Customer Reviews:
 The Ultimate Watch for Geeks; Highly Recommend October 12, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Great Aspects:
This is about as close as you can get to a "set it and forget it" watch. I've owned this watch for over a year now, and I *heart* this watch. I wear it daily. [I'm afraid I'm also "one of those people" who gets annoyed when people use their cell phones as timepieces, but...]
Set-up is pretty easy. Open the box, set the date and time zone, let it sync up with the US atomic clock (via shortwave radio), and make sure it gets some light occasionally. It doesn't take much light to keep this thing powered; I have had my battery level on "high" ever since the second day I've owned this and artificial (particularly strong flourescent) light should do the trick if you're not one to get that much sun (I certainly don't). The coolest thing is that if you change time zones or manually adjust the time, the watch will automatically move the minute and hour hands to reflect the change.
For those who like features, this watch comes with multiple alarms, stopwatch, and timer. A digital seconds counter is on the left side of the faceplate. If you frequently travel between two time zones, there's a second clock built into the digital clock (if you want the hands to reflect a change, you do need to change the time zone for the main clock). There's an auto-light feature where the watch will activate its bright blue nightlight if it senses sharp motion (when you move your arm) and if its dark out. I choose not to turn auto-light on and just press the light button when I need to. The minute and hour hands are luminous without the nightlight feature.
The watch has an auto shut-off feature if it senses no motion for an extended period in time in order to conserve energy. The minute and hour hands will still move but everything else will turn off. To get the watch to wake up, you can either shake it or press any button.
The calendar, that accounts for leap years, runs out at some point, but that's decades in the future. It keeps track of the numeric date and the day of the week.
This is a big and sturdy watch and it's sure to garner you a compliment every now and then. I haven't tested the deep water resistance but it seems very waterproof and the stainless steel is high grade. My watch has survived me dropping it and accidentally smacking it into tables, door frames, and walls; it has come through without a scratch (literally).
Downside:
Obviously, this is not a cheap watch, but, then again, it's not cheaply-constructed either. While the casing is done in Thailand, the movement is Japanese. I've personally found my Casio watches to be more reliable than Timex or Armitron watches.
This watch was constructed before our Congress, in their infinite wisdom, changed the dates for Daylight Savings Time. So, while DST is built into this watch, it is no longer accurate and you will have to manually turn on/off DST twice a year to keep the correct time in the right time zone.
The atomic clock-synching feature is arguably the coolest thing about this watch. It is... however, it may take you a few days to figure out a location in your home where it can pick up the radio waves (from CO) midnight daily (in your time zone). There's a signal-strength indicator that reports when an update is in progress as well as how strong of a signal it is receiving. I've gotten the synching to work in MD, DC, VA, NC, and TN (and have never tried anywhere else at this point). I would try placing it near a window or at least point it towards a window (with no obstructions in the way). Weather sometimes seems to affect its ability; I'm successful about 90% of the time.
Not that missing one daily update (or even a couple weeks) is tragic. The watch keeps very good time even without updates and should only gain/lose a few seconds a month without any updates. Also, consumers should note that the watch cannot update if it is outside North America or is in the far eastern or northern parts of Canada (it is possible to turn off the synching feature so you're not wasting battery power).
It's worth saying that if you want to use the fancy features of this watch, it will take some practice and you might inadvertently mess something else up. The owner's manual helps, but really, it's best to learn by trial and error.
Amazon.com lists this watch's faceplate as having a blue color; I think it looks more like a medium purple. For males who feel this will threaten their masculinity, I'm pretty sure it won't (I'm male); it still looks like a "men's watch" (this isn't lavender purple or anything), If you're still insecure, you probably need to reevaluate why you're so beholden to gender norms. For women, I think this watch could look pretty good on them although it might look a bit clunky depending on your outfit.
If you've got smaller wrists, you are going to need to take out a couple of the metal bands (either through your own watch kit or by a jeweler; I did it myself with a kit).
If you like really big digital numbers on your watch, this watch is not for you. The hands are easily readable but it can take a little effort to read the digital output.
Summary:
If you are just looking for something relatively stylish that keeps decent track of time, you can get a far cheaper watch (a $50 to $70 Casio watch should do the trick nicely). If that inner geek inside of you is infatuated with the idea of having a solar-powered watch (no visiting the jeweler's every couple of years for a new battery and potential damage to your watch) and atomic clock-synching, then this watch fits the bill. This is also a great watch for those who prefer high-grade stainless steel over resin or leather watchbands.
I've owned something like seven watches in my life so far. This was, by far, the most expensive watch I've ever acquired. In this case, the money was worth it, though; it's been my favorite watch.
Highly Recommend.
OH BOY just what I wanted September 9, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I did a lot of research. While I like the Casio G-Shock, I do not like the resin cases. These cases WEAR OUT AND LOOK RATTY. SIMILARLY THE RUBBER/PLASTIC STRAPS EVENTUALLY BREAK. I WANTED ALL s/s. I DONT WANT TO FIDDLE WITH BATTERIES OR KEEP THE TIME ACCURATE. i JUST WANT IT TO WORK FOREVER. This watch is it. It looks nice it does what it says it will do. The neatest feature, after the SOlAR POWER AND NIGHTLY ATOMIC CLOCK SYNCE IS THE " auto light ". When it is dark, tilt your arm and the light comes on. How cool is that!!!
For Women, too! June 22, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I was looking for an atomic watch, and found this with the added bonus of being solar. So I bought it as a Mother's Day present to myself. I have a small frame, so I was pretty concerned that that it would look like a brick on my wrist, but it's great-looking! It performs well, is easy to use, and I get all sorts of compliments on it. While I'm aware that it's on my wrist, it's not too bulky or heavy (though I don't wear it with formal dresses). No cell phone can take the place of a watch, and I love this one. What a great Mother's Day gift!
NOT A LEMON! July 21, 2006
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I bought this item despite the one negative review posted for this product. It had all the features that I was looking for, and I thought that I'd 'roll the dice' and buy one. I'm glad I did, the watch works flawlessly! Not for small wristed, nearsighted people as it is kind of large, with microscopic writing on the dial; but if accuracy with tons of features is what you're looking for this has 'em all... 5 alarms, timer, stopwatch, solar power, atomic clock synch, etc. It's this gadget-geek's idea of a perfect watch! Don't let one guys bad luck stop you.
 Great in theory but a Lemon June 29, 2006
6 out of 10 found this review helpful
I bought the GW1210A 2AV which is the same as this watch only a different color brand new (paid $220 a year ago as it listed for $300+) and just so you know as of the time of this writing the GW1210A model is no longer sold by Casio anymore. There is a very good reason for that.
Theoretically this is a great watch. It has so many wonderful functions, that is. . .when it works. It has been in the Casio shop for SEVEN months (it never worked right from the begining). The first time it was repaired it took 2 moths but when I received it back it did not work right in other areas that worked before. I sent it back again and it has been five months and counting! I just heard from the techs who told me they cannot repair it. They broke two watches and have gone through several modules (the gizmo that runs the electronic features)trying to get it to work. It is not the techs, it is the watch.
The Casio service department has been a nightmare. They do not call back when they say they will. In fact they have NEVER called back until today. I have a 7 month long log of all the calls and promises they have made as to when the watch would be ready. ALL of them were not kept and they had the attitude that I was bothering them.
For months I have been asking for a replacement watch or at least that they would extended the warranty for another year from the point when I received the watch back-- Casio has said, "No" until now since after 7 months they cannot fix it. They cannot replace this model as they say they do not stock it anymore. So I am now having to negotiate with them on a replacement watch. The GW1200 is the only comparable watch. It has the same wonderful features but has a different module, so hopefully it will work. I asked for that watch but they have said they do not have that watch either. I will report back when this is finally resolved.
If you buy a G Shock get one of the cheaper watches. That way you will not be out much money and maybe the simpler style watch will work better. I've had great luck with their cheap watches.
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