Most Wanted: Casio Classic G-Shock Aviation Concept Watch
Casio introduced numerous new Classic G-Shock watches at Baselworld 2010, and this watch is definitely among my favorites (this new G-Shock is really nice too). The new Aviation Concept watch (pictured) is part of the Classic line of G-Shock watches, and although the name includes the word "Concept", it is not actually a concept, you can already buy one here. Unlike most Casio G-Shock "Classics", which are made of resin, this watch features a steel case and bracelet. It is a more premium G-Shock than is usually sold in the US market, and this is definitely a good thing. The only downside, is a higher price.
You definitely get what you pay for, though. It is very rugged, like any other G-Shock, except this one is not your average G-Shock. It is powered by a extremely shock and stress resistant "Tough" movement that has been designed and tested to withstand the high G-forces associated with air racing (it can actually withstand more than 12Gs). Most of us will never be exposed to anywhere near that many G-forces, especially for a long period of time. But if you are, and you are wearing this, it will still be ticking.
That brings me to the next cool feature, a feature that actually reached many of the G-Shocks this year - analog hands. Some of the new models have both digital and analog displays. This one, however, has a more premium, analog only display. This means you actually do see a hand ticking (it is quartz so it ticks, instead of sweeping smoothly like a mechanical, still that is better than a digital readout in my opinion). Many older G-Shocks feature a digital only display, and I think the addition of actual analog readouts, with ticking hands, is a nice improvement.
The movement is a solar-powered Japanese quartz. So light enters through the dial and powers a rechargeable battery. Solar powered quartz is great because it is better for the environment and you never need to replace the battery. It can actually last up to 5 months without light (if fully charged).
On top of telling the time in 12 or 24 hour format, with very high atomic precision (which I'll discuss below) it also features a chronograph with 1/100th of a second accuracy, separate day and date functions, a beeping alarm.
As I mentioned above, this watch features ultra precise multi-band atomic timekeeping. This allows the watch to pick up the radio signal from any of the world's atomic clocks. The six atomic clocks throughout the world (USA, United Kingdom, Germany, China and Japan has two). You basically need to let your watch sync with the nearest atomic clock, which sends constantly sends out a radio signal. The watch will automatically try to sync (6 times) everyday, and you can also sync it manually. For example, if you are traveling and would like to set the time once you arrive at your destination in a new timezone, you then just need to set it to the correct city and activate the manual atomic sync function. If you have a clear view and are facing the correct way (towards the nearest atomic tower), and you are within about 2000 miles or less of the nearest atomic clock, then it should set your time to the second. In the rare instance that it doesn't work, you can try again from another location or just manually set the time the old fashioned way. Learn more about atomic timekeeping here.
Water-resistance is 200 meters. It comes with an integrated metal bracelet with a folding clasp. It is currently available here. Overall, I think this is a great new version of the popular Classic line of G-Shock watches, with some nice new features and design elements that easily justify a higher than average price tag.
Ref GW3000BD-1A
Retail $360
Source: Casio
