Looking like your prized 80s Casio ripped on steroids, the Gulfman is waterproof to 200m, rust-proof and shockproof.

It stores an impressive 29 time zones, so start learning excuses for being late in every known language. Tell it longitude and latitude info and it’ll give you a tide graph and moon phase data, so surfers and werewolves will be pleased.

You do forgo the comfort of pristine leather for an industrial-strength rubber strap and bulky fascia straight out of Inspector Gadget, but it also lights up- excellent if you’re lost in a dark (wet, rusty and shocking) place.

Thank to http://www.t3.com/reviews/lifestyle/watches/casio-g-shock-gulfman-g9100-1 for info

CNET editors’ review

• Reviewed by: Rich Brown
• Edited by: Rebecca Viksnins
• Reviewed on: 07/23/2004

Considering its heft, the Casio G-Shock Atomic Solar watch ($99 list) won’t help you beat the clock. But since it can record up to 30 different start and stop times, as well as double as a split-time stopwatch that records two finishes, anyone wearing the G-Shock on the sidelines will be well equipped to perform timekeeper duties. On-the-go professionals will like the G-Shock’s ability to display multiple time zones, although its decidedly rugged looks may be too outdoorsy for board meetings.

Shock- and water-resistant to 200 meters, the durable G-Shock Atomic Solar is suitable for wearing while mountain biking, chilling at the beach, or trudging to a campsite. Hikers with full packs, competitive runners, and swimmers will balk at the relatively heavy 2.4-ounce watch, encased in a not-especially-breathable black plastic resin. The four recessed function buttons are also difficult to press, which is less than ideal for stopping the timers with precision, especially if you’re on the move.

Navigating the various modes and their functions will require some time spent studying the manual, and even then, it will take a while to get used to the interface. Of particular complexity is setting the time with the radio signal broadcast from the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s atomic clock in Fort Collins, Colorado. Signal strength depends on your proximity to the source, so while anyone living in the United States is technically within range, those living within 600 miles of Fort Collins have the best chance of holding on to the signal. We tried calibrating from our office in New York, but our famed concrete-and-steel canyons lived up to their reputation as a no-man’s-land for radio waves. And although the G-Shock takes a few minutes to tell you that it can’t receive the signal, it reverts back to its currently programmed time, so you don’t lose anything for trying.

As with all radio signals, distance, weather, and physical obstructions such as mountains and buildings interfere with the broadcast, so denizens of coastal cities especially may have to suffer the indignity of setting the time manually. At least you won’t have to worry about reception for the solar charger, which can draw power from the sun as well as man-made light. There’s even a handy power meter. The G-Shock is backed up by a one-year warranty, which feels skimpy given the brand’s reputation for toughness.

Compared to other rugged, sporty models we’ve reviewed, the Casio G Shock Atomic Solar watch is a little soft on features. Still, extreme-sports aficionados will like its durability, and environmentally conscious outdoorsy folks will surely dig that it’s solar-powered. If you’re looking for a lighter watch to take on your next hike, check out the HighGear Axis. Serious athletes and runners will find other products, such as the Nike Triax Elite and the Suunto X6-HR, better suited to their needs.

Thank to http://reviews.cnet.com/watches-and-wrist-devices/casio-g-shock-atomic/4505-3512_7-30980424.html

Anyone who knows me and has talked tech stuff with me for a few hours, eventually figures out I have a thing about batteries. Specifically, I don’t think they’re as good as they should be. They’re a technology that hasn’t changed much, and are outdistanced by the tech they’re supposed to power. So, we’re given really cool devices that are hindered by limited batteries. Yes, certain improvements have been made with rechargeable batteries, but, I feel, not enough.

What is the Casio G Shock Atomic Solar Watch?

The Casio G Shock Atomic Solar watch caught my eye because they do certain things making them unique among many other watches. Yes, the G-Shock features five alarms, countdown and stopwatch timers, world time, date display, et cetera. But if you’re reading this review, you probably knew all that, or aren’t impressed. You’re more concerned about two words in the watch name, specifically “atomic” and “solar“.

Solar powered charging: They never need replacement batteries, saving you the hassle of periodic maintenance, allowing you to say, “Yes, my watch is environmentally friendly!”

Atomic clock sync: Their time never needs to be set. With the help of a freely-available radio signal, they set themselves. Your time is always accurate.

Design: These watches are STURDY. They’re solid, scratch-resistant, waterproof to a couple hundred feet, and are simply just comfortable being abused.

So what about this solar power and atomic sync?

Solar powered charging: The watch face consists of a solar cell that converts available light into electricity. This electricity charges an internal battery. That battery powers the watch. If the lights go out, the watch will continue to run for up to seven months on battery power. It’s not difficult:

For detailed information about how long the watch takes to charge under what conditions, and the amount and type of light needed to maintain a charge,see the G-Shock manual: Go to http://world.casio.com/wat/download/en/manual, and type the module number (located on the back of the watch). This model is module 3335.

Atomic clock sync: The watch is designed to pick up a radio signal broadcast from Fort Collins, Colorado. Multiple times per night, it will look for this signal, and adjust its time if needed. This allows the watch to keep excellent time accuracy. You never need to set it. The time synchronization can also be triggered manually. The watch keeps track of its last successful sync. I was able to see it was indeed automatically syncing successfully, usually every day after midnight.

Any other features?

It’s water resistant to “20 bars”. That’s fancy diver-talk for being water resistant to 200 meters. (What is a bar? It depends on your altitude and your surroundings, but one bar is roughly equal to 10 meters. “Bars” are also sometimes called an “atmosphere”, or an ATM.)

Another cool feature is what appears to be a motion sensor: When it’s dark, and you lift and turn your arm to look at the watch, the watch senses this motion and turns on the backlight for a couple seconds, allowing you to read the time. An selectable feature mentioned in the manual, it’s clever and very handy.

Casio G-Shock Problems

Normally, the watch attempts to sync nightly with the time synchronization signal from Fort Collins, Colorado. Depending on interference like weather, your surroundings and distance from the Colorado transmitter, this doesn’t always work. I could rarely get syncing to work in or outside my home in Michigan. Granted, we’re talking about a watch that has an accuracy of plus or minus 20 seconds per month. So even a 99% continual failure rate of the atomic sync means your time may be off by just over one minute. In my book, not a big deal. The directions do say the watch will receive the sync signal from up to 600 miles away, and will probably receive the sync signal from up to 2000 miles away (this covers the continental USA, Mexico, and much of Canada), though between 600-2000 miles, “signal reception may not be possible during certain times of year or times of day”.

This is a mixed analog-digital watch, with analog minute and hour hands, and digital numbers and letters detailing seconds, date, and other aspects of the watch. These characters are tan on a black background. In bright light, the digital readout is fine, but if lighting is dim, the digital display is difficult to read (and the backlight is no help). Not a significant issue, but noticeable enough I wondered why higher-contrast colors weren’t used in the design.

Conclusion

Doing the job I do means I don’t wear a watch. I’d have to remove it too often. I frequently reach into computer guts and messes of cabling, and a watch would get in the way or short-circuit something important. When typing, I rest my hands on the keyboard in a way where watches press uncomfortably against my wrist. This model of Casio G Shock Watch, with it’s beefier shock-absorbing construction and solid design, is a larger, heavier watch than you may be used to. If this isn’t an issue, the watch performs well, looks impressive, and has features beyond most other watches today. If I did wear a watch, I’d probably wear something much like the G-Shock. While there are plenty of Atomic Solar watches in the G-Shock line, I’d recommend the GW-1200BA for those looking for a bit of techie class.

The Casio G-Shock GW-1200BA Module 3335 retails near $250.

Yeah! Thank to http://www.andybrain.com/extras/casio-g-shock-gw1200ba-review.htm for reviewing this casio g shock watch model 

We don’t care what Casio says — an atomic, radio-calibrated, solar powered timepiece with 5 motors should shoot laser beams. But until they release a timepiece that can do that, we’re happy making due with the GIEZ GS-1100. The hulking update to Casio’s durable G-Shock line brings all the knuckle-busting features we’ve grown to love — shockproofing, waterproofing (up to 200 meters), and battery ditching solar power. However, unlike previous Casio g shock watch, the GIEZ hides martini-shaking sophistication under its tough exterior. With the press of a couple buttons it can wind itself to local time via over-the-air radio frequencies. But don’t get your hopes up, Mr. Bond — all this cutting-edge sweetness is easily soured with an accidental button press. When we unintentionally calibrated it for London time, it took the better part of 3 minutes to cycle back through the timepiece’s 27 pre-programmed cities. The shotgun blast of information displayed on its face only added to the confusion during some of the more advanced maneuvers like switching from “stopwatch” to “‘alarm clock.” A good 5 minutes with the manual remedied all this, but be forewarned — the GIEZ isn’t designed for the uninitiated man of mystery. —Terrence Russell

WIRED Secret agent looks, versatility and durability. Up to 5 months of operation off of one solar charge. Automatically syncs to atomic time up to 6 times a day. Sturdy band ensures stable placement without painfully stripping wrist hair. Auto calendar tracks date until 2099 or the Apocalypse — whichever comes first.

TIRED Requires a good 10 minutes of setup out of box. Manual winding is a complicated nightmare. Low battery means losing stopwatch and alarm features. Over-the-air syncing can take up to 5 minutes. Minimalist 4-button control scheme sucks for advanced functions. Watch hands glow dimly in complete darkness.    

Thank to http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/12/review-casio-g.html

I had strayed from the quartz digital path in the last few years thanks to my obsession with mechanicals, but I’ve always thought I’d like to return to the fold. Last week I received two Casio watches, a Pathfinder and a G-Shock, and I am happy to say that I’m pleasantly surprised.

Now I know you all like your ETAs and Big Bangs, but a watch like the G-Shock G7500-1V is pretty sassy little number that can help road warriors stay awake on the red-eye and might survive a nasty turn at the baggage claim.

The feature-set is pretty compelling for a traveller: databank which can hold 30 “memos” including telephone numbers, a world-time feature, and three alarms. Plus, the G7500 has a vibrating alarm, which is really a nice treat. Did it wake me up this morning? No. But it’s cool.

The vibrating alarm is kind of like a low-powered cellphone vibration. It’s not sufficient to rouse one out of a deep sleep but it’s definitely great for meetings. The other features on this stock 2943 movement are standard – countdown timer, chronograph, and EL backlight – and are all controlled by an Adjust button at 10 o’clock. The G at the bottom activates the backlight and the Mode button at 7 o’clock switches to from feature to feature.

That’s all well and good. This is the age of wrist computers and this is no exception. It’s very easy to use, intuitive even without a manual, and quite clearly useful little watch. Now, on to styling.

As we all know, the G-Shock line is supposed to look like Voltron in his zygote stage. This watch is no exception. The lines are sharp and stark and the long band will fit anyone – from the wrist of the most mewling sissy to my Dad, who literally has a 8-inch wrist.

This particular model has a black and red color scheme and doesn’t go well with a three-piece suit and Prada shoes. However, as we’ve seen, the idea of “accessorizing” watches hasn’t really taken off with Americans and Timex and Casio digitals, it seems, is the watch of choice for politicians attempting to mix with the proletariat.

On the whole, this is a nice $70 weekend traveling watch, although a nice steel diver and a dress watch should also end up in the overnight bag.

Quality: 3/5
Style: 3/5
Overall: 3/5

– John Biggs

Thank this info to http://www.wristwatchreview.com/2006/01/24/review-casio-g-shock-g7500-1v/

Considering its heft, the Casio G Shock Atomic Solar watch ($99 list) won’t help you beat the clock. But since it can record up to 30 different start and stop times, as well as double as a split-time stopwatch that records two finishes, anyone wearing the Casio G Shock watch on the sidelines will be well equipped to perform timekeeper duties. On-the-go professionals will like the G Shock ‘s ability to display multiple time zones, although its decidedly rugged looks may be too outdoorsy for board meetings.

Shock- and water-resistant to 200 meters, the durable G Shock Atomic Solar is suitable for wearing while mountain biking, chilling at the beach, or trudging to a campsite. Hikers with full packs, competitive runners, and swimmers will balk at the relatively heavy 2.4-ounce watch, encased in a not-especially-breathable black plastic resin. The four recessed function buttons are also difficult to press, which is less than ideal for stopping the timers with precision, especially if you’re on the move.

Navigating the various modes and their functions will require some time spent studying the manual, and even then, it will take a while to get used to the interface. Of particular complexity is setting the time with the radio signal broadcast from the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s atomic clock in Fort Collins, Colorado. Signal strength depends on your proximity to the source, so while anyone living in the United States is technically within range, those living within 600 miles of Fort Collins have the best chance of holding on to the signal. We tried calibrating from our office in New York, but our famed concrete-and-steel canyons lived up to their reputation as a no-man’s-land for radio waves. And although the G Shock takes a few minutes to tell you that it can’t receive the signal, it reverts back to its currently programmed time, so you don’t lose anything for trying.

As with all radio signals, distance, weather, and physical obstructions such as mountains and buildings interfere with the broadcast, so denizens of coastal cities especially may have to suffer the indignity of setting the time manually. At least you won’t have to worry about reception for the solar charger, which can draw power from the sun as well as man-made light. There’s even a handy power meter. The Casio G Shock watch  is backed up by a one-year warranty, which feels skimpy given the brand’s reputation for toughness.

Compared to other rugged, sporty models we’ve reviewed, the Casio G Shock Atomic Solar watch is a little soft on features. Still, extreme-sports aficionados will like its durability, and environmentally conscious outdoorsy folks will surely dig that it’s solar-powered. If you’re looking for a lighter watch to take on your next hike, check out the HighGear Axis. Serious athletes and runners will find other products, such as the Nike Triax Elite and the Suunto X6-HR, better suited to their needs.

Thank to http://reviews.cnet.com/watches-and-wrist-devices/casio-g-shock-atomic/4505-3512_7-30980424.html