G-Shock #31: One Love.

It’s summer here (on the Northern Hemisphere). Though the weather isn’t really cooperating now, I am enjoying my summer vacation as much as possible. What can be better than sitting in the backyard in the evening sun with some relaxed music. I think Bob Marley’s “One Love” would be great music to complete my summer feeling.

On Hawaii it seems always summer. As a primary school pupil I already wrote a little essay about these islands and it always kept my attention. I had no idea back then that Hawaii was also the place to be for surfing.

Hawaii and G-Shocks seems also a good combination. When the G-Shock forum on WatchUSeek (WUS) just had started in about 8 years ago, AndyFromHonolulu learned me that the “Mil-shock” was made in Hawaii. The “Mil-shock” were a special treated DW-5600B model. The springbars were replaced by stainless steel pins and the plastic strap replaced by a 20mm Zulu strap. These G-Shocks were made by a Hawaiian technician on request by a US Special Task Force in Afghanistan. There were two batches made (the second with the standard DW-5600E) and small numbers had been available for public through Broad Arrow.

Also the Triple Crown of Surfing is held on Hawaii and Casio G-Shock has sponsored quite some events in the past years, resulting in several Special Editions G-Shocks. There is only a little I can find on the Hawaiian Lovers models, but Hawaii has their own Lovers Collections models. These Hawaiian Lovers were only sold on Hawaii. There is not much information about these.

Since 2008 the street culture clothing brand In4Mation has brought us 5 G-Shock models. They started with the GLX-5600X-3 in May 2008. Else than the color code may suggest, this watch isn’t green but turquoise blue. This model was followed by the purple GLS-5600X-6 in November 2008. In May 2009 an very nice apricot GLX-5600XA-4 was released. As it shows “Aloha” in the Backlight, this model was also called the “Aloha model”. In May 2010 a gray/blue GLX-6900X-2 was released followed by this GLX-6900XA-9 in May 2011. While the first four releases were easy to find for a good price for a longer period, it seems this “One Love” model of this year is very popular. Although the European release is just released or about to be released, it seems getting rare on the global market already now.

Typical for the In4mation G-Shock releases is that they all are special G-Lide models. In4mation and I must have a common interest, as I love the G-Lide series, though I do not surf, neither ride a snowboard or skateboard. Exept for the GLS-5600X-6, they all have a Tidegraph on the display. Hawaii has indeed tides, though they are not spectacular. At springtide we are talking about 2 feet (60 cm) difference between low and high tide. Still tide predictions can be handy with all kind of activities at the beach.

This “One love” In4mation model is packed in a beautiful decorated box and tin. The Japanese model is sold in a cardboard show box with a special print. Also nice, but I think that my preference would go to this tin. It shows the Lion of Zion in a circle of text: In4mation - Positive Vibrations - Roots and Culture - One Love.

At first glance this “One Love” might look a bit like the GLX-6900A-9. The G-Lide GLX-6900A-9 looks pretty good, but when compared with the GLX-6900XA-9, “it bleaches”, as we say here, there the details of the In4mation design are much better.

The gold face plate is probably the best looking part of this watch. Very nice is also the use of a dark green and a red strap. If people still didn’t got the “One Love” and the package hint, they now should see this watch is inspired by reggae culture. The In4mation loge can be found on the gold face plate and on both straps.

 

The GLX-6900XA is the 3194 module. While the Moon Phase and the Tide Graph is already visible in the display, the watch has also a 29 time zones and 48 cities World Time function, 2 (!) 1000h Stopwatches, a 24 hour Countdown Timer and finally it has also 5 alarms with a hourly chime on board. As usual, the 5th alarm is the snooze alarm. The first Stopwatch function also can use the Auto Start function, which counts down 5 seconds before the stopwatch function starts and the Countdown Timer has an Auto-Repeat function and a Progress beeper, to keep you informed about the progress in the count down, with shorter intervals between the alarms when the final countdown time is approached. I still think this is a nice feature. Considered that G-Lide models from the 90’s often had to do with one 60 minute Stopwatch and Countdown function and that models with a Tidegrapgh not even had a Countdown function, I think that the GLX-6900XA, considered that that GLX-6900 models are “basic G-Lide” models, is very well equipped.

Sorry, I forgot to take a wrist shot of this watch, so I borrowed this pic from HipHop Cube weblog.

The 3194 module has still the old way of programming he Tidegraph. While newer models with this feature simply work with your home city and a high tide, which you have to program once, this module needs your Longitude and Lunitidal Interval. This interval is the time difference of the moon passing over (moon at the highest point in the South in the Northern Hemisphere) and the next high tide. This delay is caused by the geographical factors as shape of land masses, depths and undepths, etc. The Lunitidal Interval can be easy be calculated if you know your local tides. If you live near sea, but you have never seen tide tables, the tide in your location might be insignificant. If you know the high tides, you can find local moon data on several websites. I usually use the World Clock on Time and Date. This website does not only have local time on a big database of places on the earth, they provide also local sun and moon information. If you do not live in or near a big city, go to the nearest gig city on the list and go to “Coordinates”. There is a link that says “See other cities near [fill in the city you had chosen]”. A big list with cities appears. You city appears maybe too and else you can chose a city near. Best is to find a city that is near the same longitude. There you find when the moon is at the highest point, so you can calculate your Lunitidal Interval.

The retrial price of the In4Mation GLX-6900XA is with 16000 yen in Japan quite higher than the GLX-6900A, that costs 12000 yen. I have searched around for mine and I paid around €129.- for mine, which is probably the same price for this model as you buy it in a shop in Japan. I don’t think it was much cheaper when it was just released and it won’t get any cheaper I’m afraid. It will be only harder to find, though, if I’m in4med right, it is just released in Europe or it’s about to and the price will be around what I paid for it, only available in limited quantities, I’m afraid. If you think the price is too high, you might consider the GLX-6900A-9. This model does not have the great Reggae look as this model, but it’s yellow and has the same module. You can find this model for around €75.- shipped worldwide.