To some, the new Casio G-Shock Rangeman (ref. GPR-B1000-1 / 1B) line of adventure watches may look like a glorified steam engine trying to compete with sleek and glossy bullet trains.
Casio
Buyer’s Guide: 15 Best Pilot’s Watches to Choose From
Looking at our stats, I see that demand for recommendations regarding diving watches is a seasonal thing with most visitors coming in summer and then gradually declining till Christmas only to start growing again in early January. “Pilots” are different animals: I have an impression that people are always interested in “aviators” regardless of the time of season. So, for your reading pleasure, a choice of fifteen timekeepers from under $200 to more than $10,000 as priced by online retailers that I find worthy of being considered while shopping for your new (or maybe your very first!) pilot’s watch this year.
Casio PRO TREK PRG-600 “Outdoor” World-Timer with Tough Solar Movement (ref. PRG-600-1ER)
With its new PRO TREK PRG-600 “outdoor” world-timer, Casio delivers a stylish, surprisingly tastefully designed product. Primarily targeting people who lead an active lifestyle and do need a time-measuring device that would do a good job during a hiking expedition, it will also look great with a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt in a safe co-working environment. Although inevitably having limitations of its own, the PRG-600-1ER gives you a great combination of good build quality, reasonable price, and an almost overwhelming list of functions that would make an owner of a Swiss-made analog/digital timekeeper drool. The only thing that spoils the fun is the “cased in Thailand” inscription on its machine-brushed back.
Casio G-Shock GravityMaster GPW 1000
The 2014 Casio G-Shock GravityMaster GPW 1000 delivers inside its defiantly oversized body an extremely small GPS receiver, a state of the art solar-powered quartz movement, as well as their signature Multi-Band 6 technology that allows the device to automatically receive standard time-calibration signal from atomic clocks. What else would you probably ask from this little monster? Make you breakfast?
Casio Edifice EQB-500D-1A with Bluetooth
Featuring traditional for the Japanese brand design, the new Casio Edifice EQB-500D-1A also sports a handy Bluetooth module. To make all of its numerous features work you will only need to accompany it by
Casio G-Shock Metal-Twisted (MTG-S1000D-1AJF)
Offered in plain and black ion-plated stainless steel, the new Casio G-Shock Metal-Twisted (MTG-S1000D-1AJF) not only offers their pretty solid Triple G Resist shock protection technology and lots of useful functions, but also packs them in an impressively designed, massive body that makes your normal “sporty” chronograph look like a real pussy near this rugged giant.
Casio G-Shock Rangeman GW-9400
Although Casio’s positioning of the new G-Shock Rangeman GW-9400 as a “survival” tool is a little bit too far-fetched, the gadget still deserves a certain degree of attention. Sporting a long list of useful functions that millions of fans are already familiar with, the Rangeman also sports their famous Triple Sensor system that makes it especially useful for hikers, forest tourists and, perhaps, even soldiers and other professionals who need a reliable and durable tactical watch.
Casio G-Shock GA-1000-2A Aviator
As quietly as usual, the Japanese electronics manufacturer has updated the aviation-themed shock-resistant GA-1000 series. Their new Casio G-Shock GA-1000-2A features a sporty body, which is similar in its styling to that of the last year’s Casio G-SHOCK GW-A1000-1ADF Smart Access. However, this new “aviator” sports a lot more readable dial with analog and digital displays combined for (almost) perfect usability.
2012 in Review: Top 12 Watches of the Year!
The year 2012 wasn’t exactly rewarding for the better part of the population. Greece didn’t default, Doomsday didn’t happen and Valve yet again failed to deliver HL:3. However, there were bright spots, too: Spain emerged victorious in the 2012 UEFA Euro Cup and the European politicians somehow managed to prevent the collapse of the single currency. The watchmakers from Europe and Japan, too, managed to introduce a number of great watches, although there was nothing truly revolutionary neither in terms of design nor technical characteristics (here I am talking about mass-produced models, not some ultra-expensive one-offs).
Casio G-SHOCK GW-A1000-1ADF Smart Access
The solar-powered 2012 Casio G-SHOCK GW-A1000-1ADF was presented at Baselworld 2012 (you don’t see many Japanese watchmakers in Basel, do you?) The gadget features the same Smart Access technology that we have recently seen on an all-analog ProTrek PRX-7000T “aviator”. Using a revolutionary five-motor drive and an electronic crown switch, the system makes operating the gadget’s numerous functions as easy as it can possibly get without using a touch-based interface. And with its radio-controlled Multiband 6 system, this is also one of the most precise time measuring devices that money can potentially buy.