Casio G-Shock DW-5600C-1V Review
Happy Casioctober 2011 everyone!!!
I haven't written a proper review in a long time so please be gentle with me as I'm a bit out of practice and not nearly as familiar with this watch as I should be. The watch in question is my very first G-shock, a vintage Casio G-Shock DW-5600C-1V, which is the first generation of G-shocks made. I have no idea what year it is from, as I have no clue how to date G's (and would appreciate the help from anyone who knows how to do it).
About The Casio DW-5600C:I really am a rank noob when it comes to G's so I'll leave it to wikipedia to give you a bit of background history on the model:
WIKIPEDIA - Casio DW-5600CHere is an incredible article on early G-shocks from Carlos Perez at TimeZone, which touches on this model:
UNBREAKABLE - by Carlos PerezLastly here is a great post by Casiophile on WUS which details this watch and the rest of the variants in its model line:
DW-5600 Model Versions – The First Nine – An Illustrated GuideThe Story of My DW-5600C-1V:I've been a fan of Casios for a long time. Their solid construction, richness of features and affordable prices have always appealed to me. G-shocks I always found especially interesting since they had the big macho appeal and enjoy a fanatical following by an enormous number of collectors. Sadly, for me, I'm not the biggest fan of rubber straps (though I will use them when there is no other alternative) and more importantly, every time I've tried on a G, it was a bit thicker and busier than I would have liked. Like many things I appreciated G's from afar but couldn't see myself wearing one. This all changed about a year ago when a discussion of G's on SCWF came up and I found myself saying something to the effect of wanting to try one of the basic square classic G's as I didn't thing I could warm up to some of the more elaborate modern designs. Imagine my surprise when a few weeks later a package arrives at my door from none other than our very own Mike, Oldhippie. Not knowing what the package was I opened it and found a nice classic black g-shock along with a note hoping that I would enjoy my introduction to the world of G-shock. Needless to say I was touched and thanked mike profusely. The thing is, I had no clue what he had given me. All that I knew was that it was older, as mike told me he had restored it, and because it had a screw-type caseback (most new G's use press-style backs held in place by screws). Anyhow, a few weeks later I decided to look into the watch and get a hold of the user manual so I could learn how to use it. That's when I discovered that what mike had given me wasn't an ordinary inexpensive G, but rather a vintage first generation DW-5600C-1V that probably cost considerably more than what new off-the shelf model would have cost. I was floored to say the least, and determined to treat this watch with the respect it was due. Since then the G has been on my weekend rotation, where it has been a great companion and worked flawlessly.
About the Watch:There isn't more that I can tell you about the technical aspects of the watch that Other sources can't do much better. The watch is a digital module inside of a steel case with a mineral crystal, completely covered by a thick rubber bezel that protects the top and sides of the case. The bezel creates recesses that protect the pushers from accidental activation and impact, as well as creating a raised rubber ring that causes the crystal to be recessed from the impact surface of the watch. Unlike other G-shock designs, the design is distinctive, relatively simple and surprisingly lacking in the "surface excitement" (read, excessive wording and ornamentation which serve no practical purpose) that is found in so many other G's.
The dial itself is an older LCD display with no ornamentation beyond a square where the date is displayed. I am no expert on the features but hereis a copy of the User Manual in case any of you want to explore the features further:
USER MANUAL - qw690.pdfUSER MANUAL - MODULES 690 & 901.pdfAn interesting vintage Touch is that the watch uses an actual light-bulb to illuminate the dial in low light conditions. This is nowhere near as effective as modern electroluminescent dials, but it sure gives the watch a nice vintage touch. The contrast of the LCD itself is not as good as some of the modern models, but it is still highly visible and legible. relative to the size of the case the dial is surprisingly small. This is something I've noticed of a large number of G's and have always wondered why Casio doesn't use bigger displays (like Timex does), which would make the watch much more legible.
A nice touch is that the case (or rather the rubber bezel surrounding the case) and the strap are not a single integrated piece (as you find in so many modern digitals). instead the strap is made up of two separate pieces and replaceable. This is a nice feature since rubber straps tend to have a tough life and this allows the user to replace them as needed. The straps fit into a recess in the bezel and are held in place by silver colored screw-type springbars (see picture:
A neat design feature is how the top of the recessed lugs follows the line and design of the vented expansion slots of the strap itself, creating the illusion of an integrated design. very nicely done. The rest of the strap itself is not much to write home about. beyond the vented section is a straight rubber strap with lots of adjustment holes and a simple buckle with a wide tongue. Unlike many modern sport watches, the strap keeper works as a simple belt loop and does not lock the strap in place (much like in our Seiko diver straps)
The caseback is a simple flat screw-type caseback that includes model information (DW-5600), caliber/module information (901), Place of origin (Japan), case material (St. Steel), water resistance (200m) and the serial number. Oddly the word G-shock does not appear anywhere on the caseback. instead the center of the caseback is stamped with the words "Shock Resistant". In fact the only place on the entire watch where the word G-Shock appears is on the 0600 side of the bezel.
Impressions:Overall I'm deeply impressed with the watch. I've had a lot of sport watches over the years and this one has got to rank right up with some of the most solid and practical ones I've had. You have to love the solid construction and the screw-type caseback. The size is just right without being soo big and thick that it gets caught one clothing. Yes I wish there were alternatives to the rubber strap, but seeing that it is an integral part of the design, I can't complain. I have seen modern version of the watch and yes they have FAR better back lighting and much louder alarms, but as I see it the weaker alram and the old school light bulb style back light is part of the charm.
All in all it is a fantastic watch and a great symbol of an idea which created a whole new class of watches. I love owning it, especially when considering how the watch got to me. This is one of those that I have no plan on ever getting rid of. Thanks Mikey, you made a G-Shock Fan out of me.
