Casio G-Shock GW6900-1 Men’s Tough Solar Watch

I am very happy with this watch. This is my first Casio G-Shock and so far, I love it. I think the size and shape are just right and I like the functionality. I was a little worried that it might be a little big and bulky on my wrist but I think it fits just right. I have an average size wrist and the watch doesn’t look abnormally big on me.

I really like the solar function. I wore Timex Ironman watches for years but changing the batteries was such a hassle due to the difficulty in getting the back off with the wrist band in the way. And I had to replace a couple of watches when I didn’t get the back sealed properly and water got inside. I’m hoping that with this solar powered one, battery replacement is a thing of the past! It really doesn’t take much effort to keep the battery fully charged. When I got the watch in the mail the battery level was at the third level (of four), or the level just below full charge. Initially it took a little bit to get the charge up to full and it went back and forth from full charge to down a level a few times over the first few days. I’m assuming the watch had been sitting in a warehouse out of the light for who knows how long so it probably needed some extended light exposure to fully charge. After a few days I was careful the expose the watch to direct sunlight for longer periods and that brought the charge up to full and it stayed there. Since then I haven’t made any special effort to expose the watch face to light (sun or electric), just the exposure it gets through normal everyday use, and it has stayed fully charged.

I’ve been really happy with the atomic timekeeping as well. The instructions go to great lengths to explain how you need to position the watch a certain way on a window sill at night so that the watch can receive the time keeping radio signals. It sounded like it was going to be a real pain since I prefer to sleep with my watch on. So far my watch hasn’t missed the signal once even though it stays on my wrist in bed at night. I imagine that results might vary depending on where in the country (or world) you live and what the surrounding terrain is like. I live in the northeast US and in pretty hilly terrain but so far, no problems with reception.

Other than those specifics, I like the overall look and function of the watch. I was concerned the numbers might be a little small but so far that has been fine. Figuring out the controls was not difficult. I did read the instruction manual to find out about some of the specific functions but overall I just played with the buttons a little bit and most of it is pretty intuitive.

I’ve only had the watch for a few weeks so I can’t speak toward it’s long term durability but it definitely seems very well constructed and I look forward to many years of service. It looks like the band is relatively easy to replace should the need arise. Overall I think it is a great watch. If you are looking for something that is functional and durable, I highly recommend the G-Shock GW6900-1!

I have several G-Shocks, from the classic squares to the bigger and more bulky modern ones. This one, is about the best value-for-dollar model they make.

From a feature perspective, this is the perfect G-Shock for pilots, military personnel, or IT people who deal a lot with Zulu (UTC) time, since a quick press of the top right button will show both world time and local time on the face at the same time.

The 5 alarms are once again great for military people, as you can set them (for instance) 10 minutes before: reveille, morning chow, noon chow, evening chow, and taps. Great if you’re running a team and need to get your folks to a stopping point before the typical daily events. They’re loud enough to hear, unlike some of the other solar g-shocks, but since I have tinnitus from… life, they could always be louder.

Stopwatch and timers – all excellent, and very useful.

This is also the most comfortable G-Shock I’ve ever had. The case being a little larger than the squares, and the way the case is tapered on the bottom is very ergonomic. It’s one of the very few I don’t feel the urge to install adaptors and a NATO strap.

Tough solar means that you won’t have to worry about power, even if you use the backlight a bunch, and you’ll want to because the EL backlight on this thing is beautiful. Bright enough so it’s very easily readable, but not so bright that it will kill your night vision. The solar capacitor should be good for at least 15 years if kept properly charged, and it’s easy to replace if it ever goes bad (they cost about $20.)

The Multi-Band 6 sync is a welcome added bonus. While it’s not quite as sensitive as the GW-M5610, if I leave it in my window it will always sync overnight (in Los Angeles). It’s important to find a spot in your house where the longwave signal is strong. It’s helpful to learn a bit about longwave signal propagation; it will help you understand why it works better at night and why position is so important.

Of course, it’s a G-shock, so if it’s on your wrist, there’s nothing that will break the watch that will not also remove your arm. If the case or strap gets dinged, or painted, or burned, or… anything, the bezel and bands are completely replaceable in just a few minutes with a springbar tool and a small phillips screwdriver.

Excellent watch, medium size suitable for men and boys
Excellent solar powered watches last for months
No negative reviews about it

I decided to grab this watch, as it was on sale, via Warehouse deals. I’ve been looking to get this watch for some time now, but I didn’t want to pay full price for one, so I just settled for one that’s been opened already.

Very similar to the DW-6900, but in addition, this watch has Tough Solar + Multiband 6, as well as a world time function, which are great features to have in a watch. There’ll be no need for a battery change for a long time, assuming that you’ll be using it everyday, exposing it to sunlight.

This is the latest module, 3179, which still has an EL backlight, as opposed to the new white LED backlights found on the 5610U and 5600U square models. I loved my DW-6900U so much, I felt that this was a nice upgrade from that, despite having an older module.

With its rugged structure, this watch is the ideal G-Shock for everyday use, especially for those with bigger wrists, and want something a bit bigger than the square. The dimensions are 53.2 mm x 50 mm x 17.7 mm, so it’s actually slight thinner than the DW-6900, which has a thickness of 18.7 mm. My wrist is 6.5 inches, so if your wrist is smaller than mine, I wouldn’t recommend a watch of this size. Otherwise, it fits great on wrist.

Overall, this is a great watch, and if you’re looking to buy a G-Shock, this is another great option to consider.