Customer Reviews

Casio Men's GW1400DA-4AV G-Shock Atomic Solar Watch

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Looks very solid, but feels a bit heavy on the wrist. The accuracy of radio controlled ("atomic")timepieces is beyond compare. So if the "atomic signal" can be received, a $10,000+ Swiss watch will not be any more accurate. Looks like it can take a beating. A nice touch is the glass crystal, which doesn't scratch like the plastic ones. The only real issue I have is that unlike other Casio atomic watches, there is no visible receiving indicator to tell if it has indeed synched with the atomic clock in Colorado. However, being that I own several atomic watches and clocks, I can easily see that this Casio is in sync. Looks a bit casual, but much less so than the plastic G-Shock watches. Also, the analog dial, to me, is much more appealing than all-digital. All in all, a very good watch at a reasonble price. I'd rate it 4 1/2 stars. NOTE: If you are looking for a multiple alarm, databank-type watch, or one with barometers, etc. this is not the one. There are plenty of other Casio models out there. If you are looking for basic, ACCURATE solar-powered time, this is the one.

Follow-up: The new reviewer "J. Tashima" in Los Angeles is correct. You can push a button to receive "GET" which tells you the last date and time of signal reception. However, other Casio atomics have a visual "antenna" symbol, which lets you know that it has received, without having to push a button. Seems to be much more convenient, although this criticism is minor. I have noticed that the reception is slightly more "touchy" for me than the other three Casio Atomics I own, two of which are much cheaper all-digital models. The key to this one is finding a good location in your house. Holding (instead of pushing) the bottom right button (same as the "GET"), activates the manual receive function. The signal strength is shown in bars. This greatly assists in the proper placement for reception. By the way, I totally agree with "J. Tashima"...excellent review!

The Casio G-Shock Atomic Solar Watch #GW1400DA-4AV is sort of middle of the road in terms of price (I paid $99). It's not cheap but it's not too expensive either. The display diameter is not large but it is a thick, tough-looking watch (a real man's watch... :) ). It's also on the heavy side. So, if you're looking for an elegant, thin watch, look somewhere else.

When I first got it, the power source was at 50% charge. After leaving the watch on my desk facing up towards a desk fluorescent lamp that was left on, the charge reached 100% the next day. The solar cell seems to be working. The time is accurate too. I checked it against the computer time (which also gets synched everyday). It comes with a small manual (with very small text), but I found that there's really no need to use the manual at all initially. It works right out of the box and all the factory settings were correct. (The manual will come in useful when you have some time on your hands to browse through it to get a clearer idea of all the available features.)

The watch's steel wristband was much too large for me and I had to shorten it (removed 4 links, actually). I used a Swiss army knife blade to accomplish the task. The knife tip has to be strong enough to apply pressure to the spring loaded rod that holds the links together, but small to get into the small area between the wrist band metal links (watch for the arrows: these tell you where to apply the pressure). You need to push down on the ridges of the rod, and out (away from you). (Down, so that you can make the rod shorter, and out so that when the rod is shortened, the wrist band link will pop out). I did accidentally scratch the band but it wasn't too bad since the scratch was on the inside. (It's easy enough to shorten the wristband and almost everyone who gets this watch will have to do this.) Be careful not to slice your finger open. Always turn the blade away from your finger when applying the pressure.

Overall, I give it 2 thumbs up for looks and functionality.

(Note: this watch is sold by multiple vendors on Amazon. You should check for the one that has the best price. When I bought it, I wasn't aware of this but found out later, a little too late).

Well, I heartily disagree with the previous reviewer... HeLLOOOO, this is a G-SHOCK, they are all large watches! That's what I love about them, they are a real "man-sized" watch and they look great. The band does NOT have to be professionally sized, I removed two links on the band myself using a very small pointed object to remove the pins (I used an Xacto knife).

This watch has it all. Solar powered, self adjusting, dual time zones, stop watch, and the self illuminating dial is the coolest! Just a twist of the wrist in the dark and it lights up, not even a button to push!

I have heard of some "Atomic" G-Shocks having difficulty receiving a signal. I have had no problem at all. I leave them by a window overnight and presto... they have recalibrated themselves by morning! Maybe it's a geographical thing... I'm in Los Angeles and have not had any problems. The accuracy of this watch cannot be beat; it will even be in synch with your computer's internet clock!

One reviewer noted that it does not have a visual indicator that tells you if it has received a signal successfully. Not true! A simple push of the lower right button and the digital readout flashes "GET" and then the DATE and even the TIME of the last signal received.

I own three of these G-Shocks... an all digital, an analog/digital with titanium trim, and this great looking analog/digital with the red trim on the dial. Casio has made a lifelong fan out of me! And kudos to Amazon for the great price... $64 is an outrageous deal for this great watch.

P.S. Giving a great product like this ONE star just because you thought it was going to be smaller is very unfair if you ask me. Besides, just a quick glance inside the box to see that it is too big is all you need to just return it and get a refund! Why go through all the trouble of taking it to a jeweler to get it resized if you're just going to be unhappy?? I dunno.

This is a terrific watch! It looks and feels way more expensive than it is. And it's loaded with features. My favorite is that it automatically lights up when you twist your wrist to look at the time at night. And I like that the wristband is big enough for my big wrists (almost all other metal bands are too tight). It's really cool that it sets itself automatically. You never have to adjust the time or date -- even daylights savings is accounted for. My only gripe is that the watch body is not 100% metal (it has plastic buttons housed between the metal front and back).

dont get fooled by its looks.Its not sleek as shown.The dial is heavy and looks like a miniature football field on ur wrist.Except that all the features are very good for the price.Would recommend to those with huge wrists.

As other people have pointed out, this is a very solid watch. I really am not afraid of it breaking if it falls, or anything like that. However, this is partly due to its enormous thickness. It's not that the diameter of the watch is surprisingly large - it's how thick it is. If you have a small wrist, this watch is probably not for you, as it will be very noticeable. It's also not especially light, obviously, but it feels comfortable enough.

It keeps excellent time, and I've had no problems with the automatic signal searching.

I bought this watch for my 14 y/o boy scout son. It is a premium watch and in no way a 'cheapy'. We did take it to a jeweler to have it sized for my son's wrist as I would do with any premium watch - Charged us less than $10 - and with the discount buying it from Amazon we still got it way less than 1/3 of retail price(purchased ours at $64)!! I did take away one star because it is kind of on the bulky and heavy side. It is heavyduty but they still could've make the casing a little lighter. I like the stainless band as it doesn't make a rash on his arm like the plastic bands do.

I can't get over the features it has in it though - solar powered - that'll save bucks over the years!!! We need to make everthing this way. And the atomic clock feature works superbly - even for daylight saving's time - though it takes a little time for it to reset. At 660feet water resistant, he could wear it while scuba diving as long as he stays 'shallow', and pool swimming or bumping - no problem. It has a mineral recessed crystal (usually run $30-60 alone) which is better than acrylic but not as good as a sapphire crystal in the really highend watches. Keep the manual for when you need to lookup something you don't usually do but I didn't have trouble just playing with the buttons and figuring it out.

Overall I'm extremely pleased with the quality, number of features and durability related to the 'discounted' price. I'm not sure I'd buy it at the full price though. In that range I'd expect more of a 'dress' watch. This should last my son many years of rugged use as a boy scout.

I bought this watch because it has several of the latest watch technologies in a rugged and sleek stainless steel design. Its solar cell powers it for several months without recharging and reportedly up to 12 months in disuse because it will go into "sleep" mode. If you keep it uncovered during daily wear you will probably never need to recharge it. If you ever need to recharge, a few hours under direct sunlight or a few more under indoor light will do it. You are assured one of the most accurate time pieces available because it is programmed to receive the atomic clock radio transmission several times a day. The watch automatically moves the analog hands to the correct position during automatic synch. Another attractive feature is the shock-proof design which guarantees your watch won't break down no matter how much abuse you give it even during diving. World time, automatic backlight, stopwatch, alarm and charge level functions were also added to the package. The time is presented with a red hour hand and a grey minute hand. This color combination and the red accents on the dial give it a sporty look. I would give this watch a 5 rating because of its many functional features and excellent purchase value. But for me the small dial size makes it difficult to read the digital readout in the round window so my final rating is 4. If you have eyes for tiny numbers, this watch is a great buy.

This watch does a lot in a large light case. I was impressed when it set itself during the recent time change. Very nice.

The watch is an excellent timekeeper. Automatic calibration really works (although some reviews I'd read indicate otherwise). I like the dial, features, (changes to dst, calendar knows how many days in a month,etc.) Do not, though, travel with this watch for a while without the instruction book. The four control buttons take some time to figure out, and most of them are so rarely used that when you do need the stopwatch, or one of the various other options, you'll likely need the book (at least I did). Also understand that this is a BIG watch--probably at least twice as thick as the watch you're used to and considerably heavier. It will hang up on a jacket or anything with long sleeves. The G shock, though, is tougher than a hammer and if you don't mind the bulk I'd recommend it. RLM in Iowa