The classic G-Shock square has made it’s way into my collection three times, and since the features are all very similar, there was no real need to review and cover the same ground.
The square is just so good: the right size, great features, indestructible, inexpensive. All the standard G-Shock amenities, like multiple alarms, snooze, hourly signal, stopwatch, countdown timer, world time, 200m water resistance, shock resistant. Add in solar power and Multiband 6 (radio controlled atomic synchronization), and it could be the perfect all-around tool watch.
It raises the question: why would you need more than one? Here are the basic differences between the three in my collection, and why I like them.
GW-M5610: with a positive display, it’s very easy to read; it’s big enough to be prominent, but not so big as to get in the way. If you had to pick one watch forever, for anything, this would be it.
GW-M5610BC-1JF: this model brings a little more style, with that superb composite bracelet, a negative display that is slightly less easy to read at a glace, but again with the blacked-out case and bracelet provides a look that’s slick and less utilitarian than its positive display brother. I believe this only comes as a “Japanese market” version, making it less common generally.
GW-B5600HR-1ER: Another negative display, and another composite bracelet… so… why? The red accents are a nice touch, but is there more? Yes, this model has bluetooth, which means you can control all the functionality of the watch with the G-Shock app on your smartphone. Why is that important? The short answer: it’s not, really. But it is cool. It is also easier to set multiple world times or change settings than going through multiple presses of buttons on the watch itself; but the slickest new feature would be the “time & place”, where time and position (GPS coords) information can be stored in the app via the watch (a quick press of a button). This could be useful in remembering a location or marking where you are at a given time, for future reference.
There’s also a “reminder” alert text feature that can be set for a specific day – birthdays, for example.
One final neat feature is a “phone finder”, where you can have the watch attempt to connect to your smartphone and sound an alarm. Of course, bluetooth must be enabled on your phone, and you must be close enough to the phone to connect, but it could be useful in a travel situation if you can’t remember in what bag or pocket you put your phone and need to find it quickly.
Overall, there’s very little to not love about the venerable G-Shock square, especially with solar power and atomic timekeeping. It’s easy to see why it’s a classic, it’s easy to live with and easier to love. If you were unsure whether or not you should get one, remove all doubts and put one in your collection – you won’t regret it.
Here are the stats:
- size: 46.7 x 43.2 x 12.7mm (48.9 x 42.8 x 13.4 mm for the GW-B5600HR-1ER)
- 200m / 20 bar water resistance, shock resist
- stopwatch, countdown timer, world time, multiple alarms
- solar power, Multiband 6 radio controlled atomic synchronization
- GW-B5600HR-1ER has bluetooth connectivity via smartphone app
- weight: 52g (GW-B5600HR-1ER 85g)