In 2021, the Japanese company Casio debuts a new standout from the long-standing Frogman family - the reference collection GWF-A1000 (GWF-A1000XC, as tested). The new G-Shock Frogman collection builds on a long legacy of high-tech, multi-purpose dive watches, and this year the focus is on new case material technologies, adding "XC" to the existing GWF-A1000 lineup. Let's take a closer look at the new G-Shock Frogman reference GWF-A1000XC-1A in a predominantly black color with orange accents.
One of the intriguing quirks of the Casio Frogman is that engineers designed them to sit slightly asymmetrically on the wrist. This is something other watches have done for a long time, but the Casio Frogman is among the few known to me that have adhered to this design quirk for so long. More than just for aesthetics, the case is positioned slightly to the left to make the large watch more comfortable to wear on the wrist when bent (assuming the watch is worn on the left wrist), preventing the watch and its crown from digging into the wrist. It works well, and despite the GWF-A1000's width of 53.3 mm, the watch wears with surprising comfort.
Part of the comfort is also due to the lightweight case, which was never so evident in such a muscular model as the Frogman until this year, when Casio decided to remove as much metal as possible from the case construction and replace it with various carbons, fiberglass, and plastic. In fact, the main advantage of the watch is the use of the still fresh carbon monocoque case construction (including a fully carbon case back), bezel, and some bracelet links made using Casio's multilayer carbon material technology.
The bezel, for example, consists of at least three separate layered materials (this is easily noticeable since they are all different colors), which include black carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, gray fiberglass-reinforced plastic, and new orange fiberglass-reinforced plastic. The surface of the bezel itself, as well as the middle bracelet links, are made using the same multilayer material technology.
The result is an incredibly durable G-Shock case with an attractive surface pattern, yet very lightweight. This is very modern and is a significant upgrade from traditional G-Shock manufacturing methods (which were already very good, to begin with).
As a higher-end G-Shock watch, the Frogman GWF-A1000 features other appealing materials and features, including sapphire crystal over the fully analog dial and the complex Tough Solar movement with Bluetooth connectivity. More about the functionality and mechanism of the 2021 Frogman watch below.
The watch case is very long - 68 mm from lug to lug. This is the main obstacle for the Frogman to be worn on smaller wrists. The case thickness is about 18 mm, and water resistance is up to 200 meters. The case is equipped with four buttons and a screw-down crown. As a diving watch, the Frogman is actually no more water-resistant than regular G-Shock watches, but it does have some special diving features that most other G-Shock models do not.
The bracelet is one of the most interesting I have seen on Casio watches. The style is traditional, but the materials and construction are not. The bracelet tapers slightly towards the case, which other G-Shock watches do not do, making it quirky and cool. The bracelet is very lightweight, using only steel for the spring bars that hold the links together, as well as steel reinforcement elements in some parts. Like some other modern Casio watches, the bracelet no longer uses tension rods but small spring bars similar to how most watches (not Casio) straps connect to watch cases.
The Frogman bracelet links are made of fluorine on the outside and the layered carbon material I mentioned earlier on the inside. The external links have a satin velvet texture, while the inner carbon links have a carbon fiber weave pattern. My favorite part of the bracelet is the folding clasp, which immediately brings the Casio G-Shock into the territory of modern elite watch bracelets.
The bracelet now has both a folding diver extension and a new micro-adjustment system utilizing a worm screw, turned with the fingertip. This is similar to how some adjustable wrench tools work. It's a brilliant solution for a high-quality yet robust micro-adjustment system and exactly what I would like to see from Casio engineers.
The dial is quite pleasant to look at, with the sub-dial layout that has become popular in many modern fully analog high-end G-Shock models. The priority is legibility, with large luminescent hour markers and hands. The watch also features a bright "Super LED" light that can be activated, making the dial easier to read.
In addition to the main time, the dial features additional 12-hour sub-dials (with a 24-hour indicator), a date window, and a function selector that also serves as a day-of-the-week or tide chart indicator.
I am very pleased that the internal Casio quartz movement module 5623 installed in the GWF-A1000 includes Bluetooth functionality. Most modern G-Shock watches have this capability, but what makes it especially beneficial (aside from the fact that the time on the watch always updates automatically) is that the G-Shock app allows you to set and manage the watch functions from your phone, rather than through the hard-to-remember operating system of analog wristwatches. The GWF-A1000 has several quirky features such as dive mode, log, and dive time tracker. It also includes a stopwatch, timer, alarm, calendar, and world time. Using the app to set the alarm time or adjust the second time zone is much easier than doing so through the watch itself.
The mechanism also has access to atomic clock radio signals and, being Tough Solar, is powered by light. Of all the non-standard G-Shock features, I like the tide indicator function in the Frogman the most. The tide indicator is one of the diving watch functions. The dive mode is a special feature of the Frogman watch, which is manually activated and allows you to time dives. This can be very useful as a backup dive timing system, but the watch does not include sensors like a dive depth indicator.
As a backup watch for amateur divers or people who want to own one of the coolest new G-Shock watches, the Casio G-Shock Frogman GFW-A1000XC 2021 is an incredible product with an attractive design, a multitude of features, and materials that were not available in any Casio watches just a few years ago.
The watch can rightfully be accused of being large in size, but this is nothing new for Frogman watch models. It is truly a military watch mixed with a diver's watch, trying to assert itself as a really good tool. Add to this the quirky appearance and bold dial, and you get the type of high-end G-Shock that will excite many buyers in the coming years.
The price of the Casio G-Shock Frogman GWF-A1000XC-1A is 1,250 USD. More details on the Casio watch website here.
