Casio has announced the return of its hugely popular G-Shock Frogman series of dive watches, and the new model is a tantalizing mix of modern tech and classic looks. For the first time, the range will have Bluetooth connectivity and a stunning analog face. Following the lead of other connected G-Shocks including the Gravitymaster and the Mudmaster, the Frogman is the final “Master of G” series watch to gain a connection to your smartphone.
Previously, the Frogman series had been an all-digital watch, with large, complex displays showing data important for divers. The new GWF-A1000 Frogman is the first analog edition, potentially making it more appealing to dive watch fans tempted by analog models from Seiko and other brands. Casio has also moved away from a metal and resin case, and adopted the latest carbon fiber monocoque design for the Frogman, as seen on the new Mudmaster.
The combination of carbon fiber and resin in the monocoque construction makes it even stronger than before, and enables Casio to avoid chunky button guards without compromising toughness, as well as minimize the overall body size. The face is still covered with sapphire crystal, and the fluoroelastomer band is stain and hydrolysis resistant. This is still a G-Shock Frogman, so it is water resistant to 200 meters and completely shock resistant too.
The Bluetooth link operates with Casio’s excellent G-Shock Connected app and is geared toward the diver. Dive points can be marked on a map with the time and date, plus photos can be added too. The new analog face shows dive time and tide information clearly, plus there is a world time complication. Cleverly, when in dive mode, the two hands work together as one, making it easier to see information, especially when used with the Super Illuminator LED light.
Because the Bluetooth connectivity is relatively simple, it’s driven by the Frogman’s standard battery, which has solar charging and should last for many months without seeing any light at all. The watch also has Multi-Band 6 atomic timekeeping, although the app can also be used to automatically switch the watch between time zones.
It has been several years since G-Shock released a new Frogman, making this especially exciting for fans. However, like all top-flight Frogman watches, it doesn’t come cheap. The GWF-A1000 will cost $800, or 699 British pounds, when it goes on sale in mid-June. There will be three models available: A black version with yellow highlights, a navy blue with white highlights, and a red version with matching red highlights, and each can be pre-ordered through the U.S. G-Shock online store, and the U.K. online G-Shock store.
