Is A G-Shock Worth Buying?

Short answer, yes. Buy one immediately if you do not already own one. 

G-shocks are very affordable and very robust watches that look good and function extremely well.

They are one of the best watches you can own and I really believe that every collection needs at least one G-shock.

What Price Are G-Shocks?

G-Shocks are very affordable. Two of the most popular models, the G-Shock Square and the Casioak both sit around the £100 mark. A large number of their other offerings also sit around this mark. You will find some models do go above this, reaching around the £500 mark, with a small number going beyond this.

However, even these higher end watches are still very affordable compared to some luxury watch brand offerings.

What Do You Get When You Buy A G-Shock?

For a relatively small price, you get a whole lot of watch!

The Expected Functions

G-shocks are either digital or a combination of digital and analogue. This means that you get all the usual functions that you get with a digital watch, such as day and date displays, stopwatch, timers and alarms.

Some models will also include world time options and even advanced options have things like a Compass, GPS, a Smartphone Link, Thermometer and Barometer to name a few.

The Triple 10

What makes a G-Shock different from other Casio’s is the “Triple 10”. 

When G-shock was only an idea, they decided that they needed to make a watch that should go far beyond a normal Casio. They decided that for a watch to be good enough to be called a G-shock it must be able to take a fall of 10m, have 10m of water resistance and have a 10 year battery life.

Today most Casios can probably tick these boxes, and every G-shock certainly goes well beyond this requirement.

G-shocks are design in way to make them extremely strong and robust. They are designed so that the movement is basically suspended inside the watch case, meaning it can take the shock of an impact.

In fact G-shock stands for Gravitational Shock, meaning it can withstand falls. These watches are almost invincible and a favourite among people who work in very extreme conditions, such as military personnel.  

They actually hold the record for toughest watch, after a truck drove over one and it didn’t break!

Accuracy

Being a quartz watch, G-shocks are very accurate. You will usually read that they are accurate within 15 second per months, but usually people find they are way more accurate than this, especially if they are the more digital style watches. G-Shocks that have analogue hands may be slightly less accurate, but they will still far outshine the accuracy of a mechanical watch.

Extra Functions

A lot of G-shocks also have a solar function, allowing them to self charge the battery, as well as having the Mulitiband 6 function as well. This allows the watch to connect to the atomic clock and update the time and make sure it is even more accurate than the normal versions.

Original Design

Casio watches are always original designs and G-shocks are no different. The G-shock designs are very unique and distinctive.

Given their robustness they can often be a little big and thick, but even with this extra size they still wear very well on the wrist.

They are very cool, often tactical looking along, which along with their toughness is probably why they are so popular with military personnel and emergency service worker.

However, it is safe to say that they are not exactly a dress watch, due to their look and size, but apart from this they are pretty much suitable for any occasion or situation.

Brand

Casio is a very respected brand in the watch collecting world and while G-shock may almost be its own separate company, they still proudly displays the Casio name on their dials.   

When you buy a G-Shock you are buying into this great band and I would even go as far to say that out of all of Casio’s range, G-Shocks are one of the most respected.

Casio is often referred to a God Tier watch  brand and G-Shocks are certainly a large part why they are called this.

Finishing

G-shocks are nearly always made from resin, but they are always assembled and finished perfectly. This is always expected from a brand like Casio, their watches are always made to a very high standard.

What Other Options Are At This Price?

When trying to access if buying a watch is worth it, it is always good to look at what else is available for around the same price.

Other Casio Watches

While they are very similar, you do not get that G-shock toughness that separates these watches from the rest of the Casio range.

Timex and Swatch Watches

These two brands offer a lot of great watches. They are simple, analogue watches, so they will not have the same functions as the G-shocks.

Even more analogue based G-shocks, such as the casioak actually have a digital screen as well, so have the usual basic digital watch functions.

However, these watches are a lot smaller and slimmer than the G-shock, which some people will prefer.

Vostok Watches

This a great option in this price range, but the watches offered form Vostok are mechanical. This makes them a very different beast compared to the G-Shock.

People often say that Vostoks are the mechanical G-Shock, since they are robust. While Vostoks are tough, they are still very delicate. They are made from a lot of little delicate cogs can still be very easily broken; they will never be able to rival with the real toughness of a G-Shock.

Conclusion

Very simply, it is absolutely worth buying a G-Shock. Even if you buy one of the lower end models you are going to get a very robust and accurate watch.

If you are in anyway doing things that make you worry about your watches safety, buy a G shock, they will take anything you can throw at them. They are almost invincible and they are worth every penny. I would high recommend that you buy one.