G-Squad is Casio's sporty line of G-Shocks and has digital (GBD) and Digital/Analog (GBA) models. These watches have a step counter, Bluetooth connection, and training functions, but unlike common smart watches, these can take a beating, and the battery lasts for years.
The GBD-200 is the thinnest and lightest G-Squad and isn't bulky compared to any G-Shock watch. The soft urethane strap and a 5 mm hole spacing (closer than normal) on this Square ensure a comfortable fit. The product pictures often show off the training mode display, which may look a bit cluttered but rest assured, the regular timekeeping mode is clear and shows the time with large numbers.
The less common features of this model include vibrating alerts, Memory in Pixel display, and a stopwatch that measures up to 100 hours. The GBD-200 is made in Thailand. If these appeal to you, comparison between models just got easier.
Features
These are features that may require clarification and may not be found on all models:
Negative or "reverse" displays make ordinary LCD segment displays difficult to read but the Memory in Pixel technology changes this. The watch face is easier to read from different angles and the resolution is higher. If you usually shy away from negative displays, consider again in this case.
Actual glass with heat treatment to prevent scratches. All G-Shocks have at least a mineral glass; the more expensive ones have a sapphire layer on top of it.
You can choose from over 300 cities to set a secondary time, and you can display the time for two locations at the same time. Automatic daylight saving can be toggled. (On a side note, we should all stop that nonsense.)
This isn't your usual egg timer: you can set up to five different times and repeat them in various orders for 1–20 times. E.g. you can program 10 minutes of jogging, 4 minutes of sprinting, 10 minutes of jogging again, and then 4 minutes of running. The timers can be set with 1-second increments up to 60 minutes.
The stopwatches are often limited to 24 hours, but this one goes to a hundred. The accuracy is reduced to full seconds. Measures elapsed time and offers split time functionality.
You can set four daily alarms with or without snoozing and hourly time signals on/off.
You don't have to check the date setting of this watch each month: leap years, Februaries, and Biblical events are covered for a very long time – automagically.
Proper Super Illuminati backlight with a blue tone. You can make it automatic (usually unnecessary), and the Afterglow can be set to 1.5 or 3 seconds. The backlight button is easily accessible on the front.
You can make the watch beep and or vibrate the alerts. This is rather useful when you are in hush-hush situations but also if the environment is so loud that you wouldn't hear the alert.
Use the G-Shock Move application to use the watch as a training tool to measure and log your activity and goals.
Pairing the watch with a smartphone ensures the watch keeps exact time automatically. You can also opt to get notifications for messages, phone calls, and so on. The door swings both ways: using the Phone Finder allows to make your phone ring – even when silenced – in case you have trouble finding it.
