Shocking myself with Casio G-Shock

Casio G-Shock! Did I get a shocking smartwatch for Christmas? Not really. Instead, I discovered a smarter watch choice for myself — an analog-digital watch with actual mechanical gears. In other words, a real watch! Why is it smarter for me? Why is it real to me? Because it stands on its own two feet, or in this case, its own two hands. Why should my watch necessarily remind me of my phone?

In our current era of socio-mobile technology, it’s so easy to become hypnotized, mesmerized, and inspired by the vision of connecting everything to the latest technological center of our lives — our smartphones. In fact, until recently, I myself was drawn to the idea of buying a Pebble smartwatch to connect to my Samsung smartphone. It sounded pretty cool. Until I rediscovered analog watches.

Casio G-Shock GA200RG

Hi, my name is Jay, and I’m an IBM TRIRIGA information developer at IBM. My last analog watch was a black metal Fossil Arkitekt bought in 2008. Despite its sleek elegant style, I wore it less often since my first P90X extreme workouts in 2010. I wore it even less since my first Samsung smartphone in late 2012. But 2 years later, I finally found a Casio G-Shock solution for “elegant, rugged, smart, and real”.

How did I rediscover analog watches?

But wait a second. If I was drawn to smartwatches until recently, then what changed? Well, to be honest, I think several factors over several months came into play. First of all, I still felt the lingering personal curiosity of wearing a real mechanical or analog watch again. Next, I began to notice the appealing social trend in the entertainment industry and in real life towards wide-faced watches.

Ultimately, the final deciding factor was the discouraging technological impression of software bugs, intermittent connectivity, and battery drain in smartwatches. If I still recharge my smartphone every day, why should I also recharge my smartwatch every week or few days when a smarter-looking analog-digital watch offers a battery life that lasts a few years? Pretty ridiculous when I think about it.

Which analog watch did I finally find?

To me and many others like myself, the sight of a physical pair of watch hands spinning and dancing steadily and endlessly is strangely alluring and comforting. Maybe the knowledge of the mechanical intricacies behind the endless dance is even more so. Nevertheless, if I followed this analog path, the watch must not only reflect my current “big and bold” tastes but also feel rugged during workouts.

So after a winding yet illuminating Amazon search through Citizen styles like Navihawk and Skyhawk, Diesel styles like Mega Chief and Big Daddy, and Casio styles like Pro Trek and G-Shock, I settled on the G-Shock brand. But even then, the G-Shock brand itself represents a massive rainbow of styles. Finally, after another round of painstaking style comparisons, I fell for the Casio G-Shock GA200RG.

Why won’t I get a smartwatch soon?

Through this unexpected holiday journey, I reminded myself that although it’s nice to be aware of the latest technological trends as an information developer, my habits, styles, and preferences don’t have to be ruled by my smartphone. My smartphone doesn’t need to be connected to everything. My wristwatch doesn’t need to be connected to anything. Or remind me of my demanding smartphone.

After some thought, maybe my background in grade-school Lego vehicles, high-school AP Physics, college Architecture, and college Civil Engineering explains my lingering mechanical tendencies. This certainly explains my old post about customizing my monster gaming PC. So why not this post too? Either way, enjoy these “elegant, rugged, smart, and real” images of the Casio G-Shock GA200RG!

Casio G-Shock GA200RG

I can’t wait for the delivery within another week. Stay tuned for updates, thanks for reading, and have a happy new year! Until then, these videos might inspire you to find a new analog watch for yourself!

Casio G-Shock GA200RG

Jaquet Droz The Bird Repeater

Urwerk Torpedo UR-110

Do I have an update?

Only 4 days after my post, I received my delivery! I must say, I’m impressed. It looks spectacular and feels lighter than it looks. All I needed to set was to press a few buttons to switch the time zone from Tokyo to Los Angeles and I was done. In fact, I was surprised to see that adjusting the digital time automatically rotated the hour and minute hands to the synchronized analog time. Wow, amazing!