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TweetEmailView the Casio Giez 1000BJ Photo Gallery.We first mentioned the Casio Giez 1000BJ almost a year ago, but we didn't have much to say other than its very cool looking, it's only available in Japan, and its insides are almost identical to the Oceanus 5 Motor (OCW600TDA-1AV). Now that I actually own one, however, I can finally give you a proper review.The biggest difference in functionality between the Oceanus and the Casio G-Shock Giez is the fact that the Giez is not a worldwide atomic watch. In other words, the Giez 1000BJ only receives atomic time signals in Japan and the US �� not in the UK and Germany like the Oceanus.There are a few more obvious differences, as well. The style of the Giez is pure G-Shock with ion-plated black metal clad in durable black rubber. It's a very functional looking watch, and with the white hands over the black face, it's quite legible, as well. Casio muted the usual G-Shock promotion with the bezel lettering simply inset rather than painted; the result is a much more restrained look than your average G-shock.Personally, I'm a big fan of tough analog watches, and I was really looking forward to this one. Not only does it have the legendary toughness of the Casio G-Shock family, but it's solar, atomic, and it even manages to pack in five motors. Shock-proofing motors is a lot harder than it sounds, and this watch represents an impressive technical achievement for Casio.After wearing the Casio G-Shock Giez for some time, I'm still pretty fond of it. It's not my favorite day-to-day timepiece, but it's durable and legible as advertised. My short list of issues include:Bad lume and no lighting make it pretty much unusable after dark.The subdials are very cool, but can be difficult to read precisely. The stopwatch is tricky, which is a problem for me since I use it to cook with.Complicated operation. We've covered this issue in other Oceanus reviews �� these watches take some getting used to.On the plus side, it's a fantastic looking watch, super tough, very comfortable on the wrist, syncs easily (at least from from San Diego where I live), and is an excellent watch for times when you want a functional and attractive beater.View the Casio Giez 1000BJ Photo Gallery.By Paul Hubbard

TweetEmailOf course, the Casio Overland only appears to be available in Japan (aren't allthe coolest Japanese watches?), but if you have some strings over there, they mightbe worth pulling to get your hands on one of these. In myopinion, the Casio Overland is the nicest looking solar Waveceptor to date. Here'sthe skinny: Tough Solar. Solar cells in the dial keep the watch's battery charged. I havea couple Casio Tough Solar watches, and I've found that this system works remarkablywell. Waveceptor. That's Casio's way of saying that this watch is automatically calibratedthrough radio waves transmitted by atomic clocks. The Casio Overland workswith 40kHz and 60kHz signals which are intended for use in Japan, however the atomicclock in Fort Collins, Colorado broadcasts at 60kHz, so it will work in theUS. (Watch Report reader Victor Shiff has pointed out that although the frequency is the same, the time code is different, so this watch will not work in the US. Bummer. Thanks, Victor.)Alarm.Water resistant to 100 meters (330 feet).Battery charge warning function. I'm not sure how this works, but I'm guessingthe second hand starts jumping in two-second increments to indicate that thewatch's power is low.Power saving function. If the watch detects that it is in the dark for an extendedperiod of time, it will stop to conserve power.LED illumination. That means it uses a small LED (probably bluish) to illuminatethe dial. LED illumination is much brighter than electroluminescent, and iswhat Casio is using now for analog watches.Perpetual date, meaningit doesn't need to be reset after months with fewer than 31 days.Metal case. Available with metal bracelets or nylon straps.Retail is approximately between $165 and $250.Thanks to the magic of Google, here's an English version of the CasioOverland product page.