Casio G-Shock Tough Solar GW-M5610BC-1JF Men's Watch

I’m going to write a few words about all the features I find relevant about the watch so that you can easily find the part that interests you.General impressions, looks, and size:I got my G-Shock last week. When I opened the faux-leather box, I was smitten with the sight. This watch is really good to look at. The negative display, the combi bracelet, the polished steel clasp, the sturdy, smooth bezel, and overall the cool, dark ensemble of its components make for a unique look that is at the same time stealthy, reserved, and sporty, with a touch of elegance thrown in. The watch is definitely not bulky; it is just the right size. Were it smaller, it might be too small. Naturally, you can find the exact dimensions in the description, but a watch may feel bigger or smaller on the wrist than what you’d expect based on numbers. The buttons are easy to push if you hold the watch in your hand. If it’s on your wrist, getting to them is a bit trickier. I find pushing the receiving button with my right thumb extremely easy; however, the other three buttons are harder to access. Overall, though, I don’t think this is a problem. The watch feels great against the wrist. It’s light, and the clasp is very easy to undo or click on, as you would expect.Atomic timekeeping – signal reception:Signal reception works like a charm, the auto receive, as well as the manual receive. Obviously, you need to take into account where you live before buying the watch, as there is only a limited area covered worldwide. You should consult the list of the 6 radio towers along with their respective signal strengths. I live in Hungary, near Budapest, and the signal strength is the strongest here, that is level 3 even at noon, when the signal is supposed to be significantly weaker due to the sun, as the ionosphere does not reflect the radio waves as effectively as during the night, when it basically creates a kind of shield that propagates the waves to the furthest reaches of the covered area. This is why the watch attempts synching in the middle of the night. Budapest is roughly 850 kms from the Mainflingen atomic radio tower, the signal of which can be received as far as 2000 kms away (Gibraltar, Moscow) at night, under the right weather conditions.Auto light:The automatic electroluminescent light feature was a major source of disappointment and indignation with the watch, but especially with the basic model of the 5610 series. I suppose there was a faulty batch, in which the tilt switches didn’t work either properly or at all. I did not have any problems with my watch. It does what it says on the tin. When the environment is dark enough for you not to see the display clearly, the light sensor enables the tilt switch, which performs a 1.5-second-long illumination of the display whenever the watch reaches a 40-degree tilt from an upward facing, horizontal position. The switch works all the time, which causes a few “false alarms”, lighting the EL even when you are not raising the watch to read it, but only move your arm doing something else.Display and readability:Some have written they have difficulty reading the display in certain light conditions. This is by no means a surprise, as we are talking about a negative display. It is reasonably easy to read indoors, and the digits are tremendously crisp and marvelously high-contrast outdoors with some sunlight. They are golden or silver, depending on the brightness of the surrounding light and the angle of viewing. This is why you can find so many different images of the display. It is simply beautiful in some (sun)light. And, of course, there is the auto light function (discussed above) that makes sure you can always read the time at a casual glance.Two further observations concerning the display: in direct (and/or strong) sunlight the display flickers/trembles slightly due to an interference of the wavelength of sun rays and the refreshing rate of the LCD display. This is completely natural, so have no worries if you experience this. Also, if you leave the watch in the sun for a longer period of time, the watch may become hot, and the display may temporarily show all units. When taken back from direct sunlight, and as the watch cools, the display reverts to normal in about 10 seconds or so. Again, this is not a defect, but a trait of the LCD display that will not harm the watch.Battery – solar power, power consumption:The solar cell seems to be working fine, though I can only know more later. The watch consumes so much power in a day (with one EL operation, one atomic time calibration, and one alarm) that can be recharged in 5 minutes in direct sunlight. One EL operation takes 1 minute direct sunlight worth of battery power. You can find exact data regarding charging times and power consumption in the manual, which can be found online and downloaded. The watch comes with Japanese instructions. Theoretically, the battery can pack enough juice for about 10 months to run the watch in the dark, turning the display and synching off after about a week. So you don’t have to worry too much about recharging, unless you live underground or in complete darkness.I wholeheartedly recommend this watch.

I have now owned this watch for approximately one year. I have worn it about 80% of the time, even though I have a few other pieces that are far more expensive. Quite frankly, it's just hard to want to take off. I love this watch. It's worth every single nickel and I wanted to share a couple of my thoughts on it as I have gotten to know it.- As customary of any G-Shock, this watch is simply unstoppable. It can handle anything you throw its way. I have camped, swam, hiked, worked on vehicles, and many other tasks/activities that would make one concerned about the health of their watch. Nothing to fear here, it can tackle ANYTHING you throw at it.- As many people have stated, the combi bracelet is simply outstanding. In fact, it is the most comfortable bracelet I have ever worn. It is so lightweight, and with so many links, it conforms to your wrist so beautifully. The bracelet runs anywhere from $80 to $100 on its own, so it's a great deal to buy it included with the watch.-Not only is this model super light, but it's very thin and comes in a small package relative to the average G-Shock. So it's highly durable, but very convenient to wear. You can easily wear long sleeves, sweaters, etc. without any hindrance. I think that's great!- Now, as many people have also alluded to, the negative display is virtually impossible to read at night and not the world's most legible during the day. Although anybody who doesn't have vision issues should be able to ready the screen with no problems in a well lit room. It's a negative display. It's all part of the charm. With that being said, the all black stealth look is just so awesome. For me, I was willing to sacrifice some of the legibility, but if you are a stickler for having great clarity at all times, it may be something to consider. If you need to read the watch at night, it has a beautiful green/blue light that shines wonderfully. My watch came with the automatic light on, meaning that when you raise your wrist up to check the time, the light automatically turns on. I HIGHLY recommend turning this off as it will drain the battery quickly. Simply manually check it at night as needed. It's very easy to locate the light button with your finger without having to see it.-Simply nitpicking here, but I seem to be one of the ones who doesn't get the atomic connectivity. I live in Texas, so I don't know if others have had that issue. It's super minor, as the watch still remains exceptionally accurate, and is only losing a handful of seconds a month. But again, just a minor gripe.Conclusion: I absolutely love this wonderful little watch. In fact it could be my only watch. As I've gotten to know it over the course of the year, I just keep falling more in love with it. Once you go G-Shock, you get spoiled. I have received many compliments on how cool this watch looks. I hope it serves me well for decades to come and that it loves me as it much as I love it. I purchased mine for $165. It seems to be going closer to $200 now, but I promise you, it's worth every single penny. It's a splendid watch, and Casio continues to showcase why the G-Shock line is a living legend. This little guy is a certified gem in my eyes, and quite frankly, I think it's one of the coolest little watches ever made. Thank you again Casio for all that you do!