The terms ‘rugged outdoor watch’ and ‘G-Shock’ go together like ‘vacuum cleaner’ and ‘Hoover’, or ‘waterproof’ and ‘Gore-Tex’. There’s a good reason for that: all-round robustness, long-term durability and specifically extreme shock resistance are essentially the G-Shock’s raison d’etre.
The G-Shock’s origins are well known. Back in 1981, Casio engineer Kikuo Ibe accidentally dropped and broke a pocket watch given to him by his father. Dismayed by the mishap, he vowed to create an ultra-rugged watch with ‘triple 10’ resistance: something with a battery life of 10 years, a water resistance of 10 bar (100m) and which could survive a fall of 10 metres. It took nearly 200 prototypes to get there. Famously, the first G-Shock’s internal protection system was inspired by Ibe’s realisation that the core of a rubber ball doesn’t suffer from the effects of shock even when bounced on the rough surface of a playground.
Today, there are hundreds of G-Shock watches ranging from style-focused models to seriously rugged utility watches, much-loved by military users, emergency services and law enforcement. These top-end models are known as the ‘Master of G’ series. They’re big, brutish and pretty much bombproof. The latest addition to the collection is the GWG-200 Mudmaster, designed – as its name suggests – to resist mud, muck and all the other challenges that come with life in the great outdoors.
Who is the G-Shock Mudmaster GWG-2000 Watch For?
It’s pretty much the perfect outdoor adventure watch for anyone who needs something durable. Its overbuilt design ought to outlast even the toughest smartwatch, and since the GWG-2000 is powered by a solar quartz movement that’ll run for up to six months even in total darkness, it doesn’t rely on temperamental lithium batteries or a delicate mechanical movement. And while it’s not quite as clever as a GPS-equipped smartwatch, it’s still pretty sophisticated, with a host of built-in tools such as a compass, altimeter, barometer and thermometer.
Materials
The GWG-2000 Mudmaster is an evolution of its predecessor, the GWG-1000. Both watches use the brand’s Carbon Core Guard, a resin case that incorporates carbon fibre for increased rigidity without additional weight. It’s now been redesigned to be 1.9mm slimmer and 13g lighter yet also stronger than the previous version, with the lugs, shock absorbers and internal casing also now incorporating carbon fibre elements.
Inside, a patented Hollow Core Guard Structure protects against impact and vibration, surrounding the watch module. Redesigned Mud Resist buttons with stainless steel button pipes and a silicone buffer material improve overall resistance to ingress.
The chunky bezel ring and knurled screw-down crown are both made of solid steel. Screw-down forged carbon bezel guards at 12 o-clock and 6 o-clock protect the crystal, which is itself made from highly-scratch resistant synthetic sapphire, finished with an anti-reflective coating to preserve legibility. A patented gasket design prevents ingress from water, mud and dust, guaranteeing reliable operation in the toughest environments. Despite the fact that this isn’t a dive watch, it has a water resistance rating of 200m (20 bar).
The watch comes on a similarly robust resin strap that is highly resistant to wear and tear. According to the brand, it incorporates textures ‘reminiscent of the grips of heavy machinery or chequer plates’ for a more industrial aesthetic. It’s undoubtedly tough, but it is fairly stiff and unforgiving. You now get a rubber keeper instead of a metal one though, which is less likely to scratch other surfaces, and holds the end of the strap in place better too.
