Casio G-Shock GPW-1000TBS
The original Casio G-Shock GPW-1000 won this year's Digital Life Awards Editor's Choice and Readers' Choice in the Most Innovative Product category.
Its chief innovation is a hybrid timekeeping system - a world's first, according to Casio - that uses the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Casio's Multi Band 6 technology.
This technology allows the watch to receive time-syncing radio signals from Casio's signal towers in the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan and China.
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TECH SPECS
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PRICE: $1,899, available at Cortina Watch Chinatown and selected G-Factory outlets
WATER RESISTANCE: 200m
BATTERY: Tough Solar solar-charging system
WEIGHT: 103g
RATING
FEATURES: 4/5
DESIGN: 5/5
PERFORMANCE: 4/5
BATTERY LIFE: 5/5
VALUE FOR MONEY: 4/5
OVERALL: 4/5
With the hybrid system, GPS is activated when the watch cannot receive the radio signals. This means you do not have to adjust the time when crossing time zones.
The G-Shock GPW-1000TBS and Oceanus OCW-G1000S (see article on the left) were two of the watches launched at this year's BaselWorld watch event. Both are Casio's BaselWorld 2015 special model watches and available in Singapore recently.
The GPW-1000TBS is essentially a GPW-1000, but handsomer and more rugged-looking. I especially like the gold-and-black colour scheme, which runs through all parts of the watch, including the bezel, luminous markers, screws, buckle crown and even the back of the watch case.
The bezel and the back of the watch case are made of a lightweight and rust-resistant titanium 64 alloy. This helps make the GPW-1000TBS around 10 per cent lighter than the original. The titanium 64 alloy, said to be tougher than ordinary titanium, is given an ageing treatment for a vintage feel.
It all adds up to a cyber-punk- looking watch that would not be out of place in a Blade Runner movie set.
Given that it is a G-Shock watch, it retains the line's shock and vibration resistance. It is water-resistant down to 200m.
To get a lock on GPS signals, you should be outdoors and preferably in an open space. The review unit got it done within 30 seconds, but Casio said GPS signals may take as long as 13 minutes to be locked on.
Once it has locked on to a GPS signal, the hour and minute hands will move on their own to the correct time. The inset dial arrow will also move to show the correct day of the week.
It is a neat trick that never gets old, no matter how many times I tried it.
Trevor Tan
• Verdict: This BaselWorld 2015 Casio G-Shock GPW-1000TBS model might be $900 more expensive than the original, but you get a really special G-Shock watch that will turn heads wherever you go.
