Farewell to the GW-5000U
Pretty early on in my watch collecting journey I got my hands on a G-Shock DW-5600E. It wasn't a top choice at the time, but I figured for $40 it wasn't a bad idea. I ended up loving that thing - it's lightweight, can take a beating, isn't flashy... it works perfectly for the days in the woods. Heck, it works perfectly for the days at home. I did manage to make the bezel and band kind of splotchy looking thanks to some mosquito spray, but besides that it's been great.
On watch forums, there is talk about the ideal G-Shock. The GW-5000 consistently comes up in those topics. The steel case and screw down case back are as close to the original G-Shock square from the '80s as you can get (aside from some other versions that match that original color way as well). The base model uses a plastic case and the case back is held on with four little screws. So the added robustness of the GW-5000 construction is definitely a benefit. The GW-5000 also has a very plain color way, which can be thought to add to its sleekness. The band is more supple. And of course the module has all the neat added features of multiple time zones, multiple alarms, multi band 6 automatic syncing with the atomic clock in Colorado, and solar charging.
So yes, the GW-5000 is often thought of as the ultimate G-Shock to own. So I bought one.
I actually bought the latest 2021 model, which has the 3495 module in it (as opposed to the 3195), coming with a few tweaks to some function screens and change in illumination type.
I was definitely excited opening the package once it arrived at my doorstep from Japan. I gently slapped it onto my wrist. The famous GW-5000U. I pretty much immediately noticed the extra weight - and it somehow felt a little foreign - isn't a resin G-Shock supposed to feel light as a feather? I was used to wearing my faithful, featherweight DW-5600.
Despite the somewhat unfavorable weight, I did enjoy many of the features of this watch. Auto-backlight was neat to use a bit. The atomic clock syncing was cool - seeing that "RCVD" on the screen in the morning was a new experience for me - it became the watch I would sync my mechanical watches up with. I wore it out several times, but never did anything too rough with it. It just didn't feel right roughing up a $300 G-Shock when my $40 one does just as well.
So I ended up selling it. It was fun to experience the famous G-Shock the forums seem to rave about. I can definitely see how it could be the one-and-done watch for someone. But it was not that for me, unfortunately. The slightly heavier case, softer (in other words, less stiff) band, and my band tightness preference did not match up to give me the same comfort I enjoy on my DW-5600. It would feel a bit top heavy on the band setting that I normally use. I could eliminate that by going one notch tighter, but then it wasn't quite as loose as I like it.
To get that comfort level with the benefits of the 3495 module, I could get the GW-M5610U (roughly $140) or GW-S5600U (roughly $250). But I don't know.. the DW-5600 just might be the ideal G-Shock square for me!
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