Casio has launched a pair of new G-Shock sports watches that take design cues from a frosty winter's morning. The GMA-S110GS and GMA-S120GS have translucent green and gray straps and cases, respectively, with a metallic finish.
Unlike most of Casio's launches so far this year, these two new G-Shocks have a small case measuring 49 × 45.9 × 15.8mm, making them a good choice for anyone with slimmer wrists. To put that into context for fitness fans, the slimline Garmin Lily measures 34.50 x 34.50 x 10.15mm, while the lean Fitbit Luxe is 36.3 x 17.6 x 10mm.
The GMA-S110GS and GMA-S120GS aren't smartwatches or fitness trackers though, and unlike some of Casio's latest releases such as the G-Squad Pro, don't feature health monitoring tools like a heart rate monitor or accelerometer.
Classic chill
As reported by Casiofanmag.com, what you get here is the typical set of features we've come to expect from classic G-Shock watches. These include a stopwatch, five daily alarms, hourly time signal, full auto calendar so the face always shows the correct date, and an amber-colored backlight.
If you're looking for a simple watch to wear in lieu of a fully-fledged running watch, you'll also appreciate the 1/1000 second stopwatch; elapsed time, split time, and lap time measuring modes; and speed and distance input options.
The case and band of both watches are made from translucent resin, and the watch is water resistant to an impressive 200m (deeper than many dedicated sports watches). The lens is made from tough mineral glass to resist scratches.
The pair are available now direct from Casio for £119 (about $160 / AU$220) – approximately the same as the Fitbit Luxe.
Opinion: sometimes, simple is better
Opting for an old-school digital watch like the GMA-S110GS and GMA-S120GS might seem counterintuitive when there are so many excellent cheap running watches like the Garmin Forerunner 55 and Polar M200 available, but skipping out on the fancy features has some real advantages.
Firstly, training without instant access to your running stats and simply timing yourself can be helpful for pacing, allowing you to focus on how a particular speed feels so you can better replicate it later in race conditions.
A simpler watch is also less distracting, letting you relax into the run and just enjoy the experience rather than feeling the need to constantly check your wrist. That might not be ideal for every training run, but if running has lost its appeal in recent months, cutting out the tech can help remind you why you enjoyed the sport so much to begin with.
