GBD-H2000: the connected watch according to G-Shock
When you think connected watch, Apple and Garmin immediately spring to mind. They are the market leaders, and their dominance is almost total. But we have a particular affinity with G-Shock, which we’ve been following closely for a good decade, without this detracting from our love of watchmaking. On the contrary, it’s complementary. Among the Japanese brand’s collections, only one has been a stranger to us to date: G-Squad. Composed of several watch series comprising some forty pieces, this is the vision of the sports watch according to G-Shock. Equally robust and waterproof, they meet the specific needs of certain sporting disciplines. At the top of the range is the GBD-H2000, a truly connected watch with a optical heart rate sensor and a GPS. With its affordable price and eco-friendly construction, it’s a great alternative for fitness enthusiasts.
Highlights
First, we like the G-Shock look on a connected watch. It’s an extremely subjective argument, but other designs on the market have never provoked the slightest temptation in us. This is something else, not to mention the fact that navigating through the functions feels almost like being at home, as the navigation is as clear as on a traditional G-Shock. Secondly, the brand’s colors are much more sober, but the “flashy” fluorescent and fuchsia hues are in line with what sports equipment manufacturers have been offering for several years, complementing our sports wardrobe very well. In terms of functions, the watch is not outdone, the list being too long to be fully detailed in the technical data sheet at the bottom of the page; please visit the official website to discover the complete list. It also features thethe solar power supply so dear to us making sure that even with dead batteries, you’ll still have a time display thanks to artificial or solar light. This brings us to battery life, which is a real pain with the Apple Watch in particular, as this GBD-H2000 offers between 14 and 19 hours of autonomy with heart rate activated, 2 months without, and up to 23 months in energy-saving mode. And these data do not take solar recharging into account. If we sprinkle the whole thing with a biomass plastic construction corn, an organic and renewable material, G-Shock ticks a lot of the right boxes.
What we regret
Connected watches have become accustomed to being equipped with colored screens, and touch-sensitive ones at that. This is the first and most obvious thing when you pick up the new G-Squad, which makes it a real pleasure to use. slower to navigate through the menus than on a watch where you can “scroll” quickly with the tip of your finger. This is certainly a choice that keeps the G-Shock in the same vein as the other watches in the brand’s catalog, and also allows for greater autonomy. Next, GPS start-up takes timeat least much longer than on a Garmin or Apple Watch, which can be surprising when you’re ready to start your run but have to wait several minutes. The heart rate accuracy should also be checked as it seemed a little out of sync with reality; there may be some kind of latency. Also, synchronization with the application is slow and a bit buggy, but it happens nonetheless. Perhaps this is due to the poor mobile network in our area, it’s hard to say, although the Bluetooth link isn’t supposed to be affected by this. It would seem, then, that on the software side, G-Shock has behind the competition which has dominated the market for many years.
Our opinion on this G-Shock watch
Once again, we’re not experts in connected watches. Our specialty is mechanical watches. For this reason, and for an in-depth technical analysis, please visit specialized sites which will have a much more legitimate verdict than ours. Aesthetically, it’s a watch that seduced us Its ultra-colorful look, carbon-look caseback, vinyl-textured bezel and fingerprint-style buttons, like those on the reverse side of the strap, set it apart from the rest of the catalog. And it’s light, very comfortable to wear and its size suits it well, even on a small wrist like ours (17.5cm circumference). After 3 days of use, its battery is still fullThis makes up for one of the major shortcomings of most smartwatches, which require an almost daily charge. We quickly deactivated the notifications, because between Whatsapp groups, SMS messages and emails, it was just too much for us. If it’s not technically the most advanced, it’s perhaps the one we preferred. It allows you to a smooth transition to a connected watchonly for certain functions that are unavailable on traditional G-Shocks, while retaining the “smart” aspect of the G-Shock. ultra-robust which is close to our hearts. It may not be the most subjective of opinions, but at 399€ we’re totally behind it!
To find out more, visit the G-Shock website.
FEATURES – CASIO G-SHOCK G-SQUAD GBD-H2000
Case : organic resin – matte finish – 52.6mm wide x 59.6mm long x 19.4mm thick – mineral glass – solid back – 20 ATM (200 meters) water resistance
Dial : digital – negative display – digital & analog display – automatic LED backlighting
Functions : GPS – distance – speed – time – pace – heart rate – calories burned – altitude – altitude difference – sleep analysis – VO2 max calculation – blood oxygen level measurement – world time – sunrise/sunset display – lunar data – self-timer – full calendar – stopwatch – alarm signal – energy-saving function – accuracy +/- 15 seconds per month – battery level indicator – battery life from 16h to 23 months depending on use.
Activity modes : running/walking/trail – cycling – open water swimming/pool – gym training
Sensors : optical heart rate – accelerometer – gyroscope – magnetic/pressure/thermal sensor – GPS
Wristband : organic resin – single loop – biomass plastic buckle clasp
Information : reference GBD-H2000-1A9 – in permanent collection – available on the official Casio website and from authorized dealers – 2-year warranty – € 399 incl. VAT
