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G-Shock GBDH1000-4D GPS/Heartrate/Altimeter/Barometer/Thermometer/Solar Fitness Tracking Watch $299 Shipped @ G-Shock Australia

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Pretty hefty discount from G-Shock official which you don't usually see from official websites.
Starbuy has this same colour currently for $469. So ignore the $599 retail price this deal is more like 37% off.

Even though this one isn't really my favorite colour either it's $130 less than the previous GBD-H1000BAR-4D (LE Barcelona) deal which was $429 shipped but to be fair that one was a Limited Edition colour.
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/product/g-shock-gbdh1000bar-4d

Here is some customer feedback on the watch with photos: https://www.reddit.com/r/gshock/comments/n6dmbu/gbdh1000_rev…
TLDR: Good watch, Bad App. Solar charging seems to be better than expected improving the battery life.
Quotes
"8 days of battery life with 3 days of 24 hours of heart rate + GPS for 2 hours a day (with HR on) but absolutely no sun."
"exposed the watch to 2,5 hours during a cloudy day with light but no direct sun and it charged 1 full bar"

I know this watch might be confusing as to where it sits for some people. So here is me trying to give you a better idea.

Warning: This watch is chunky (63.0×55.0×20.4mm). And it's heavy (101 grams).

What kind of watch is it? Technically it's a GPS Fitness tracking watch.
I think it could be compared to Garmin Instinct (1) Solar which has been posted for $250 (Amazon UK) to $299 (Kogan). https://www.ozbargain.com.au/product/garmin-instinct
For fitness it has all the same sensors and it uses the same type of MIP display+Solar charging. It charges the main battery with a USB cable and from that battery has about 14 hours of GPS+Heart rate tracking in normal mode (18 hours with intermittent GPS). On the G shock the Time module and Step counter/notifications run off a separate battery for Up to 12 months from max charge.
Instinct (1) Solar manages 30 hours GPS tracking without solar, so if GPS+Heart rate use is important Garmin wins.

Big difference to Garmin though is the App. Many customers are not very happy with the G shock Move App and Garmin's ecosystem will be much better for fitness.
G-shock doesn't have NFC pay, neither does Instinct 1 Solar which I think is in a similar price range. But the higher priced Instinct 2 Solar does have NFC pay.

Who is it for? Here are just a few points I thought stood out on their own.

  • MIP display is very easy to view in sunlight compared to OLED or regular LCD (MIP here is black and white, so good for data not for fancy colours)
  • It's big and it's heavy (maybe you want something chunky that is durable/waterproof and heavy so it lets you always know it's on your wrist)
  • Fitness tracking with GPS and Heartrate is less of a priority (battery life in these modes is not comparable to Instinct 1 Solar)
  • It has large buttons (could be easier to trigger buttons while wearing gloves)
  • Altitude and/or Temperature is important to check and see
  • Don't want to charge often (With just Time and Step counter/notification functions so if you use this watch without GPS/Heart rate tracking it can run indefinitely off Solar charging - 8 hours of fluorescent indoor light per day or 2 hours window sunlight per week is enough - Rated battery life for the 3475 module is 12 months with Heartrate measurements off and no GPS use according to user manual)

If your response was positive to 5/6 of these points this might be a suitable watch for you.

Negatives are this watch with solar and USB charging uses a rechargeable battery (2 apparently) supplied by Casio. After maybe 6 years if the battery dies, it needs to be sent into an authorized Casio service center and have the battery replaced by Casio which will be pricey, probably less than the watch but pricey.
It does not use your run of the mill CR2032 battery which you can replace by yourself and perform AC reset.

Also if you are serious read the user manual carefully where it says the do's and don'ts of charging the main battery (powering GPS and Heart rate) with USB cable. It's a bit different to your usual lithium charging. Seems to me they want to you charge it from the last bar (around 25%?), not from 50% or 80% like you would your phone. And they warn against leaving it on the charger and overcharging. Follow these instructions to keep your battery from dying quickly.

Official Global website page for specs:
https://gshock.casio.com/intl/products/g-squad/gbd-h1000/

User manual:
https://support.casio.com/storage/en/manual/pdf/EN/009/qw347…

Related Stores

Casio Australia
Casio Australia

closed Comments

  • +3

    It’s very red!

  • +3

    G-Shock.. the Nokia of watches. They should OWN the rugged smartwatch market…

    • +1

      Apparently their smartwatch model the GSWH1000-1D with wearOS was severely flawed on release.
      https://gshock.com.au/collections/g-squad-pro/products/gswh1…

      And just from checking specs now it is even chunkier than the GBD-H1000 in this deal lol didn't know that was possible.
      It's 65.6 × 56.3 × 21.3mm and 103g.

      Anyway just before release Casio didn't reveal the processor or wearOS version which is what most people wanted to know. I think this was around the time wearOS 3 was being announced but yeah they released it and turns out it's stuck on wearOS 2 which apparently hit a lot of people hard.
      Also no NFC pay function on the wearOS GSW-H1000 either.

      The only good thing I can say about it really is from a video the function and menu system of the watch was very smooth fast running and impressive (good looking).
      Maybe their decision for locking it to wearOS 2 was for this reason, so that they could control the system better and keep it running great which helps give a better user experience and would protect their brand image.

  • Just made an edit to the GPS hours part of the post.

    Sorry no I was correct to begin with. Garmin Instinct 1 Solar manages 30 hours GPS tracking WITHOUT solar.

  • might be worth asking for a price beat from starbuy. i've managed to get price beat on a seiko tuna watch before; Deepak lowered the price the next day but a few hours after i received the price beat email, i found it was even lower than what i was expecting.

  • Can this watch measure dive depth?

    Also how does the solar charging go? Is it enough to sustain basic function without using GPS?

    • +1

      "Can this watch measure dive depth?"

      Usually the watch will have a specific diving mode but this watch doesn't have that in the user manual.

      "Also how does the solar charging go? Is it enough to sustain basic function without using GPS?"

      Yes solar charging is enough to keep the watch going with Time/Step counter/notifications, but not with GPS or Heart rate you will need to not use either of those.

  • Unsure quite how the fitness tracking works and if it's a Coros/Garmin etc match but it's impressive it has all these sensors including a barometer at the price.

    Edit - oh and the battery life. Apart from Coros most anything else in the market sucks at this.

    • +1

      Nah the Garmin instinct has a much higher battery life even before solar system contributing.

      Instinct 2 can basically run forever with solar.

    • For most people I think Garmin is a safe bet. The sensor accuracy, the App, solar/extended battery life models, optional NFC pay models, plenty of options in the budget range. It all there.
      I think even Garmin fans are not really that keen on the Instinct series with it's black and white MIP display, most people these days want something closer to a smartwatch so they will just go for the Fenix series which is still half Fitness watch but if it saves you from buying a smart watch on the side the value is there. I think a lot of people are willing to pay a premium for the Fenix just to wear one watch.

      The Coros Pace 2 is within this price range and reviewed well with battery life/sensor accuracy etc. But according to feedback there are some missing parts in usability or weird things like stuff not being explained in the user manual. So in a way they are new and just not all there yet.
      They also seem to focus entirely on fitness, so they did make a statement that they have no intention on bringing NFC pay to any of their models anytime soon.

  • +1

    This watch is chunky (63.0×55.0×20.4m).

    Sure is… Is it a wrist watch?

  • +5

    Casio watch makers seem to compete with each other on the most difficult to read watch designs. Make a HUGE watch with TINY writing, and bonus points if you can add analog arms to obscure that writing. Classic form over function fashion victim crapola.

    • Just to let you know though, in the picture the display is not showing the time mode.
      The time mode will look like this. https://preview.redd.it/usyjv6t06uj41.jpg?width=700&format=p…

      Also compared to G shocks other Digital LCD type models (non Fitness watches), the MIP display actually shows a significantly larger font overall.
      In the GBD-H1000's case, the size of the watch really makes the font seem smaller than it is.
      I have a different model with the same MIP display and it is extremely easy to read. Not making me squint like some older G shock square LCD models.

      • I'm not talking about this particular model in isolation. Take a look at this one:

        https://www.prouds.com.au/casio-g-shock-watch-5140242-red

        Tiny grey text on a red blackground (low contrast) easily obscured by analog arms that are thick enough to obscure the tiny digital display. Good luck using the stopwatch between 20 past and 25 past the hour. Fashion junk!

        I have no idea why people love these watches. I would be driven made if I had to wear one.

        • Yep that is a Digital/Analog model which also happens to have a small digital display. That digital display is meant to be similar to the date's display on typical analog watches which will also block the font if the hands are in the way. You know the tiny day of the month and what weekday it is "TUE 03" on common analog watches.

          It is a worst case scenario in terms of font size. I agree it is not a quickly readable solution.
          On the Casio Digital/Analog's the hands will quickly move out of the way for certain functions like expensive watches with complex movements. And I don't have that watch but I think you can just double click a button to trigger the hands to move out of the way.
          Yes there will be times the hands block the date, but that's just how a analog watch with info on the dial will be.

          • -1

            @n3ck3ntry8bort0rgasm: Yes and I'm also aware of the ability to resync the analog and digital clocks if the analog drifts. It's a needlessly complicated and horrible design that requires the user to memorize button sequences and combinations or carry the manual and look things up or go online and search for Youtube videos or the manual.

            If I can't read the data on the display instantly, and I have to memorize key sequences and combinations, the watch is a fail in my opinion. If others enjoy it so be it. But when I get called to play tech support on these abominations my first urge is to throw them against the wall. (No I would never actually do that to any watch let alone one that isn't mine).

            The classic 80s Casios were more functional and less annoying. And more reasonably priced.

            • +1

              @syousef: "If I can't read the data on the display instantly, and I have to memorize key sequences and combinations, the watch is a fail in my opinion."

              I 100% agree. That's exactly why I prefer the digital only watch face, and the MIP display is easy to see in sunlight and just makes the numbers much larger so even easier to see.

              My G-shock doesn't have all the sensors of GBD-H1000, but it has the same MIP display.
              On my wrist I basically see this https://cdn.accentuate.io/39820883755074/2755981672514/Gshoc…

              Some of the product pictures shows this (same model) https://www.casio.com/content/dam/casio/product-info/locales…

              But just remember you don't have to leave it on those complicated screens, it's only optional some people want to see those info. I just leave it on biggest Time and Date which is the default.

              I am just saying, I know Casio makes some weird designed and colourful G-shocks to appeal to young people (younger people/affordable has always been G-shock's target market I think), but that doesn't mean all their recent watches are badly designed.

  • +2

    I remember 20 years ago getting a G Shock as part of some Woodstock Bourbon promo when RTD's first came out. Nice to see their watches look just as awful as then.

  • +2

    Godtier

  • +1

    Only water resistant to 200 metres…..deal breaker….

    • -1

      The average person would probably never see that depth or on the off chance experience it once or twice during the lifetime of the watch.
      So I just think of it as just peace of mind spec that can deal with anything less intense. If it can survive dunking my arms in a bucket, a strong water jet and the occasional swim it's good enough for me.

      Not sure if you realize how deep 200 metres under water is. But the idea is it can withstand the 20 bar of pressure at 200m so you should think of it as "safe for swimming, snorkeling and high impact water sports, open water/scuba diving".
      Just to give you an idea I think the recreational limit for diving is 40 metres.

      If you are a diver, I am pretty sure within their circle they already have well known recommended diving watches and are not just matching their diving depth to a G shock spec.

      Also keep in mind with non rechargeable G shocks if you replace the battery you will want to pressure test the watch after resealing it if you want to make sure it still has the original water resistance rating. In the GBD-H1000's case you don't have to worry about it because the battery replacement really should be sourced and done by Casio, so they will pressure test it for you after resealing and it should be included in the service price.

      • +1

        Sarcasm

        • +4

          Ok well you know what this watch doesn't have.. a sarcasm meter lol.

      • +1

        Are you a robot? It was clearly a joke.

  • +2

    The prices of these G Shock watches here in Australia are ridiculous. I bought a G9000-3 from the official stockist in Dubai for the equivalent of $60 (non-sale). Here, it's $249. Unbelievable.

    • How long ago was that? Prices have gone up recently like everything.

      It's currently $127.84 delivered on Amazon. Average price is $120.00 according to Camel.

      • 2015 :P

        Still…

        • Yes that was a good buy, we definitely get bent over down under.

          How is the watch going after 7 years, do you still wear it? Have you changed the battery yet?

          • @WatchNerd: Still as good as the day I bought it, and it's had a rough life. Immersed in mud, sand, dirt and seawater. Thwacked against rocks. Stood on, sat on, spat on. You name it.

            I don't recall ever changing the battery, though my memory isn't the best.

  • So it's like a Garmin Fenix 1

    • +1

      What a coincidence. I was browsing the website to check if there were any more discounted models and found a picture of that watch on the 40th anniversary page.

      https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0018/1479/0191/products/MR…

      This picture really shows off it's flashiness lol. Checkout those asian characters on the metal band. Looks like something a cartel member would wear.

  • I received my watch today. It's pretty cool.

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