Having owned the GW500AJP-1AV for a week, here are my thoughts on some of the points raised by the reviewers of this and other G-Shock models:

1. In my opinion, concerns about the thickness of the watch have been overstated. Certainly, if slimness is an *important* criterion for you, this isn't your watch. But you'll have no trouble fitting it under your shirt cuff. [Though the manual cautions that doing so will hamper the solar function.] Even my ridiculously slender wrists support it - physically and (I hope) esthetically - without difficulty.

2. The G-Shock models are advertised as rugged. I'm not about to use mine as a hockey puck to put that to the test. But it certainly *feels* sturdy. [The thickness helps here.] And from what I've read about them elsewhere, they do shrug off a considerable amount of punishment.

3. Everyone's experience with receiving the timekeeping signal from Fort Collins will vary depending on the particulars of their location and the attention they pay to the manual. I live only 350 miles from the transmitter but with modestly sized mountains in between - which can be a dealbreaker. Although it took a longer period of motionlessness for the watch to lock in than the manual had told me to allow, it has received a strong signal ever since. [And keep in mind that the watch is accurate to 15 seconds a month even without synchronization.]

3. When I first unpacked the watch, the battery level was at Medium - which you would expect after it having been in a box for who knows how long. After 3 hours of direct exposure to bright sunlight [which you should do in the early morning to keep the watch from roasting], the battery level has remained High ever since.

4. The four control buttons are slightly recessed - for decreased vulnerability, I imagine. This means you will need to operate them with a directly perpendicular press by the edge of your fingernail, rather than an angled mashing under the meat of your fingertip. I can see why this irritates some people. [It did require a small mental adjustment on my part.] However, I think it was a legitimate design decision.

5. The leftmost of the three circular "gauges" at the top of the display is meant to mimic the sweep of a minute hand on an analog watch. Speaking as someone whose attachment to that visual "pie-slice" style of time reading has been my main reason for sticking with analog watches until now, I think it's a terrific idea. In practice, though, the gauge is too small to be useful for that purpose. [For my eyes, anyway.] However, I don't mind particularly - since I think the three gauges look cool simply as decoration.

6. Someone else commented that the black resin wrist band is not replaceable. I'm not sure if that's true. However, replacing it would be no casual affair. So if you won't be content with this kind of band, you should look for a different watch. I prefer leather bands myself. But this one is in keeping with the toughness of the rest of the watch and certainly comfortable enough to wear.

On the whole, I'm very happy with this purchase. If you enjoy having an accurately set timepiece - and who doesn't? - it's difficult to overstate the satisfaction of radio-synchronization. A good mechanical watch is accurate to 5 seconds a day. A good quartz watch is accurate to less than 1 second a day. As long as it's in signal range, this watch will be accurate to less than 1 second for the next 60 million years [http://tf.nist.gov/cesium/fountain.htm] - or at least until the US government stops broadcasting, at which point you'll probably have other things to worry about. When someone asks you for the time, you will be able to give them *The* time.

I first bought a Casio G-Shock type watch back in about '82, a DW-1000, actually a precursor to the G-Shock. Still works great to this day, though I've replaced the battery twice and replaced the resin band with a metal one. This watch has served me well over the years from hiking to scuba diving. So I decided it was time to upgrade to the latest technology - a solar powered G-Shock with "atomic" timekeeping.

This new watch performs great so far. It synchronizes to the Fort Collins signal every night without problems. I live roughly 700 miles from the transmitter. In the good old days I used to dial in the time signal on a shortwave radio to synchronize my watches. It's great to have a watch I can forget about setting.

I was a little concerned before I bought this watch that Casio was relying on the time sync and the watch might not be accurate without it. This is important to me because I frequently travel internationally. Not a problem. My watch had last been synced about 6 weeks prior to my receiving it, and was off about 12 seconds. That's 2 seconds a week or less than 2 minutes a year.

The other feature I especially like is the easy world time - a couple button presses and I can show time at whatever time zone I am in. Other functions like the stopwatch are easy to use without constantly referring to the manual.

There are 3 round dials at top. The left acts like an analog minute hand. The center shows the battery charge, and the right shows if any secondary functions are active, like the alarms or stopwatch. The text on the right dial is almost impossible to read regardless of how young your eyes are.

I think this watch looks great, but it is thick - almost 5/8 inch thick. So if you like svelte watches this isn't for you. The resin band is integral to the watch, so replacing it with a standard band is not an option. This is probably the only weak point.

The manual is small and thick, but can be downloaded in PDF form from the Casio web site.

i HAVE OWNED THIS WATCH FOR ALMOST YEARS YEARS.
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br /IT replaced a Steel case Luminox Navy Seal watch.. I have owned 3 Luminox's over the years because they were very rugged, and took a beating well. I wear my watch 24-7, do my yardwork, home repairs and improvements, fix my cars, everything with my watch on.
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br /First, the reason I switched:
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br /The one problem I had with the much more expensive Luminox was the fact that the crystal was high and above the casing..Even though they say the crystal is scratch resistant...it aint.... The G Shock's crystal is recessed and has no cracks or scratches (after 2 years!!!)
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br /I also prefer digital..I just want to know what time it is Quick!, not impress everyone with my fashion sense (though I am not considered an "unfashionable type"). The G Shock is smart and masculine looking, yet not overdone like some watches.
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br /My Luminox watches bands would break or wear out...not my G Shock. This watch is well constructed.
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br /As far as time is concerned , It keeps amazingly accurate time with a second or two.. I love the fact it requires no battery (another "pain" with my Luminox), and the Atomic cLOCK IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO!
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br /Now, MY friend had a problem with his keeping a charge..I have never had that problem.
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br /[...]
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br /I have never wore a watch so long, beat on it as much as I have this one...yet, it still is completely intact, looks good, and keeps incredible time.

The watch performs as advertised.

Atomic clock. I live 2k miles from Ft. Collins and the watch automatically syncs every night, even if I don't put it near a window.

Solar recharge. The watch arrived with a low battery. It charged up to full after sitting in the sun for an afternoon. Since then it has been on full charge with no special actions on my part.

The watch is big and heavy. I take it off when typing because it slides down to the end of my wrist and knocks against my hand.

The watch's user interface is unintuitive. This is the first watch I've owned where I had to read (and re-read) the manual to set an alarm or the hourly charm. I find the Timex interface and the old-style Casio interface much easier to use.

In the interests of saving battery power, the alarms are short and quiet. I can't count on this watch's alarms to wake me up. It'd be nice if the watch had a power-hog mode with loud insistent alarms and long illuminations.

All in all, I like the watch. It is nice to have a digital watch that sets its own time and doesn't run out of batteries. I wish the user interface was more intuitive, the alarms were more effective, and the watch was smaller.

**UPDATE** I've had the watch now for two months and have grown to appreciate it even more. If I could change my rating, I would increase it from 4 stars to 5 stars. It is the first watch I've ever owned where I can be 100% sure that the time is accurate and 100% sure that the battery won't run out on me and 100% sure that I won't crack the bezel by accident. Recently I realized that the Casio G-Shock is the first watch I've ever owned that gives me complete timekeeping peace of mind.

My third Casio may be the best. I own the Triple Sensor Casio, the G-Shock Illuminator, love them all, but this one could be the best. Never having to buy another battery is the number one catch, it's rugged/clean looking style is a close second. I really don't mind the small triple dials they used, the main thing you need to know is the time and maybe the date, and they're both there. The backlight is not as bright as my G-Shock Illuminator, but, just to see the time at night, you shouldn't need too much more. Like the other buyers of this watch, you'll love it right out of the box. Mine was charged enough to go, and adjusting any modes wasn't a problem with your common sense of pushing a few buttons. Of course for the price to buy here at Amazon, you can't beat it!! I almost bought the all black version, but decided against it, since I have an all black Luminox Navy Seal one for that. Now with 8 watches, I'll have to start rotating the uses. LOL.

I've only had this watch for a weeks time, so I cannot report on longevity,My watch came with the battery at the medium level, but sfter spending a couple of hours outside in a sunny location it climbed to the high level and has remained there ever since, as for recieving the atomic time signal, it hasn't missed yet, the instructions say to leave the watch by a window at night to recieve the atomic signal, I have yet to do this, the watch spends every night firmly attached to my arm, and every morning it has recieved the atomic signal,I'm located in the SF bay area of CA, that's quite a ways from FT. Collins, CO.

What a great watch! It may not be for some men, because it is rather large. But I've got a big arm and I love the timekeeping. You just cannot beat perfection. I check it with the the government time in Colorado and they are the same every time.

I've only been using it for a few days, so perhaps there are nasty surprised coming, but so far it's worked well. I bought it without much research after my old timex kicked the bucket (in the pool) after five years.
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br /The time sync was a little iffier then my timex, but that might have been because it is much more upfront about if it synced, how the signal is looking, etc whereas my old one mostly just said yay or nay. It has a feature reporting when the last sync happened and how much signal it's seeing, which is very nice. On the other hand, the other did keep time (within the second, checked vs UTC on a regular basis looking at planets and satellites - if my computer or watch dropped the ball I'd know it). Still it did check up and has stayed true to my other shortwave syncs and the computer since. Just for ref, I've only tested it a around 550 miles away from ft collins (as the shortwave flies) with nothing between so really conditions could barely be better - same with the other syncers.
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br /It does seem very rugged and I expect to get many years out of it. I wore one of the early G-Shocks for five years in my youth and I still trust them a lot. Two of the features that my old one lacked, 24h time on the main screen and an a semi-permanent world time rather then browsing (i.e. tap button, get my "other" zone when working with another country/zone) are there - lovin' it. Otherwise, your "average" features, four alarms (plus a special Snooze alarm that acts differently), a stopwatch (several lap times) and backlight. It says I should be able to turn the backlight on by tilting it suddenly and that it should shut of and then come on when moved/lit to save power, I've seen no evidence of either but perhaps I move it wrong for the light thing and manage to get it going before I can notice the power thing.
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br /The solar power thing does concern me - I didn't notice it buying it because I was mostly stoked to find a syncing watch (was thinking I'd have to make do with a cheap normal one until I could find one) but so far it's been stuck on high except the first little bit when it crept down to medium a bit, so if it works it's all good I guess.
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br /Size wise, which people bring up, it's not small. I'm a pretty big guy, so I don't care either way, I care more about if it's going to take what my wrist would take (which is a bit) without breaking, but I can imagine it looking a bit bulky if you're really tiny. I can't say if that's a good or a bad thing, but if you've ever seen a G-Shock you know what to expect, perhaps with some extra chrome/copper - it's a large solid looking device for good or bad.
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br /It has an additional feature - logging the current time, going over several of these (up to 30) and deleting them all in one swoop. I've yet to figure out what that might be useful for, but I'm sure I'll think of something. All in all, I'm still happy with it. It's not the watch to end all watches, but there is so far none of those "Oh wow, I should have checked if I could have gotten feature X" moments. Time sync could be smoother, I wouldn't say no to a countdown timer (perhaps trade for the time log thing) but I'm still very happy so far.

So far, an excellent value for the money. Solar cell easily charges watch even with indoor flourescent lighting. The watch arrived with the battery indicator at "medium." Within 2 days, it was in the "high" range and hasn't budged. I live well west of the Rockies and the atomic clock signal has no trouble reaching the watch to sync the time. Very comfortable band. Even though the buttons to change functions are flush with the casing, they are large enough for my fingers to use even while wearing gloves. Recessed crystal is also a nice feature.

I love this watch.

Pros:
Ultra-durable
Easy to use
buttons easy to push
display easy to read
multiple alarms are useful
love the atomic clock sync. Nerds will worship you.

Cons:
My solar battery after a few months has never been fully charged. It stays only in the middle position but once hit the low mark.
No count-down timer
Three-dial thing is not entirely useful. The middle round dial is battery strength which is useful. But the first simulates a second hand on a clock (in case you can't read digital time), and the third dial shows what options (e.g. alarm on) are turned on but it is so small that it is unreadable.

I wish Casio would improve on these, but if I lost this watch, I would replace it in a second.

Although the watch may be a little big for some it's very rugged and reliable. If you like Fossil watches the weight and size should not be a problem. The auto backlight feature can be helpful. Just be sure to watch the charge indicator if you are wearing long sleeves because the backlight will turn on frequently.

Try to charge it in the sun when you can because it takes a long time to charge in indoor lighting. It takes hours upon hours to get the same charge you can get from a few minutes of good sunlight.

Also, this watch doesn't work too well if you have well fitted long sleeve shirts because it's so bulky it catches your sleeve and won't let it ride up. It's probably best left to wear for more casual times.

I bought this for my boyfriend as a birthday present, and he loves it! He's always discovering great new features. One surprisingly useful feature is the watch's indigo light reacts when the wrist is turned to view the dial in dim lighting. Very practical. A smart watch and a smart buy. The battery never needs replacing since it charges from motion and light.

I bought this watch a couple of months ago. There have been a few complaints of the CTL1616 battery failing, but not on mine so far. When I first got it, I put it in the sun for 4 hours. Now it gets about 8 hours of indoor light a day. The battery indicator has never come off of "high". It syncs with the atomic clock every day, even indoors. I live about 1,000 miles from the transmitter in Ft Collins, CO. It has 5 alarms-1 is a snooze alarm. The stopwatch has a capacity of 24 hours-some have 1 hour only. There's a time stamp feature, but I'll probably never even use it. It's big and thick, but will look good on you unless you're a really skinny puny guy. The watch can show the time in any time zone, with the major city of that zone in the display. The light is activated by the big button on the bottom(and it's bright and beautiful blue-green). The other 4 buttons are a little hard to push, but I can live with that. I am a watch freak and have about 15 watches. But if I could only have 1, this would probably be it.

I'm happy with the purchase of my watch. I do not find the activation buttons had to get to but I do find the little right hand window hard to see. I followed the instructions and had the watch fully charged when I got it and it has stayed fully charged every since. I find no problem with the extra thickness and would replace it with another if anything happened to it. I like the idea of having the exact time as it helps in setting the other clocks in the house. Its a good product at a good price.

I have owned mine for 1.5 yrs. I have never gone out of my way to charge it and it has never had less than a 3/3 on the battery indicator.
br /If I am not traveling, it will do it's atomic sync every night, missing maybe 2-3 nights per year.
br /When I travel, sometimes I stay in larger sky-rise type hotels. There the watch usually will not sync, probably because of the steel structure and/or the metal-coated tinted glass. If I stay in a smaller hotel, I usually leave my watch near the window and nine times out of ten it will sync.
br /I never get any compliments, but I don't care. I can wear it in the pool, to the beach, to a meeting, when mowing the lawn and when playing with my kids.
br /I like it so much I asked for the analog version as a gift. I think it's coming my way soon.

I have "better" and more expensive watches than this one. I've banged some of them up and had to have the crystal polished so that they don't look at all scratched up. The G-shocks crystal is slightly recessed so thats not an issue. It doesn't always get the signal to set it, but if I do access the signal manually and put the watch outside for a minute or two it gets the signal fine. The battery seems to be fully charged all the time so thats not really a problem. You need the manual to figure out how use all of the features, but once you learn how to use the ones you want you're all set. It looks bulky, but it's actually very light. Overall a great watch.

Purchased this watch for my 30 year old son who works out of doors. He is very, very pleased with the watch.

I like having a wtch that resets itself to the time signal from Colorado. I live in Pennsylvania which is in the range of the signal but a different brand of watch I had didn't work that well. My Casio resets every night as long as I follow the directions in the manual. It took a little longer than I expected to get a full charge on the watch but it has worked fine since achieving a full charge. I am very pleased with the watch.

This is a solid watch, it is bulky and if you are like me and wear polo shirts a lot thats not a problem, but with the dress shirts i do opt for a different timepiece. It was set to the right time when i got it..I actually bought it because of friend of mine who just got back from IRAQ told me about the quality and it it can live up to that standard i am sure it can take the punishment i will give it. Awesome i will never have to set the time or change a battery

This watch arrived very quickly, and it is a very fine watch. I had an earlier Casio Ceptor watch and the battery died, I couldn't find anyone to replace it so I needed a new watch. By the time I had ordered this watch, I actually replaced the battery myself in the old one. So now I have two atomic watches, but the G-shock is superior by far and is ruggedly sturdy and should last indefinately with the solar power, just be sure to get it to full charge by putting it in direct sunlight until it indicates full charge. A great deal.

Nice to own a watch that never needs a battery, winding, or resetting. It is also ever accurate.

I bought this as a gift for my husband. He already was wearing a G-Shock, but he loves the atomic clocks. The watch is exactly as described in the description. The reviews really made all the difference in picking the right watch for my husband. It works beautifully! The 3 round gauges are almost impossible to read, but I knew this going in, thanks to the reviews. Great product!

Good overall watch but there's some features that can get a little complicated. One of the circular windows, I found out, was only for decoration. I really like the fact that its atomic solar powered so you never have to change a battery and its automatic time setting feature, so you can always get the precise, accurate time. If your not into complicated features on a watch, this watch is not for you....but if you don't mind all the different features then this watch is a gem.

I got htis watch from Amazon for $59.00. JC Penny had the same watch for $120.00 and wal-Mart at $79.00. Has nice features and is very rugged. The watch came with the exact time right out of the box. The pitcure that Amazon had was slightly different than the watch I received. Instead of the G-Shock in red print it was in white print, which I actually liked better anyway!

It's a G-Shock, so yeah, it's big. But it's not nearly as bulky as the other G-Shocks I've seen. I charged it up the first day as instructed and it's been at full charge ever since (about a month now). Atomic clock sync works great (San Francisco Bay area) and pre-programmed time zones are nice for travelers. Another review said the band was not replaceable, but mine sure seems to be, so no worries there. Buttons are out of the way, but easier to press than another review had me believe. (I have no trouble pressing the chronograph start/stop with mountain bike gloves on, for example.) The watch looks great, works well and is nice and tough so I hope it will be around for many years. Highly recommended.

First couple months of use... nice watch. It is thicker than previous watches I've had, but this is my first G-shock. Nevertheless, it is comfortable and came through a 3-day construction project in hot, dusty conditions unscathed. The atomic timekeeping and solar powered battery make this one stand out.

I purchased this casio watch for myself one year ago and was very pleased with all the features. Liked it so much I got one, as a gift, for my grandson's graduation. I never cared if the time was accurate but after having this I enjoy having a watch which is right on the money. It adjusts every evening and it is solar powered and no problem with swimming with it.

Great product for the price. You just can't beat it. The shipping time was fantastic. Admittedly, it did not have to travel that far but ordering on a Sunday and getting it on Thursday (with a one day holiday in there) is really great. I read several comments about the manual. The only thing I would add is; 1) it's a bit small; 2)I'm still looking for an explanation of what the larger round indicator on the left side of the watch face does. OH I know what it does but I can not find an explanation in the users manual. Other than that.......I think the watch is great....has some features that are really neat like the automatic dial illuminating when you tilt your wrist. The atomic time control keeps perfect time. Finally I have a hard time figuring out why I need all those memory things. If someone wants to comment and give me some suggestions, I would appreciate it.
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First of all, I would like to commend the purchaser below me on his fantastic review. It was one of the prevailing reasons I decided to buy this watch.
br /I won't harp on the points that have already been bashed into the ground. Just wanted to comment on the a few main things I noticed
br /- The interface is very simple. Just by leafing through the manual, I have a good clear understanding of the workings of this watch.
br /- the price for the durability, comfort, simplicity and accuracy of this watch is amazing. You are getting an amazing deal for 60 bucks.

I would highly recommend this watch for those who are interested in obtaining exact time with an atomic watch that is tough and can withstand abuse. The specification write-up provided accurate information. There were no surprises. I received exactly what I expected. It is very important to do your homework, make comparisons and pick the watch that meets your needs. Amazon gives you all the tools to make these comparisons. Use them and it is guaranteed that you will be satisfied with your choice.

The watch arrived in timely fashion and was already set up. This watch is super. However, it lacks a timer. I left the Timex Ironman for this watch. Timex's quality is horrid (a watch per year) and I changed to the Casion G-Shock based on a recommendation of a friend. I am glad I did. If they ever get a timer in this watch I'd buy another.

I purchased this watch as a Christmas gift for my husband. He was quite surprised and pleased by the Atomic solar features and replaceable watch band. The watch is a little bulky and fits a bit tight under his sleeves on his dress work shirts. Overall, very pleased and a great value.

Good product. Works as advertised. Classy, technical style. I prefer the dark wrist bands.
Wish it would automatically change times zones with the satellite link.

Accurate, waterproof and durable, easy to use. I took it on Safari in South Africa and it was fantastic. Has easy to set time zones and a great stop watch feature.

I should have gotten the model with larger, easier to read numerals on the watch face.

Perfect for hiking and camping trips (that is why I bought it). The time is very accurate. The watch is connecting to the Colorado station early in the morning, in order to get a better reception. The watch has to be close to a window.
In conclusion, it is a very nice watch for an outdoor kind of person. Exactly what I expected from Casio.

If you need to keep precise time at an affordable price this is a great buy. This watch is practical when taking care of kids water resistant and can handle a bump. If you commute by bus, train, ferry, subway, vanpool or trolley to to work you won't be late because of the watch.

I love the watch. It's become my favorite of the 5 I own. It does everything right: perfect, automatic time setting, no battery, back light. It doesn't make coffee in the morning though.

Not a bad watch. I bought it just for a work watch, didn't want to get blood, guts, vomit and s**t on my good watch(i'm a nurse in an ER). The watch is nice, sturdy, the controls are fairly intuitive after you read the directions . The atomic time reset has worked flawlessly. even though the watch itself is a little bulky, it's very lightweight. No complaints as of yet.

When i first got the watch it was set to nyc, I had before owned a very similar watch so i knew how to set it, i held down adjust, and the watch beeped, it then let me choose my home state so i did and when i did it said it was 7:00pm it was 3:00pm in the afternoon. I then read the instructions when i did i realized i had to let it set itself so i waited till morning, the watch had set itself at 3:03 in the morning!! great-dordiscott

I like the watch a lot. All the great features work as advertised. The only downside is the size. A little large.

This is one fine sports watch, It is everything that the mfg. says it is I am very happy with the watch

I am going to use the age old saying, I would definitely buy from this Vendor and Seller again. Got this watch for fathers day and of the 10+ watches I have had over the years including my 3 Seiko's, this Casio Solar/Atomic is my first and the best by far. I charged it for 4 hours in my window the first two days which took it to full and have never had to do this since, about a month so far. Atomic Sync occurs whether at the computer or in bed and I live on the East Coast. Yes, it is heavier in weight, but I like it that way, feels solid on my wrist.
br /T.Collins Jr Millsboro, DE

I love not having to set this watch. Solar power is great too. The instructions says that you have to leave you watch near a window facing Colorado Springs with the 12 at the top position. The sinc works no matter where I leave it.

This watch is great. My only complait would be some of the option lettering on the face is a little small. Once you know what they are and where they are located there is nothing stopping you.

Great watch, can never go wrong with a G Shock. I work in law enforcement so I depend on a watch that is durable, comfortable and easy to use.

I am in the Army and because of that this watch has it's pluses and minuses. I travel the world, so the multiple time zones is awsome. The time stamp feature is great for when I need help remember when a specific event happened. As for the solar power. It's great in that you don't have to worry about batteries, but most watch batteries last close to five years anyway. In the Army I find myself doing lots of night missions, and I can go months without seeing the sun because I have to catch up on sleep during the day. Well, this doesn't really work with a solar powered watch. I get by, but it can be a hassle some times. All-in-all, this is a great watch, and if you don't work at night then the solar power won't be a problem for you, except maybe in the winter when you wear coats that cover your wrist. Just take that into consideration when purchasing a solar powered watch.

It was a very good buy - works great - great product from Casio.

Great watch. One of the best I ever had.
Battery will never die if I keep it in light or occasional sun.
Updates time precisely every night by placing watch in window.

I have a friend who recommended G-Shock watches as being indestructible, and his apparently were. So I got a model exactly like this one except with a metal band. It had all the cool features of solar recharging, synchronizing with the U.S. atomic clock, water resistance down to 200 m, stop watch, alarm, everything except the temperature gauge. It worked real well for about one and a half years of normal wear and tear. I did not put it under more stress than a regular watch would have been put under. But it started to come apart at the seams. The lower part of the watch where the band connects started to separate from the band.

I thought this should not be a problem. After all, a watch whose indestructibility Casio had such confidence in would surely be covered under a warranty. In fact, I would think they would want to know that one of their watches had not lived up to their high standards. But when I contacted Casio, they informed me that their indestructible watch only had a one year standard warranty, just like all their regular products. I would have to pay for them to repair their indestructible watch. I was out of luck! But the watch still worked, and so I kept wearing it.

Just today (about two years after the purchase), I took a swim with my waterproof watch, and it is now dead with water plainly showing itself on the inside of its screen.

Let the buyer beware, this watch is not at all indestructible. The name is tempting, but remember that it does break and only has a year warranty.

Bought this for my 83 yr old dad. With the solar power and atomic clock he no longer has struggle to set or wind the watch. Nice looking and easy to read.

If you are looking for a watch that you dont have to worry about while sleeping, swimming, bathing, scuba diving, anything you can imagine. You never have to worry about the change in batteries because its solar powered. You dont have to set the time because it automatically synchronizes at dawn from Fort Collins, CO. I have never had any trouble with this watch. The manual is thick but really small. I would highly recommend reading the manual because there are so many features here that can make your life so much easier. Like tilting your hand at an angle at night and the back light automatically activates without you having press the back light button. There are two alarms and they are pretty strong. It has the entire world time zone inside it. You can use all your features... the only thing you will have to do it take it out in the sun for charging. I dont use much of the features and I only left it out in the sun near the window, and since then it had full bars for battery. The buttons are placed very ergonomically, very easy to press. The design is also amazing, with metallic instances and solid black resin. The belt is still 100% intact. The belt sleeve did not yet tear off, its still holding strong. The only downside it that if the iron content of your water is high, then white powder stains will settle in the deep makings of the watch. Other than that this is PERFECT!!!

After owning the watch for a month, I found that it would no longer charge properly even if exposed to sunlight or fluorescent bulbs. I hope that a defective battery is the cause, but what a pain nonetheless.

I bought his watch cause I am hard on watches. I scratch them, soak them, bang them, paint with them, you name I have destroyed them that way. Not on purpose mind you, I just don't think about it until its too late.
br /I always forget how to set the watch, and watch batteries usually don't last me more than six months. (forget winding)
br /I bought this watch. I love it.
br /It is amazingly tough, while still looking good in a sporty way. The time is always correct, thank atomic clock. Batteries never die, thanks solar power. And it survived me refinishing my basement(lots of paint, nails, sump pumps, etc).
br /So if you want a tough watch that is highly functional look no farther.
br /Oh yeah, when you turn your hand over at night, the back-light automatically comes on. Very cool.Casio Men's G-Shock Atomic Solar Watch #GW500AJP-1AV

Great product for someone with a very large arm. I gave this watch to my son, he loves it. All the specs are on target. Does everything they say.

The band is a cheezy, techno, plastic thing. Other than that, I'm quite happy with it. I wish it was a little thinner but it's replacing a Lorus I had for over 20 years - I'm not used to something else. The numbers are nice and big, the light works well. Haven't gotten it to read a full charge despite time in complete sunshine but it's shown no signs of running out of power. It's a little cluttered on the face (do we really need the largest of the 3 little circles?) but readable and usable.

It works well. I am 6 foot tall but have small wrists and this watch fits me fine. Some reviewers said it slipped and was to big but I did not find that. I am in Florida and find that if I put it in a west facing window it will set the time every night. I also have AMD so vision is an issue. I can see the time without my glasses which is a plus.

I love this watch except for:
br /-The time is hard to read if it is angled away from you too much
br /-The different settings are difficult to see if they are on or off in the small circle
br /-The circle in the upper left hand side is a useless attempt for analog time...really useless.
br /
br /But I love the alarms, being able to set to GMT, the EXACT time, the backlight setting to where you angle the watch toward you and it lights up. And it's tough as nails. And I like it's size...big but not overwhelming.

This watch is great. I'm always break my watches. I've worn this one about a month dont even have a scratch on it,and remove paint with thinner and it keeps ticking. Pleased with the watch.

I am very pleased with this product. It looks great and keeps time to the second. It is easy to calibrate over night on your windowsill. Enough light during the day keeps the battery charged.
br /
br /I expect to be enjoying this watch for many years to come.

My husband loves this watch. It has everything he wanted in a watch. It looks great, too!

This watch has all the features I was looking for and then some--atomic time, solar, etc.

A very nice watch. This is a large watch (not huge though)about 1/4" thick which sticks up just a bit. The band and clasp are a good kind of rubber with dense texture, feels strong. I have worn all kinds of watches, older Casios, Freestyle, Timex, and Amitron. The band on this watch feels superior to all so far. The face is easy to read and I really enjoy the automaic back-light(indiglo style) when you look at the watch at dusk. Solar charging works best when watch is not covered by long sleeves ;) during winter. This watch charges best from outside light like from a window than from indoor lighting. The battery indicator is easy to read low, med, high. Med and High offer all watch functionality, while low only offers limited functions. For me in winter the watch bounces in between med and high. I bet during summer this thing will be on high all the time. The other cool option is sleep mode which saves battery when the watch is motionless, the face just goes blank (don't worry the battery is not dead just sleeping, just move the watch). As far as the Atomic thing I have not spent too much time messing with that so nothing to report. So far I am very happy with this model.

Some would describe this watch as "clunky", a matter of personal preference/taste.
br /
br /When I received the watch the battery showed less than fully charged, however when exposed to sunlight, it soon charged up and has stayed there since. It receives radio time signals without problem. I now and then check it via Official U.S. Time on the Internet. It is always dead on.
br /
br /There was one problem with the watch, at the end of Daylight Savings Time, last fall, the watch did not revert to Eastern Standard Time, as I thought it should. A call to Casio Service resulted in my sending the watch back for repair. The problem turned out to be a bad battery, which Casio replaced. The watch runs fine, and provides exact time, important for navigational use.

after buying this watch, I was very impress with its performance and a must have for anyone

I bought this thinking about the daily update to a nuclear clock and solar power to have a watch last longer than four years. This one lasted about four months before it stopped working altogether. I wouldn't buy this watch again.

My Pulsar digital chronograph just died on my after 16 years of dependable service. Electric backlighting, extra alarms (5 vs 3) and the atomic clock sync are an improvement over the Pulsar. In addition, I like that the stopwatch function will keep track of hours. Two time zones are convenient for travel reducing the times to reset the watch. What I don't like about the watch are the little circles in the display showing synching just takes up valuable display space. I would rather they show the day and date together rather than pressing another button to get the missing info. Also the AM/PM indicator is inconspicuous and not where you would ecpect to see it. I bought a display model at JC Penney's (52% off) and noticed that the last synch with the atomic clock was 4 months ago and was off by 2 minutes. when I tried to set it manually, if failed no matter the location nor signal strenght. The automatic synching that occurs at midnight up to I think 4 AM finally worked when I set it and placed it near the window. The battery in the Pulsar would last about 4 years. Given that this is a special battery, if it doesn't last 10 or more years, I would think this is a marketing gimmick. Only time will tell if this watch is worth the premium over cheaper watches that have most of the same functions. I am tempted to try a heart rate monitor watch from ebay for only $10 that has most of the funciton of the Casio.

I've owned lots of watches. Most notably from: Swiss Army and Breitling. But also less expensive ones including one 10 dollar one covered in fake diamonds.
br /
br /This g-shock is the *only* one that's lasted more than a few months. I've slammed it into metal railings, had 2x4's fall out of a demolished stud wall onto it, and been in pits at metal concerts with it on.
br /
br /after all of that here's what's wrong: some of the printing on the plastic parts is worn down, seriously, the g-shock logos lost their red paint, omg!!
br /
br /here's the good:
br /* The band has never broken. or needed replacing.
br /* It keeps trying to get an atomic signal from colorado (i live in virginia) several times a night at 2 , 3, 4, and 5am. and it succeeds some 95% of the time (so long as i don't have it next to electronical equipment or am running around with it at that time).
br /* it flawlessly figured it out when george w. bush changed daylight savings time.
br /* the battery has never needed changing and it's indicator has never dropped from "high" charge.
br /* when i go to a different timezone all i have to do is change the watch's zone during the flight and it's ready to go.
br /* the electronics and lcd face have no scratches and show no wear.

Atomic watches are highly-accurate quartz watches which are synchronized each day with a time signal broadcast from the definitive U.S. Atomic Clock in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Thus, all atomic watches are always accurate to within a fraction of a second at any time. Since atomic watches adjust automaticaly to and from daylight saving time they are the ultimate in accurate watches. Casio makes -- and Amazon sells -- a wide selection of styles of atomic watches to suit various needs and tastes, but all are equally accurate. The Casio G-Shock series is especially rugged and the solar powered models, such as this, never require battery replacement. Atomic accurary, solar power, and G-Shock ruggedness is an appealing combination at a quite reasonable price.

I like the idea of a solar-rechargeable watch, and the synch with the atomic clock is sweet. However, the battery life on this thing is horrible. I have owned it for about 9 months and it went from never really needing any special charging care to only holding a charge for about a day or two.
br /
br /I only once saw the watch get a full charge, when we were on a week vacation spent out on the lake. Now I have to charge it under a lamp all day long just to get it to half-full charge (which, again, lasts only about a day or two). Even if I leave it under the lamp for a couple days, it won't charge back more than half-full (and it drains just as fast). It just seems ridiculous to have to stick my watch under a lamp for 10 hrs just to get it to work for a few days. What a waste of energy.
br /
br /No doubt others who own this watch have figured out the trick of hanging it on the lamp shade for charging. It seems to hang there more than I get to wear it. I'm going back to a regular battery.
br /
br /Also, this watch is big. I mean, I got used to it, but if you don't think you'd like a thick watch, I'd avoid this one.

The watch quit working about two weeks after I received it so it was a waste of money. I will try to return it to casio.

I really like the solar power aspect of this watch.Now I dont have to worry about the battery going dead when I have a important appointment to keep.I also like how it keeps atomic time via radio waves.I have it update every hour but you can do it once a month or whenever you feel like it.

This replaced my old battery powered Casio that I was a little bit to rough with when I replaced the battery. In other words "I broke it". I am very pleased with this watch. It tells me the time, lights up, and also gives the date. I haven't attempted to figure out the other stuff it does as I am only interested in what time it is here and now. It works really great for that purpose (and all the other gizmos might work really well too). It was cheaper than Walmart as I got free shipping and no sales tax.

Nice watch + great Amazon price. Some people complained that it's kind of bulky, but it looks fine on my wrist. I would recommend this product.

Not a bad watch at all but many of the features are extremely small and the product manual is hard to follow. If I spent 3 solid hours, I might be able to learn all about what it can do. The atomic watch issue is interesting since I had to manually set it which, if you think about it, is silly.

I ordered this item on Dec. 10. Supposedly Amazon made the refund immediately for this item as it was no longer in stock. I never got the refund. They say they sent it. This is not the only refund they sent to who knows where. Amazon is a crapshoot. Beware when buying any product from them.

Ordering books from Amazon was always great, but when the watch we received was defective we were not pleased. Sending the watch back and the postage to get to get it to us meant we spent much more than we could buy the product locally.
br /Therefore we will never order anything from Amazon that is mechanical.
br /
br /Aloha,
br /Alton

This is a really cool watch. It makes me look like even more of a stud than I already am.

i RECENTLY BOUGHT THIS CASIO AUTOMIC SOLAR POWERED WATCH AND WAS VERY EXCITED BY THE AUTOMATIC TIME KEEPING FETURE. iT IS AGREAT WATCH BUT DOES NOT HAVE A TIMER BUILT IN WHICH I NEED WHEN WORKING OUT FARTLEK RUNS AND IN BETWEEN SETS. iT HAS A USELESSS FETURE OF RECORDING TIME OF EVENTS WHICH I AM NOT SURE WHY ANYONE WOULD ACTUALLY NEED THIS WITH OUT THE DATA OF WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPPENED DURING THOSE 30 RECORDED EVENTS? wISH CASIO WOULD PUT A TIMER IN IT GUESS I'LL GO BACK TO A TIMEX IRONMAN LATER.

I bought this as a gift. The recipient informed that it's a neat watch, considering that it's solar; but other than that, there's nothing spectacular or majorly defective about it. There are some minor flaws, though. It's suppose to automatically set to the correct time zone you're in, but it doesn't work in the west coast, for some reason. And, if not being used, it shuts down--it will still keep the time you set, though.

If you hate changing batteries and you'll always keep this thing around light, might as well buy it.