Casio G-Shock

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This Swanky Rose Gold G-Shock is Affordable and Tough as Ever

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Casio x Kith

Classic Casio G-Shock models like the squarish G5600 series and the rounder G6900 are famously indestructible, inexpensive, and encased in plastic. (Never mind the irony that premium-priced, metal-cased versions of these iconic G-Shocks seem to work so well — because they do.) Following the release of recent G-Shock GM6900 watches with steel outer cases in black, silver, and yellow gold finishes, a collaboration with apparel retailer Kith NYC has resulted in an even swankier limited edition in rose gold.

Props to Kith for choosing a positive (dark-on-light) LCD display for its vastly superior legibility (and its classic style). This tier of metal-cased watches, in fact, merely represents a steel cover atop a more traditional plastic inner case, so none of the famous G-Shock toughness should be compromised. (If you want fully metal-cased G-Shocks, these are available, though they’re more expensive and not yet available in this 6900 form.)

Kith’s G-Shock interpretation stands out most for its rose gold case, but there are a number of other notable details and Kith branding that differentiate from other GM6900 models. The prominent button at 6 o’clock is emblazoned with “KITH” instead of its usual “G,” and the resin band and its rose gold-toned keeper also feature the retailer’s logo.

This is a limited edition for the partnership available at physical retail locations and on the Kith website, though the number of pieces produced has not yet been confirmed. It also commands a price premium of $150 in this version over the non-limited yellow gold version directly from G-Shock, which is typical for such special-edition G-Shocks. The Kith x Casio G-Shock GM6900 has a price of $380 and comes with two Kith-branded resin straps in black and white.

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Zen Love

Zen Love is Gear Patrol’s watch writer. He avoids the snooty side of the watch world, and seeks out food in NYC that resembles what he loved while living in Asia for over a decade.

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February 15, 2020 / Comments Off

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The Best Affordable Watches for Every Kind of Dad

No one knows your dad like you do, or can guess what kind of watch is right for him. Buying watches as gifts for others is hard, even when that person is close to you — maybe especially if he’s close. The good news is that, even if you totally misjudge Dad’s taste, the most important thing is that the gift is from you. Probably not every Father’s Day is going to be one where you give him a watch, but if it’s one of those years, these sub-$1,000 watches are a good place to start.

Geeky Dad: Casio World Time Digital Watch

This is a great option that just about anyone can afford. It’s got a nostalgic, retro-futuristic appeal, a lot of functionality, and is incredibly robust especially considering its price. All of this makes it a completely worry-free watch for almost any occasion.

Sporty Dad: Citizen Promaster Professional Diver

For the active dads out there, a sporty, rugged Citizen Promaster is a practical and satisfying choice. Citizen’s Eco Drive technology means the battery is charged by any light source, so it’ll never need to be changed. This will require some heftier wrists to be worn comfortably and regularly, with a diameter of 44mm wide — but if it fits the bill, it will serve Dad well for a long time.

Outdoorsy Dad: G-Shock Master of G Mudmaster

There’s a certain satisfaction to something that seems almost more like a piece of military equipment than a watch. If that’s something the dad in your life can appreciate, a number of G-Shocks probably match the description. The Mudman, however, just has that rough-and-tumble feel that seems like it would only get better by banging it up. It’s got all the specs to handle some abuse, like 200m of water resistance, and a lot of useful Casio tech as well.

Tool Watch Dad: Obris Morgan Nautilus

With a unique but pragmatic design, Obris Morgan introduces mechanical movements to this list. This is a tool watch with some character and a great Japanese automatic movement with the Miyota 9015. The Obris Morgan Nautilus offers 200m of water-resistance and strong value. At 41mm, it’s the kind of dive watch Dad can wear every day, whether to the office, swimming, or casually.

Retro Dad: Yema Superman Heritage

The Yema Superman offers a vintage dive watch aesthetic, modern dive watch specs with 300m water-resistance and sapphire crystal, and a solid ETA 2824-2 automatic Swiss movement. The suave dad that knows how to dress will appreciate the style Yema is offering backed up by thoughtful details and evident quality. The retro sizing of 39mm makes this versatile for a range of wrists, and more understated than the many bold-wearing dive watches on the market.

Analog Dad: Tissot Vissodate Automatic

What if your dad’s more of an analog guy with a nostalgic streak? The Tissot Vissodate is one of the best values out there with all the specs you’d want from a Swiss-made mechanical watch, like a sapphire crystal and automatic winding. At 40mm wide with a stout profile, this will wear modestly and handsomely, and is perfect for everyday duty with an understated retro flare.

Aviator Dad: Stowa Flieger Verus 40

Does your dad wear a leather bomber jacket and/or aviator sunglasses? That might be a good indicator of a candidate for a vintage-styled pilot watch like the Stowa Flieger Verus 40. Stowa is a German brand with legitimate history making pilot watches, and the Flieger Verus looks the part, is available in date and no-date as well as different movement versions, and remains very wearable at 40mm.

Weekend Warrior Dad: Victorinox I.N.O.X. Mechanical

This is a tough tool watch perfect for the dad who likes the outdoors and is rough on his wristwear. When first released in its quartz-powered version, Victorinox even put this watch through 130 tests more trying than normal wear would ever be — so you know it can handle anything. There are various colors, as well as diver models and more affordable quartz watches to choose from. This mechanical version offers a Swiss automatic movement for a pretty reasonable price.

Diver Dad: Seiko SPB053J1

This handsome and capable dive watch is one of the more premium among Seiko’s sub-$1,000 Prospex watches but, as always for the brand, it punches above its weight. Based on one of the brand’s most popular vintage dive watch models, the SPB053J1 is versatile and can easily do the job for a dad who just wants one tough, reliable watch to last for many years.

Motorhead Dad: Autodromo Group B

There’s a good chance that any dad out there who’s into cars in some form or another will also be able to appreciate a good watch. For those who are serious motorheads, the Autodromo Group B celebrates motorsport in a unique and fun way with some vintage cues and colorful dial options.

May 16, 2019 / Comments Off

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5 Brutal Torture Tests Brands Use to Vet Their Watches

WARNING: Watch lovers may find the following content distressing.

Many watches claim extreme durability standards far beyond what any human wearing them could be expected to endure themselves. The point is to show that they can take even more than you can possibly throw at them, but some watch brands have gone to creative lengths to demonstrate ruggedness. It is somehow fascinating to watch these small and often intricate machines survive the stunts conceived to test their limits.

Factories commonly perform durability tests in controlled environments, such as dropping a watch from a specific height; smacking it with a hammer swung from a large pendulum; or placing a watch in a chamber that simulates water pressure in order to test water-resistance. Watch factories are also full of interesting and weird-looking machines meant to replicate real-life wear over an extended period.

Protecting watches and their intricate movements from things like shocks and moisture has led to immense investments from watch companies in testing and some notable developments in watchmaking technology. More extreme stress tests such as strapping a watch to a crash test dummy or running one over with a truck probably have some merit even if they’re less empirically quantifiable than those performed in a sterile lab — aside from marketing value, they’re also extremely entertaining, so please enjoy the following five examples of super tough watches and crazy watch durability stunts.

Casio G-Shock

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Conceived with the modest idea of making “a watch so durable it wouldn’t break even when dropped,” according to its creator Kikuo Ibe, Casio G-Shock might be the first thing to come to mind as the “indestructible watch.” The plastic wonder timepiece is tough, inexpensive, and reliable, which is why it is probably the watch that sees the most actual military duty today. This fun video from Japanese TV features Casio factory tests including the drop and the hammer-smack, but goes on to torture a poor G-Shock G5600 in increasingly unspeakable ways. After being frozen, this G-Shock is strapped to a BMX bike and bunny-hopped upon (3:50). Finally, it is shown working normally after being run over by a steamroller (4:40).

BONUS: Here is another cool video in which a $70,000 18ct-gold Casio G-Shock G-D5000-9JR undergoes the drop and hammer tests.

Victorinox INOX

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The INOX was launched with a event touting no fewer than 130 durability tests to highlight the brand’s 130th anniversary — obviously, this was more for marketing purposes than pure scientific pursuit, but it’s still immensely fun to watch, and truly speaks to the durability of Victorinox’s offerings. These trials included being strapped to a bobsled (apparently to test vibration resistance); frozen in a block of ice; boiled in a coffee pot; run over by a 64-ton fire truck; and 126 more tests of varying degrees of silliness and impressiveness.

Bremont Martin Baker

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While partnering with a company that makes ejection seats like Martin Baker might sound pretty niche, it affords some opportunities for crazy wristwatch tests. Yes, British watch brand Bremont straps its watches to crash test dummies, blasts them out of airplane cockpits, and then checks to see that the watches are alright. Even just watching the video is a little jarring. While some of these watches can only be purchased by people who have actually ejected in a Martin Barker ejection seat, other models are commercially available.

Seiko Marinemaster Professional 1000m

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Finally, in the same vein as Rolex’s Deepsea test (see below), Seiko similarly tested a couple of their Marinemaster Professional watches by sending them deep into the ocean with an unmanned submersible device. This time, however, there’s a twist. First, Seiko actually tests the watches to failure (which occurs around 2:05 in the video). Also, it keeps a camera trained on them so you can see the instant and exact depth at which they are overcome by the water pressure. The watch’s seconds hands simply stop. It might not be a dramatic moment or captivatingly violent like Bremont’s exploding cockpits, but it’s genuine and cool to witness.

Spoiler alert: while not going as deep as the Rolex in the Mariana Trench, the watches function normally well beyond their claimed depth rating of 1,000m.

Rolex Deepsea

In normal wear, or even actual diving, most dive watches won’t get anywhere near the depth they are pressure-tested to. A case in point is when watch companies strap a watch to some submersible device and send it under the water to a depth that would easily crush a human body. Rolex tests its watches extensively in-house, but it also sent a special version of its Deepsea watch with James Cameron more than 10,000 meters into the Mariana Trench, the deepest natural trench in the world, strapped to the outside of his submersible vessel. Cameron also wore a regular Rolex on his wrist inside the vessel where it would be of more use to him.

April 12, 2019 / Comments Off

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