Casio G-SHOCK DW-9052V-1CR review and thoughts
Is it good? Let's find out.
So here it is, the big reveal. The watch I bought is a Casio G-SHOCK DW-9052. Mine in particular is a DW-9052V-1CR model.
Before I get into what features this watch has, let's talk about size first.
Is this a goofy-big watch?
I was really worried that this watch was going to be too big for my wrist and look stupid. Fortunately, it's a size that fits my 6.75-inch (17cm) wrist well.
Casio's official measurements for this watch are 48.5 (lug-to-lug length) x 43 (width) x 14.7mm (thickness). And yeah, that's pretty accurate.
I can say confidently that this is not a goofy-big watch. This is a smaller men's G-SHOCK. If you're a member of The-Under-7-Inch-Wrist Club, this watch should fit you just fine.
If your wrist is so small that not even the DW-9052 fits, you can go one size smaller with the DW5600E or GWM5610.
"My wrist is bigger than 7-inch. Will the DW-9052 fit me?"
If your wrist is 7.25-inch or greater around, consider the DW-6900 model instead. It has measurements of 53.2 x 50.0 x 16.3mm, is a very popular model (you can find many mod items on eBay for it such as easy swap-in bezels of different colors), and sells for about the same price as the DW-9052. If you like reverse displays, see the GDX6900.
If you have giant wrists, see the GX56. It has measurements of 55.5 x 53.6 x 17.5mm, and that's one of the largest G-SHOCK digital timepieces.
Legibility
Good, but not great.
The LCD "likes" being in well-lit environments as it seems to show the best contrast under those conditions.
In places where the light is a bit less, the contrast "washes" a bit. It's not horrible, but it is noticeable.
If a G-SHOCK model with a better contrast LCD is your thing, I'd suggest looking at models DW5600E, GWM5610 and GWM500A.
Backlight (night light)
The backlight on the DW-9052 is good. The light itself has just the right amount of illumination, and the big front-mounted G button in front of the case to activate it is as easy as it gets.
The DW-9052 is an older Illuminator and not a Super Illuminator model, which I consider the better choice. Illuminator is an electroluminescent lighting system while a Super Illuminator uses two super-bright LEDs. A problem with Super Illuminator is that it can actually be too bright. Light that thing up in the dark and your eyes actually have to adjust to the brightness before you can read the time.
It is true that a Super Illuminator LED system does use less power, resulting in a longer life battery, but the older Illuminator is much easier on the eyes.
Button use
Typical to most G-SHOCK watches, the buttons don't protrude from the case to offer better protection. Fortunately, the DW-9052 buttons are big and easy to get to.
More often than not I angle my thumb and use my fingernail to push a side button. Yes, this does mean I have to shift hand position when going from one side of the case to the other, but it's not a bother.
Features
In addition to telling time and date, the DW-9052 has one daily alarm, a countdown timer with auto-repeat and a stopwatch. It also has the ability to flash the display when an alarm sounds or a countdown timer ends.
Numbers are only able to be set in forward direction and not reverse. For example, if setting the time to 10:30 and you accidentally skip past 30 to 31, you have to scroll the numbers all the way to 59, back to 0 and then to 30 again.
Something that surprised me in a good way is that the countdown timer does allow to set hours, minutes and seconds. Many G-SHOCK models don't allow timer seconds to be set, but the DW-9052 does. What this means is that if you wanted to set a countdown timer for 2 minutes and 30 seconds, you can. Other G-SHOCK models would only allow 2 minutes, 3 minutes and so on because the seconds can't be set.
Button beeps cannot be muted on the DW-9052.
Weight
My kitchen scale weighed it at 57 grams.
Do I consider the DW-9052 heavy? No. It is solidly in the middleweight range.
A featherweight is something like the F-91W, which weighs 21g.
A heavyweight is pretty much any men's stainless steel watch with a steel bracelet. The weight range is usually between 90g to 120g for those.
Overall appearance, and other 9052 models
The DW-9052V model I bought has the best overall look to my eyes. It is the only one one that has white G-SHOCK text and white G button text. The other models either have red, gold or yellow text on the case.
Seen above are what I think are all the models available.
Top row left-to-right: DW-9052-1V, DW-9052-1B, DW-9052V
Bottom row left-to-right: DW-9052-2V, DW-9052-1C4, DW-9052-1C9, DW-9052-1CCG.
Older but good model
The DW-9052 has been in production since February 2002, making it a 15-year-old design at the time I write this.
Does this mean the model is dated? No. The auto calendar feature is pre-programmed all the way to year 2099. This means the watch knows when there are leap years, so every 4 years when a February 29 comes around, the calendar will display the correct date.
Video
This is a video I made explaining how to set time, alarm and everything else on the DW-9052:
This is a watch that can truly handle life
I said before that my reason for buying a a G-SHOCK was because I needed a watch that could handle life. I needed a timepiece that could handle getting wet, take a bang with ease and just work without complaint...
...and I think I've found that with the DW-9052.
I bought mine used for just 29 bucks. And that was 29 bucks well spent.
Published 2017 Jan 27
