2021 will see the arrival of the world’s first authentic Casio G-Shock smartwatch. The Japanese company has been working on blending its traditional G-Shock product line with modern connected watches in the past, but there hadn’t been a full-fledged G-Shock smartwatch until the arrival of the reference GSWH1000-1, which combines the durability and style of a Casio G-Shock case with a fully functional Google Wear OS smartwatch software platform.
While this is a very cool product, it won’t be the last in the G-Shock lineup of watches. That is, the smartwatch versions of G-Shock are a nice touch, but they’re not an automatic upgrade from the traditional “non-smart” G-Shock line. Think of G-Shock smartwatches as an evolutionary offshoot in the broader G-Shock product universe. This means that not only will Casio likely continue to invest in products for the smartwatch market under the G-Shock brand, but it will also continue to develop “autonomous” G-Shock watches that will likely remain the company’s flagship products.
Fusing G-Shock DNA with a smartwatch is an inherently good idea. In principle, it makes a lot of sense to merge the world of the world’s most iconic gadget watch with the future of mainstream wristwatches. The biggest divide between these worlds is actually between the world of smartwatch technology and the world of Casio engineers. The Japanese company prefers to invent its own technology and then deploy it once its veteran engineering team feels it’s ready. They pride themselves on reliability and efficiency. This mindset stands in stark contrast to that of most smartwatch software makers.
In contrast, smartwatch software development is largely decentralized, and new versions are often evaluated on how much it improves on the previous version, rather than on perfection. Smartwatch development is therefore a constantly moving target, but Casio’s culture favors improving future products, but also releasing well-tested machines that are intended to stand the test of time. The result is the G-Shock GSWH1000, which is all Casio G-Shock in case and feel, and a Google Wear OS smartwatch in interface and latest features. It’s a good blend of both worlds, if not exactly the same as a product with both software and hardware developed in-house at Casio.
That said, the GSWH1000 does have a bespoke Casio software interface overlap that offers a lot of functionality, including various feature screens and applications. In essence, Casio has actually given you the choice to work with the base Wear OS software and minimal interaction (that is, if you want to avoid it). This means that Casio clearly recognized that many people want their Casio smartwatch to be as “on-brand” as possible. I think this is one of the best things that can be said about the first G-Shock smartwatch. However, I have no doubt that future products will further define the software experience for G-Shock smartwatches.
Casio has made several Wear OS smartwatches in the past, as well as a number of connected G-Shock watches. What makes the GSWH1000 special is that it’s the first G-Shock-branded smartwatch that Casio has made. This means that Casio was able to imbue it with all of the traditional durability and shock resistance that G-Shock products are known for. This includes a 200-meter water-resistant case and plenty of armor plating to protect the internal hardware from the abuse that G-Shock watches are designed to withstand.
Casio designed the watch with great emphasis on comfort, even for a larger watch. The resin case has an interesting surface pattern that gives it a premium look. The metal parts of the case construction also help make the watch look sharp and “premium”. There is a mineral crystal above the screen, but at this price, one would have preferred a sapphire crystal (Casio has also used this on other premium G-Shock models). The case is 56.3mm wide, 19.5mm thick, and 65.6mm lug-to-lug. It actually weighs 103 grams, which is not too heavy. Like other G-Shock watches, Casio designed the GSWH1000 with inserts under the lugs to allow the case to wrap comfortably around the wrist. Although this watch is large, it is very comfortable to wear.
The watch’s hardware includes a heart rate monitor in the titanium caseback. It also has GPS and a host of sensors and features you’d expect to find on a smartwatch, including a microphone, speaker, and vibration alerts. Casio claims battery life of around 1.5 days, or up to a month in time-only mode. Casio has made effective use of its dual-layer LCD screen technology; essentially, there’s a transparent LCD screen on top of the main 1.2-inch wide touchscreen. I have to say that Casio got the screen experience right as much as possible, given the technology and the limitations of battery life.
The top left side of the case is where you plug in the charging port, which also comes with an optional base-style attachment. It’s a little odd to have the charging port on the side of the case as a design element (it could be made a little more appealing), but technically it makes a lot of sense to have the charging port here instead of on the back of the watch (like most smartwatches).
Casio’s software experience is pretty good, but of course it’s limited by factors outside of Casio’s control. Rather than rolling out a standard Wear OS experience with a few Casio-branded watch faces, the GSWH1000 has a software suite of different applications and tools befitting the smartwatch’s sports/outdoor theme. Casio calls it a “multi-sport” smartwatch, with features designed to help track activity, adventure, fitness, and travel. The watch also pairs with Casio’s G-Shock Move smartphone application, which nicely complements the core experience.
While the watch doesn’t really stand out in terms of the core smartwatch experience (given that most Wear OS products offer more or less the same features), the external hardware G-Shock pieces and dedicated software give the GSWH1000 watch more personality than many of its competitors. Again, I’d like to see more watch faces. Casio could and should preload dozens of smartwatch face options, not just a few. The watch faces that come standard with the GSWH1000 are all well and good, but more wouldn’t hurt.
Casio’s first G-Shock smartwatch has been a huge success, even though the market knows it will be upgraded in a year or so. The product commands a premium price, and it’s clear that Casio wants to compete with smartwatch giants like Garmin and Apple. Casio frequently launches compelling competitive products in a crowded market, but increasingly the brand is positioning itself as a manufacturer of premium products. In many ways, Casio is entirely right to position itself as such.
In addition to this black-on-blue-trimmed GSWH1000-1 watch, Casio may release several other color styles in the coming months. Casio faces stiff competition from Garmin and Apple, both of which offer products with different software experiences. If you have a smartphone with Google Android OS and are looking for the coolest multi-sport watch (that doesn’t resemble a traditional smartwatch at first glance), the Casio G-Shock GSWH1000 smartwatch ranks high on a very short list of choices. The Casio G-Shock GSWH1000-1 watch is priced at $699. For more information, visit the G-Shock website.
