If you need a tough watch, Casio’s G Shock line is a good place to look. But what if you want a high-performance smart sports watch? For years, G Shocks have been known for their toughness under any conditions. Now, Casio bolsters the line’s features and connectivity by adding Google’s Wear OS to the new GSWH1000.
With Wear OS, users can connect to both the Wear OS and Move apps, enabling fitness, planning, call and message features, and more. The watch offers a myriad of available displays, all of which are touch screens. But this is no flimsy fitness watch; the unit is both tough and burly.
The case measures an expansive 65 x 56 mm to accommodate the 1.2-inch screen. The watch is waterproof to 200 meters, and characteristically shock resistant.
Tough and transformative, the GSWH1000 is the Optimus Prime of G Shock watches. And it doesn’t come cheap. Will it work for you? Find out here.
GSWH1000 Build: Tough Tech
Let’s get one thing straight: The GSWH1000 is a tank. It’s huge and heavy, and it’s built to withstand everything. But it’s also got key comfort features to increase wearability.
The G Shock line is not known for form factor minimalism, but the GSWH1000 is on another level. The case is 65 mm wide — if you’re wondering, that’s over 2.5″. It’s also nearly 20 mm thick and weighs 104 g (which is almost a quarter pound).
Upshot? This is not a wear-with-anything unit. It’s unlikely you’ll get it under a cuff, and its decidedly sporty look won’t scan with any business casual look we’re aware of.
But it’s also built with characteristic G Shock toughness. 200 m water resistance is no joke, and Casio claims it’s fully shock-resistant despite its glass lens.
G Shock also takes an important step toward increased wearability by adding a soft resin urethane band. It even adds comfort with some transitional components between the band and case.
GSWH1000 App Connectivity and Fitness Features
The GSWH1000 is the first G Shock to run on Wear OS by Google. The operating system supports a suite of health and fitness features, as well as call and message capability and an array of organizing functions. Along with G Shock’s proprietary Move app, it should make the GSWH1000 the line’s most connected yet.
All that connectivity helps the watch’s big case make sense; the 1.2″ face should help wearers navigate through the vast feature set. However, it’s possible the high-profile bezel could limit some functionality, especially swiping, near the edges.
Functionality Summary and Pricing
The GSWH1000’s heavy-duty profile and Google Wear OS-powered connectivity make it an impressive choice for a wide array of sports. The brand suggests everything from running, indoor workouts, road biking, and swimming, to more extreme pursuits like surfing and snowboarding. It may not be suitable for casual everyday use, but it does look ready for anything the sports world can throw at it.
Finally, the GSWH1000 has come under some scrutiny for its price. At MSRP $700, it’s planted at the upper echelon of smart sports watch pricing. But for G Shock collectors, or anyone who wants a smartwatch optimized for extreme conditions, it looks like a solid buy.
Check out Casio G Shock’s website for ordering and more information.
