What makes the G-Shock watches desirable?
I realize there are a bunch of different G-Shock models, but are there some useful features they all share? Is it all style or price?
I know mrAru wears the one I had to give up upon. He likes it because it is very durable and reliable. He does have to replace the bands occasionally though.
G-shock watches are reasonably well made digital watches with resin cases and bands that (usually) use long lasting 3V batteries, have bright displays and can take a beating.This differentiates them from the majority of digital watches on the market which are poorly made trash. They used to be priced in the 50-80 dollar range but some models have been taken up into the mid 100 -200 dollar + levels recently.
Beyond their reliability where the G-shocks have shined is in their varied designs many of which are quite interesting.
G-shocks have an active collector base and the prices they will pay for beat up older models is sometimes (to me) astounding.
I got one last year, and it works very well. It is very accurate, only gaining about a second per week. I told the story of how I decided to buy it in this thread that asked whether advertisements have an effect on what you purchase. This is what I wrote:
Anecdote: I’ve got a G-shock watch that is somewhere between 15 and 20 years old. The band broke sometime in the mid to late 90s and I never got it replaced. It’s been a pocket watch since then. I’ve had to replace the battery twice, and apart from the band, the only problem I’ve had is that the sound (just a beep) doesn’t work any longer. It’s a great watch.