[G-Shock Review] DW-5900BB-1ER — Stealth, Old-School and “Three-Eyed” Numeral

The Japanese watchmaking [in this case, Casio] has one interesting feature – Casio’s “reissue” the old models with a certain frequency, while trying to keep everything to its maximum in its original form. One of such examples is the recent DW-5750 – G-Shock fans immediately recognized one of the first buildings in the shock-resistant direction, which appeared in 1987. Today’s review concerns a representative of the DW-5900 series with a similar story – the body first saw the light in 1992, but has not received updates since. At least until the end of 2018, when the Japanese surprised the watch community with an unexpected replenishment of the legendary series [DW-5900 – return 2.0. Both classic and black “coal.

What is the goal pursued by Casio marketers – one can only guess. On the one hand, to pay tribute to the glorious past is very cool and just in the spirit of the Japanese. Among collectors and fans of G-Shock there are fans of different ages, some saw with their own eyes the formation of the G-Shock as a direction in general, and managed to try on the iconic models of the 90s, but there are also those who did not manage to catch that time, and therefore are familiar with old buildings only in absentia. Such releases provide an opportunity for young shokans to return to the heyday of G, and realize that even then Casio were able to make decent hours. As pathetic as it sounds.

On the other hand, for a long time you will not surprise anyone with simple digital features. The idea of engineers is quite clear – to leave the appearance and functionality “as is”, but the potential audience is waiting for innovations, at least solar power and radio synchronization of time. Perhaps such a move could increase sales of the DW-5900, although the Japanese are unlikely to have problems with this.

The DW-5900 case itself is interesting not only for its age, there is one more fact that cannot be ignored – it was this model that became the first of its kind with three round digital windows and later, so to speak, “pierced” the road to another equally well-known building. DW-6900 [one of the best-selling G-Shock-s in history].

Honestly, I am delighted not so much with the DW-5900BB-1ER themselves, as with their color performance – coal-black is unlikely to leave anyone indifferent. Such “blackness” is often associated with secrecy, which is especially useful in military affairs. In principle, any dzhishoka in a completely black version can be counted as a military watch [this is the nature of the G-Shock], but there clearly has its zest – apart from the “three-eyed” zone, there is also a separate window of irregular shape that complements the old-school image. The display substrate is slightly lighter than the base color – so as not to merge with other elements of the body.

The outlines of the case are also not the same as those of the “others” – rectangular nodules at the top and bottom, and between them ribbed polyurethane with button signatures give the watch masculinity and the feeling of a strong accessory on its hand. This is the case when a relatively small and compact case [51.4 × 46.8 × 15 mm] does not cause doubts in its durability and reliability. On the front side there are two decorative elements, similar to rivets and other details in clothes. The buttons remained metal – the designers decided to change nothing here.

The texture in the form of squares on the dial plate is very similar to the “bricks” of the DW-5000, even if they are painted there, and here they are “knocked out” right on the surface of the plastic. The strap attachment mechanism and its shape is not much different from other similar G-Shock-s standard winding shape to absorb bumps and falls. Wrist fixation is a single-prong clasp.

The main display of the clock functions takes place in the lower window – the current time, world time, date, time of the stopwatch, timer, alarm clock. Despite its small size, the window still consists of two parts, for a more detailed display of information. The left and right small window is used to display seconds and their shares when the stopwatch is running, the timer and the current time. The smallest window is responsible for displaying the status of additional features – an alarm clock [on / off], a doze function, an hourly alarm, a sound of buttons, and summer time.

The stopwatch, though not very capacious [for 1 hour], but with good accuracy in 1/100 of a second and with the ability to measure both the elapsed time and the time of individual segments and time of 1.2 places. There is no separate button for activation [as is sometimes the case]; to use the stopwatch, you need to switch to the corresponding mode by pressing the lower left button. The countdown timer has a stock of up to 24 hours.

The DW-5900 has five separate alarms, one with a “doze” function. I will not go into the details of the settings, because everything is standard here. The backlighting, as it should be for digital displays, is commendable – the electroluminescent panel completely copes with its task. One moment – when the backlight is activated, the clock emits a strange, sometimes even unpleasant sound, like a mosquito squeak, but looking into the office. instructions, I immediately calmed down. It turns out that all is due to the vibration of the EL-panel, but the manufacturer considers this to be the norm, which means there is no cause for concern. There is no automatic triggering, only pressing the [upper right] button.

The rest on the little things – 200-meter water resistance, mineral glass and a battery for 5 years.

Conclusion

In general, the DW-5900 series is worthy of attention, and not only because of its famous “roots”. First of all, the model will appeal to old school fans – there are no modern features, such as solar power, Bluetooth, etc. But there is a unique image with its philosophy and a cult form factor that still fills and will fill the wallets of satisfied Casio marketing specialists.

Read Quick News on DW-5900:

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Firstly published, but we carefully translated into English.

Some FAQ moments about G-Shock DW-5900 Series

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DW-5900 Profile
Average Amazon Price: $80 (yes, we may earn a commission on qualifying purchases from our links to Amazon)
Year of first release: 2018 (renew)
Lineup: STANDART DIGITAL (This Line includes Digital G-Shocks that are the best in “price/quality” category. Usually have traditional digital functions.) All G-Shock Standart Digital Watches →
Best for: Teenagers, Top in G-Shock Lookbooks, Artists, Singers, Dancers…
The most distinctive specs:
– 200-meter water resistance (good for swimming but not for deep diving)
– Triple Graph Display (characterized by three round digital indicators on the dial)
Other colors and full specs: DW-5900 Wiki Page
Only Limited Editions: DW-5900 Limited Editions

G-Shock DW-5900 Rating System

Size	★★★
Weight	★★★★
Functions	★★
Materials	★★★★★
Battery Years	★★★★
Price	★★★★