Casio GPW-100 GPS Watch Announced

MaFt

Casio have announced a new G-Shock model, the GPW-1000, that has a novel use of GPS. The watch doesn't navigate you anywhere, it doesn't even tell you where you are. The GPS is used for automatically for updating the time. Lots of places have a radio signal that can set watches, and the GPW-1000 will use these by default. But if the radio signal isn't available then it switches to GPS to set the current time.

Is this something you'd be interested in or is it technology for the sake of technology? Let us know in the forum discussion below!

Philip · Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 8:25 pm Post subject:

The Seiko Astron range has done this for a couple of years now, so it was only a matter of time before a cheaper watch using this technology was released.

The Astron range are around £1000 to £2000 and not all Seiko dealers stock them, but they will set not just the time but also the time zone based on the GPS data - I haven't had a chance to discover whether the Casio can do this as well. Otherwise just setting the time is not a great asset, unless you live somewhere like Australia, Russia, or parts of America where the radio controlled signals don't reach.

The big problem for watch manufacturers is battery power. Getting the time just needs a view of 1 satellite, but setting the time zone needs at least 4, which means that the Astrons are very technically advanced and quite a bargain if you are an early adopter and also a world traveller.
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Philip

Guivre46 · Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2014 11:26 am Post subject:

I'm a bit of a nut about radio control time signals. At the moment I have a wrist watch and four alarm clocks, all RC. None of them are infallible in receiving the time signal, there are signal shadow areas and other signal interference such as plasma televisions.

I'm not so interested in this new casio from the point of switching between radio signal sources, but I would be interested in a watch that used the gps signal to keep correct time.
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DennisN · Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2014 9:45 pm Post subject:

Guivre46 · Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 12:01 am Post subject:

What at my age? I'd never get any sleep Rolling Eyes

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M8TJT · Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 8:27 am Post subject:

I think it's from that experience that Dennis is offering the advice.

Guivre46 · Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 11:05 am Post subject:

You think sleep deprivation might have something to do with his whimsical little ways?
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DennisN · Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 1:10 pm Post subject:

Nah, I don't do whimsical. That was super advice to save on alarm clocks. I mean, how much did four alarm clocks cost? Gotta be a satnav's worth.
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

Guivre46 · Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 10:40 pm Post subject:

No, they're very cheap. The first one I got cost about £14, but they were rare initially. Two were under a tenner, and one was free because of an order foul up - so £30 the lot. Some are more reliable at receiving the time signal than others.
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DennisN · Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2014 12:43 pm Post subject:

Ahah, no wonder you want a fancy GPS watch then.That'll teach you not to go buying cheapo alarm clocks! Peanuts, monkeys.
_________________
Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

actd · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 26, 2008 Posts: 46

Surely, if there are occasional times where the watch doesn't receive the time signal, it's not so inaccurate that it suddenly tells the wrong time. Watches are pretty accurate these days without the time signal, it wouldn't be more than a fraction of a second out - not something worth worrying about. My non-radio watch is usually only a couple of seconds out at worst when I change it twice a year for GMT/BST changover.

M8TJT · Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 11:56 pm Post subject:

Ah, but if you had one of these new fangled watches, you wouldn't have to do that. Very Happy

Just have to change the battery four times a year instead Sad

norm2002 · Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 8:20 am Post subject:

If the watch didn't look so horrible, I'd be interested. For years had radio controlled watches in the UK, but now I live in the south of Spain, they don't work or at least not reliably. I am well over 1000km from Frankfurt, which is the recommended range.

Guivre46 · Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 12:33 pm Post subject:

Guivre46 · Posted: Sat May 03, 2014 10:21 am Post subject:

After being shut down for two weeks during the day for maintenance, the time signal was returned to 24 hour operation on 1 May. This morning one of my bedside clocks showed no overnight connection with the time signal, but the correct time, the other showed the correct seconds and minutes but 4 hours behind. Both downstairs clocks had connected and were correct. After initiating signal reception both bedside clocks acquired the time signal. What would I do without technology to fill my life?
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Mike R [aka Wyvern46]
Go 530T - unsupported
Go550 Live [not renewed]
Kia In-dash Tomtom

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