesting, thank you. Maybe I'll give one a go.
These are great, but to me one of the nice things about a G is you can just wear it wherever, and not worry about scratching, breaking, or messing it up. An expensive polished steel G-Shock goes completely against that ethos. You might as well wear your Rolex in that case.
+1! Funny, I'm really starting to appreciate early "classic" led and lcd watches.
Have really started to hanker over an early omega time computer recently
Well, I've ordered one. Could be coming to a Sales Corner near you soon if it's too big
Seriously considering one myself, can't decide if I want to go rubber with a positive display or metal with a negative...Well, I've ordered one. Could be coming to a Sales Corner near you soon if it's too big
Trimmer test. :D
Video:
https://instagram.com/p/8qPt_QoEbm/
I can't still think as being "the real deal" as the resin cases and folded bracelets feels very cheap to me. Will continue to collect the smaller old MRG's
From a practicality point of view I thought rubber, with positive display. However I think it looks better on the bracelet and I figured it's always cheaper to add a rubber later. The negative displays are always harder to read but look cooler IMHO and this watch has an analogue handset anyway. So it was the bracelet/negative option for me.
Just ordered this one from firstclasswatches, the rubber/positive option winning the day for me. Here's hoping it's not too mahoosive on the wrist!
Cheers to Ben (Binsull) for some PM info 👌
My non-atomic version arrived this morning and although big, it's not as comically large as I feared it would be. This is mainly because the watch isn't visually as big as the official dimensions would suggest. Casio state 59.1mm length for the case length but the lug to lug is actually only around 50 mm. As mentioned earlier in the thread, the bezel is around 43mm in diameter. It's no shrinking violet but as G-Shocks go it's not bad at all. It's nicely finished and for less than £200 I think pretty good value.
Brilliant thread and write ups with great pics- thanks for that. I do find these designs a bit too much Hublot though.
Just unpacked mine (basic version GST-S110-1A on rubber),
Looks like a fun option to have in the box, thanks for the inspiration yonsson!
^ how comfy is the rubber?
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
More plastic than rubber I'd say.
It's no Isofrane but it's alright.
I just showed this thread SWMBO and in particular post #36. Her response; "you watch people are wierd".
To the OP, great write up. Thanks for taking the time.
Indeed... great watch write up, thanks for the effort and review.
I normally equate G's with non metal... obviously I am ignorant to the facts! Thanks for the education sir.
Love the look of the OP. Think I know what my next watch will be. Thanks!
What size wrists do you have?
Just under 7.5", flat rather than round.
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