Sunday, February 1, 2009

#4: G-2300 The forgotten but complete basic G-Shock

The G-2300 was released in November 2000 as a basic model. It was available for a few years as a basic model in a few variants.
At first glimpse it looks like a simple basic watch. Behind this face there is a multi functional watch.
The design makes the watch look somewhat small, but actually the case has the same dimensions as the DW-6900.
After the release of the Raysman in 1998, this was the first basic G-Shock model that featured the Tough Solar technology.
Before Tough Solar, solar watches had only limited power storage capacity. If I'm correct the ML2020 rechargeable battery is used both on the Raysman and the G-2300.
A fully recharged G-2300 can run in the dark for about 7 months. If charged in direct sunlight, the watch can be charged full in about a day, but Tough Solar technology already charges the battery at low light levels.
A cool feature is the Full Auto EL backlight. When activated, the EL backlight flashes on when your wrist is tilted about 45 degrees.Somehow I sometimes find this model a bit forgotten. It is a very complete watch, actually. All functions that Casio had put on basic G-Shock models are present on this watch.
The G-2300 has the following functions: World Time (with city codes), 30 Telememo memory spaces, 5 alarms, that can even programed for certain dates, a Stopwatch and a repeatable Countdown timer.
I probably boght this model pretty soon after it's release in Europe from a seller in Germany. I probably paid around €80.- for it.
Later this watch was sold for around $50 in the US. If people asked which G-Shock they should buy as first, I often recommended this watch (or a G-2310 model). Packed with functions all in a classic resin case makes this the ideal beginners G.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Don't worry Sjors, I haven't forgotten the G-2300 yet. :-)

I remember falling madly in love with the G-2310 when I saw it on the Web several years ago, because of its looks, the Tough Solar feature and the Auto EL backlight.

Even though I have a Tough Solar model of my own now (G-9200 Riseman), I still find myself getting excited whenever I see the G-2310; that stainless steel case blending with the resin bezel is just a feast for my eyes. I'm trying to juggle my finances to see if I can still afford one within the month. :P