Casio

Casio Men's GW002KA-3V G-Shock Solar Atomic Timekeeping Watch

• Quartz movement
• Tough Solar Power; Shock Resistant; Auto EL Backlight with Afterglow
• 4 Daily Alarms & 1 Snooze Alarm; Countdown Timer - Measuring unit: 1/10 second - Countdown range: 1 minute to 60 minutes

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Perfect for your active lifestyle, this Casio G-Shock men's digital sport watch (model GW002KA-3V) is solar-powered and wirelessly receives atomic time updates. This powerfully styled watch features a durable dark gray resin case and polyurethane strap. It offers a 1/100-second stopwatch with a 60-minute measuring capacity as well as four independent daily alarms (with one snooze alarm), world time from 30 cities, and an autocalendar (to the year 2039). And because it's solar-powered--charging in either sunlight or indoor light--you'll never have to deal with changing the battery. Other features include a scratch-resistant mineral crystal, AfterGlow LED electro-luminescent backlight, and water resistance to 200 meters (660 feet)--suitable for recreational scuba diving.

This radio-controlled watch receives a time calibration signal transmitted from Fort Collins, Colorado, and signal reception is possible within a radius of about 2,000 miles from the Fort Collins transmitter. You can choose to automatically receive this signal four times a day, or manually update the watch to the atomic clock.

The Casio Story

With the launch of its first watch in November 1974, Casio entered the wristwatch market at a time when the watch industry had just discovered digital technology. As a company with cutting-edge electronic technology developed for pocket calculators, Casio entered this field confident that it could develop timepieces that would lead the market.

In developing its own wristwatches Casio began with the basic question, ""What is a wristwatch?"" Rather than simply making a digital version of the conventional mechanical watch, we thought that the ideal wristwatch should be something that shows all facets of time in a consistent way. Based on this, Casio was able to create a watch that displayed the precise time including the second, minute, hour, day, and month — not to mention a.m. or p.m., and the day of the week. It was the first watch in the world with a digital automatic calendar function that eliminated the need to reset the calendar due the variation in month length. Rather than using a conventional watch face and hands, a digital liquid crystal display was adopted to better show all the information. This culminated in the 1974 launch of the CASIOTRON, the world’s first digital watch with automatic calendar. The CASIOTRON won acclaim as a groundbreaking product that represented a complete departure from the conventional wristwatch.

Casio transformed the concept of the watch — from a mere timepiece to an information device for the wrist — and undertook product planning based on this innovative idea. We developed not only time functions such as global time zone watches, but also other radical new functions using Casio’s own digital technology, including calculator and dictionary functions, as well as a phonebook feature based on memory technology, and even a thermometer function using a built-in sensor. The memory-function watches became our DATA BANK product series, while the sensor watches developed into two unique Casio product lines of today: the Pathfinder series displaying altitude, atmospheric pressure, and compass readings.

In 1983, Casio launched the shock-resistant G-SHOCK watch. This product shattered the notion that a watch is a fragile piece of jewelry that needs to be handled with care, and was the result of Casio engineers taking on the challenge of creating the world’s toughest watch. Using a triple-protection design for the parts, module, and case, the G-SHOCK offered a radical new type of watch that was unaffected by strong impacts or shaking. Its practicality was immediately recognized, and its unique look, which embodied its functionality, became wildly popular, resulting in explosive sales in the early 1990s. The G-SHOCK soon adopted various new sensors, solar-powered radio-controlled technology (described below), and new materials for even better durability. By always employing the latest technology, and continuing to transcend conventional thinking about the watch, the G-SHOCK brand has become Casio’s flagship timepiece product.

Today, Casio is focusing its efforts on solar-powered radio-controlled watches: the built-in solar battery eliminates the nuisance of replacing batteries, and the radio-controlled function means users never have to reset the time. In particular, the radio-controlled function represents a revolution in time-keeping technology similar to the impact created when mechanical watches gave way to quartz technology. Through the further development of high radio-wave sensitivity, miniaturization, and improved energy efficiency, Casio continues to produce a whole range of radio-controlled models.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000FPZ44W
• Item model number: GW002KA-3V
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,019 in Watches (See Top 100 in Watches)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than expected, May 27, 2006

By 

Scott "Scott" (Arizona) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

I just got this watch yesterday, so this review cannot address issues of longevity or service life. However, I noticed there are no reviews on Amazon of this particular model as I was shopping and comparing, so I thought I would provide my comments here. I did a lot of comparisons and research when selecting this watch.

Overview:
Before I get into a lot of details, my quick impressions - better than expected! It looks better than it does in any pictures I found, in which the watch looks solid black with a blue face. There is a lot of dark subdued green hues, as well as black, that give the watch a subtle military look. The face is only blue when illuminated; otherwise it looks a bit gray/green, which I like. I also love the nylon-resin band. The buttons are well designed. They are not easy to hit accidentally, yet I find them easy to use when I want to. The atomic timekeeping works well so far (I live in the Phoenix, AZ area). I did a manual receive yesterday, and the watch successfully received time synchronization while I slept last night (which is very easy to confirm when you get up). The functions are plentiful and easy to figure out by referencing the manual. If you have had another G-shock the functions will be very familiar.

Check the manuals:
When I started looking at different brands I remembered an original G-shock I had a long time ago. I gave it to my son. I checked and was very interested in the solar power and atomic timekeeping. The biggest problem was deciding on which model. I found the technical specifications listed on Casio's website were a bit misleading. There are some functions that are listed only for certain models, yet when I downloaded the owner's manuals I found all the models I compared had them. For instance, some list the ability to turn daylight savings time on and off. I was concerned about models that did not list that capability since I live in AZ and we don't use DST! I found by reading the manuals that all the models I was considering has that capability - they probably all do. If you are very concerned about a particular function, I recommend downloading the manuals from Casio.com. You have to get the module number (not model number) for the watch, then you can download the manual from the support page.

More on the band:
I was worried because I wasn't sure what a "nylon resin" band would be like. I am familiar with the resin band, like on my original. I went to a local Walmart to see if they had one. I found a similar watch with a nylon strap with a Velcro closure. It was okay, but I wasn't thrilled with it. I ordered the Green Atomic thinking that was the strap I was getting. I was very pleasantly surprised with this strap. It is not a cloth like nylon at all. It is more like resin band reinforced with nylon - so it is comfortable, seems like it will be very strong, and it is not the kind of material that will absorb sweat and other moisture (which was my concern). I like to go from working out to the steam room, to the shower, and then to work - all while wearing a watch. I was worried about having something that would soak up sweat.


Lightweight vs Heavyweight:
In looking at the various solar atomic models, it seems to me there are some that are lightweight (like the green atomic), and some that are metallic and very heavy. My Citizen Aqualand was very heavy, so I didn't think I would mind that, but I went to a local store and put on one of the MTG series G-shocks and didn't like it. I prefer the lighter styles, like this one.

Main Function Difference:
One of the biggest considerations was the set of functions. All the Casios have a lot of functions. In the G-shock atomic solar watches - the main difference is that some have the time recorder (which allows you to hit a memo button to record up to 30 different times) and others (like this model) have a countdown timer. I really like having a countdown timer with alarm - I miss that from my old G-shock. I really couldn't think of much use for the time recorder.

The little things:
I was a little sorry to see no display of the day of the week. I may be the only person who forgets what day of the week it is, but I was sad to see it was not included in the display. I was pleased to find out (accidentally - I did not find this in the manual) that I can toggle between the date display and the day of week by hitting the "B" button while in timekeeping mode!

Reliability:
As I already mentioned, mine is brand new. I scoured the Internet for reviews and found a couple of people who posted problems with solar models dying on them. They also mentioned that once out of warranty, battery replacement on these models is more than the watch. I am curious about that and I am thinking of contacting Casio and asking about that. I also found some reviews of solar models that have held up for a long time and are still running. Although this isn't a cheap watch, it is not terribly expensive either. I am comfortable taking a "risk." These G-shocks seem to have a very good overall reputation for reliability and ruggedness.

Summary:
If, like me, you like the G-shock and are anal about knowing exactly what time it is - the atomic G-shock is a great watch. Trying to wade through all of the various models can be difficult, but if you narrow down what you want:
1. Analog vs digital
2. Light vs heavy
3. Time recording vs countdown alarm

You can narrow down your choices more quickly. So far I am thrilled with my choice, and I don't expect that to change.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every word of the reviews I read .....was true, July 19, 2007

By 

MB "orangearrows" (Gaithersburg MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Casio Men's GW002KA-3V G-Shock Solar Atomic Timekeeping Watch (Watch)

Let me start by saying ....very word of the reviews all the 7 people wrote before me ......100% true . This watch is actually cool . When I saw the watch for the first time on amazon, I was really skeptical about buying it . I googled the model and tried to find out , if there were some other websites( ebay , kenmar watches , watchgear ..etc) having other pictures/ shots in different angles which would give me little more clear picture of how the watch actually loooks . Is it too green , is it black .....? Well I would like to quote what someone else who mentioned before , it has dark green hues mixed with black ....that how I would describe the watch . It Looks so so cool .The portion above the dial where it's written G-shock + the area where you have "G" button ....that area is more like a black matte finish ( grayish black I would say ) ...and the side of the dial is like dark olive green ,,,,like camouflage green , but a darker shade .The band is very nice and sturdy , its not all fabric , its got resin reinforced with it + the fabric seems to have been treated to make it harder and less absorbent . The watch dial is very clear and you can make out everything very clearly . I tried all the functions and they work just fine . I received the automatic time signal to sync my watch ....pretty neat , did not have to place it next to that window ...its synced it right on my wrist . ..Well I am very very happy with this timepiece ...I would recommend it to anyone . It is cool , very rugged , but not too big ( like the pathfinders ) it fits nicely on a average wrist ....mines not too big and its perfect for it . 5 stars for it anyday ......Happy Shopping

26 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hope this review helps someone..., February 4, 2007

By 

M. Casebeer - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Casio Men's GW002KA-3V G-Shock Solar Atomic Timekeeping Watch (Watch)

This review is probably premature, since I haven't actually received the watch yet. But after days of research, and 2 trips to Macy's to try the thing out, I'm pretty confident that this is one of the top choices of the current slew of G-Shock/Atomic/Solar Casio watches.

The one thing the GW002 has that the GW500 and the MTG920 don't have is a Countdown Timer. For those of you like me who grew up with that little feature on older Casios, it beats the pants off of the "Time Memo" feature of the other 2 styles. I can't imagine a use for a time stamp anyway, especially one you cant attach text to.

I also found the color to be unique - it's kind of a greenish-gray or grayish-green - either way, it's nice-looking in person. Also, the band was very comfortable. The description calls it "nylon", but it's actually nylon impregnated with resin. I like these bands better than the metallic ones for two reasons: 1) lighter weight; 2) my arm hair always gets caught in metal bands.

Final thoughts: If you must have a metal band or an all-black watch, then the MTG920DA-1 is for you (at the highest price of this trio, $85). If value is your goal, then you can't beat the price of the Black/Gray GW500A-1V for only $59. In my case, I was willing to spend an extra $20 on the GW002KA-3V based on its style and Countdown Timer function.