Arizona Fine Time is proud to offer the new Casio G-Shock Full Metal 5000 Series
Possibly replacing the DW-5750 revival as the most surprising release of the year, the G-Shock GMW-B5000 series features metal bezels and bands with the classic square shape plus a sapphire crystal, Tough Solar, Multi-Band 6, and Bluetooth V4.1 connectivity. Reminiscent of the solid gold Dream Project concept watch, the GMW-B5000 has two variants: the silver GMW-B5000D-1 and gold GMW-B5000TFG-9. We don’t have any official information from Casio yet but have heard that the watches are limited editions made of steel with a price of around €500 EUR for the silver model and €600 EUR for the gold model.
It is believed that the GMW-B5000 has a full stainless steel housing and screw-back case like the GW-5000-1JF. A European distribution site states that it has a phone finder and flight log memory functions, as well as the usual features like world time, stopwatch, timer, 5 alarms. It is fully shock-resistant and water-resistant to 200 meters. Unlike most 5000-5600 models, it has a LED light instead of the EL backlight. No word yet on if it has call and message alerts like the GB-5600 series did.
The solar panels on the face have a brick pattern that is reminiscent of the first-ever G-Shock DW-5000 and previous DW-5000 anniversary tribute models. This is the first time this brick pattern has appeared on a solar model.
With 2013 coming to an end, we are bringing you our final watch review of the year, and probably one of the most anticipated releases collectors have anxiously been awaiting… The new, hand made, radio controlled and tough solar, Metal Twisted G-Shock MT-G MTGS1000D-1A!
The Metal Twisted G is something that is not necessarily a 1st for Casio, having had the premium range of G-Shock’s (Mr. G) available in Japan for sometime now. The new MT-G series is similar in traits of quality of construction with a larger, bolder, and with even more advanced technology. This new, luxury, Metal Twisted G-Shock is crafted at Casio’s Yamagata factory (which also produces the Mr. G, Protrek Manaslu, and Oceanus line), and is manufactured completely in house, which is something shocking (no pun intended) to consumers, but also something Casio should be tremendously proud of.
To start, the MT-G lives up to the durability of the classic G’s, having all the major characteristics that make them so indestructible. The construction is built to withstand shock, centrifugal gravity, and vibration thanks to its elaborate Core Guard Structure composed of stainless steel on both case front and back with resin sandwiched between. The case is secured with tension screws and Casio’s proprietary Alpha Gel (an insulator gel composed of silicone and other materials) which ad substantially to the shock and vibration resistance. The Alpha Gel can be found surrounding the movement, but also near the lugs and bezel. Another note on durability is that the hands are meticulously calculated to be balanced and stay secure under the harsh conditions G’s are built for. The MT-G also uses sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, something rarely seen in most G’s.
The bracelet is made to be extremely durable, but is also very well finished. The combination of brushed and high polish finish give great detail, while the back side of the bracelet is lined with a fine resin, not only giving it a classic G-Shock feel and added shock resistance, but is also soft and cool, due to its low-thermal conductivity. The connection from the case to bracelet are cylinder shaped lugs rotating the bracelet, which looks impressive from a design stand point but also hug the wrist making for good shape and keeping it comfortable.
The dynamic design of the case is complimented by a deeply recessed, dual layered dial in dark grey with a diamond like texture. The dial displays centralized 3 hand time, day of the week while in time keeping mode and other mode functions when adjusted to the specific mode. There is also a 24 hour counter synced with the main clock displayed between 10:00-11:00, and a secondary time zone displayed at 3:00 (word time) with an AM/PM indicator on the lower left side, date below 4:00, and indicators for successful radio control reception around 11:00. The indexes run very steep from the top of chapter ring to the lower portion of the dial, and give a 3 dimensional look. The indexes have a vertical brushed finish with Neo-Brite that glows in green at the top, while the hands glow a cool blue adding a nice contrast for night time legibility.
Now we get into the awesome functionality of this timepiece. Casio’s proprietary Smart Access technology comes into play in the 5369 module, utilizing an electronic crown to control the setting of timezones. The centralized time or “home time” is set by unlocking the crown, pulling it out two clicks and then turning until the second hand points to the desired timezone’s city code located on the inner portion of the bezel. There are 29 timezones to choose from. The secondary timezone (sub dial at 3:00) or your “world time” is adjusted by pulling out the crown one click as opposed to two, and doing the same. Both of these adjustments will need to be done in timekeeping mode, which can be recognized by the when the mode hand at 7:00-8:00 is pointing at the day of the week. The home time and world time can easily be swapped between the 2 displays by pushing and holding the upper right button for about 3 seconds.
The lower left hand button is used to change modes. Pushing it once from standard timekeeping mode will engage the 1/20th of a second chronograph. The chrono is displayed with the 1/20th of a sec at the “mode” sub dial at 7:00-8:00, and the seconds and minutes at the 3:00 “world time” sub dial. The upper and lower right button are used to start, stop, and reset as with any other chrono. Pushing the lower left button again will engage the countdown timer. The timer can be set anywhere from 1 minute to 120 minutes and an alarm will sound once complete. The timer is displayed at the 3:00 sub dial, and can be set using the electronic crown out at the 1st click. The pushing the lower left button again will be for your alarm. The alarm is also displayed at 3:00, and can also be set via the electronic crown out one click, and can be turned on or off by pushing the upper right button with the crown closed. The audible alarm will sound ten times once it hits the set time.
The build is quite large at a 53.5mm diameter, but really probably wears more like a 48mm due to the protruding parts on the case sides. The watch is not incredibly heavy at 188g, but has far more heft than a typical resin G-Shock. The MT-G is both Tough Solar and Multi-band 6 (atomic) meaning it is powered by light (going up to 5 months in the dark before needing to be recharged) and will connect to radio control towers automatically at night or manually, in order to correct accuracy. This particular model retails for $900. There is also a black ion-plated version (MTGS1000BD-1A) available now at $1,000 and a Limited Edition model (MTGS1030DB-1A) slated for delivery sometime in Jan. 2014 at $1,100.
This new series of MT-G is going to be extremely limited to retailers and without a doubt has already been a tremendous success here at AZFineTime.com. Since G-Shock’s launch in 1983, the brand has maintained its reputation as one of the most durable timepieces in the industry. It’s amazing to see that 30 years later, they have introduced a piece under the same strict guidelines, that has new a new refinement to appeal to watch collectors of all sorts, and even to the generations who grew up wearing G-Shocks, that are now looking for something more professional.
This MT-G MTGS1000D-1A can be purchased directly on the AZ Fine Time site HERE. If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at 1-800-486-3996.
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