Casio

Casio Men's GW2500-1A G-Shock G-Aviator Chronograph Sport Watch

• Tough solar power, multi-band 6 atomic timekeeping, shock resistant
• Full auto LED back light, luminous hands and markers, world time
• Daily alarm with snooze, chronograph, 12/24 hr formats
• Water resistant up to 660 feet (200 M)

Product Description

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: 8.8 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00284AD8U
• Item model number: GW2500-1A
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,681 in Watches (See Top 100 in Watches)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Timekeeper with 3 Issues, November 27, 2009

By 

Anthony Jagodnik - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Casio Men's GW2500-1A G-Shock G-Aviator Chronograph Sport Watch (Watch)

The 3 Issues:
1. No second hand. You need to rely solely on the small but daylight-readable digital display. This omission may have been to save energy, given its solar power.
2. Non uniform illumination. The mechanical hands & dials are well lit, the "6" at bottom is overly bright, but the digital displays are barely readable. I solved this problem for the lower display by sticking, using thin transparent weather stripping tape, a small aluminum foil reflector over the "6". It is shaped like a circular segment (also circle segment-see wikipedia), with the flat edge lined up with the bottom of the lower digital readout and the curved edge allowing you to just see the tip of the minute hand. It may take a few trials to get it right, but it greatly improves illumination of the more-important lower display, including seconds, and blocks the glaring "6".
3. The alarm is not very loud and directional (loudest facing the front), I can't imagine hearing it in a noisy cockpit and it definitely won't wake me from a sound sleep. But my wife says it's loud, so it may just be that my age 66 hearing notch happens to match it's frequency.

Everything else is very positive. It came on the day before we switched back to EST and automatically adjusted well before the other two atomic clocks in the house. I have the "SIG" enabled to double beep every hour and it aligns EXACTLY with this Mac laptop's hourly time announcement. The mode dial is well thought out and tells you at a glance what is going on. After less than an hour in sunlight, the charge level has remained at "H" with just normal exposure inside. All of the functions are well designed and intuitive, so you don't need to carry the book after a day or two. It's big, but feather weight compared to the similarly-sized Timex IronMan it has replaced, which also wasn't very loud.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Casio goes High Tech!, January 31, 2010

By 

Jeff Christopher (Lawrenceville, Ga.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Casio Men's GW2500-1A G-Shock G-Aviator Chronograph Sport Watch (Watch)

I bought this G Shock as I do like the analog/digital look to it. I must admit that I would prefer a full analog; but they are now discontinued.
I choose the negative display so the watch would have a full analog look to it, and for this it is spot on.
One will have to spend some time to get familiar with this watch as it has many features, some which can change or turn off if not to your liking. One of those I turned off others may not is the auto light feature. This turns the LED light on when wrist is turned a certain angle. This bothered me so I turned it off. I would suggest you go to Casio's web site and download the manual and yes you may have to read it more than once as it is like many user manuals that are written by some geek and not your common Joe.
This is my third G Shock and all have surpassed my expectations. This readily stays fully charged when exposed to light and easily receives the atomic signal,(even when put into a drawer for many days). One good feature is if it is placed into a dark spot it goes into a power saving mode, thus not running down the battery.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A favorite daily wear watch....but short battery life, May 12, 2010

By 

J. Luu (Colorado Springs, CO) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Casio Men's GW2500-1A G-Shock G-Aviator Chronograph Sport Watch (Watch)

I wanted a watch that I could wear every day. This fits me perfectly. The most attractive feature to me is the solar power. I've had other waterproof watches before that required battery, but when you replace the battery, it breaks the waterproof seal. I've yet to have a watch be damaged by water after changing batteries, but it still puts doubt in my mind.

What I like:
1. Contemporary design. Not overly huge like some other g-shock designs. I'd say this is a medium size watch as far as g-shock watches go. Nice metal bezel.
2. g-shock reputation for durability. I've had several g-shock watches in the past, never a problem. Only thing I didn't like about them is they do tend to run out of battery quicker than a typical quartz watch. Probably because they have so many functions. Solar power eliminates this annoyance.
3. Very light weight. Can't feel it at all on my wrist.
4. Atomic time ensures accuracy.

What I think can be improved:
1. A second hand. Never know how much I'd miss it until I don't have it. There is a digital seconds read out. But it's not the same. Also it's not visible in the dark.
2. Controls could be a bit simpler. The manual is very clear. But you'd better not lose it.
3. Only the hour, minute, 12, and 6 are illuminated. Why not at least illuminate the 9 and 3?
4. LCD is difficult to read during day. Impossible in the dark even with LED illumination.

I feel that at around the $150 range, this is an excellent value in a durable, functional watch.

Edited 11.18.2010
I knocked one star off after my recent trip to Taiwan. One of the major reasons that I bought this watch is the atomic time function. Perhaps it's my misconception or that I simple don't know how to use this watch, but during my 2 week trip, this watch did not adjust to the new time zone. As I mentioned before, the programing of this watch was so complex that I could not figure out how to set the time and the zone without the manual. My mistake for not bringing the manual, but a watch should be reasonably simple to use.

Update 01.12.2012

The watch has stopped charging and is now dead. The major reason that I bought a solar powered watch is that I don't want to have to change the battery, a process which compromises the water seal. This watch didn't even last as long as a typical non solar battery watches. I've reduced the rating to one star.