CASIO G-Shock MTG-B1000-1A unboxing

The MTG-B1000-1A is a new watch from the MT-G series (a.k.a. Metal Twisted G), which was launched in July 2018. The MT-G series is already a few years old, but this watch is different in a few ways: The B in the B1000 stands for Bluetooth connectivity (there's a smartphone app, which can be connected to the watch, and allows you to manipulate some features, or track some data). So this is the first Bluetooth series within the MT-G range. Secondly, the bands are made of resin (previous generation features brushed metal bracelets). And lastly, the dial was redesigned (the sub-dials are shifted to the left, while they were previously spread out across the whole dial). Another great thing about this series is their price: They are cheaper than the old models which could cost several 1000 USD - they retail for 800 USD (silver-dial) and 900 USD (black-dial) respectively.

How I bought my MTG-B1000-1A

I bought my MTG-B1000-1A a few days ago at the Taipei G-Shock store. Initially I saw the news about this watch on Facebook and Instagram, and started to research it. The series was launched in Japan in July, and was not available in Taiwan right away, because I went to the store some time in mid July and it was not there yet. They told me it will be available end of month.



So I went back a few days ago and there it was. Prior to my decision, I was more leaning towards the one with the black dial, but unfortunately they only had the silver one (they said the black one will be available in August). I tried it on, and I loved it right away. But I wasn't really planning on purchasing it, because it's not a cheap watch after all (it retails 22,500 NTD in Taiwan, which is around 734 USD right now). I usually take some more time to think such purchases over, and I was still planning to wait for the black one, but then the clerk told me that from August 1st to August 8th there's a "Fathers Day" discount, all G-Shocks will be 20% off! That made this watch cost just 17,600 NTD (that is 574 USD as of right now) - basically a steal! So I reserved the watch, and came the next day and bought it.

MTG-B1000-1A unboxing

The MTG-B1000-1A comes packed in a lot of boxes, but definitely the packing is more premium than that of your typical good-value G-Shock. Let's have a look.

The first thing that came in my G-Shock bag was this big cardboard box.

Inside was a big black box with G-SHOCK MT-G written on top.

Inside that box was the manual and a smaller box.

This is how it looks when you open the smaller box.

The watch is wrapped two times for protection.

This is the watch in all its glory.

A view from the side.

A view from top.

First impressions

I will be reviewing this watch deeply, so subscribe for more posts in the near future. I need to wear this watch for a couple of weeks to share my experience, but the first impressions are quite good. Here's what I noticed right away:

1) The watch looks extremely premium

I own a 3 times more expensive mechanical Swiss watch, and the brushed metal finish is way better. The plastic elements don't look cheap (something I have feared), they kind of give it a G-Shock look (and also help to protect the metal case from damage, in case you drop the watch). Really well designed and well-manufactured watch (it's 100% Made in Japan).

2) The Sapphire glass is reflective

The watch is not very legible, partly because of the thick Sapphire glass almost looking like a magnifying glass from some angles, partly because it's new and shiny. As a plus, it's a very good looking watch, that immediately attracts attention. If you want to read the time, you better look at it properly, glancing from the side is an issue.

3) The resin band has its issues

First of all, it looks really good, it looks durable. The texture makes it look rugged a bit, but I quickly noticed that it easily gets dirty: It collects small dirt very quickly (that's not an issue on my Mudmaster GG-1000). Another thing is to buckle it up or take the watch off - it's not easy. You need to apply some force to do it. It's also not that comfortable of a band like the one on my Mudmaster. Here clearly the looks were prioritized over comfort. I don't fault Casio for that, because this won't be my daily beater watch. I'll wear it for more official occasions like work, business meeting, business travel. For sports and exploring a city I will grab my Mudmaster.

4) Functions overload

This watch has lots of functions, from Stopwatch, Timer, Alarm to World Time, as well as a battery indicator, day of the week dial, and a date dial. Furthermore, it has LED illumination, Bluetooth connectivity and an app. To learn how to operate all these things and set the watch is really not very easy. It'll take time for me to dig in and learn all these things. Frankly, I still struggle with lots of these functions, and I am a bit concerned that the watch module will fail one day due to some electronic bug.



I will write more about it after I thoroughly review it in the upcoming days. I will also review the app, and list all the other features, so that you can decide on your own whether this is a watch you'd like to purchase as well. I made some really great photos of the watch, so definitely stay tuned for more.