Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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

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.

I was very happy with the purchase of this watch. When it arrived, it was actually less bulky than I expected, which was a plus. All of the time zone functions, the stop watch, timer, auto light and alarm work the way I expected. The price was right, the watch is comfortable to wear and looks great, if you like a rugged, military style appearance.

I have not been diving with the watch yet, and probably will not wear it for diving. My main interest in this watch is its ability to sync with the Colorodo atomic clock. As a mariner, it is useful for navigation to have the exact time, and the sky wave travels much further than the stated range, across the Atlantic. A signal was picked up near the Canary Islands.

My only complaints: The auto daylight savings time setting is not updated for the new daylight savings dates (you have to change it manually for it to be correct); and that the band is made partially out of a synthetic fabric type material that I know will eventually absorb moisture and start to smell, expecially in a salt environment.

Overall, very happy with the purchase.

J.G.

This is the perfect pilot's watch. It has Zulu time, local time, a stop watch, date, etc. Best of all, you never have to remember to set or wind it! The controls for activating the stop watch are easily accessed, unlike my experience on a previous Casio RC/solar. It seems thinner than the original, so it is comfortable to wear.

I recommend it highly.

I just got this watch in the mail today. I researched all the watches for a couple days and picked this one. When I bought it there were no reviews on the internet so I took a chance. On first impressions the watch looks pretty tough and good quality. I am crazy about time and always knowing what the time is. It was important that I got an accurate watch so I wanted one with the atomic function. I heard that the atomic part really drains the batteries so I thought having solar would be a benefit. I am a little worried about the battery and it dieing on me. I know from experience that the more "stuff" they put in something the more chances of something going wrong. I decided to take the chance and try the solar out.

I agree with the other reviewer that you should download the manuals for the watches you are interested in. I almost didn't buy this watch because I really wanted the countdown feature. I didn't see it listed anywhere in the tech details on amazon or on Casio's website, but it does have it!

I am very happy with the buttons on this watch. My last watch had buttons that stuck out and I was always hitting them on accident. This watch has big easy to press buttons that are kind of pushed down in the watch and won't be hit by accident.

My only complaint with this watch (so far) is the band. It is a really nice band but I guess I am a little odd. I love having a watch but don't like wearing them. I always carry a watch with me in my pocket. I want all the features of a watch like this that is meant for your pocket! I looked at actual pocket watches but they are always analog. I was hoping that since this watch had a nylon band it would fold easily and fit in my pocket. Wrong, the band is pretty stiff and it naturally curves to fit your wrist. Of course this is nothing against the watch, it is actually really nice if you are "normal" and like wearing watches. After awhile I may try to take the band off, maybe even cutting it if needed.

Overall, my first impressions are this is a wonderful watch. It looks cool, has great features, is just the right weight, and it feels tough. It even came to me fully charged with the accurate time already set. So far I am impressed with the solar since it was in a box with no light for several days and is fully charged. We will just have to see how long the battery lasts... Go buy it!

I love CASIO watches. My 7-year old watch just went to sleep for the last time. The features of this watch: Auto everything, made my day.
I love the "Radio-controlled Atomic Timekeeping" The watch was pre-set when I got it and the time is still solid as a rock. Never again will I have to wait for CNN to begin to set my watch. I'm sure (after having another Casio) that the watch will work for years without loosing a second.
Being solar-charged is its second advantage. My last Casio lasted through three battery changes, this one all I have to do is occasionally bring it out to a light.
It has a neat little countdown timer. So if I want to spend 30 minutes on the computer, it tells me when I'm done.
There is also a stopwatch. It is your basic stopwatch but it's useful.
There are a couple dozen time zones, so if I want to know the time in Japan or Italy I can find it. But I haven't left the Pacific Time Zone for ten years.
The reason I only gave it three stars is the soft volume of the alarm. My last Casio was loud enough to wake me up. This one is barely audible. Most of the time any slight background noise is enough to cover the alarm. I use the alarm to take my pills. My last Casio with its alarm was literally my lifesaver, this one with its so-called alarm may or may not be as effective.
I highly recommend this watch to people who want a precision time piece. If you want it for its alarms, get something else.

I purchased this watch for an upcoming round-the-world trip. It's the first digital watch I've owned. I've had this watch for 2 days now, and I love it. It will really come in handy for travel because it's got 29 time zones, 4 one time alarms, a re-occuring snooze alarm, an hourly notification (can turn this on or off), a setting for daylight savings time, a countdown timer (useful for train schedules), and a stopwatch. It's got a power save feature that saves on battery usage if turned on. Mine came charged half-way, and after two days shows a full charge. Under normal usage, it will stay charged. The auto-backlight feature is really awesome...it illuminates (1.5 or 2.5 seconds) when you tilt your wrist to view the time, but only in the dark. You can also press the big button on the front for illumination. The atomic feature will not work overseas (because it's too far from Colorado), but the time can also be manually set if needed. If the setting is turned on, the watch will make a few attempts to update the time in the middle of the night. Mine has yet to do this, but I don't keep the watch near a window like the manual suggests. I manually attempted an update on my front porch which worked just fine. I had to read the manual to learn how to change the settings, but I found it easy to configure after that. The three "dials" on the watch face show the "seconds" count, battery charge, and atomic signal strength. Also, this thing looks totally cool in dark green and black. My friend saw this watch and is buying one too.

This is my third or fouth G-Shock. I buy them because they are indestructable. My last one, after about 10 years, was running fine but the case was coming apart, problbly because I never think about it...(like clean it once in a while.) I really like this one. It is easy to use, sets itself every night if I put it on a window sill and is very comfortable for a large watch. I would not hesitate to recommend this watch to anyone.

I purchased this watch through Amazon a month ago. It is not overly big and has performed well. I work with my hands so I don't like a watch that cuts into you as you work. I wear the face down so this can be a problem with some pieces; espeacially over size watches. I haven't figured out how to lengthen the light-up time while in battery save mode. The watch goes to sleep in this mode while you sleep to conserve on battery time which is good as it is a solar watch. Even though I wear the unit under my wrist it still seems to stay charged. Still.. a longer period to view the watch at night would be nice. I don't recall the write up saying it was solar but It works for me. No problems with the Atomic clock signal. I would probably prefer a smooth band for easy cleaning but this twotone band is nice looking. It is injection molded to look like a woven product(Trad Swiss Army syle) but is simply soft plastic like all the rest. If I had one critic it would be that the time numerals are not large enough. I could do without the second countdown and the signal indicator. You need the battery indicator. On the upside; the indented buttons keep the watch from inadvertant changes which is a big improvment over the last Timex I had.