Description
Casio Men’s GA-100 XL Series G-Shock Quartz 200M WR Shock Resistant Watch Review
Introduction
The Casio Men’s GA-100 XL Series G-Shock Quartz is a robust and stylish timepiece designed for individuals who demand durability and functionality. This review covers various aspects of the watch, including its design, features, and performance based on my experience.
Design and Build Quality
The watch boasts a striking white matte finish that looks both modern and sleek. The build quality is exceptional, with shock resistance and ISO 764 class magnetic resistance ensuring it can withstand harsh environments. The mineral glass adds an extra layer of durability, making it resistant to scratches. The interchangeable bands are a great addition, allowing for customization based on personal preference.
Functionality
The GA-100 XL Series G-Shock is packed with features. It includes a digital display that works in tandem with the analog hands, ensuring accurate timekeeping. The watch is easy to set up, thanks to the comprehensive manual available in English, Spanish, and French. The inclusion of 200M water resistance makes it suitable for swimming and other water activities. However, the unique lighting method, which uses an amber LED at the 6 o’clock position, might not be everyone’s preference. While it does light up the hands effectively in the dark, it doesn’t illuminate the digital display as well as traditional methods.
Comfort and Wearability
The watch is incredibly comfortable and lightweight, making it ideal for extended wear. It sits well on the wrist and does not feel cumbersome, unlike some heavier watches. The foam white color looks fantastic and adds a touch of elegance. It is perfect for both casual and professional settings.
Performance and Reliability
The performance of the GA-100 XL Series is impressive. It maintains accurate time and is highly durable. The watch has proven to be reliable in various conditions, making it a great choice for outdoor activities and rigorous use. However, some users have noted that the strap tends to become brittle after several years, which may require replacement.
Pros
- Shock-resistant and magnetic-resistant
- 200M water resistance
- Stylish and modern design
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Interchangeable bands for customization
- Comprehensive manual in multiple languages
Cons
- LED lighting method may not illuminate the digital display effectively
- Strap may become brittle after several years of use
Conclusion
The Casio Men’s GA-100 XL Series G-Shock Quartz is an excellent choice for anyone seeking a durable, reliable, and stylish watch. It offers great value for money and is suitable for a variety of environments and activities. While it has a few minor drawbacks, they do not significantly impact the overall functionality and appeal of the watch.
Keon Maxwell –
Need I say more? It’s a G-Shock.
Brown thumb –
The product offers excellent durability, great value for money, and exceptional comfort. It is water-resistant and operates silently, providing good performance overall.
Travis DeGraw –
The fit is perfect.
Darthdent –
My son was thrilled with his watch. It arrived in a lovely tin.
Jeanette –
Excellent durability, impressive performance, and great value for the price.
Amazon Customer –
Excellent watch overall, but the strap tends to become brittle and fall apart after 4 to 5 years.
Travis DeGraw –
A great watch for any occasion. It feels sturdy and has passed the water test without any issues.
Tianhan Huang –
Very cool! I love the blue color. It came with a Casio box and a cloth bag containing the watch. There’s a user guide in multiple languages and a warranty card. A price label was attached to the watch but it can be easily removed. Perfect as a gift!
HaSt –
This watch is outstanding and embodies the reliable toughness characteristic of G-Shock. I adore the design; aesthetically, it’s phenomenal. The red camo along with the dark camo watch face and black hands creates a badass look, especially with the negative digital display. This model is larger than the standard G-Shock, which is a plus.
However, one design choice baffles me and limits the watch’s overall practicality. Instead of the traditional digital lighting method where pressing a button illuminates the display, this watch uses a single amber LED at the 6 o’clock position. When activated, the LED lights up the watch hands, allowing you to see the time in the dark. While the LED is bright enough to serve as a mini-flashlight in pitch-black conditions, it performs poorly in illuminating the digital display (which shows the date, day, and seconds) in anything but the darkest environments. This is inconvenient if you need to use the stopwatch or check the date at night. In very dark settings, you can make out the information with some effort, but it’s a hassle. A dedicated light for the digital display would have been much better.
Despite this, I love the watch. It looks fantastic, and I’ve received numerous compliments on it. It’s comfortable for all-day wear and retains all the durability and functions of a G-Shock. I’m very happy with this purchase.
Arshia Rafiee –
Another triumph from the G-Shock team at Casio. Extremely comfortable and lightweight, it was easy to set up with the help of a YouTube video. I opted for the foam white color, which looks fantastic. I love how it looks on my wrist. I bought this watch to replace my Invicta that felt like a 7-ounce brick on my wrist. This G-Shock is lightweight, durable, and reliable. It keeps time excellently. I’m thrilled to use it as my field watch in the real estate industry, where I don’t have to worry about it getting damaged.
Cheryl Henry –
As a dedicated Gen X’er, about a year ago, I decided to minimize my digital exposure and embrace more analog aspects in life. Growing up, I dreamed of today’s technology, but now I crave the simplicity of the past—calling friends to chat, using maps to navigate, preparing for unpredictable weather, and checking the time on a wristwatch.
I’ve always loved the camo look since my Boy Scout days in the ’80s and wanted a durable, military-style camo watch that wouldn’t look oversized on my 5’8″ frame. This Casio fits the bill perfectly: it’s durable, stylish, and affordable.
I first noticed this watch on a friend who had it in Coyote Brown. The camo pattern, analog hands, and subtle amber LED light (which isn’t overly bright) really appealed to me. Although the reverse digital display isn’t backlit like other Casio models such as the Rangeman, making it hard to read at certain angles in low light, I’m not too concerned since I primarily use the analog features.
The band is comfortable, with decent adjustments, and has held up well despite frequent use. While others have reported issues with bands cracking or breaking, I’ve had no problems—perhaps because I handle it with care.
My dream watch is the Mudmaster G-SHOCK GWG2000CR-1A, and I hope to get one within the next year. Until then, I’m very satisfied with this camo GA-100 XL watch. My only regret is that it seems to be no longer available in the camo pattern.
Tianhan Huang –
Once set up, no issues. The color is more of a foam shade than it appears in the picture, but it’s not white. I like it!
BW –
I ordered this watch on a Saturday evening and received it via UPS on Tuesday around 7:00 PM, which was quick for one-day shipping. The watch has some really cool functions and looks amazing. I’ve owned various watches, including ones from Walmart and high-end brands like Rolex and Omega, but this G-Shock stands out. It has a white matte finish, and while it can pick up graphite or ink smudges if you write a lot, these can be easily washed off with soap and water.
The watch is based on time zones to calculate the time and comes with a manual in English, Spanish, and French, with information on time zones towards the end. The hands move according to the digital display, and you can toggle daylight saving time. The watch arrives set to EST (New York City). It’s waterproof, shock-proof, and anti-magnetic. You can adjust the backlight duration between 1.5 seconds and 3 seconds. It features both 24-hour military time and 12-hour standard time with a PM indicator.
The stopwatch is very accurate and includes laps and splits, making it great for running, even in the rain. The timer can be set up to 24 minutes and can run once or loop until you turn it off. There are 26 world times; mine is set to London, and it works perfectly. The watch has four alarms and a snooze function that you can control with the reverse or forward buttons. The hourly chime can be enabled to beep twice every hour. The watch also has an auto-light feature that activates when you tilt it 45 degrees.
The hour markers are glow-in-the-dark, but the hands do not have an illuminating feature. The lower left display shows the digital time, and pressing forward switches it to the date. The bottom right screen shows the day and seconds. The hands are very precise, moving exactly as they should. The watch’s contrast is excellent, and I’ve received many compliments on its appearance. The double-clasp band is secure, and the buttons have a nice texture. Learning to operate the watch took only about five minutes, thanks to the helpful manual.
This is my first G-Shock, and I’m not disappointed! It’s the best $100 I’ve spent. The watch is part of the Japan Movement and cased in China, but that doesn’t bother me. The dial is large and beautiful. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, and I’ll respond as quickly as possible.
UPDATE NOVEMBER 2013: After more than a year of use (since September 29, 2012), the watch is still working fine. The battery life is supposed to be two years, and I haven’t had any issues. The paint is starting to chip slightly, but after snorkeling, scuba diving, and multiple drops, it’s held up impressively. Some dirt and grime have built up around the strap, giving it a slight brown tint. I don’t use the auto-light much, and the snooze function is somewhat quiet, so it’s not ideal as a primary alarm clock. The stopwatch is incredibly useful and precise, measuring down to the thousandths of a second. I hope to post a picture soon to show how well it’s held up!