#49 A Gentleman at Sea, The MRG-1000 Tactician.

With asymmetric G-Shocks you immediately think about the more sporty resin models. Best known is of course the Frogman, but there were also the Lungman and the DWX-100 series known to be asymmetric.
With asymmetric models you probably do not immediately think about elegance. Often beauty is synonym for symmetry. The MRG-1000-7, in Germany also known as Ocean Liner, proves the contrary.When I was not collecting very long, I was visiting a former dancer in the discotheque where I worked. I presented him a new CD of my band, because he was a fan of us. While listening some tracks we started about watches. He always wore nice watches and he noticed my G-Shock. He told me:”If I would buy a G-Shock, that would be a MR-G”. That made me curious, since I didn’t know about these models yet. Curious as I am, I started searching for MR-G. I found out these were “metal G-Shocks” and that they were pretty pricey, even used. This made me more curious.
Nowadays I have corrected the vision of metal G-Shocks. While most of the 90’s MR-G models indeed have a stainless steel or titanium body, bezel and bracelet, the first MR-G models had a steel case, covered with a resin bezel and attached to resin straps. There was also a model released with a leather strap.

I won this Tactician in an eBay auction somewhere August 2002. At that time there was a German eBay seller, called “Diamant Dodekaeder´. I had bought and won many watches from him, unfortunately he is not active anymore on eBay. The price was for me very high, those days. The end price was €145.-. It was back in 2002 quite a sum of money. At that moment it was the most expensive watch I bought.
Actually it was a very good price. I got a MR-G catalog later, where this model had a suggested retail price of DM849.- (now €425.-). In contrary with the Netherlands, where the SRP is also the listed shop price, prices were often a little lower in Germany, but I think you wouldn’t have found this model for sale under DM600 in the shops there. In Japan the SRP was at the release, in November 1998, with ¥50000 (€375.-) a little cheaper.
When the box arrived I was pretty surprised. It came in a cardboard box, with in it a leather covered cylindrical box. A small metal plate shows proud the name of the series, MR-G. Only the package tells “I hold an expensive watch”. It was a real surprise when I opened the box. With all these resin watches, I wasn’t used to the shiny blingy watches.
While I got used to the bigger G-Shocks, like the Gausman, Mudman classic model) and the Raysman, the size of the Tactician disappointed me a little. The watch was quite heavy, no wonder with a solid link bracelet, but rather small for a G-Shock.
Still the watch looks fantastic. The EL backlight shows a very beautiful light turquoise glow. When illuminated, the display looks very crisp and clear. If you activate the FLASH function, the EL flashes when the alarm sounds. The watch also has an Auto-Illumination function. When activated, the light turns on when the watch is tilted over approximately 40 degrees (about the angle you use to read time). This function switches off automatically in about 3 hours, to save the battery.
The asymmetry returns in the digital display. The sub-displays are more or less organic formed instead of the usual rectangles and circles. Very unusual on a G-Shock watch.
One of the first thing you notice on this watch is the Tidegraph display. In contrary to other tidegraphs, this one is animated and the animation shows the height of the tide. If the tide goes up, the animation starts at the bottom and adds lines to the current height. If the tide is falling, the tide starts with the current height, while the lines disappear from top to bottom.
This was my first watch with a Tidegraph function, so I had a lot to figure out to make it work. The tide is caused mainly by the moon, but the high tide is always later than the pass-over of the moon. This can be minutes or hours. On the US East Coast the delay is even so long, that it appears the High Tide is just before the moon passes over. This is probably caused the enormous landmass of Northern America.
With a newspaper and a tide table I can calculate the delay of the tide where I live. This delay is called the “Lunitidal Interval”. Since I didn’t know the website “Time and Date” with their sophisticated world clock data and also didn’t have a cool iPhone with a Tides app, it took me quite some time to figure out the calculation.
Since it’s pretty hard to find out yourself how to set this watch, if you don’t have a manual (manual 1901 is not available anymore on-line), I will explain how to get at the Tidegrapgh programming sequence. From normal timekeeping press Mode one time (lower left button). Then press Adjust. The time shows 6:00 on my watch (default), while the hours are flashing. You can enter a time here in whole hours to see the phase of the tide at that time, but we are not interested in that at the moment. Press the mode button. You can enter the year now, press the Mode button again and you can input your timezone compared to GMT. While pressing the Mode button again, you enter the mode where you can input the latitude and longitude. You can change the data with the upper and lower right buttons. If you have input your correct location (to the whole degree) you press the Mode button again. Now you can enter the Lunitidal Interval. Press Adjust to return to the normal modes of the watch.If you have input all data correct, the watch can show you the following data: current tide or the tide at a time at a date, moon in highest position (Moon Up), Moon in lowest position (Moon Down), Sun Rise and Sun Set. I pretty much miss the last two data on the newer G-Shocks with Tidegraph function. You can scroll al this data in the Tide mode, while using the lower left button to scroll.While scrolling thought the functions on the Tactician, you’ll probably won’t find the Race Timer and Countdown timer. It’s a bit hidden. You need to press the Mode button for about 3 seconds. The Race timer is a bit sophisticated Countdown timer. The countdown timers give sound signals when they approach the target time and auto-repeat (I didn’t manage to get them off).
While the Free Timer (normal Countdown Timer) only repeats one target time (from 1 to 60 minutes), the Race timer alternates between the target time and 5 minutes. I don’t know much about yacht racing, but it seems to be the time interval between two stages. It is the time you have to enter your ideal start position.
While the light button now acts as a start-stop button, the upper right button now is the light button. If the timer is stopped (hold the start-stop button for three seconds) you can switch between Free Timer and Race Timer. If your target time is reached too soon, press the start-stop button and the timer will start again (or in Race Timer the next target time begins). With a little practice you probably learn to work with this timer. To exit the timer mode, just push the Mode button again for three seconds.
In theory this Yacht Race Timer function sounds pretty good, but there is a down side. The alarm notifications are not loud. Actually all MR-G models I have, have soft alarms. Actually I think the alarm, which is a piezoelectric speaker located at the inside of the back, is muted by the thick case and back.
Now, imagine that you use the watch at a yacht race. For a god race you need good wind, say about 5 to 6 Beaufort (which is pretty common here). Sails are clapping, crew is yelling commands. This year’s coastal marathon was run with about 6 to 7 Beaufort. At a certain moment the coordination centre tried to contact me. Since I was prepared to these weather conditions, I had in ear headphones with silicon seals, so I could hear the coordinator clear above the sound of the stormy wind and the sea. The coordinator was not able to hear me. All they heard was wind, no matter how hard I yelled. In other words you’ll need a pretty loud alarm, if you really want to use a yacht race timer for yacht racing.
On the other hand, the modest alarm sound fits with the elegant MR-G design. These MR-G watches are not like the bright, eye-catching, resin models. This problem with the dim alarm sound does actually not apply on the MRG-120 and MRG-121 models. These models simply do not have an alarm function.

Although the case of the Tactician is pretty small, the case looks solid like a vault. The front looks removable, it is hold to the case with 6 screws. I never tried if it was cosmetic or real, but it looks pretty tough. The domed crystal is very clear and adds to the solid look. The back is a so called screw-back. A rubber ring covers the back on the outside. It is not only to make wearing the metal watch more comfortable, it also acts as a shock absorber.
All MR-G models released until 2001 have a serial number stamped on the back. It seems Casio left this serial number system with the Final Frogman. The new MR-G and Frogman models don’t have these serial numbers. Newer G-Shocks do have a small series of numbers and letters printed on the back. I guess this the production run (batch) number. A stylistic sailboat is etched on the back, with the Tactician logo.
The serial number of my Tactician tells it was assembled in October 1997, actually one year before the first official Tactician release, the Nikkon Cup model (October 1998). It might have been that this MR-G model was released earlier in Europe.
In summary, you get a whole lot of watch with this Tactician. Although it’s smaller size, it looks and feels like a very tough watch. Though the retail price was back then about the price you pay for a new MT-G or Giez nowadays, I think back in 1998 it was a huge price tag, maybe compares now with the “cheaper” new MR-G models (starting from 75000 yen). The organic display lay-out, the good looking Tidegraph function and the overall appearance of the watch, make this a beauty in my collection. The softer alarm sounds may not be a problem for me, though not really functional at sea. No problem for me, I paid a very good price for it, though I didn’t maybe realize that back then.

# 48 Polygon G-Shock

Definition of a Polygon:" A number of coplanar line segments, each connected end to end to form a closed shape".

Recently we have seen BIG G-Shocks here. Now let’s take a look at the smallest and thinnest G-Shock around, the G-056. The G-056 is the non-Atomic brother of the GW-056. The GW-056 was released in Japan in November 2005. The G-056 models were released in March 2006 in East Asia and probably worldwide.

Snow again...

Eventually the GW-056 was released in Japan, Europe and the US. For Europe a module was used that received both the European Atomic Time transmitters in Mainflingen (Germany) and Anthorn (U.K.).

While Kikuo Ibe was in the creation process of the G-Shock structure in the early eighties of the 20th Century, he saw a girl playing with a rubber ball, which gave him the idea to build a watch into a rubber construction, to absorb the impact of the shock. While he first used a ball of rubber elastic bands, the final version was a module embedded in a construction with rubber shock absorbers.

Kikuo Ibe talking about the history of G-Shock during "Shock The Worlds Barcelona 2009". Below he shows one of the first prototypes, a rubber ball with the watch embedded in it.

The fact the module floats in shock absorbers makes it hard to design a shock resistant watch with smaller dimensions as the DW-5600. The modern DW-5600 is about 13.5 mm thick. While most G-Shock lovers think that this G-Shock is small enough, Casio wanted to make a thinner G-Shock.

To make the watch thinner, there had to be found a new structure to preserve the shock resistant structure that still can pass the triple ten criteria, defined as: surviving a 10 meter drop on concrete, at least 10 bar water resistant, and at least a 10 years lifespan.

A thin stainless steel polygon structure between the case and bezel protects the internals of the watch for impact. The redesigned case has a metal structure to absorb impact and also the back protector is redesigned to make the watch as thin as possible, but still providing a shock absorbing function. While polygon refers to a structure with many angles, the polygon material looks to me as a net of regular hexagons, like empty honey cells of a bee hive.

You can easily see the polygon compound, it is partly visible under the crystal. To see the metal parts of the case, you need to open the case and remove the module. This is something I can’t recommend, as you might lose the 20 bar water resistance, so I have done this for you. When you look into the empty case you can see the metal parts of the case. It seems to be embedded in thin shock absorbing materials.

Not only the shock absorbing structure has been re-designed to make the watch thinner, also the module has been made thinner. The LCD panel has been made as flat as possible and has a thickness of only 0.1 mm, a reduction of 50%! Casio believes that this is the absolute minimum thickness of a good LCD panel. All this advanced engineering and technology resulted in a 11 mm thick watch that still meets the requirements of the Triple Ten Criteria.

The watch is not only futuristic on the inside. It has a very streamlined look. The hexagonal structure comes back in the face of the watch and also on the “waffle” structure of the straps. The straps are connected on the upper side as on the bottom of the watch. On the upper side the straps are even part of the bezel, while screws holds it in place. It’s not the first time Casio makes such a streamlined model, where the straps integrated. In 2001 Casio released a GC-1000 in the G-Cool series, which was not very popular. The G-056 just has a much better look.

The four buttons are beautifully hidden in the side and look like a black striping, giving the watch even a faster look. The operation of the buttons, tough, is a bit tricky. Specially with my big clumsy fingers. When you are used to it, it probably won’t be a real issue.

The double pin buckle holds the strap tight and comfortable around your wrist. Even when loosen the strap with one hole, it still fits tight and doesn’t move around your wrist.

The streamlined shapes might have revealed it already. The G-056 is designed for all kind of sports and you might find some useful functionality in the functions found on this watch.

When leaving the Time Keeping Mode, you enter the Stopwatch mode. The stopwatch function can measure up to 99 minutes and 59 seconds. It can be set to a Target Time. When the Target Time has reached, an alarm sounds. You can stop the stopwatch. In that case the time in the main lower display continues . The stopped time is shown in the upper display. A bit strange is that the 1/100 seconds still continue, so you can only measure minutes and seconds. The alarm for the Target time sounds after the programmed time has elapsed after starting the Stopwatch, even if you have stopped or have paused the measurement. I see some similarities with the Referee Timer function here, which is used to time sport events. It’s not easily to explain how the Stopwatch function works, but if you have this watch, take a look at the on-line manual and just practice around a bit and you’ll find out how it works.

Next to the Stopwatch function, you’ll find the Preset Timer mode. This is basically a countdown timer with nine preset countdown times: 10, 12, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 minutes. Just choose one of the preset times and start the countdown.

Next to the Preset Timer you’ll find the Countdown Timer, which actually is a sophisticated Interval timer. If you only program the first interval (INT1), this function works just as a regular Countdown Timer, but you can chain up to 9 intervals varying of 1 second to 59 minutes and 59 seconds and make a complex interval schedule. If you like to train for instance 5 minutes running, 1 minute sprint and 3 minutes walking, you program INT1 as 5’00”. INT2 as 1’00” and INT3 as 3’00”. If you want to repeat this training over and over again, set the timer in repeat mode. An alarm sounds as an Interval has elapsed. The interval you are in is displayed in the upper right corner of the display. A pity this function is not integrated in many more G-Shocks.

When leaving the Countdown Timer, we’ll enter the World Time Mode where you’ll find 48 city codes in 29 time zones. Like always you have to set the DST for different time zones manually. The calendar of this watch is programmed until 2099 and DST dates can change over the years.

The last function on the G-056 is the Alarm function . Nothing fancy here. Just one daily alarm with a hourly chime. For me that works perfectly. I hardly use Daily alarms anymore.

Extra options on this watch are the Auto-Illumination function and the MUTE function, which mutes the button sounds. Funny thing is that if you shake the watch, you can hear the little ball of the Auto Illuminator switch. I never heard that before. I discovered this by reading the manual.

Although this watch is relative thin and small, there is quite a lot of positive features under the hood. So are there any cons? Well, I found some. The Illumination time is with 1.5 seconds very short. I prefer an illumination time of about 2.5 to 3 seconds. I am simply a slow reader. Also the button control is for me a bit tricky. The watch operates best for me when taken off when using the Stopwatch or programming the Countdown Timer function. A little more practice should probably make button operation on the wrist easier. I think these cons I have are very minor to what this watch has to offer. If you look around well, you might still find a G-056 in various color schemes for a nice price. It’s also probably the best g-Shock model to wear under long sleeves shirts.