Intermezzo #51: Original and aftermarket Face Protectors a.k.a. "Bull Bars" compared.

Earlier this week I reported after market Face Protectors were available at Tiktox. These Face Protectors are often called "Bull Bars". I received my set today, so I could put them up for a comparison. At first sight they look like good quality products. A little warning for those who want to apply Bull Bars to their G-Shocks. Be sure you want to have these applied on your watch. Once applied, these Bull Bars will leave noticeable marks on the bezel.

Here the models I will use for the comparison. It's my DW-6900MS and DW-5025B. I had these watches already equipped with original Casio Bull Bars. So this is how the original Bull bars look like:

Note that the original DW-6900 Bull Bar is asymmetric, while the original DW-5600 Bull Bars are symmetric.

The ultimate comparison. The after market Bull Bars are slightly thinner than the original. You'll notice it if you see them side by side, but the difference is minimal. The metal used for the after market Bull Bars are quite stiffer than the original ones. Therefore it is harder to get them in place. Also you will notice the aftermarket DW-6900 model is symmetric. The DW-6900 version fits good. It fits tight around the case. The Bull Bars for the DW-5600 is pretty hard to get in place. It took me a lot of force to get it in place. The result is that it fits very tight. It just jumps in place. And there was a little problem for me. I rather have the original Bars applied to my beloved DW-5025B. With the screwdriver of a Leatherman Juice C2 I finally managed to pull (or is it pry) off the aftermarket bars and slip on the original  one.

Well, check out the photo's above. As I wrote above, the bars are a little thinner, but once applied on the watch, I frankly don't see the difference. Since the original Bull Bars seem to be sold out worldwide, I can  recommend these aftermarket bars. As I could not easily remove the bars, specially the 5600 type, I think you must only apply these bars as you are sure you want them on your G-Shock. I don't apply them on all my DW-5600 and DW-6900 type watches, but to have a few with bars is always pretty nice for a variety in look. As already mentioned above, these Bull Bars are available at Tiktox in the UK.