I have been a Casio G-Shock fan when I was younger and even through my young adulthood.
I loved how these watches were nearly indestructible, came in many different sizes and colors and they are dependable.
May it be to surfing, working on something or even traveling around the world, they are watches that I can depend on. And most importantly, not worry so much because they were not too expensive.
But as we get older, times change and for some people, our choices in watches change.
I think that for me, changing out the batteries for my Casio G-Shocks became so much of hassle (as I owned a lot at the time), I decided to sell my Casio G-Shocks or give them away to family/friends.
I only kept a few, one being the Casio G-Shock GX-56-1, known as “The King” for its size and bulkiness. The GX meant it would withstand the impact (Gravity) from all directions (X = extra).
This Casio G-Shock was thick, it featured Tough Solar Power (so I didn’t have to worry about battery changing), it was Shock Resistant, 200M Water Resistant, Mud Resistant, Full Auto EL Backlight with Afterglow and had World Time.
The watch featured a two-layer urethane bezel with a new structure in which another bezel is stacked inside the conventional urethane bezel. It has a hard urethane that guards impact on the outside and soft urethane that absorbs impact on the inside and covers right up to the button.
The Tough Solar Power was important for me, because I was tired of changing batteries and I wanted a new G-Shock and dependable with solar, durable and maybe it was popular during the time but having G-Shocks that were black with a white LED was pretty much a cool thing to own.
I like the accuracy is +/- 15 seconds, has a stop watch, 12/24-hyour formats
It’s important to note that I am aware that solar Casio’s have a life of ten years, some who say there’s last for 20-years. And when it dies, buy a $15 CTL1616 battery. So, I like that!
And the fact that it had World Time, so I can keep Los Angeles (USA) and Tokyo (Japan) time zones on it, was a plus when I traveled between the two countries. But it also has 29 time zones (48 cities + coordinated universal time) and you can turn daylight savings time on or off.
Also, I liked how the buttons were not as difficult to press like a Casio G-Shock Stormtrooper Mudman, which I once owned.
As previously mentioned, the GX-56-1 is a bulky watch. It was made for true protection, withstanding a beating and with appropriate light, always keeping its time.
I grew up using Casio G-Shock DW-5600’s and then later with the GLX-5600’s and here I am with the GX-56-1 which looked like a beast on my wrist.
And because it was larger, I left it on my window sill for many years. Maybe eight years while it absorbed the sun’s rays and literally collected dust.
So, I had to clean it off (I’m going to have to do some major cleaning as dirt/dust is stuck on the rear). But it’s still holding up very well after a clean wash.
While the majority of my Casio G-Shocks have been sold or given away, I’m glad I found this one.
In this day and age where people have moved on to Apple Watches or staying with mechanical (or Quartz) watches, those who still want a dependable, durable watch have the Casio G-Shocks to turn to.
While my interest in Casio G-Shocks have waned as I grew older, Casio G-shocks will forever live on! It’s a watch that will be worn by generations, passed down to family or friends. But with the release of numerous limited editions and varieties with the different colors, these tough watches will never go out of style and will still stand the test of time.
