It has been a while since we posted anything about Casio, the international watch brand has hit the ground running into the new year with the G-Shock Convention on November 9th which is one of the biggest Casio events of the year and this year it even features a live Performance By A$AP Mob. They also released news about the new Casio G-Shock Rangeman which you can find more about below…
The G-Shock Rangeman has always been one of the most popular collections for the brand and the new models are no exception to this. News of the new models was first revealed at the 35th Anniversary Casio event in New York City where excited Casio fans and staff were informed that the updated edition of the iconic line will launch with two models, the black GPR-B1000-1 and khaki GPR-B1000-1B.
It’s a very brave step by Casio as the original Rangeman GW-9400 that was released back in 2010 was one of the most popular models in the history of G-Shock however after reading this article I’m sure you will be reassured that these two models are a perfect homage to the original with a host of additional technology advances and features.
The worlds First Solar Assisted GPS Navigation
I hardly know where to start with this new model it just has so much that I want to tell you about!
It’s the world’s first solar-assisted GPS navigation device, how incredible is this?! When the battery level drops below a usable level for GPS while outdoors you can use solar charging to resume use of the GPS functions for a limited time. The Rangeman watch also features a Triple Sensor (alti/barometer, compass, thermometer) which is an integral part of any premium price Casio G-Shock watch especially as their target audience are mostly the active adventurers out there. As well as the two previously mentioned features the Rangeman watch also has Bluetooth connectivity which links in with a number of features on the Rangeman watch allowing you to view analytics, set courses (start and finish), set goals, view statistics just to name a few.
To carry on with the extreme durability of the watches by G-Shock the watch is in fact a low-temperature LCD display and the glass covering this display is sapphire crystal to ensure premium scratch resistance. The band around the watches case is made from carbon fibre to further enhance its durability to anything life has to throw at you. Like the original the new model is resistant to mud and dust and has a water resistance of 200 metres.
Navigation and Logging Feature
This feature is amazing, it watch collects location data from GPS satellites and allows you to view them on a display which shows the current location on any route you have planned or even your bearing to the destination all in real time. To do this you simply have to turn on the watches GPS navigation function and it will automatically start to record and track your movement in two different time stamps, either four second or one minute intervals and you can save up to 20 tracks.
Backtrack
You can use track data that the Rangeman watch stores to retrace your steps and follow a route back to the starting point bearing. Casio show an example of this in the advert video where his car breaks down in the desert and he has to set a start point on this GPS and it tracks his route all the way to a local town, once he has made plans to rescue his car he can use the route backtrack feature to retrace his steps back to the exact location he left his car in, perfect!
Point Memory
Ever been on a trip and you pass something you want to record but have no way of doing it without drawing all over your map? I know I have. The Point Memory feature of the watch allows you to plot and record a ton of different data entries from technical data such as latitude, longitude, atmospheric pressure and temperature to other important points such as campsites, buildings, photo opportunities and water. The Rangeman watch has a limit of 60 of these points stored at any one time which leaves you plenty of room to go exploring and plotting along the way.
A First for G-SHOCK Rangeman
The case back of this Rangeman watch is 2.0mm of ceramic material as this allows it to support wireless charging as well as high sensitivity GPS reception, it also allows the watch to be more shock resistant and maintain water resistance down to 200 metres. The case back features a cartoon cat wearing a watch with a satellite and mountains in the background.
Solar and Wireless Charging
One of the key features of the GPR-B1000 is the dual wireless and solar charging systems which the watch comes equipped with, they allow you to extend the amount of time you can use the watch and its features whilst outside before the Rangeman watch needs recharging. This amazing GPS navigation feature is usable for approximately 33 hours when you wirelessly charge the watch for about five hours. If and when the battery falls to low or depletes you can still resume the GPS functions by charging the watch in bright light.
The Rangeman watch can also use the GPS from the solar charge too however this will only last for an hour, still very useful to get you out of tight situations when you are lost and the phone battery is running low. Its also useful to note that the solar power will light the display at all times even when the GPS is being powered by it too.
GPR-B1000 Specifications:
Shock-resistant, 200-meter water-resistant, low-temperature resistance (-20℃ / -4℉), mud-resistant
GPS Signal Frequency: 1575.42 MHz
GPS Signal Reception: Time-calibration (auto, manual); acquisition of position information (manual)
Bluetooth: Low Energy, up to 2-meter range
GPS Navigation: Activity logs (up to 20 logs), track display (wide area map/magnified map switching), start-to-destination direct distance, bearing to destination, destination setting from Point Memory recordings, backtrack, activity time measurement, log use status
Point Memory: 60 sets of point data (time/date, longitude/latitude, altitude, atmospheric pressure, and temperature), point icons
Digital Compass: 16 points; measuring range: 0° to 359°; measuring unit: 1°
Barometer: 260 hPa to 1,100 hPa (7.65 inHg to 32.45 inHg); measuring unit: 1 hPa (0.05 inHg); atmospheric pressure tendency graph (past 48 hours); atmospheric pressure tendency alarm
Altimeter: -700 m to 10,000 m (-2,300 ft. to 32,800 ft.); measuring unit: 1 m (5 ft.); relative altitude readings (-3,000 m to 3,000 m); altitude tendency graph
Thermometer: -10℃ to 60℃ (14℉ to 140℉); measuring unit: 0.1℃ (0.2℉)
Stopwatch (1-second up to 999:59’59 with split)
Countdown Timer (up to 24 hours)
4 Daily Alarms with Snooze Alarm
Size: 60.3 × 57.7 × 20.2 mm
Weight: ~142 grams
