G-Shock G-SQUAD Duo Chrono Watch GBA-800 (Black / Grey - OOS) $135.20 (Was $289) Delivered @ David Jones

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David Jones

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  CyberMurning on 12/01/2023 - 09:44

  is this the model that people say hard to read the numbers/dials?

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    Noddy Doldrums on 12/01/2023 - 09:52

    It has a negative display. Any with that feature are harder to read the numbers. Hands on the dial should be fine though the dial on this one does appear dark as well.

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    Jimothy Wongingtons on 12/01/2023 - 10:45

    This doesn’t look too bad - poor quick glance readability is common with gshock (but I still love them all the same)

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      harshbdmmaster718 on 12/01/2023 - 17:12

      "poor quick glance readability is common with gshock"

      If analog G-shock you wanna go with a colour that has highlights on the hour markers. Honestly I think there are too many colours which blend the hour markers using the same colour as the dial.

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        Jimothy Wongingtons on 12/01/2023 - 17:22

        haha i have the black-gold Ga-110 - it looks cool as hell but man it has bad quick readability.

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          harshbdmmaster718 on 12/01/2023 - 17:24

          +1

          @Jimothy Wongingtons: Yeah that suffers from another different visibility issue, busyness.

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  Freeza on 12/01/2023 - 09:57

  Whats the Bluetooth version in the watch?

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    CyberMurning on 12/01/2023 - 10:31

    this one has BT i think from the desc

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  G-rig on 12/01/2023 - 10:25

  +1

  Looks cool.
  Not solar
  I'd personally go for the GA2100 (with solar / bt)
  and more legible colourway

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    CyberMurning on 12/01/2023 - 10:28

    how much is that at the bargain level price ?

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      G-rig on 12/01/2023 - 10:40

      wouldn't be cheap, ha
      i think either way solar is always worth it - no battery worries for 10+ yrs

      agree readbility is poor, and so is negative (but got it on a square wihch is just ok in most light).
      Get one with white indicies at least. Lume pretty crap too but have a light - so auto EL is also what you want

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        harshbdmmaster718 on 12/01/2023 - 17:16

        "wouldn't be cheap, ha"
        Yeah solar and atomic time add a chunk to the price of G-shocks.
        With atomic time sync being the gimmicky one of the two. According the feedback it depends on your location but it only works 50% of the time you try you use it.

        "i think either way solar is always worth it - no battery worries for 10+ yrs"

        I don't think that works well for goblins though lol.

        I'm not a goblin but honestly I do make an effort to stay out of the sun so if I wore it, it might not get charged as well as your typical active outdoorsman.
        Yeah you could subsitute by leaving it by the window regularly, but that means for that duration it's not on my wrist.

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          G-rig on 12/01/2023 - 17:50

          @harshbdmmaster718: Correct mate, shame that atomic doesn't work in aus - I like the idea of BT sync, but not at the cost of the app & BT running all day, so I just turn on manually every so often. Still handy, easier than setting anything using the buttons.

          I think it's pretty good though and haven't had a low battery notification or anything. 3h charge lasts ~10 months (up to) so not hard to leave it in the sun occasonally IMO.

          The seiko solar Tuna keeps awesome time, better than all of my autos

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            harshbdmmaster718 on 12/01/2023 - 20:35

            @G-rig: "I like the idea of BT sync, but not at the cost of the app & BT running all day, so I just turn on manually every so often. Still handy, easier than setting anything using the buttons."

            The G-shock I currently have uses BT to sync time and being always connected it's honestly less of a burden than you think. It's constantly paired to my phone but it is a Bluetooth LE (Low energy) connection and so the watch will auto disconnect if it detects no movement for a period of time.
            If you don't want the notifications which are bare minimum info anyway you can turn just the notifications off (although be aware during a repairing process the notifications will need to be "on" for the watch to recognize the phone).

            If you set the G-shock App's location settings on the phone to "always allow" you don't even need to have the app running in the background. It does the time sync very efficiently on the "phone OS level" with minimal processes and data transfer. Just once in awhile I notice the watch showing the G-shock logo and it shows it's done in 4 to 5 seconds by showing the time again.
            The GBD200 model I have includes BT use with the 2 year battery life estimate from CR2032. It has some estimated conditions of use but they way I use it I think I will get the 2 years if not a month or two more.

            Yeah I haven't used a solar watch myself, but I hear it can get by with some bare minimum sunlight e.g. sunlight while you wear it through a window on an overcast day, and even does get some charge from artificial lights.

            I think I had the opportunity to wait for the solar version of the model I have the GBD200. By the time the solar version comes out I would have probably saved enough to pay the extra. But yeah in the end I decided I wanted the watch sooner and I was happier changing batteries and doing AC resets every 2 years, rather than send it in to Casio for a overhaul if it was a solar model.

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              G-rig on 13/01/2023 - 06:34

              @harshbdmmaster718: Oh right, will try those settings out - currently have it set to app running in the background = off. Can do without seeing the G in the phone pulldown constantly.

              Still pretty easy holding the time sync button on when you want manually but i do like the idea of maintaining precise time (the whole point of a watch)

              I haven't actively moniotred battery useage, but good to know it doesn't use much power. It's more the battery use by leaving BT enabled all day, but may well be LE as you say. Out of habit I only turn on BT for headphones etc.

              Annoying the app requires animations to be on, but have set the animation time to the lowest in dev options (used to have off).

              By the time the solar version comes out I would have probably saved enough to pay the extra

              Yeah, if you get a great deal it's easy sell it later if you want to get the newer one. I was planning to do that too - got the square G5600E-1 (solar) but was interested in the time sync so got the GW-B5600-2. They are a bit too similar to keep both however didn't really want a negative display. It looks alright in bright light. may mod it to positive sometime or just keep both :P.

              2y is fine if you change the battery yourself for a buck or two, wouldn't take it somewhere for +$30 though, 10y is very good for solar and i expect to get every bit of that..

              ps. funny how windows, the time on phone and the G-shock app/time is 2-3 sec difference.

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                harshbdmmaster718 on 13/01/2023 - 16:26

                @G-rig: "currently have it set to app running in the background = off. Can do without seeing the G in the phone pulldown constantly."

                Yeah that's how I have it. My previous comment was so long it might have been confusing. My phone settings are: app running in the background = off, app closed (not open at all just left installed), and location setting for app (in phone settings) = always. Time sync to watch still happens automatically without me having to engage at all.

                "Still pretty easy holding the time sync button on when you want manually but i do like the idea of maintaining precise time (the whole point of a watch)"

                Yeah my model doesn't have that button. But yeah if you are happy with how you do it currently, I am pretty sure even if the watch using Bluetooth LE you will likely use less battery by not always having BT connected.

                "wouldn't take it somewhere for +$30 though"
                Yeah I agree. The only thing I would pay for is pressure testing since I don't have the equipment. But personally I don't go swimming so all it needs to survive is washing my hands and the occasional jet of water from a garden hose etc. I am thinking of researching and developing an amateur pressure testing method myself by filling a deep bin with rain water, then submerging the watch with a stick and watching for bubbles.

                If there is any small break in the seal the bubbles will be really slow so I can easily pull the watch out before too much water enters inside. Clean it up and dry it and try again. Honestly though I think doing this test will only really necessary on the rare occasion I plan to submerge the watch in water.

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                  G-rig on 13/01/2023 - 18:25

                  @harshbdmmaster718: Should be fine if the seal doesn't get damaged.
                  I like wearing in pool , beach etc..

                  • 

                    harshbdmmaster718 on 13/01/2023 - 18:48

                    @G-rig: Yeah I am pretty careful when closing the watch up. Make sure the seal is sitting as neat as possible in the track, and close the screws in an X pattern.
                    e.g. top left and bottom right, then top right and bottom left.
                    I think this gives the gasket an even 50% run between screw points around the watch to compress/stretch and stop it from jumping out the track or getting pinched.
                    Just my theory anyway.

                    Yeah with beach use you would definitely want to have that good seal. Probably good to have the max 50m/100m/200m pressure rating just for peace of mind.

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                      G-rig on 13/01/2023 - 19:13

                      @harshbdmmaster718: Hmm am going to put a sapphire crystal in the Seiko tuna solar, haven't thought about testing it but will see

                      Cheers

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  tdw on 14/01/2023 - 08:01

  bought it earlier in the week, came in a dw5600e box but inside was an ex-display gba800. no shriro card. it is in acceptable condition so not sending it back.

  not as hard to read as most g-shocks - has excellent lcd backlighting, white [lumed] hands and autolight.

  might get the grey as well.

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    harshbdmmaster718 on 14/01/2023 - 16:11

    "came in a dw5600e box but inside was an ex-display gba800."

    What the heck? lol.

    Not the first time I heard this from DJ's by the way. I think there was a forum post end of last year, saying they received something in the wrong packaging that was clearly used or returned.

    I guess retail is scraping the pennies.

    • 

      tdw on 14/01/2023 - 16:38

      most likely the only one left they had in stock. better than a cancelled order

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        harshbdmmaster718 on 14/01/2023 - 16:39

        Yeah and good on you for making your own judgement and keeping it.
        I tend to be like that too, not too fussed and not one to complain.