Review: The Casio G-Shock G-LIDE 8900 watch

Intrepid TV director Ben Anderson reviews Casio’s hardwearing unisex G-LIDE watch 8900 sports watch.

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Description: “These new additions to the G-LIDE series are destined to become timepieces of choice among top sports athletes. The main feature of these models is low temperature resistance (-20C/-4F), which make them the perfect choice for snowboarders, back country skiers, and others who seek their adventure in extreme cold. These models are based on the big case 8900 series, and come with auto LED “Super Illuminator” illumination for easy reading under harsh conditions. GLS8900-1 is a digital black resin watch with blue dial and regular LCD.”

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Is it tough enough?

My G-LIDE watch is designed to withstand almost everything you could throw at it. I’ve lived with it on my wrist almost 24/7 and it can handle it all. It’s comfortable to wear, easy to read and at around £100, great value for money.

One of the big selling points of the G-LIDE Series 8900 is the fact it can go down to very cold temps (as little as -20 degs C) which makes it ideal for snowboarders and skiers and those with slightly more extreme hobbies. I would have liked to have tested it in these lower temperatures earlier in the year when snowboarding in Austria… I suppose it just means i will have to write another review next year after a ANOTHER forced week in the snow. The G-LIDE also has a huge variety of time zones used to set location and updating to local time, making it perfect for travellers.

Style wise, the 8900 is fairly simple but pretty big. It sits about 1cm off the wrist and is pretty chunky, which I like. I’m lucky enough to wear fairly casual clothes for work, but for someone wearing a shirt or suit it might be a bit of a tight squeeze under a cuff. The strap is a tough, resin which is reasonably strong and comfortable to wear.

Any negatives? The watch face is a little busy. There are a four sections all telling you different information and they are all constantly changing. The amazing thing about the Casio is the number of functions the watch has, many of these are excellent, but these can make it a little tricky to navigate around at first. But once I had has a good read of the manual everything got a lot simpler.

Other than that I have very few issues with the 8900 at all. It’s easy to use, looks great and is also a brilliant watch to wear when picking up fairly large, but disabled crabs on a grey day in Cornwall…

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Verdict: The 8900 boasts a huge number of functions, looks great and is seriously tough to boot. I have worn it almost every day for a month now. It has gone to the gym, swimming, to the beach, on walks, painting and through the wear and tear of daily life. The G-Shocks are tough, strong, simple and attractive, and for under £100 I don’t think you could buy a better watch with more functions meant for life in the outdoors. If you want to put your watch through hell and then be able to check the time like nothing had happened, this is the timepiece for you.

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1 Comment

  1. April 16, 2016 / 7:50 am

    Casio always offers high-quality watches at such attractive prices, they are rugged & reliable timepieces. The G Shock series is my only choice for digital watches now. Love your piece, honest review!

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