# Military watch (g-shock) - best choice?



## Qbi-C

what type of g-shock would you recommend for use in service (army) and why? Is there a difference in analog and digital type for use on the battlefield?? 

and why is for example survival guys (bear grylls and others) using mostly analogue watches instead of digital?

pics would be great as well |>

thanx for any answers :thanks


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## sonoronos

Qbi-C said:


> why is for example survival guys (bear grylls and others) using mostly analogue watches instead of digital?


Most adventure/survival guys wear whatever their sponsors give them.

As far as why I personally would prefer digital over analog is that analog is easier to read in dim light and is easier to read when doing strenuous tasks. You can "infer" or "estimate" the time easily with an analog watch, but a digital watch must be "read".


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## tribe125

The G-Shock most commonly seen on a military wrist is the DW-6600. Probably because they're cheap, basic and readily available to soldiers.

To put military watches into context, I recently read of British soldiers playing conkers with one issued watch so that they could go to the stores and have the broken watch replaced with another.


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## cowboytuna

Qbi-C said:


> and why is for example survival guys (bear grylls and others) using mostly analogue watches instead of digital?


have to agree that time is easier to estimate in analog watches when doing strenuous tasks or when you can only give a quick glance. also, sometimes Bear teaches the viewers how to use the hands of the watch as compass. and to show that, obviously, he needs an analog watch in the show. i think he showed that when he was in Australia and in another episode. anyway, he does sometimes use a digital watch too. if my memory serves me right, that was the Vietnam episode.

by the way, I would recommend a g-shock that has both analog and digital. this is so you can have the primary time at the analog hands and the time zone you are in at the LCD. a lot of digital only g-shocks can be set this way too but as mentioned before, it is easier to know time even for a quick glance with an analog. that's why I recommend an analog and digital combination over digital only.

or maybe you could go for the pathfinders (pro treks). it has big digits which makes it really readable plus other extras (compass, etc.). you may want to look at this thread. read posts #5 and #7.

a little off topic, where are you deployed right now?


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## ghostcat

Qbi-C said:


> what type of g-shock would you recommend for use in service (army) and why? Is there a difference in analog and digital type for use on the battlefield??
> 
> and why is for example survival guys (bear grylls and others) using mostly analogue watches instead of digital?
> 
> pics would be great as well |>
> 
> thanx for any answers :thanks


I think one of these maybe. The Mudman is super lite weight and of course you have the ani-digi option with the other. Both stealthy.


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## Doug507

For digital, I'd recommend one of the basics - DW5600E, GW (or GW) 6900 or DW6600. Any G will work very, very well. If you prefer analog, hands down the best choice is a Seiko SKX007/009 diver. There is no better choice for under $200.


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## kiwidj

I'd go with something like this...









Men In Khaki Mudman


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## Leatherneck

As much as I love my Gs, I never wore one in 20 years as a Marine. Most of the time it was a basic analog auto with tritium luminosity. There is definitely an advantage of seeing the dial when making a reference.


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## freeman

I can see the advantage of an analog with lumes in the dark when you won't need to press the light button. But in good light I find the digital easier to read than the analog display. Because it's easier to make a mistake when reading an analog display and you can lose the reference of the 12 o'clock.
Also on a digital it is easier and faster to set the time than on an ana/digi Gshock.
Many military forces use Gshocks or other digital watches. Concerning the stealth I'm not sure it is really an issue, since if you need to be really stealth I guess you have to cover the watch crystal.


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## Widz

I dont think any one particular g is suited for military duties more than another. Theyre all tough enough. So as norm it comes down to what features you like and want. Of course dont go get a bloomin bright orange/(insert crazy colour here) one though!


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## apoc90

Qbi-C said:


> bear grylls


that guys a fraud. he uses a breitling emergency for crying out loud.

if you want to watch a real survivor show and not the fabrication that bear grylls stars in then watch survivorman with les stroud. he doesnt have a camera crew following him around feeding him and he doesnt pretend to ride "wild horses" which are in fact tamed horses that have been bought specifically for the show


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## Doug507

freeman said:


> Concerning the stealth I'm not sure it is really an issue, since if you need to be really stealth I guess you have to cover the watch crystal.


Right you are. For the average Joe these days, it's sleeves down and gloves on anytime he leaves the wire.


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## 021411

I vote DW6600 as well. It's a very robust watch and super inexpensive. If I were in the service, I'd buy two and have one as back up.


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## GregNYC

Leatherneck said:


> As much as I love my Gs, I never wore one in 20 years as a Marine. Most of the time it was a basic analog auto with tritium luminosity. There is definitely an advantage of seeing the dial when making a reference.


These days my Marine-Corps son says most of his colleagues wear G-Shocks. He wears a Pathfinder.

In my old-skool post-Vietnam days in the Army, I wore this. At-a-glance readability in all lighting conditions, and back then in the pre-big-watch days, I didn't think its 36mm size was too tiny on my wrist:


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## Sedi

How about one of the new G-7900? Very easy to use buttons - nice features (two 1000 hour stopwatches, 24 hour timer, world-time, moon-phease and tide-graph) and not really expensive either. Maybe not as cheap as a DW-6600 but certainly has the better features and a much stronger battery - if that is important - and the green one looks very 'mil-spec':

































However a G-9000 Mudman would also be a very good choice - has the same features just without the moon/tide-function - but very hard to press buttons:

















The biggest advantage over the G-7900 is the mud-resistant case and the slimmer design.

Greetings, Sedi


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## GregNYC

Sedi said:


> How about one of the new G-7900? Very easy to use buttons - nice features (two 1000 hour stopwatches, 24 hour timer, world-time, moon-phease and tide-graph) and not really expensive either. Maybe not as cheap as a DW-6600 but certainly has the better features and a much stronger battery - if that is important - and the green one looks very 'mil-spec':


Great choice, great color too. I actually like it better than the black version with the big red button! It has the 6-hr auto EL too, right?

I'd like the DW-6600 too for daily mil use. And I like it even now, but the lack of auto-EL is one reason it's not in my daily rotation....


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## Sedi

GregNYC said:


> It has the 6-hr auto EL too, right?


Yes - exactly like on the G-9000. Also setable between 3 and 5 sec duration. Much easier to use buttons of course - the buttons and the bold look are what I like best about that watch :-!. Never cared much for the black one either - I just don't like that red start/stop-button - looks like a 'self-destruct' button to me :-d - no offence. A stealthed black one with black buttons would look better IMO.

Greetings, Sedi


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## sonoronos

For a military watch, I think you would need automatic repeat CDT, Auto-EL, solar, and a very readable screen. Ah yes, I forgot....don't forget dual-time to remember loved ones far away.

 GW9010 Mudman, maybe. - thanks Sedi - strike that suggestion - no auto repeat on the GW9010.

That's if you're in combat. If you're not in combat, wear whatever you like


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## Sedi

Although I really love my GW-9010 - it doesn't have an auto-repeat timer - only a 'one-time'-timer. The G-9000 or G-7900 do have auto-repeat on the timer. Still the GW-9010 is a very good G-Shock - one of the best IMO.

Greetings, Sedi


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## IcedOut

Sedi said:


>


+1 to this one. :-!


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## yester5

I would recommend the GW6900:-!


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## Bogeyman

For military use, I'd recommend any basic, all-digital G. 

Digital = solid state (no moving parts) = less chances of failure.


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## Chronos

yester5 said:


> I would recommend the GW6900:-!


+1 on the GW6900, a no nonsense G with all the latest tech and VERY clear display with a nice stealth look.:-!


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## supawabb

Gw6900 :-!
Dw6900 
dw6600 |>


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## opc

I don't see an analog watch being easier to read at a glance. Glance at a digital watch and you know the exact time, glance at an analog watch and you might be 1 hour out, especially if it hasn't got numbers on the dial. Plus a nice analog chronograph might look good, but they are completly out classed by a digital watch with stopwatch in terms of reading at a glance.

Also in terms of accuracy, an automatic analog watch like a Seiko diver could be 1 minute out in under a week. I would of thought that this would be a no no for someone in the forces.

New technology like solar / atomic seems like the way forward to me.


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## Seb

I have more or less the same opinion regarding which type of watch is easier to read at a glance. While with analog displays it maybe is somewhat easier/quicker to estimate the time by a quick glance, when you need to know the exact time, digital displays are faster to read in my opinion. Off course, it may depend on which type of watch you use more frequently.


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## Sedi

Hi,
I think it's a matter of how much you wear either an analogue or a digital watch. On an analogue I have a better sense of time because I can intuitively tell how much time is left till a certain point in time for example. However a digital is more precise. If I wear my digital Gs for a longer period of time I get used to it. For military purposes I think digital is better anyways because of greater shock resistance and lesser chace of failure due to less moving parts.

Greetings, Sedi


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## Harayasu

I wear both analog and digital and can read both quickly. But I agree with Sedi that an analog watch makes it easier to estimate how much time is left to a certain point. On a digital watch you have to make a calculation, on an analog watch it is directly visible.


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## ecalzo

Any G will do the job.......
for me i will use a G9100......
:-!


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## filedog

I like this one too - got one on the way!


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## wave180

^Looks sharp! but I think I'll just use a cheaper model like the DW6600/6900.


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## Deep Sea

My old US Navy dive unit issued the DW-6600 to all divers. I've had mine for over 10 years, and it's never let me down. Still on the original battery also.

I would suggest one of the solar/atomic models, which is what I would choose if I were given a choice.

The GW9010 looks really nice, also.


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## Opentoe

It is swiss time keeping, has a timer and also has tritium. I've loved it since I got it.


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## Guest

#1. You have to pick a watch best suited for your branch of the Military. And there are plenty of G-shocks created to best suit each branch. Even super fancy fly boy Pilots need a good every day watch thats not an $8,000 Breitling.

#2. Marines - Mudman Wet or Dry use. - Army Gausman its Anti Magnetic -Navy I would say Gulfman because its Corrosion resistant Titanium (next on my personal list)

#3. You have any number of choices. I would go For a GAUSMAN because of a possible EMP strike. Or just heavy equipment that may use Magnets Radar Microwaves whatever.

#4. Budget. Get what makes sense a Nice Gulfman is worth every Titanium penny found with a good deal online from a reputable dealer.

#5. Camo. I love the new MIBR Mudman But the again. You can find almost the same model in a Light Sand colors which blends perfectly and the Tan look sharp on the wrist. Also You don't want any metal glinting so the Stealth series is Black Ion coated on the steel.

#6. Where are you stationed??? HAWAII or the North Pole?? Need low Temp resistant

For me theres nothing fresher than a blacked out new Mudman.

Where can I buy this???

http://www.casio-europe.com/euro/watch/gshock/gw-9100mb-1er/

Some pic suggestions.


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## freeman

IceCold said:


> #3. You have any number of choices. I would go For a GAUSMAN because of a possible EMP strike. Or just heavy equipment that may use Magnets Radar Microwaves whatever.
> 
> Ha ha I liked the EMP strike part :-d
> In that case the best plan is to take hold of a weapons store and start a fire fight, and wait for the rescue team...


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## Seb

IceCold said:


> #6. Where are you stationed??? HAWAII or the North Pole??


I do not think that czech army has any bases in Hawaii or near the North Pole. Also, they do not have naval forces (Czech Republic is landlocked).


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## stanislav

Seb said:


> I do not think that czech army has any bases in Hawaii or near the North Pole. Also, they do not have naval forces (Czech Republic is landlocked).


they are part of NATO and may have to go to any type of joint missions anywhere


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## Rocky555

Hello, first you must decide if you want analog or digital.
If it is analog and if you want tritium tubes illumination (constant illumination but not very strong) then you can look at Traser or Luminox watches.

For G-Shock, maybe you should consider GW-M5600 models. They are not very big and high profile, so they are comfortable to wear. 
Inverse screen is less readable in all conditions, maybe normal screen would be better for you.


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## Sedi

wave180 said:


> ^Looks sharp! but I think I'll just use a cheaper model like the DW6600/6900.


Hi,
well I paid 50€ for my DW-6600 and 65€ for the G-7900 - so it's not that much more expensive :-!.

Greetings, Sedi


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## filedog

Sedi said:


> Hi,
> well I paid 50€ for my DW-6600 and 65€ for the G-7900 - so it's not that much more expensive :-!.
> 
> Greetings, Sedi


Got my G-7900-3 for $79 ;-)


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## Geopro

Looks nice but too shiny for the field. Something more subduded might better for military use. But looks nice.


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## sgtslice

cowboytuna said:


> have to agree that time is easier to estimate in analog watches when doing strenuous tasks or when you can only give a quick glance. also, sometimes Bear teaches the viewers how to use the hands of the watch as compass. and to show that, obviously, he needs an analog watch in the show. i think he showed that when he was in Australia and in another episode. anyway, he does sometimes use a digital watch too. if my memory serves me right, that was the Vietnam episode.
> 
> by the way, I would recommend a g-shock that has both analog and digital. this is so you can have the primary time at the analog hands and the time zone you are in at the LCD. a lot of digital only g-shocks can be set this way too but as mentioned before, it is easier to know time even for a quick glance with an analog. that's why I recommend an analog and digital combination over digital only.
> 
> or maybe you could go for the pathfinders (pro treks). it has big digits which makes it really readable plus other extras (compass, etc.). you may want to look at this thread. read posts #5 and #7.
> 
> a little off topic, where are you deployed right now?


I would recommend any G-Shock model ( except atomic "auto" sync) for military use as all g-Shocks, analog or digital, are tough. And, yes, and analog may be used as compass;-). Quick glance on an analog would give you rough reading between lines on the dial. You can also glance on a digital display just as quick! On the other hand, an analog have the advantage under low light condition.


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## Sway

I think 'IceCold' posted the best reply in this thread...with Digital watches you're up against the chance of EMP strikes and / or strong magnets in the Forces. It's unlikely, but it could happen. For this reason I'd go for an Analog watch or a Digi that was designed to take that into account.

As for the time reading many have talked about between Analog and Digital; I actually find Digital easier and quicker to read than Analog watches.


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## cal..45

Qbi-C said:


> what type of g-shock would you recommend for use in service (army) and why? Is there a difference in analog and digital type for use on the battlefield??


most definately a full digital model, full analoges or ana-digis have not much practical use in the field and are barely seen on soldiers wrists nowadays.

right now my top 4 personal choices would be a G-7900, G-7710/00, SGW-100 (though no G, but a great watch anyway), G-800BD.

from a non-casio point of view i also can highly recommend the Timex WS4. it just survived a 2 weeks Nato exercise and performed exceptional well. in my opinion one of the best ABC watches on the market for now.

contratry to most i _*DO NOT*_ recommend a solar driven watch. during wintertime, with jackets/gloves on all the time, the watch probably won't see any sunshine for a long period. there is a possibility to run out of juice simply because of that, especially with a power sucking ABC watch.



> and why is for example survival guys (bear grylls and others) using mostly analogue watches instead of digital?


either marketing or personal preference, my bet goes for the first.

regards, holger


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## tribe125

cal..45 said:


> most definately a full digital model, full analoges or ana-digis have not much practical use in the field and are barely seen on soldiers wrists nowadays.


Although the standard watch issued to British troops is an analogue quartz and officers are frequently spotted sporting Omegas and Rolexes.


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## cal..45

i just came back from a 2 weeks afghanistan nato exercise with lots of coalition forces and i couldn't spot one single analog watch. most soldiers wore casio or timex, also suuntos seem to be fairly common. 

cheers


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## freeman

cal..45 said:


> i just came back from a 2 weeks afghanistan nato exercise with lots of coalition forces and i couldn't spot one single analog watch. most soldiers wore casio or timex, also suuntos seem to be fairly common.
> 
> cheers


welcome home  when you say casio you mean gshock mainly, or were there many non-G ?


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## cal..45

thank you :-!

well, out of the casio watches i saw, estimated 80% are G's the rest either protreks/pathfinders or simple digitals.

interesting thing is, that there seem to be even more timex watches than casios. some of them are so badly rocked, that buttons are missing and crystals are completely scratched. 

also interesting is, that whenever i saw a suunto it was always the vector model, which leads to the presumption that some units get it issued.


regards, holger


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## Misevicius

cal..45 said:


> thank you :-!
> 
> well, out of the casio watches i saw, estimated 80% are G's the rest either protreks/pathfinders or simple digitals.
> 
> interesting thing is, that there seem to be even more timex watches than casios. some of them are so badly rocked, that buttons are missing and crystals are completely scratched.
> 
> also interesting is, that whenever i saw a suunto it was always the vector model, which leads to the presumption that some units get it issued.
> 
> regards, holger


:think:In my opinion just say that 95 percent of police officers, firefighters, paramedics and military in various theaters, use g-shock, that the book itself black hawk endangered the author alludes to the g-shocks used by operators delta, then personally as police say there is no clock to make the job a g-shock is whether analog or digital, which leads other manufacturers most expensive watches go crazy, trying to bring to market a watch with the robustness g-shock combined with his money. Regards to all.|>


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## paspro

The stealthiest of all. The GDF-100BB-1.









Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2


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## JDPNY

Just to revive an older thread - as a former active duty US Army infantry officer I've got to tell you that these negative screen g-shocks will not cut it in the field, sometimes seeing the exact time quickly and easily under chaos conditions doesn't allow for moving/tilting your watch around to varying light shades in order to see the screen. Really large watches are not great either, something like a regular square or the size of the GW9010 or GW6900 makes the most sense. And rarely is a battery watch a plus over a solar powered one imho, I got involuntarily extended in a foreign country once for months longer than I anticipated and needed a watch battery with none to be found (in the boonies).


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## JDPNY

> I don't care for the GW6900 much though.


I agree Black Hawk, it isn't the model I would choose either, I was referring to a model "the size of" a GW6900 as the largest I would go. Me, if I was going back in uniform - I would take the GW9XXX series Mudman or a solar/atomic square. IMHO


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## lowtech

Black Hawk said:


> I agree. I think that the GW9010 and the GW9000A atomic solar G-Shocks are excellent choices for wearing in combat situations. I don't care for the GW6900 much though. There are a lot of places around the world where it can be difficult to find a battery replacement for an ordinary battery operated G-Shock. If the watch is solar powered, it will not fail you and it will completely eliminate the need for a battery replacement if you are at a location where it's difficult to find a battery or if you cannot find anybody reliable to open up the watch and reseal it properly after doing a battery change. You are better off with going solar in this case.


You are mixing things up, I believe.
The GW-6900 is teh solar/atomic brother of the Veteran DW-6900, whcih indeed runs on a CR 2016. 
On the other hand, you should be fine with a DW, when in doubt put in a new battery before a tour - The battery should easily last for years and iI hope no serviceman (or woman, for that matter) needs to stay away from home longer than a DW-6900 needs to chew up a battery.

But i think you would not go wrong with any other of the suggested watches, either.


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## fwupow

The Luminox's and Trasers with the Tritium gas-tubes are super for nighttime stealthy lume, but they don't have shock protection.

I think that if you've always been an analog guy, you're brain is predisposed to expect to see hands when you look at your watch, so if you see digits, your brain will be like "WTH? Ok, what are we doing here? Calculater? Alarm clock? Microwave?" and so then you kind of have to focus your conscious mind on the issue and let you brain know what's going on and that can be frustrating. On the other hand, if you're a long time digital user, your brain expects to see digits and seeing hands will bugger you up.

CASIO is actually trying to please the military better lately, They are especially making effort to provide gloved-hand access to the buttons.

The GD-350 is one attempt and the upcoming Rangeman is another. The GD-350 has big digits, long battery life and front-mounted light button but it is on the thick & chunky side. With the positive display, daytime clarity is pretty good, but nighttime illumination is unstealthy bright.

The Rangeman (GW-9400J) is out in Japan but the Japanese version uses Metric units (Meters, Celsius, hPa) instead of typical USA (Feet, Fahrenheit & inHG) This is another thick & chunky G-Shock with unstealthy Super Illuminator. It has the Solar/Atomic thing going for it and the front-mounted light button, but smaller digits.

The 5000 & 5600 squares are great for their thinness and not getting snagged on stuff, but operating them with gloves is pretty much out of the question and there is no front-mounted light button. The DW-6600 became of military favorite largely because of the EL backlight and the front-mounted light button. It had perhaps the brightest E.L. backlight ever so stealthy lume obviously isn't a big priority with everyone in the military.


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## etejut

cant be more military than this 















or this


__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content















soldier !!! name - rank and number !!


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## hiker

easy answer.rangeman through and through


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## JDPNY

> cant be more military than this





> as a former active duty US Army infantry officer I've got to tell you that these negative screen g-shocks will not cut it in the field, sometimes seeing the exact time quickly and easily under chaos conditions doesn't allow for moving/tilting your watch around to varying light shades in order to see the screen.


That is a good looking watch, but...


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## cal..45

hiker said:


> easy answer.rangeman through and through


I'm sure you have incredible experience with the GW-9400 to make such a statement.....:roll:

cheers


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## KillaSkill

I tend to lean towards the GA100-1A1 as I bought that an the red strap more flashy face one too. I noticed if the hands have any color, other than white, it's hard to read them in low light (the red one has a red hour hand that in dim light disappears.) as well this has digital as well, but again seeing the pair of white hands in the dark is quite easy. It's my day to day watch right now.


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## Pato Sentado

G-9000 classic mudman.


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## charger02

JDPNY said:


> That is a good looking watch, but...


Ahhh the negative display. Looks really cool until you have to use the functions. My preference is a Pathfinder/Protrek. I like the look of the Suunto's but any watch that requires a battery is a no go. Last G I had on a deployment died and there was ne'er a battery to be found.


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## scuttle

cowboytuna said:


> have to agree that time is easier to estimate in analog watches when doing strenuous tasks or when you can only give a quick glance.


You don't have to"estimate" time on a digital display, that's the point! This is why time critical computer displays like HUDs always use digits - they're the fastest read possible and the most precise.


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## scuttle

tribe125 said:


> The G-Shock most commonly seen on a military wrist is the DW-6600. Probably because they're cheap, basic and readily available to soldiers.


You're forgetting one huge factor: any real world field watch has to be well adapted to being used with gloves. So front button illumination G's are much the best choice. (I think any field soldier who set his watch on auto lume would be asking for a fragging from his colleagues..)


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## xevious

The best choice depends upon your application. An Air Force sergeant doing desk work most of the time would be fine with a black GW-M5610. But an infantry soldier in the US Army would do better with a Mudman or DW/GW-6900.

There's also price point. The DW-6900 is a great inexpensive military style watch. It does all of the basics pretty well with buttons that are easy to press. Then there's the G-7900, which is a little more feature rich, while still being affordable. From there, step up to the Mudman or GD-350.

Then there's analog vs. digital. Some people want an analog watch for very quick glance of the time. This is a bit of a tricky area, as CASIO has made some terrible analog designs, like the GA-110 (I mean terrible for legibility/usability). Those that are legible are handicapped on functionality, unless you go to the more expensive Aviator line.


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## fwupow

I spent a lot of time studying this in the past and made a couple of YouTube videos. My conclusion is that you can't have it all, I mean nobody makes the ideal Military watch. I finally decided that a PRW-2500 digital Protrek would be a top choice. It doesn't have the shock protection of a G-Shock but does have 200M water resistance and it's a few millimeters thinner.

PRW2500-1 or PRW2500T-1 with positive display. This assumes that you want Altimeter, Barometer, Compass & Thermometer functionality.

Tough Solar, so you won't have to worry about batteries running out. It has standard quartz watch accuracy if unable to acquire Atomic clock radio signal, so +/- 15 seconds per month.

Casio G-Shock lately is basically making both direct and indirect associations between the GD-350, GDX6900 and GW-9400 and military use, but none of these G-Shocks can be considered ideal. The GD-350 is too thick and the backlight is too bright. The GDX6900 is too big, too much face area wasted on Style-dials and again with the too bright backlight. The new/upcoming Rangeman is big & thick and likely to snag/catch on stuff frequently. It's hard to find an ABC watch that is less than 14 mm. The Suunto Vector was thick but shaped in such a way (rounded edges) that it tended to not catch on things and the buttons could be pressed while wearing gloves. It had weak water resistance that apparently failed quickly if you pressed the buttons under water. Also the batteries did not last long at all if you used the compass regularly.

If you don't want the Atomic radio control, the PRG260-1 might be an even better recommendation since it also seems to have 200M water resistance (the minimum really if you might be impacting water in any way).

PROTREK PRG260-1

You know I think I'm gonna move the 260 into 1st place. It's about 0.7 mm thicker but it's cheaper and it has low-temperature resist LCD.


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## Ramble2

You will already have GPS provided by your unit, if they stock it in your TOE. As for the watch, all you need is time, in case you can't get it elsewhere, which is unlikely.

You want the model with the least features possible to fail. No solar, no atomic, no databank. No extraneous crap of any kind. Despite common thought that you will be smashing your arms against things all of the time, you won't be, and if you do, it won't be a scratch, but a shattering.

You want a Timex with an acrylic display and long battery life, with a nightmode that illuminates not the back, but the digits, and is usable while setting. Iow, a Timex Ironman.


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## EMT

So much hate on the negative displays lol I just watched a series about Parajumpers in the USAF, these guys are ELITE combat medics, put under not only the stress of going into a hot zone but also to save a critically injured solider. A few of these guys wore GR8900's which is a negative display. Negative displays can be harder to read but they aren't "impossible" to read. Here's a screen cap...








There is no watch made JUST for military. Most people in the service are probably regular people (as in not watch fanatics like us) who just wanted a watch that would last and G-Shocks are well known for that, so they just got the model they liked the most. I'm in EMS and I've talked with a lot of police officers, firefighters, other EMS personal, jobs well known for wearing G-Shocks, whenever I asked "why did you that model?", 90% of the time the answer was "cause g-shocks are tough", no one has ever answered "cause this one is tactical". I'd assume the same answer would apply for military.


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## 7cardcha

charger02 said:


> Ahhh the negative display. Looks really cool until you have to use the functions. My preference is a Pathfinder/Protrek. I like the look of the Suunto's but any watch that requires a battery is a no go. Last G I had on a deployment died and there was ne'er a battery to be found.


You can bring what you need.

1. Battery's. 5 pack is $1 with shipping on eBay. I've had tremendous luck with cheap ones, would not worry about getting a brand. 
2. Screwdriver set $3-$15 depending.
3. Silicone grease <$5.

1 screwdriver, one tiny tub of grease and 2-3 batteries won't set you back very much weight, money or space.


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## fwupow

Ramble2 said:


> You will already have GPS provided by your unit, if they stock it in your TOE. As for the watch, all you need is time, in case you can't get it elsewhere, which is unlikely.
> 
> You want the model with the least features possible to fail. No solar, no atomic, no databank. No extraneous crap of any kind. Despite common thought that you will be smashing your arms against things all of the time, you won't be, and if you do, it won't be a scratch, but a shattering.
> 
> You want a Timex with an acrylic display and long battery life, with a nightmode that illuminates not the back, but the digits, and is usable while setting. Iow, a Timex Ironman.


Very good point about the GPS. The heyday of the Suunto Vector ABC watch I think slightly predated the wristband GPS Garmin 4-runners & such that are common now.

You also bring up an excellent point about the illumination. It seems that just about every cheap digital watchmaker out there offers digital watches with Positive displays but reverse backlights which only illuminate the digits. What up CASIO?


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## charger02

7cardcha said:


> You can bring what you need.
> 
> 1. Battery's. 5 pack is $1 with shipping on eBay. I've had tremendous luck with cheap ones, would not worry about getting a brand.
> 2. Screwdriver set $3-$15 depending.
> 3. Silicone grease <$5.
> 
> 1 screwdriver, one tiny tub of grease and 2-3 batteries won't set you back very much weight, money or space.


I hear you man, but all of that stuff is tiny. Small things tend to get lost, crushed or forgotten especially if its not essential. Just one persons experience, thats all.


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## fwupow

This here Timex disappeared for awhile but I guess it's back:

Timex Men's T499519J Expedition Shock XL Vibrating Alarm Green Resin Strap Watch: Watches: Amazon.com

Shock resist and 200M water resistance and look at those easy glove press buttons. I guess they made it bigger and added vibe alarm.

Timex Ironman & Expedition models are definitely worthy of consideration for general timekeeping duties in the Military or Tactical fields.

I should add however that if you compare customer reviews on Amazon between CASIO Protreks and Timex's, you'll see that the Pathfinder/Protreks & G-Shock get almost entirely 4 & 5 star reviews whereas many Timex models get ratings all over the place. You're talking shoddy manufacturing and poor quality control with some Timex models with comments like; 
"The Indiglo just stopped working.", "The alarm sounded and wouldn't stop until I removed the battery." Lot's of 1 thru 3 star reviews. So if you're gonna go with a Timex, you'll want to check out the reviews carefully for the specific model that you're considering.

And another thing. You don't have to go Timex for a simpler thinner digital watch. I think this is a worthy contender for top 10 military watches.
Casio Men's SGW100B-3V Digital Compass Twin Sensor Green Nylon Band Sport WatchThis one gives you easy to read digits, 13 mm thickness, comfortable strap and, if you need to go old-school map & compass, it's got a digital compass and thermometer as well.


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## 7cardcha

charger02 said:


> I hear you man, but all of that stuff is tiny. Small things tend to get lost, crushed or forgotten especially if its not essential. Just one persons experience, thats all.


That's a good point, I know nothing about the military, so I shouldn't be speaking 

I'm super OCD about my things, I will go INSANE if something get's lost.

Perhaps I shouldn't join the army.


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## mf6532

Just come back from Israel and believe me if there is one country where G shocks are popular, most military and border police I saw ( and I saw a lot ) we're wearing the 6900 and the 9052 models. The 9052 are about $20 cheaper then the 6900 and are preferred by new recruits however the 6900 are worn by combat soldiers as well as border police personal. That model is referred as the six thousand nine hundred.


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## JohnnyBlazE

After watching this review on the GD-350-8 I would have to say this is a good call.

Buttons seem large enough for most gloves, especially the front mounted light button. Digits are thick and easy to read, colour looks the part, shock absorber/wrist thingy at the back is good for the vibration alarm to transmit to the wrist. CDT in Home time mode is excellent.

Looks lovely and functional, isn't too chunky, and lies flat when you take it off and leave it down.
Light is bright as hell for when you need it; I'd leave Auto-EL off.

It's quite a good watch from what I can see and to avoid the "non-solar" issue - it has a low battery indicator built in.
I'd buy one.

Historically for anything involving mud I turn to my G-9000-1ER but if I ever need to press buttons it's not ideal (except the front mounted light button).
Other rugged activities I use either my Riseman, the King (also useful in Mud) or DW-9052 (not my shot, but it's a lovely watch).


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## xevious

JohnnyBlazE said:


> After watching this review on the GD-350-8 I would have to say this is a good call.
> 
> Buttons seem large enough for most gloves, especially the front mounted light button. Digits are thick and easy to read, colour looks the part, shock absorber/wrist thingy at the back is good for the vibration alarm to transmit to the wrist. CDT in Home time mode is excellent.
> 
> Looks lovely and functional, isn't too chunky, and lies flat when you take it off and leave it down.
> Light is bright as hell for when you need it; I'd leave Auto-EL off.
> 
> It's quite a good watch from what I can see and to avoid the "non-solar" issue - it has a low battery indicator built in.
> I'd buy one.


I'm still happy with mine. I had a little problem with a flaky start button (the metal one on the lower right), but got it worked out. Some people have complained about the buttons, with some going to the point of saying they are "pathetic" or "mushy". I compared this to my G-7900 and frankly, all I could say is that I found that they had just a _slight bit of less resistance_. Not mushy. What's missing is knurling on the surface of the buttons. But... I wouldn't call it a deal breaker. Where I think the design goes a little wrong is that the buttons are not totally laid out symmetrically. The "C" start button is shifted a little down. So that might throw you off when using the "D" button on the lower right, expecting it to be a little lower. I've had a few "button misses" when I first started using the watch, but after a short time of ownership I'm not having any problems pushing buttons.

CASIO did a lot of things right with this watch. It's one of the few G-Shocks I've bought brand new (most I bought used in great condition) and while I could have saved myself about $30 waiting for it to be available through discount channels, having it earlier was worth it. For anybody who is not needing a tactical stealth watch, because the backlight is a bit bright, I'd say the GD-350 is an excellent military watch choice.


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## Wojo

Ramble2 said:


> You will already have GPS provided by your unit, if they stock it in your TOE. As for the watch, all you need is time, in case you can't get it elsewhere, which is unlikely.
> 
> You want the model with the least features possible to fail. No solar, no atomic, no databank. No extraneous crap of any kind. Despite common thought that you will be smashing your arms against things all of the time, you won't be, and if you do, it won't be a scratch, but a shattering.
> 
> You want a Timex with an acrylic display and long battery life, with a nightmode that illuminates not the back, but the digits, and is usable while setting. Iow, a Timex Ironman.


5 years active duty...27 months spent in theater. Used both a G Shock and a Pathfinder on both tours. I saw several Timex watches fail, mostly while gunners had them in the turrets of their Humvees or MRAPS. I have seen a G shocks battery die while down range and the poor Soldier lost a screw while trying to replace the battery in the field; watch was done. Needless to say, my PAW 1200 pathfinder ran without a hiccup. No dead batteries, features to show weather trends (yes that is very nice to have in the field) and it sits on my wrist right now after 7 years. Gs are superior because of their extensive armoring, something Timex can't match. Oh, and it is nice to have Atomic time, at least stateside as that is the official time the Military runs on.


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## macornley




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## mf6532

macornley said:


>


Could not agree more!


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## bowseruni

IceCold said:


>


What model mudman is this? I can't seem to find a fully black one like this anywhere
thanks


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## Sedi

GW-9010MB "Matte Black" - probably almost impossible to find now - maybe on yahoo auctions Japan.

Cheers, Sedi 


bowseruni said:


> What model mudman is this? I can't seem to find a fully black one like this anywhere
> thanks


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## xevious

Sedi said:


> GW-9010MB "Matte Black" - probably almost impossible to find now - maybe on yahoo auctions Japan.


Some guy in Poland sold one back in September. It was really expensive though, more than a Rangeman. And the bezel/band had wear marks too. I'd take the Rangeman. ;-)


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## Cosmonaut1

Hi there 
Just posting a picture of my "new" DW9052. I confess that I've choose this watch after seen it in the movie "Lone survival" and reading some nice reviews of it in this forum. 
Cheers!


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## Rocat

Cosmonaut1 said:


> Hi there
> Just posting a picture of my "new" DW9052. I confess that I've choose this watch after seen it in the movie "Lone survival" and reading some nice reviews of it in this forum.
> Cheers!
> 
> View attachment 1414368


Welcome to the forum Cosmonaut!

I am contemplating picking up one of those this week. The red is nice but I am looking at the DW 9052-1B (black with yellow lettering).

Having a hard time finding new one under $45 USD.

If this is your first G Shock.......it will not be your last!


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## nj1

My cousin had a DW-5600C, think he paid around $50 for it but can't remember as was 20 years ago. It's retired now but he wore it through 16 years of service, gloves and the small light button was the only thing he didn't like but normally the moon sufficed. He replaced it with a DW6900 but didn't take to it so he has a DW-5600e now. 

Solar would work well if the watch was charged before deployment as it's meant to last 9 months without any light whatsoever before failing so sleeves wouldn't be a big issue (iirc). Low profile/slimmer is an important thing so it doesn't snag and snap off things.


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## MrDagon007

I am not military. Never have been. Hence my recommendation, based entirely on assumptions, is to be taken with a grain of salt.

The solar-powered Mudman G-9300 seems to me sufficient: sturdy, light, can handle dirty environment, watertight enough, positive display, compass may be useful from time to time. It seems sufficient to me.


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## Godan

If I were to return to the Army, I would want a GWM-5610 - atomic, digital, flat and simple. As others with military experience have mentioned, things tend to snag, bump, bang and scrape. The bigger they are, the greater the tendency. Flat and simple will get it done, and don't even think about changing batteries in the field. I use several larger watches for winter mountaineering and other outdoor activities, but nobody is shooting at me and I never have to dive into the dirt or crawl anywhere. In real military situations, you want something that will be there at the end of the day, and, like you, still alive at the end of your tour.


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## Flex1493

My choices would be.

For analog


















And digital.



























































Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Flex1493

Oh and this baby as well.


















Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## cal..45

Right now, I also would consider the GD-350-1B the best military G-Shock available. However, the overly bright white LED illumination makes it totally unsuitable in darkness, so modifying the backlight to 

1. red, green or blue and
2. therefore makes it a lot less bright

is not only recommended but essential in my opinion.


cheers


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## cal..45

[edit]


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## bgomez

I've never been in the service, but I find that though negative displays look cool. If I'd have only one watch to wear everyday, it would be a positive display. You can really see a positive one easier than a negative in low light situations. You can also get a Solar, if you think you'll have ample amounts of sun in where you'd be deployed. If not, you're better off with one of those Gs that has a 10 year battery life. ABC sensors are good additions but am thinking they're not essential. I think soldiers should be able to survive without these functions since they do have survival training and better wilderness training than the most civilians. 

My recommendations would be the G9000, DW-5600, DW-6000 and DW-6900 or any solar/atomic variants of such models.


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## cal..45

bgomez said:


> I've never been in the service, but I find that though negative displays look cool. If I'd have only one watch to wear everyday, it would be a positive display. You can really see a positive one easier than a negative in low light situations.


Usually I completely agree with that statement (in fact I often write the same) but the GD-350-1B is different, VERY different. The negative display of this watch unbelievable good to read in nearly any light conditions but the worst (where a positive display fails equally) . Ironically I find it easier to read than some positive displayed watches, including a GW-9110 Gulfman - and that means a lot!

cheers


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## bgomez

cal..45 said:


> Usually I completely agree with that statement (in fact I often write the same) but the GD-350-1B is different, VERY different. The negative display of this watch unbelievable good to read in nearly any light conditions but the worst (where a positive display fails equally) . Ironically I find it easier to read than some positive displayed watches, including a GW-9110 Gulfman - and that means a lot!
> 
> cheers


Hmm. I'll check that watch out


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