Who is Sjors?
Sjors is just a simple school assistant Chemistry, who happens to love G-Shock watches. I live in Middelburg, a old small city in the south west of the Netherlands. Middelburg is the center of the former island Walcheren, which is now part of the big peninsula in Zeeland.
How did start your collection?
Pretty simple, just with one DW-004 back in 2000. I had to choose between this watch and a DW-003 G-Lide. I found a nice BPM model and later bought the G-Lide. From then I was unstoppable.
What is G-Peopleland?
G-Peopleland is my website. I was actually more or less forced to start one by a good friend of me in April 2003, who showed me how to make a simple website. A colleague showed me where I could host my website, so after that there was no way back. Although the homepage has changed a little, I still build from the template of that simple page. I tried other editors in the past, but only this editor listens to me. I’m not that handy with HTML. Somehow I think this simple but colorful website suits G-Shock right.
What is 50 Gs?
I was inspired by Greg from Canada, who had a funny cycling weblog. In 2008 we started 50 Gs together. Greg had a goal of showing and writing about 12 Gs (short for G-Shocks), my goal was to write about 50 Gs. Original intention was to write one year.
What does a 50 Gs article differ from a normal watch review?
Frankly, I probably never have been good in watch reviews. Although with new models it is interesting to write about the features, I rather like to write about the background or my personal feelings and thoughts about a certain model. I have worked for a local music magazine for a few years. The first thing I learned for CD reviews was that you always have to look for the positive points first. It’s so easy to stamp your feet on every flower, it’s much harder to watch and let one grow.
Who are the Guest Authors?
All guest authors were invited by me. I met them at Watchuseek and they have earned some respect there, before I had invite them. Although an invitation for an article is facultative, most authors are very honored to be invited and are happy to write an article. Unfortunately the blogger.com template has changed a lot in the past and making articles as on 50 Gs are sometimes a hell, specially with standing photo’s or inserted movies. HTML text seem to live a complete life of themselves. For this reason I only invite authors rarely now.
Are all the reviewed G-Shocks or other watches from your collection?
Yes they are, unless clearly mentioned that it is not mine. As far as I know, there is only one article, about an Edifice watch, which is not my watch. Also the guest articles of course not about my watches, though it is good possible I have these models in my collection too.
Is 50 Gs sponsored?
No, and I want to keep it that way. I want to be operating independent. Of course I have contacts with people from Casio all over the world and I have also my contacts at certain stores. If you buy 40 to 60 G-Shocks a year, it’s handy you know your way around.
Do you sell your G-Shocks?
No. I don’t sell them. My collection is like a little museum that has grown larger in the past years. I regularly get offers from people, or even request for price lists, but my statement is clear. You sent me such an e-mail, you receive a “No” if you are lucky. If I am really busy, I just ignore those. There are many more people contacting me for real help.
What is a “G-Shock” watch?
A G-Shock is a Casio sub-brand of pretty rugged watches. In 1983 Ibe Kikuo san developed with “Team Tough” members Takashi Nikaido and Masuda Yuichi the DW-5000C. This watch is the mother of all G-Shocks. Team Tough build this watch to withstand “Triple 10 criteria”. The original criteria were:
- 1- the watch must easily survive a 10 meter fall on a concrete pavement. This height is actually the height of the toilet window of the 2nd floor of Casio’s R & D building.
- the watch should be water resist at least up to 10 bars (equivalent to 10 meter water pressure). Since the start Casio build almost all G-Shocks with a 20 bar water resistance. Only some G-Cool models are 10 bar water resistant. Baby-G models, which were in the beginning small G-Shock models are usually 10 Bar water resist. Currently Baby-G models are often developed and marketed for women. G-Shocks are not 20 Bar ISO rated, except for the Frogman models. THis is part of the reason the Frogman has quite a hefty price tag.
- The battery should last at least 10 years. In the beginning this was easy achievable as Casio used the then new Lithium batteries. The first G-Shock models had batteries that kept a G-Shock easily for 20 years going, but this changed with the introduction of power consumptive EL backlight. This criterium has now be altered into “The watch could be used at least for 10 years”. This is also pretty easily achievable. I have a DW-5200C in my collection which is now about 25 years old and it’s still working strong.
Help! One of my buttons is recessed!
Is that a question? No, but the answer is “Relax”. Several models have indeed a recessed ADJUST button. This is not a defect, it’s smart design. This way you can’y accidentally push this button and reset time.
Where do you buy your G-Shocks?
It really depends. I try to keep the shops I buy from a bit limited, so I can build up a good relationship with this seller. If a model is only released in Japan, I buy it in Japan. I usually use Higuchi-inc, but Seiya Japan and Chino are also good Japanese vendors. For a long time it was only possible to buy via these vendors, but nowadays there is a slowly growing amount of shops that deal outside Japan. I can’t recommend Japanese sellers on eBay. They ask most of the time ridiculous prices (150 - 200% of the retail price is not rare, while they cost in the Japanese electronics stores about 90%). Note that G-Shocks in Japan are very expensive.
SInce a few years new G-Shock models are available in a lot of countries in Europe. They cost a little less than in Japan. Only in East Asia (Singapore and Hong Kong) it can be recommended to buy G-Shocks if you live in Europe. The shipping prices in the US are absurd high, while lately the USPS is sending packages everywhere, except for the right destination. If they arrive, you get billed by both the customs as the postal service. In The Netherlands the postal service ask €12 to €17.- per package, no matter what the worth of the package is and the hight of the tax. In case of a cheap watch, this can mean you pay €4.- tax and €17 fees for a $20 watch (it happened to me once).
The US seem to have a big market and a lot of new models are easily for sale. Only problem is now that some people now buy up local stock of limited models and sell them fro double or triple prices.
In the menu on the right of 50 Gs you can see several shops where I have bought several of my G-Shocks and whom I have good contacts with.
Can you review a model on 50 Gs that is not yet reviewed?
It depends. If I have this model in my collection, I can. Else maybe later, maybe never. It just depends the price, availability, my interest in the watch, etc.
What’s up with bloo?
No real idea. Bloo most of the time not my favorite color, although I like turquoise and aqua. I guess it all started with a bloo DW-003TL. And yes, I have a persisting habit to write blue intentionally as bloo. It doesn’t mean I never buy any blue versions, but I rather have a red or yellow model.
Have you got any future plans with 50 Gs?
I actually wanted to take a cebatical year in 2012 and then start from scratch. Frankly I have not many G-Shocks left that weren’t reviewed at least once on 50 Gs. As in 2012 Casio planned to start with 30th Anniversary models and in 2013 it is the 30th anniversary of G-Shock, I am afraid I have to wait with my cebatical year until 2014.
Do you only collect G-Shocks?
Mainly I do. I have also an orange Seiko Monster, an Citizen Ecozilla, a few smaller Casio’s, several ProTreks, a bunch of Baby-Gs and a small collection of Pontiac watches (not to confuse with watches with a Pontiac car on the dial) from the 1950’s and 1960’s. My main focus though is G-Shock.
What is an “Overseas” model and what is a “JDM” model?
Casio makes often models for different markets. JDM stands for Japan Domestic Marked or Japan Domestic Model. Every model sold outside Japan is automatically an “Overseas” model as we look at the markets seen from Japan.
Why are there JDM and Overseas models?
It probably has to do with what the consumer expects from a Casio product. This can be that a certain color scheme is not available or it can be a complete model or series. So were all GXW-56 models only available in Japan, while most GX-56 models only outside Japan. Often models are released first in Japan. Sometimes at release it is not certain if or when a model will be released outside Japan. In the past years more and more Waveceptor models were released (see below). Often the JDM models are Waveceptor models, while the overseas models have to do it without this function. JDM models are also often more expensive than the same model sold outside Japan.
What is Tough Solar?
With the introduction of the Raysman, Casio also introduced a high performance solar cell which could easily power a G-Shock watch and also leave enough energy to charge a large capacity rechargeable battery. A Raysman model can easily charge enough energy to keep the watch running for about 7 - 9 months in total darkness. Now there are models with Power Save function, which can even run 2 years in total darkness when fully recharged.
Waveceptor is Casio’s name for the possibility of a watch to receive Atomic Time signals. These models has an antenna build inside. The Antman was the first model that could receive an Atomic signal. These models could only receive the signal from one transmitter. Later Casio released models for the Japanese and US market (The Fukuoka/Saga signal and the Fort Collins signal are both transmitted at 60 kHz), and for the European market (first only mainflingen, later also Rugby, the Rugby transmitter moved several years ago to Anthorn). Since the 5 band GW-9000 Mudman model was released the name Waveceptor was moved somewhat aside and Multiband was introduced. The GW-9000 was a Multiband 5 model. Since China has also a public transmitter in Sangqui, the new Waveceptor models are now Multiband 6 models.
What is Multiband 5 or Multiband 6?
In the beginning Waveceptor models were only usefull in a certain region. The first models only in East or in West Japan, later only in Japan and the US or only in Europe. Now all “Atomic models” are Multiband models. The newest generation is Multiband 6. These watches can receive the Atomic Time signals from 6 transmitters in the World. These transmitters are are Fukushima, and Fukuoka/Saga (JJY40 and JJY60), with a 500 km radius, Fort Collins (WWVB60), with a 1000 km radius, Mainflingen (DCF77) and Anthorn (MSF60) with a radius of both 500 km and the newest transmitter is located in Sangqui (China, PBC 68.5kHz).
How does a Multiband or Waveceptor model sync?
When you buy these watches the Auto Receive function and the Power Save function are already toggled on. Every night, unless the watch has been in Power Save mode for about a week or longer, the watch tries to catch the Atomic Time signal. Of course it is important that you have input a correct city/timezone, so the watch knows which signal it should pick up. The watch tries up to about 6 times to get a successful reception and stops these attempts as a successful reception has taken place.
Why does a Waveceptor / Multiband model sync at night?
The most obvious reason is that most watches are at night not fully used. Another important reason is that the there is much less radio wave activity at night, so the chance of interference is much lower.