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The Casio G-Shock Mudmaster is a rugged and waterproof analogue/digital watch packed with features including an altimeter for pilots or mountain trails. It’s inspired by pilots watches of the past with a GMT multi time zone function and buttons inspired by a jet fighter stick and sword hands and domed glass like the famous Rolex Milsub. With 200m water resistance, Bluetooth connectivity and aggressive Lume for night readability this watch brings military spec ruggedness, G-SHOCK heritage, a range of useful sensors for outdoors adventures and modern connectivity all into one watch.

Full Review

So many people have a story about CASIO watches. For me as a child of the late 70s and early 80s I can still remember my first CASIO watch and the joy the digital display and small night light it had. I used to hide in bed in the dark and gleefully turn the light on and off to see the time. Unlike my father ( who was a pilot and had an automatic metal SEIKO) I had a black plastic watch that looked like it was from the future.

Jump forward 35 years and I’m now the pilot and outdoor adventurer like my father was and I’m here reviewing a watch that looks as futuristic now as the original CASIO I had back then. The CASIO G-SHOCK GGB100-1B combines a pilot/military aesthetic with a nod to the past of the military spec sword hands along with modern carbon fiber and buttons inspired by fighter jet joysticks. The Mudmaster GGB100-1B combines the GMT capability of the famous Rolex GMT with pilot/ outdoor essential features like an altimeter and compass. It’s no surprise that the G-Shock is so popular with so many modern military units.

Testing this watch made me smile again like the 7 year old I was in the past and its also amusing that I come full circle here with an Air,Land and Sea watch on a site with the same name.

Rugged G-SHOCK case

The Mudmaster case is a blend of clear resin with carbon fiber. The top coat is clear so you can see the weave of the carbon fiber through it. G-SHOCKS have a long legendary reputation amongst military personnel all round the world and its easy to see why. These watches are basically impossible to break. The original G-SHOCK watches have a cult like following now which is rare for any watch that isn’t Swiss and mechanical and the story of how CASIO engineer Kikuo Ibe developed a rugged watch in 1981 because he had dropped and broken his fathers pocket watch is now reflected in the heritage of the watch I tested and the 100 million sales of G-SHOCKS since its launch in 1983.

Dial

The Dial has hands that are reminiscent of the military dive watches with sword shaped hour hands and arrow point seconds hands that pay homage to the Omega and Rolex military watches of the 1960s to 2000s.

The numbers at 12,3,6 and 9 are easily legible and there is a digital display at the 6 position giving you a digital clock as well as the analogue hands. Just be aware that around 6pm and 6am the digital part is hard to read as the sword hour hand passes over it.

Resin Wristband

The resin wristband is light and comfortable to wear. It’s given a texture that makes it look more like the fabric G10 NATO straps used by the military. The buckle is a polished metal finish.

200m Water Resist

The watch is water resistant to 200m so could even be used when diving with the stopwatch mode as a timer.

Mineral Glass

The tough mineral glass is incredibly difficult to scratch. If I had a minor gripe here it would be that I would have liked to have seen an anti-reflective coating placed on it so that its legible at some angles when the sun us reflecting directly off it. It has a curved/domed shape that harks back to the retro tool watches of the 1960s and adds strength to it.

Quad Sensors

The watch comes with 4 sensors. Firstly there is an altimeter function accessible from the bottom right button. You can use this to switch between your altitude in ft or m or to use it to see the ambient pressure so you can track changes in weather ( high pressure = great weather , falling pressure indicates changeable weather or a storm approaching). The altimeter is good to 32,000 ft making it just as useful for a pilot as it is for mountains or trails.

The thermometer gives you an accurate read of the current temperature which again you can customize in the app for Celsius or Fahrenheit.

The compass might be the best feature on this watch. When you press the top right button you get the seconds hand now pointing north for you AND a digital readout in bearing degrees for the direction you are currently facing. You can also change this readout to a NSEW readout rather than a specific bearing. The watch also allows you to drop a virtual pin on a location and then have the watch indicate direction for you to return to that location later.

Battery

2 years battery life and uses a standard CR2025 battery which are cheap and easy to source. Although not recommended because of the water resistant O ring you can at a push replace the battery easily yourself with only a small screwdriver.

Night Flights

The watch features a double LED light which is surprisingly powerful but only stays on for a 3 second burst. The hands of the watch also have lume applied so they remain visible for a long period during the night even without using the LED light to read the time.

Bluetooth Connectivity

The watch was super easy to pair with the Bluetooth app and has a ‘cloned watch’ useable screen where what you see on the app screen is what your watch is doing. You can use the app to change settings like units, timezones and personal data to make the step counter more accurate.

G-SHOCK phone app

The app is easy to download and very very easy to navigate and use.

GMT multi time zone function – World Timer

The watch can act as a GMT world timer watch with 38 timezones including pilots UTC universal time. It also comes with a sunrise and sunset indicator which is very useful when out on trails.

Stopwatch

There is a digital stopwatch function available from the push button menu and there is also an alarm set and countdown timer function too.

Accuracy

Casio state that the watch has a +/- 15 seconds per month. I find with many Japanese manufacturers they understate their accuracy and given that the watch synchs with your app you’ll usually always have total accuracy for the current time wherever you are.

Size and Fit

This is a beast of a watch. Although it only weighs 92g its got a whopping 55mm lug to lug which is a whole centimeter bigger than my huge Rolex Deepsea.

Gripes

I have a couple of small gripes after a solid week of testing. Firstly the lume on the hands should extend to the numbers on the dial too or at the very least an extra single lume dot at the 12 position. This means that in the pitch dark you know ‘which way up’ the watch is and more importantly don’t read the watch with a slightly crooked wrist and inaccurately guess which hour it is. There are times when you don’t want to use the LED night to preserve night vision so being able to accurately know you are reading the dial ‘square’ is important.

I like the band on the watch but feel the glossy polish metal buckle may scratch and look ratty over time. Although I didn’t manage to damage it I feel like over time this may end up being the most scruffy part of the watch. I would actually prefer if this buckle was a tough resin or if the metal was PVD coated or finished in a non glossy brushed finish instead.

The hands on the dial have significant all black counter sections that actually block the hands when they pass over each other. It reduces the amount of lume visible in some circumstances and I would rather the hands end at the center piece than extend beyond it.

Finally I’m aware that the Bluetooth connectivity is fantastic but it comes at a significant drain to power. As a result the watch needs a big battery and does not come offered with a solar powered version. Many of the other G-Shocks now have this and I would happily pay another $100 for a slightly bulkier and solar powered version. Even with the Bluetooth power drain Casio could maybe create a hybrid set up and have a replaceable battery too to help when the watch is using a lot of features . Tied in to this I’d also love to be able to use the LED for longer because its so bright its useful as a nighttime camp flashlight when going to the toilet in the middle of the night.

Verdict

The Casio G-Shock Mudmaster is a rugged and waterproof analogue/digital watch packed with features including an altimeter for pilots or mountain trails. It’s inspired by pilots watches of the past with a GMT multi time zone function and buttons inspired by a jet fighter stick and sword hands and domed glass like the famous Rolex Milsub. With 200m water resistance, Bluetooth connectivity and aggressive Lume for night readability this watch brings military spec ruggedness, G-SHOCK heritage, a range of useful sensors for outdoors adventures and modern connectivity all into one watch.

PURCHASE $380

About Casio

The best digital and analog-digital watches for military personnel, law enforcement and athletes. G-SHOCK’s are considered the most durable, toughest and reliable watches by outdoor aficionados. All our watches come with outstanding water resistant technology and are built to withstand extreme condition