Non-Stop G-Shocks: GW-225A-1 Dawn Black Frogman

Today I'm wearing a 25th anniversary G-Shock for the first time. This one is from the Dawn Black series. You can see the whole collection and a good description at G-Peopleland. I have a couple more of the Dawn Black watches, but I don't think I'll ever get all of them. There are a few other 25th anniversary series (Master Blue, Ocean Gray, Rising White and Glorious Gold) that have some other watches I'm more interested in. Other than the black and gold color scheme and special logo on the caseback this is the same as the other GW-200 series Frogmen, which is to say it's big and chunky and virtually indestructible. Definitely more understated than an all white or yellow Frogman, but still difficult to be overlooked.

Non-Stop G-Shocks: DW-6100CF-3 G-Python

Shortly after I wore and wrote about this watch I found a brand new green camouflage version and bought it, and today I'm wearing it. So, everything about the other watch also applies to this one. I am a little disappointed that the watch has black "G-SHOCK" writing at the top, and the orange "G" at the bottom is kind of a muted orange, unlike the picture here. But it's a small nitpick, and I'm very happy to have it. Of course now I'm looking for the blue and grey camo 5600s to complete my G-Python collection.

Non-Stop G-Shocks: AW-570Y-9 Men In Yellow Gaussman

Today I'm wearing my newest "Men in Yellow" G-Shock, my Gaussman. (When the MIY (Men in Yellow) Fisherman that I've bought gets here then it will be my newest, and my series will be complete.) This one is called the Gaussman because it meets ISO and JIS standards for magnetic resistance. This is also mud resistant as the buttons and case are all sealed. It has a substantial wrist presence because it's big and thick with a large dial and bezel, not to mention the mostly bright yellow case and band. It's quite legible as long as you're reading the analog dial, and you're in good light. As you can see in the photos the backlight only illuminates the subdials, and the digital time window is very small and often difficult to read. I think these are a little less common than the MIY Frogman, Mudman or Riseman, possibly because it was a poor seller initially (I don't think analog G-Shocks had much popularity until more recently) or maybe they just made fewer. In any case, I'm happy I found this one in new condition to wear and add to my collection.

Non-Stop G-Shocks: DW-5600WC-1ER 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™

Today I'm wearing another new one, an "officially licensed 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™" DW-5600. I guess Casio overestimated demand, because you can pick these up pretty cheaply right now if you don't mind paying shipping from Germany. This one is part of the "team uniform colors" series and represents Germany's team. The border around the LCD is the three bars of the German flag and below it is an image of the FIFA World Cup Trophy. The caseback and strap keeper also feature FIFA and World Cup logos. As you can see in the photos, the backlight has an image of a "lion man" kicking a soccer ball. That is actually "GOLEO VI the Official Mascot of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™" and his sidekick (no pun intended) Pille, a talking soccer ball. Overall I'd say it has a large amount of customization to set it apart from a standard model. The watch has a black band and white bezel to mimic the black and white uniforms of the German team, and whether you love it or hate it, it is a unique look. It could be made a bit more "conventional" by swapping the strap for a white one, but I think the two-tone look is kind of growing on me. I actually bought ten of these watches (and ten of the FIFA 6900s in the Brazilian team colors which you'll see soon) from an eBay seller in Germany. Most have been sold fairly cheaply to friends and WUS G-Shock forumers, but I kept an extra pair in storage for myself, and I still have a few pairs available. I guess it's a shame that the soccer (okay, okay - football) fans in Germany didn't find these watches desirable, but their loss was certainly our gain.

Non-Stop G-Shocks: DW-6900R-7 Rastafarian

Today I'm wearing another recent G-Shock acquisition, my 6900 from the Rastafarian Series. As I mentioned when I wore my Jam'in Color 6900, I really like this design. It is a true classic like the 5600, but is larger and chunkier so it fits in with the larger watches that are popular today. This particular one is unique in a few ways. It has a white finish that is best described as "semi-gloss" with dark green text around the bezel and a dark grey face with gold text over a gold LCD. All of these colors work great with the gold buttons and buckle and are accented by the tri-color nylon keepers in the colors of the Jamaican flag. The backlight features and image of the Lion of Judah, a symbol of importance in the Rastafari religion. I believe the other two watches in this series, the DW-5600R-3 and G-5500R-1, also share this backlight image as well as some other features. Casio had previously released a few Rastafarian or reggae models, but I think they were a little too loud and looked slightly slapdash. None of them really excited me like this collection does.

Non-Stop G-Shocks: G-9000MC-3V Mudman

Since it's now officially summer, and since summer to me means G-Shocks, starting today I'll be wearing a different G-Shock every day until I run out. I seem to have a bigger backlog of Gs anyway, so this will clear the way for other watches in the future. Today I'm wearing one of my newer G-Shock Mudmen. These seem to be pretty popular right now as they're not too expensive, have a fairly chunky case and unique look to them, and come in some cool color combos. I have recently bought a few more that will be posted on the blog, but there's still one that I'd like to buy but I can't justify the somewhat exorbitant price. The one for today has a unique strap that utilizes the same multicolor injection molding technology as the Jam'in Color series. It's a neat camo look, more organic than the printed-on camouflage patterns on other G-Shocks. It coordinates nicely with the green case (lighter than the green of the G-9000-3V) and gold display. Overall, another winning version of a successful modern G-Shock.

Seiko SKX781 "Orange Monster" Automatic Diver

Today I'm wearing my Seiko "Orange Monster" diver. This is one of the most popular Seikos among watch lovers. Lots of information and reviews can be found on the net. In a nutshell, it's a large, good-looking, reliable watch that is not overly flashy, but does stand out because it's pretty unique. The quality of the case and bracelet, as well as the combination of brushed and polished details really makes it look more expensive than it really is. I only have the orange version of the monster, although it also comes in a black-dialed version, and has been issued in limited editions with yellow, blue and red dials. More recently a version has been released with a black PVD case and bracelet that is available with either an orange or black dial. Except for the basic black-dialed or orange-dialed versions, all the other versions have higher prices, and the yellow-dialed limited edition might be the most rare. Considering my penchant for collecting, it's a little strange I don't at least have a black monster, if not one of the other models, but I guess I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Vintage Hamilton Square Dial

Today I'm wearing another of my vintage Hamiltons. Like the Hamilton Thin-O-Matic I wore previously, this was given to my grandfather in 1960 for 30 years of service, but it came from Esso, not Humble. I honestly don't know why he got one from each, as Esso owned Humble at the time, but maybe one came from the Humble management and one from the Esso "head office". I'd say the one from Humble was a little nicer, as this watch has a manual winding movement (although still Swiss) and the case is gold-filled (rolled gold plate to be precise) rather than solid gold. I do like the looks of this one though. The square shape is softened a bit by the highly domed crystal and pattern of concentric circles on the dial. The minimalist dial is highlighted by the classy applied gold numerals and markers and matching hands. The strap is recent and I chose it because it wasn't overly dressy and kept with the style of the watch. The case is in generally excellent shape, but the gold-plated bezel has a little bit of wear. I'm sure this was another watch that was only occasionally worn by my grandfather.