Casio GW500A-1V G-Shock Atomic Solar Watch

 (233 customer reviews)

Having owned the GW500AJP-1AV for a week, here are my thoughts on some of the points raised by the reviewers of this and other G-Shock models:

1. In my opinion, concerns about the thickness of the watch have been overstated. Certainly, if slimness is an *important* criterion for you, this isn't your watch. But you'll have no trouble fitting it under your shirt cuff. [Though the manual cautions that doing so will hamper the solar function.] Even my ridiculously slender wrists support it - physically and (I hope) esthetically - without difficulty.

2. The G-Shock models are advertised as rugged. I'm not about to use mine as a hockey puck to put that to the test. But it certainly *feels* sturdy. [The thickness helps here.] And from what I've read about them elsewhere, they do shrug off a considerable amount of punishment.

3. Everyone's experience with receiving the timekeeping signal from Fort Collins will vary depending on the particulars of their...Read more

I first bought a Casio G-Shock type watch back in about '82, a DW-1000, actually a precursor to the G-Shock. Still works great to this day, though I've replaced the battery twice and replaced the resin band with a metal one. This watch has served me well over the years from hiking to scuba diving. So I decided it was time to upgrade to the latest technology - a solar powered G-Shock with "atomic" timekeeping.

This new watch performs great so far. It synchronizes to the Fort Collins signal every night without problems. I live roughly 700 miles from the transmitter. In the good old days I used to dial in the time signal on a shortwave radio to synchronize my watches. It's great to have a watch I can forget about setting.

I was a little concerned before I bought this watch that Casio was relying on the time sync and the watch might not be accurate without it. This is important to me because I frequently travel internationally. Not a problem. My watch had last been...Read more

This is an excellent watch. It is virtually indestructible, feeds on sunlight, and "phones home." The common criticisms of this and its atomic G-Shock siblings are that they are cumbersome and ugly. Admittedly, it is not the slimmest, sleekest watch in the world. And no, it isn't the most elegant either. And clearly, style and comfort do indeed enter into the equation when you are shopping for a watch. But this is not a fashion watch, nor was it ever meant to be one. It is a functional one. You might wear a sleek, beautiful Movado watch to the opera, but you are not likely to subject such a watch to all the stresses and strains of an active lifestyle. This watch will take whatever you can throw at it and then some, and it will be accurate to the atomic second. So, it is a very different kind of watch from a stylish Movado. My Movado sits quietly in the darkness of my jewelry cabinet most of the time; it is "too good" to wear every day.

I have worn my atomic G-Shock for over...Read more