Watch Reviews

You know what they say about love at first sight? Well, sometimes second sight comes with the benefit of experience, once absence has worked its magic on the heart. (Re)Enter the Casio MDV106-1A “Duro,” a $44, stainless steel dive watch running on batteries and quartz. I owned and sold one of these 20bar bargains about six months ago, before purchasing a second one for the purpose of this review.

With many of the watches here on BladeReviews featuring price tags of at least three digits, the Duro’s sub-$50 cost may cause readers to overlook its incredible value and capability. This was certainly the case with me, when it left my collection after I got my hands on the Citizen Promaster Diver. But, now that I’ve handled a few higher-end pieces, the humble Casio shines all the brighter.

Enough backstory – Let’s get to the figures and review. I should note that these measurements are an amalgamation of generally-agreed-upon figures, since my tools are still packed away from my recent move. Here you go:

• Case Width: 44mm
• Case Thickness: 12mm
• Lug to Lug: 48mm
• Depth Rating: 20Bar (200m)
• Weight: 3.2oz on the rubber strap
• Movement: Casio Quartz Movement (Module 2784)
• Lug Width: 22mm

Fit

As you can see from the dimensions and comparison shots, the Duro is a rather large watch. It’s about as big as my medium-sized wrist can support without appearing to make a fashion statement. The stock rubber bracelet keeps this ticking chunk of stainless secured, and the single keeper and metal buckle operate without issue. More on the bracelet later, but it’s a solid functional design.

Here’s something to note, if you’re thinking about swapping out the stock strap: While most websites list the lug width at 20mm, I’ve found this to be closer to 22mm. So, if you’re eyeing up a NATO, be sure to buy accordingly.

Overall, the Duro wears pretty darn well. It was on my wrist for all but one day on my recent cross-country move, as well as the week of packing beforehand. Despite its size, at no point did it become a nuisance. Quite the opposite, in fact. There were many times, whether packing, driving, or moving in, when the weight of the watch on my wrist served as a welcome bit of reassurance. This sentiment held through four states worth of hotel gyms, showers, and pools.

Movement

Try as I might, I haven’t been able to dig up the exact specs for the Duro’s movement. I’m not alone in this, either – Folks like TGV from The Urban Gentry Youtube channel and other far more qualified reviewers have encountered a similar barricade. The general consensus seems to be that Casio employs one of their stock quartz movements, shown on the case back and manual as module number 2784. This crystal-controlled setup is powered by a three-year SR626SW battery, with an accuracy rating of +/-20 seconds per month.

Now, before you get too bent out of shape over that third of a minute, let me state that both of the Duros I’ve owned have come nowhere near that figure. At most, they’ve gained between one and two seconds per week. Accuracy here is on par with the Citizen and INOX, and significantly better than the mechanicals in my collection.

The Duro’s most striking feature is its second hand. Unlike many quartz pieces in this price range (I’m looking at you, Timex), its red-tipped ticker hits each of the indices with laser precision. There’s no waggle, stutter, or hesitation in its arc, which isn’t something I can say for my $250 INOX. This is excellent, and it’s been the case on both of my Duros.

Then there’s the date window. It’s nothing fancy, but visibility is decent and the changeover is solid. Setting is accomplished by pulling the crown to the first position and spinning counter-clockwise to advance the day.

Speaking of setting, I do have a minor nitpick here. Full disclosure – I’m a little obsessive-compulsive when it comes to my minute hand lining up with the markers. When the seconds hit zero, I want that long hand to be pointing dead-on at the desired minute. On some cheaper watches (or, again, the INOX), the minute hand has a tendency to jump a fraction of a millimeter when pressing the crown back into place. This creates a maddening misalignment, causing me to repeat the setting process over and over until everything lines up exactly. The Duro, unfortunately, suffers from a minor case of this hand-hopping. If you’re not a crazy person like me, this won’t be a big deal.

Case and Crown

If Casio is going to hit me with a “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain” on their movement, then I may as well take a long, hard look at the curtain. The case housing the Duro’s internals is made of stainless steel, with a mix of brushed and polished surfaces. And while it may be rather large, it does play host to some nice details. Take the case back, for instance. Casio has clearly etched all of the relevant data (Reference number, water resistance, etc.) into the steel, with the welcome addition of their classic marlin logo. This prominent fish only appears on Casios with a rating of 20Bar or higher. It’s a pretty cool bit of badging for a timepiece costing less than $50.

The crown, like the case back, is of the screw-down variety. There are two nicely chamfered guards surrounding it, with enough slope and rounded edges to keep them from digging into the wrist. The crown itself is unbranded, with enough of a polished finish to reflect my face like a funhouse mirror. It screws into place relatively easily, though not as smoothly as my higher-priced divers. There is a bit of wiggle in its unwound state, but nothing substantial enough to cause concern.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

Speaking of wiggle, let’s talk about the Duro’s bezel. You’d expect a cheap diver to come with some play in its timekeeping ring, right? Well, that’s not the case here. The Duro’s 120-click, unidirectional bezel is rock solid, with a prominently lumed pip at the zero position. The canted coin edge is quite grippy, so long as your hands aren’t soaking wet.

Within the bezel lies the crystal, composed of hardened mineral glass. Not a favorite material among watch lovers, but I think Casio deserves some credit here. At $44, they could have cheapened out and gone with some form of plastic. The Duro’s large mineral crystal is perfectly serviceable for a basic beater watch, and mine picked up only a single scratch after several weeks’ worth of moving-related work.

Let’s gaze beneath the crystal, to the real appeal of the Duro. Each of its indices are applied, and the polished hands are distinct and well-wrought. This combination makes this an eminently readable watch from almost any angle, a trait that proved truly valuable on my long-haul trip. The branding is subtle and well done, with another marlin to match the one on the case back. The dial itself is something of a flat black, though there’s a bit of a sunburst if viewed from the proper angle. This deceptively simple combination lends a real pop to the hands and indices, along with the bright red of the second hand.

The most common complaint associate with the Duro lies in its lume. Here’s a comparison shot, with the $150 Citizen Promaster on the right, and the $250 Victorinox INOX on the left:

While it looks okay here, I can tell you from experience that this nigh-universal gripe is warranted. The lume begins fading almost immediately and will be all but invisible within a few minutes. The lone exception comes in the outdoors, on nights far away from the streetlight glow. You’ll be able to read it in the darkness of your tent, but it won’t be an easy affair.

Strap/Bracelet

So, the strap – Many of the big-name reviewers I’ve come across aren’t a fan of the rubber. And I’ll be honest: I didn’t give it much of a chance on the first Duro I owned. I had a BluShark NATO shipped to me as part of the package, and that’s the way I wore it. But, since the second watch arrived, I’ve worn it almost exclusively on the stock strap. Maybe if I’d done this the first time, I wouldn’t have needed to buy the watch twice.

Let me elaborate a bit here. The stock rubber isn’t great. I’ve heard Nick Shabazz describe it with words to the effect of “baby’s first watch.” And, with the higher-end stuff he generally reviews, he’s probably not too far off base. But, for whatever reason, this basic rubber bracelet just works for me. It’s comfortable, secure, easily adjustable, and (most importantly) low-profile.

Because the Duro is already a rather large watch, the addition of even a trimmed-down NATO makes it tower over the bones of my wrist. This becomes immediately inconvenient for a watch doing beater duty. It’ll snag, smack, and otherwise scratch against every tree, desktop, and doorknob in your path. Or, at least, that’s what happened to me. While the basic rubber didn’t keep the bezel from becoming close with bookshelves and moving boxes, the effect was greatly reduced from its nylon counterpart.

Casio MDV106-1A “Duro” Review – Final Thoughts

Look – This is a great watch. I’d go so far as to say that it’s the best under-$50 timepiece I’ve tested, and one of the three best under $100 (the Casio WVA-M640 and Citizen BM-8180 being the others). And on top of its aesthetic and functional merits, it’s also one of the most accessible divers on the market. Next time you’re at your local Walmart, make a quick stop at the jewelry counter. There, next to the cubic zirconia earrings and cheap wedding rings, you’ll probably find a Casio Duro.

Still, I’d recommend purchasing the watch online, as in-store prices always hover a bit higher than those in cyberspace. Whether you’re looking for a beater watch for yourself, or maybe a gift for someone who’s thinking about getting into timepieces, this is a splendid, budget-friendly choice. Take it from me, the guy who was dumb enough to sell his first one – This is a watch you’ll enjoy having in your collection.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Citizen Duro at Amazon and watches in general at Jomashop. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Also, if you enjoyed the review follow Josh’s work on his website, JourneywindJunk and on his Instagram page, @JourneywindJunk.

I’ll never forget my first time walking into an Omega boutique and looking at all the shiny watches. A friend of mine, the one that initially introduced me to watches, took me there to admire his grail and ultimately discover a few of my own. Since that time I’ve had the privilege of owning and wearing several Omega watches and my buddy has attained (and daily wears) his grail Planet Ocean. In fact, my first ever “nice,” watch was an Omega Seamaster GMT 2534.50 that I wore for a long time, but ultimately sold for reasons that escape me now.

Buy the Omega Seamaster 300M Ceramic at Jomashop

Since then I’ve owned several versions of the classic wave dial Seamaster, numerous variations of the Speedmaster, and even a Planet Ocean but all of this to say… For some reason, I am drawn back to Omega, like a moth to the flame… That brings me to my most recent acquisition, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300 Ceramic. The most modern iteration of the Seamaster Professional series (although soon to be ousted by the new—new wave dial coming from Basel this last March). Before we get too far, let’s go over some specs:

(All Measurements are my personal measurements and may differ from manufacturers specs)

• Case Width: 41.5mm
• Case Thickness: 13.1mm
• Lug to Lug: 47.3mm
• Depth Rating: 30Bar (300m)
• Weight: 5.9oz on the bracelet
• Movement: Omega 2500D Co-Axial Movement
• Lug Width: 20mm

Fit

There are some watches that really feel like the manufacture nailed some sort of “golden-mean-symmetry” balance and created a watch that just works on the wrist. Other’s work fine, but have some minor comfort issues that you have to overlook like, the crown digging into your hand, or the lugs being overly long and overhanging your wrist… but the SMPc hits those special measurements.

This watch is a dream to wear, with lugs that gently drape over your wrist and a thickness that keeps the watch from getting in the way of your day to day life. I think this is what keeps pulling me back to the SMP series—they really are a joy on the wrist.

Movement

The Omega 2500 Co-Axial movement has been around since 1999 and was Omega’s first wide-scale implementation of using Co-Axial movements in their watches. The 2500 is also not without its flaws and issues. There are five generations of the 2500 starting with the 2500 itself and then progressing to the 2500A, B, C, and finally D.

Some of these earlier movements suffered from some rather serious performance issues. Instead of chronicling all the reporting that has been done on the generations of the 2500 movement, and opinions that have been spread around about whether the C generation is reliable, or if the D is the only one to buy, I’ll say this: I’ve owned a couple watches with movements that were derived from the same 2-level coaxial technology. One of them was an early on Co-Axial Speedmaster that DID have issues and needed to be serviced. All of the rest have been perfectly fine.

In addition to this, the SMPc’s were released after the 2500D movements were released, and they all feature the new, reliable design of this Co-Axial movement. So strictly speaking if you buy the newest ceramic bezeled version of the Co-Axial Seamaster, you’re getting the latest version of the movement, and there’s nothing to worry about. In addition to that, I can say that my watch is keeping phenomenal time, gaining roughly 1.5s/day. Hard to beat that.

Case and Crown

The SMPc’s case is pretty straightforward with nice brushing along the sides, and polished twisted bevels on the lugs. The thinness of this case is pretty remarkable, and as I said in the fit section above, really makes this watch a joy to wear. The case-back is also pretty good lookin’ featuring Omega’s trademark Hippocampus and the laser etched Omega logo along the side.

As for the crown, the Seamaster has two, one primary crown at 3 o’clock that you’d expect, and the one for the Helium Escape Valve at 10 o’clock. The crown is signed with an Omega logo and nicely textured to good grip when loosening it screwing down. The crown guards on these Omegas have always struck me as pretty interesting. They almost appear to rise off the side of the watch and gently hug the crown. There’s not much to say about the HEV crown at 10, except that you’ll never use it unless you want to fidget with something, and some people get some real heartburn over it being there at all. I’ll let you decide for yourself.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

As always, top-down: The domed sapphire crystal is very well executed on this watch. Omega does a great job with the AR coatings, and in the right light, it can look almost as if the crystal isn’t there. Also, while it is domed, it doesn’t stick up so much that it will be a “snag-hazard,” there’s nothing that’s gonna protrude on this watch.

The bezel is where the modernity of the new SMPc’s starts to show itself. As the “c” would suggest in the name, these bezels are ceramic with a sort of matte grey numeral all the way around. There is also a lume pip at the 60-min mark that generally sits at noon. This bezel looks gooooood. The ceramic matches the deep blue (or black if that’s your style) of the dial perfectly and shows a ton of complexity as the light plays across it. It’s also a 120-click rotating bezel that’s a joy to actuate, snapping into each half-minute position with positive authority. While I would have loved to see some additional lume on the bezel like the Pelagos has, it would largely be vestigial and I am pleased as-is.

And the dial; as you look at the watch you’ll begin to see some subtle changes from the older non-ceramic Seamasters, and really, you should as there are nearly 20-years that separate the designs. The hour indices are applied with beautifully polished (I assume) steel surrounds, filled to the brim with lume. The Omega logo just under the noon-double-indices is applied and polished, as is the “Omega” beneath that. The depth of the dial’s color is also quite something to behold as well. I’ve always liked the wave dials, but the deep glossy blue dial is superb.

The lume itself is worth remarking on, Omega always does a good job on lume. On the SMPc they’ve mixed lume colors, with the primary color being blue on the hour hand, and indices, but the minute hand and diving bezel pip’s lume is green. A cool touch if you ask me.

I wanted to specifically address the hands on this watch. The skeleton hands have been a hang-up for me, and probably been the biggest reason I’ve avoided buying this watch for years. I still do not like the skeleton hands from the older wave dialed versions of the SMP, but the newly updated handset on the SMPc are excellent. Polished, with amply applied lume they catch the light in the same way as the applied indices and Omega script/logo. All this to say, the SMPc has converted me to the skele-hands, at least somewhat.

Strap/Bracelet

Omega’s bracelets have always been excellent. They articulate nicely and drape well over the wrist. This bracelet is no different. It’s slightly dressier than the “Speedy Bracelet” the Speedmaster or 2254.50 comes on, but the varying brushed and polished surfaces are nice. Omega has also moved away from pin/collar construction for screw links. That’s always good. This watch will also be amazing with a NATO strap if you want to trend a bit more on the casual. side.

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Ceramic Review – Final Thoughts

So, all of this to say, I am extremely impressed by the Omega Seamster 300M in Ceramic. Omega always does a good job, but it’s easy to see here why this model has remained a classic and has also remained largely unchanged in design for years. Omega has made some small improvements with each iteration, but no drastic changes. That being said, it’s worth looking into the newer version coming out later this year (2018) to see if perhaps you want to wait for that instead of grabbing one of these right now. Either way, you’re going to wind up with a watch that will serve you for years to come.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Casio GW-M5610BC at Amazon or Jomashop. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Also, if you like the watch reviews, here is a link to all our watch reviews.

If you don’t have a Casio G-Shock, you don’t have a complete watch collection. I sincerely believe that. Some people would tell you that you need an Omega Speedmaster or a Rolex Submariner, but let’s realistic about this – those are great watches, but I think one of the foundational cornerstones to any watch collection is a solar, atomic, G-Shock.

In 1981 Kikuo Ibe set out to design a resilient watch after experiencing an unfortunate incident with a mechanical timepiece. Ibe wanted his watch to be thin, able to withstand impacts, and water resistant to a respectable depth. The first model of Casio G-Shock to come out was the DW-5000, and the watch we’re looking at today is roughly based on that watch. The GW-M5610BC-1JF is one of the classic “square G’s” with a couple special tweaks that we’ll get into later… First some specs:

(All Measurements are my personal measurements and may differ from manufacturers specs)

• Case Width: 43.2mm
• Case Thickness: 12.7mm
• Lug to Lug: 47.7mm
• Depth Rating: 20Bar (200m)
• Weight: 4.2oz on the Combi-Bracelet
• Movement: Casio 3159 Module
• Lug Width: N/A — I know some folks swap out the straps/bracelets on their G’s, I don’t and it looks hard to do.

Fit

I have previously reviewed one of Casio’s Master’s of G, which while very cool in terms of functionality and robustness, can often times require a compromise when it comes to comfort. That is not the case with the 5600 Series watches. They are very trim at 12.7mm thick, and all of the band options that Casio offers are quite comfortable.

These watches likely are some of the most worn timepieces in existence with their entry-level brethren being available from places like Target and Walmart for sub-$50 (See the DW-5600E-1V). I feel like a good amount of this success has to be due to their unobtrusiveness on the wrist. They really are the put-on-and-forget type watches.

Movement

The GW-5610BC has Casio’s module 3159 inside of it. As with all of the Casio modules, there is an enormous amount of functionality packed into this watch including but not limited to a world time view, 4-alarms, chronograph (stopwatch), and a countdown timer. All of these functions are powered by G-Shock’s solar technology meaning that the watch’s face acts like a solar cell and can charge the battery when exposed to light.

Lastly, my favorite feature of this particular watch, the atomic-syncing functionality. The 3159 receives time calibration radio signals syncing the time with the atomic clock once a day. Effectively making the timekeeping accuracy of the movement a moot point when you factor that any deviation would be corrected every 24-hours.

Case and Crown

If you’ve ever handled a G-shock you are probably familiar with their rubber/resin coated bodies, buttons on either side to use the features, and recessed flat dial. The 5610BC is no different, and has a result it retains of the biggest flaws present on the smaller G-Shocks; there are four buttons on either side of the watch that activate the features, cycle through modes, and turn on the backlight. On the 5610BC the buttons are fairly small and recessed, this keeps them safe from damage or accidental actuation, but it also makes them difficult to use. I generally have to press them with my fingernail, not a deal breaker but worth pointing out.

The case itself is very nice. Thin, not super big, wears much smaller than the numbers would suggest. The size, as I discussed in the fit section, is probably what makes this model so popular. The dial is nicely recessed and protected by a resin bezel. As with other G’s Casio has used a steel case-back as well. I would imagine this helps to ensure the water resistance (20Bar).

Dial, Bezel, & Crystal

Unlike most other watches this portion of a 5600 series G-Shock is pretty straightforward. The bezel is integrated into the case and really only serves to protect the crystal/display. On the display you have two primary pieces of information being communicated: In the top right you’ll see the day, month, and date. Then filling the lower half of the display is the time, or if you’re in another mode whatever salient piece of information you would expect at that point. At the very bottom you have a couple small indicators for the charge level of the solar battery, and then a notification of the alarm status (so you can see if an alarm is activated before heading into a movie or something).

The crystal is called “inorganic-glass,” which leads me to believe that it is likely a mineral glass crystal. This is fairly unremarkable, and I feel pretty confidently that if the crystal encountered anything with any real force it would mark or break. That being said, the G-Shock’s design excels at diverting damage away from the face of the watch, I’ve never had a problem with it.

Strap/Bracelet

Most G-Shock’s come on a perfectly acceptable rubber style bracelet that’s built more-or-less integrally into the case. The particular variant we are discussing today comes on Casio’s rather brilliantly designed Combi-Bracelet. As the name suggests, the bracelet is a combination of polymer and steel, the outer links being for former and the center links being the latter. Each link is held together by a set of small spring bars.

I haven’t seen a bracelet constructed in this manner before. I’m not positive on the strength of this construction, but the bracelet is comfortable to wear and easy to adjust. The biggest difference in my experience with this bracelet is, it really makes the G-Shock feel like a “real” watch. I’m not really sure how else to describe this sort of intangible, but there’s a different feeling with the bracelet compared to one without.

Casio GW-M5610BC Review – Final Thoughts

So, what’s the deal with the 5610BC? I think when it’s all said and done you’re getting one of Casio’s most capable G-Shock models, that includes their solar and atomic technology while also including a bracelet. This is my favorite iteration of the classic G-Shocks, and while they may be difficult to find, they are generally available on amazon.com or eBay. Everyone needs a G in their collection. I suggest this one.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Casio GW-M5610BC at Amazon
or Jomashop. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Also, if you like the watch reviews, here is a link to all our watch reviews.

Something that comes up surprisingly infrequently when it comes to watches is the question, “What role does this item play in my life?” Timekeeping is the answer less often than I would anticipate. For me however, accuracy and reliability really are paramount. The advent of the quartz movement exemplified that accuracy did not always have to come at a great expense. Quartz watches primarily were coming out of Japan and the Swiss suffered as a result.

Buy the Longines Conqeust VHP at JomaShop

During the panic of the Quartz Crisis during the 1970’s and 80’s Swiss watchmakers struggled to find a solution to the dwindling revenue and customer base. One of the most notable attempts came from Longines in 1984 in the form of the VHP movement (Very High Precision). This movement emphasized accuracy, shaving down the time keeping variation to fractions of a second per month. Ultimately, as mechanical watches rebounded, the Longines VHP’s were discontinued and the mantle of HAQ (High Accuracy Quartz) fell to others. But now they have returned. Longines announced the reintroduction of the VHP series in 2017 at Basel, and that’s what we’re looking at today, the Longines Conquest V.H.P.. First off some specs:

• Case Width: 41.45mm
• Case Thickness: 12.19mm
• Lug to Lug: 49.79mm
• Lug Width: 20mm
• Weight: 5.3oz (on bracelet)

Fit

The VHP is a fairly low-impact watch in your daily life. In a way, I suppose on the wrist the VHP is relatively unremarkable. When we’re discussing how a watch fits on the wrist; “unremarkable” is a good thing. The VHP is available in a 41mm case and a 43mm case. The 41 is pretty much perfect on my 7.25” wrist. You want a watch to fold itself into your day-to-day activities and wardrobe, not stick out and be conspicuous… at least not in respect to comfort. The VHP excels at this.

Movement

The caliber L288 Longines VHP Quartz movement was developed in partnership with Longines and ETA under the Swatch umbrella. This movement is what really sets the VHP apart in my eyes. Previous to this watch I have owned both a Breitling Aerospace (actually a couple of them) and an Omega X-33 both HAQ (high accuracy quartz) watches with a ton of value and functionality. Both the Omega and the Breitling movements are spec-ed to get +/- 10s variance per year. While this is already remarkable, Longines wanted to make the most accurate non-radio controlled watch available on the market. In their attempt, they achieved a movement that cut the previous annual variance in half. The Longines VHP’s average +/- 5s a year. That may seem like splitting hairs, but to my knowledge, they only have one other peer in the Citizen Chronomaster.

In addition to the timekeeping of the L288, Longines developed a couple other really great features. Firstly, the watch has a power saving mode. To access it you pull out the crown and leave it. After 1-2 minutes the hands will all snap to noon and remain there. While in this mode the watch continues to keep time, but the hands do not move, saving power. To exit power saving mode simply push the crown in and the second hand will snap to time, the minute/hour hands rotate and resume timekeeping, and the date window will also tick over to the correct date if it’s been longer than 24 hours since you last wore it.

The L288 also features an anti-magnetic/anti-shock protection system called GPD or “Gear Position Detection.” To, I’m sure, vastly over simplify how it works; the GPD remembers the position of the hands at all times. When the watch encounters a magnetic field or a shock from a drop the hands freeze till the interruption passes, then snap back to the correct position and resume timekeeping.

Lastly, setting the VHP is a unique experience unto itself. Longines makes use of what they call a “magic crown,” which allows you to adjust the minute’s hand in tiny increments, or with a fast turn, it will advance one entire hour at a time. When you pull the crown out and turn it, the second hand snaps to noon to allow you to easily sync the watch with atomic time when you’re setting it.

Case

The case on the VHP is pretty low key. You can tell that Longines really wanted to focus on the other elements of the watch and kept the case low key so as not to distract. I think if there’s one area I could critique this watch it would be the case. It seems unnecessarily thick. A friend of mine whom also bought a VHP said that it seemed as if Longines simply shoe-horned the VHP movement into the regular Conquest line’s case. I can agree with that, it seems overly large for a quartz watch.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

The bezel on the VHP is a polished steel bezel reminiscent of the Tudor Oysterdate’s or a Rolex Datejust. This is an element that I feel classes the watch up, but could also result in an area that could exhibit heavy wear. I generally prefer brushed finishes over polished.

The dial has a concentric circle pattern radiating out from the middle, making the black dial look almost grey-ish in certain light. I really like this touch. I think it classes up the watch a lot. It reminds me a bit of the wave dial on Omega SMPs. All of the hour markers and the Longines logo are applied with the noon and six o’clock marker being large polished numerals. The hands are polished sword hands with generous amounts of lume applied to them. The second hand is red tipped and lines up with the second markers on the dial perfectly with each tick.

Lume is also applied to the hour markers with the exception of the large numerals. All-in-all the lume is sufficient for practical use (telling the time during a movie) but not exceptional. Last little detail to pick out is the date window at 3. It has a small white outline, but the date wheel itself is black. (One cool detail on the date is after 31 and before 1 there is a Longines symbol that rolls passed.)

Lastly, let’s talk about the crystal. Flat sapphire with really, really nicely done AR making you think you can almost reach in and touch the dial itself. Not much else to say there. Well done Longines.

Strap/Bracelet

Okay, the VHP comes on a really nice steel bracelet that has a butterfly clasp and uses split pin construction for the links. On my wrist, the bracelet is nicely done, with a brushed finish and polished sides. The catch with this bracelet is, to my knowledge, Longines does not have half links available. My wrist fits fine with two links removed. However, my buddy’s wrist the bracelet is too big with two removed and too small with three, so he’s been exiled to NATOs only. That may be an issue for some of you. Apart from this potential issue, I love the bracelet.

Longines Conquest V.H.P. Review – Final Thoughts

To put a bow on this watch… I love it. I was extremely interested in the technology that Longines and ETA pioneered in this piece, but then I stayed for the aesthetic. It’s a sharp looking watch that would be equally at home in a dresser environment as it would with jeans and a t-shirt. The Longines VHP’s are available for around $1000 and come in two different sizes 41 and 43mm. There is also a VHP Chronograph available if that’s your bag.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Longines Conquest VHP at Amazon or Jomashop. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Also, if you like the watch reviews, here is a link to all our watch reviews.

Generally, when someone gets into watches one of the first places they’re going to go is either Seiko or Citizen. This will generally dictate your brand allegiance from the start and it may prove difficult for you to look elsewhere. Myself, the first watch I ever wore with serious intent was a Seiko SKX009 that I bought off my buddy Zach nearly 5 years ago. So, as the rule would go… I never really consider Citizen, until now.

I actually sort of stumbled into this Citizen Promaster Diver as a trade for something else. I’ve always been a fan of the Seiko Tuna and figured this looked pretty similar. When it first arrived and I opened it, I laughed to myself, this watch is almost as-if Citizen wanted to create a parody of the Tuna, but also create a watch that would stand by itself as a dive watch. If that was in any way their intention, they succeeded. Anyway, specs first:

(All Measurements are my personal measurements and may differ from manufacturers specs)

• Case Width: 48mm
• Case Thickness: 18.6mm
• Lug to Lug: 54.5mm using the lug adaptors, otherwise, the rubber strap attaches directly to the case
• Weight: 6.6oz on the custom canvas strap I’m using
• Movement: Citizen Calibre B873 Eco-Drive Movement
• Lug Width: Using the adaptors it’s 24mm, without it’s proprietary

Fit

The Citizen Promaster Diver, or EcoZilla as it’s affectionately called, is a massive watch in every way. It’s tall, it’s wide, it’s chunky, but… similar to the Seiko Tuna it wears pretty trimly. I believe this is largely to do with how compact it is lug-to-lug. The strap descends immediately down from the lug (or lug adaptor) instead of arching across your wrist. In my experience this makes the watch wear smaller than it “should.”

The watch is also a “lefty,” in that the crown is on the left side of the case, so when worn on your left wrist it can’t dig into the back of your hand. This does require that you take the watch off to adjust it, but we’d do this anyway, right? I guess, the one downside to this watch is the height, there’s really no way around its 18mm-ness. It’s tall, it’s gonna get knocked into things, but in the end, it’s a no-nonsense tool watch and that’s what it lives for.

Movement

The Eco-Drive technology that Citizen uses is something that they have been developing for a long time. It’s part of their efforts to make watches that are powered strictly by the sun. In 2007 Citizen estimated that they have avoided the disposal of over 10m watch batteries by using the Eco-Drive movement, a remarkable feat if that figure is accurate.

The movement itself is pretty straightforward, quartz regulated, with a date complication. The Citizen Calibre B873 boasts an impressive 180-day power reserve, so… if the watch was exposed to bright sunlight it would take 11 hours to fully charge, on a cloudy day 40 hours, and 8” under a 30w fluorescent bulb 130 hours. Which seems like a lot until you realize that unless you lock it in a light-tight box, it will always be passively absorbing some energy. Anyway, very cool tech, and a good workhorse of a movement. According to the writing on the case-back, it’s anti-magnetic as well.

Case & Crown

The case is massive. If you, like me, measure watches in measurements of Oreos, this is solidly 1.5 double stuff Oreos on the wrist. As I said in the intro, it wears very much like a Seiko Tuna, the lug to lug is fairly diminutive on the wrist. It has a very solid build feel though, nothing rattles, the bezel is tight (but useable) and it just feels “monolithic,” on your arm.

The crown, however, is a little bit if a different story. It’s a bit fiddly, can be a little tough to catch the threads when you’re screwing it down, but I believe due to the quartz nature of the movement you shouldn’t be adjusting it that often. It’s unlikely that you’ll encounter these issues more than a couple times a year.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

Alrighty, top-down; the bezel is large and in charge (there’s a theme with this watch…) there are polished scallops on the bezel between the elapsed time indicators. Between the bezel and the crystal is a marked ring with indicators for the individual minutes. The bezel itself is a nice 60-clicker, works well, turns with just the right amount of force, it’s a good bezel.

The crystal is a flat mineral crystal not much to say there. The dial, well, it looks small compared to the case. The whole watch has a “cartoon-y” appearance to it; from the small dial to the large numbers on the bezel. It’s super legible, however, with the oversized hands and the orange minute hand. (These continue the cartoon-y theme in my opinion.) A note on the lume, it’s blue and pretty bright. Seiko is still the lume king, but the Citizen’s is perfectly adequate for your needs.

Strap Options

The Citizen Promaster Diver comes on a rubber strap that actually screws onto the case itself. I’ve tried on the Rubber strap, but almost immediately switched to using lug adaptors and a canvas strap. The watch does wear nicely on the wrist with either option. The OEM rubber is a nice vented strap with a substantial signed buckle and keeper. I just prefer the look and feel on canvas, and that would be my suggestion.

Citizen Promaster Diver BJ8050-08E Review – Final Thoughts

Alright, to wrap up my look at the Citizen Promaster Diver, I think it’s important to say that I’m not sure this watch is right for most people. I think it ‘could’ be right for anyone that’s looking for a supremely over engineered dive watch but, it’s going to wear large and look large so you need to be comfortable and ready for that. I am a fan, but admittedly it doesn’t see a ton of wrist time, I generally opt for slimmer pieces. They are very affordable though, so that’s a good plus. You can find them on Amazon new for just over $250, and used they generally go for $180ish.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Citizen Promaster Diver BJ8050-08E at Amazon or Jomashop. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Also, if you like the watch reviews, here is a link to all our watch reviews.

My Dad was a firefighter for his entire adult life. One of the enduring memories I have, as a budding gear-baby, was Dad taking his g-shock off and setting it on the counter. Dad wore the same watch for years, it survived fire, and water, shock, and general abuse galore. Ultimately when Dad retired after decades of firefighting, he gave the watch to the chief at the time. It was still perfectly operational, and ready to do more work.

Buy the Casio Gulfmaster at Jomashop

Fast forward to a few years ago, I was looking to make my first watch purchase. This was before I got into mechanicals before I bought my first Omega, or really understood what was available out there. Of course, I went looking at G-Shocks. Now, the watch we’re looking at today is not your run-of-the-mill G-Shock. We’re going to be looking at a “Master of G,” one of Casio’s top tier G-Shocks.

The Master of G line us broken up into, primarily, three different watches; the Gulfmaster, Mudmaster, and Gravitymaster. These three families of watches encompass the primary “genres” of the watch world, and also offer different levels of complexity. Specifically today we are going to be discussing the mid-tier Gulfmaster GWN-1000. Before we get into that let’s go over some specs:

• Case Size: My calipers measure this out somewhere between 52-48mm depending on where you measure. The Gulfmaster has a lot of protuberances on the case that makes getting a solid width difficult. Casio’s website lists it at 44.9mm
• Lug to Lug: Again I get 59.71mm, Casio lists it at 55.8mm
• Case Thickness: 17mm
• Weight: 3.5oz
• Movement: Module 5371
• Solar Charging, Shock Resistant, Tough Movement

Fit

So, who can wear a watch this size and look normal except maybe Thor or Arnold Schwarzenegger? I am, generally speaking, most comfortable between 40 and 43mm’s in regards to case size. So, to strap on roughly 45-50mm case seems like something ludicrous. But Casio makes large cased watches well, even the largest G-Shocks fit the wrist well and don’t seem too cartoonish.

The Gulfmaster does hug the wrist nicely for a watch this tall, think this is largely due to how the straps point almost directly down from the lugs. This allows the watch to maximize the space on your wrist.

Movement

The movement on a G-Shock is a difficult thing to talk about. They were built with robustness in mind, something that could stand up to shock, liquid, magnetism, and anything else we could possibly think to throw at it. The watch has at least 15 complications, including the triple sensor, world time, chronograph, etc. G-Shock’s are meant to be a bridge between a watch and something more (think smartwatch).

The Gulfmaster, in its role, is meant to be a maritime watch. It can help you predict the weather, keep track of the temperature, and keep you pointed in the right direction. If you bump up to the upper tier Gulfmaster you’ll also get a depth meter.

Another remarkable thing that the Gulfmaster does, is sync with the atomic clock. The “Tough Movement,” may not be a COSC certified quartz, but it does sync daily to ensure maximum accuracy. My example syncs around 1:30 am every night.

The Gulfmaster’s movement is a complicated one, with lots of customizability, and the ability to display a variety of information at one time. I’m not going to go into detail on all the different options, but I will say that you’re able to display a day/date, a different time zone, and/or track the barometric pressure changes over time, all while maintaining the analog face that shows you your home time.

Case and Crown

The case of a G-Shock is an exercise in resistance. The case is hollow and the movement is supported by a series of shock absorbing materials, additionally, the case is water resistant to 200m. It’s a watch you can wear to do anything, and will not let you down. That’s the whole G-Shock motto. It’s a little “tumorous,” with all the bumps and knobs for the different sensors and interfaces. I think this really lends itself to the whole “technical” look that Gshock is going for.

The Smart Access Crown was a big selling point for me. One of the big complaints that I see with some GShocks is that the “press and hold” button interface can be difficult to manage and frustrating to use. With the Smart Access Crown, you just make a half turn to unlock it, and then that’s the interface you’ll use to setup the different features. Much like the Breitling Aerospace, this user interface feels very natural and is simple to use.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

Okay easy stuff first, the crystal is mineral glass, which is… ‘fine.’ The next step up in the Gulfmaster line has a sapphire crystal, but mine just has mineral. It will scratch easier than sapphire, but at least it sits down below the steel bezel and so far that’s protected it.

Next the bezel, it’s metal (I’m guessing aluminum or steel) and it’s been anodized blue. Engraved into it are the numbers 1-10 on both sides. These are used with the barometer monitoring functions to show you the change in barometric pressure over time. Aside from the practical application, I think the bezel looks really great on this watch. The numbers are engraved giving it some nice depth, and there’s a lip going around the outside further accentuating the bezel’s dimension.

Lastly, the Gulfmaster has a very deep dial with large applied markers around the hour track. The hour indices are lumed, as well as the really nicely shaped hands. The hour hand is arrow shaped whereas the minute is more of a sword hand. The hands are both outlined in white, making them jump off the face.

There is a digital display on the lower portion of the dial, this display can be used to show lots of different information. I primarily use it for day/date. Next, there is a small sub-dial near the 10 o’clock position. This is used primarily for tracking the tide (based on your home city and the moon age) and/or monitoring barometric pressures changes when you have the watch in the right mode.

The last thing to point out is the backlight, pressing the top right button turns on the backlight which will illuminate the dial and digital display. It works alright, but I think it could be executed a little better. The light doesn’t stay on long, maybe if they had placed one at noon in addition to 6 you’d get a little more light on the dial.

All in all the watch is a busy one, but that busyness is intended to communicate a lot of information at a quick glance. I believe that the watch does this well.

Strap/Bracelet

G-Shocks mostly come on integral rubber straps, the Gulfmaster is no exception. The rubber itself is supple, and the double tang buckle is a nice touch. The one gripe that I have about the strap is that the steel keeper is large, and has a wide gap to feed the strap through. This doesn’t really “keep” the strap and it is known to ride up or down while you wear it, not a deal breaker but I do wish this was better executed.

Unlike other watches, you won’t be able to swap the strap out on the Gulfmaster, so what you see is what you get, that being said there are some folks out there that have figured out ways to mount aftermarket stuff so that might be worth looking into if you’re interested.

Casio GWN-1000B Gulfmaster Review – Conclusion

The GWN-1000B Gulfmaster by Casio is large and in-charge. It’s a watch that delivers a ton of information at a single glance. Its capabilities are slanted towards maritime applications, but it would (and does for me) preform anywhere that I’ve taken it. It would be worth looking at the different versions of the Gulfmaster to see if a higher-end or lower-end version may suit your needs better, but I dig this one. If what you want is a no-holds-barred, high functioning, watch that is always correct, then I say look no further than the Gulfmaster.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Casio GWN-1000B Gulfmaster at Amazon or Jomashop. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Also, if you like the watch reviews, here is a link to all our watch reviews.