Casio spends serious money in building its G-Shock brand of digital wrist-watches. Even during the ongoing pandemic, you can see them displayed prominently on billboards, SM advertisements, exclusive brand-stores, and in almost every watch store worth its salt.
Does the brand actually live up to its claims? Is it worth the premium it charges for durability? I got my answer last month - an unequivocal 'No!'.
I had been taking my G-Shock to the local Casio Service Centre ever since I purchased it. Last month, when the screen went suddenly blank I once again to CSS-Noida thinking its battery had run out. No such luck. Instead, an elderly technician who had taken my watch in for a check-up came out with the air of a doctor announcing the death of a loved on - "There is no hope", he shrugged, "It has got completely rotten from inside".
This is how the watch looked -
The "stainless steel" back was all rusted. Ditto for the the four screws that held it in place. A watch which claimed to be "Water Resist 20 Bar" had been a complete let down.
So if you are planning to buy a G-Shock please beware. For the price you will be forking out for a watch that looks durable, you will be shocked to know how fragile it really is!
The problem with digital watches is that once you get used to one it's difficult to switch completely to analogue/quartz watches. I always prefer to wear a digi for everyday use and set aside the needle-watches for formal occassions.
My hunt for an alternative to G-shock took me to Timex (the Expedition series), back to Casio (for the non GShock series) and to Decathlon.
The Timex looked good but the leather straps put me off. Experience tells me that these straps do not survive two monsoon seasons. Also the very idea of having a tiny strip of "Indiglo" digital on a predominantly analogue watch did seem to make sense.
The Casio "normal" digi's seemed like an attractive option - they are way cheaper (starting at INR 870) but the displays seemed too cluttered -- too much of unnecessary information staring at you at all times, when you don't really need them.
Finally I have settled for a watch from Decathlon - the W500+M
At INR 1299 this provides what we could perhaps call the best value for money. I like the uncluttered, large that tells you only what you want to see all the time. The navigation is simple and intuitive and despite the large face this watch feels quite light on your wrist. I also love the fact that the straps can be changed easily ( a nightmare with Casio) - you just have to slide them off (no screws and pins) and they are available for just INR 250.
Caveat: The plastic case is flimsier than expected and scratches easily. Also, please don't be fooled by the display pics - the display digits on black background have much less contrast compared to what you see on the smart packaging.
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