By Low Teck Mee

The styling caught my eye and the weight seduced my senses. When I touched Casio’s new “smart outdoor watch”, WSD-F-10, I was totally sold. Here is a smart watch that looks and feels like a real watch—yes, the one that tells time, not the one named after a fruit (adding a crown does not fool me) or those round-faced wannabes.

My enthusiastic response to the watch can be better understood if you know that I have been waiting for Casio to release an Android Wear-enabled watch for a long time. One of my favourite Casios is the Mr-G 110 from long ago, and I have always hoped that Casio would issue the watch as a smart reincarnation. With its square-ish face, I have always thought that that particular MR-G would be perfect candidate as an activity-tracking companion to a smart phone.

But it was not to be. Still, the launch of the WSD-F-10 is very much welcomed. Here, the watch reminds me of the lens of the brand’s action camera, the Exilim EX-FR100: a round face framed by a case in a vivid colour, in this instance, orange. Sure, with the black strap, this seems ideal for Halloween, but there is also a sporty vibe that outdoor types would appreciate.

A Casio watch is known to be tech-packed and remarkably durable (apparently the WSD-F-10 is “compliant with military standards”), so I shan’t elaborate. This smart watch is no exception. Performing as dutifully as other Android Wear watches do and apps aside, it comes equipped with accelerometer and gyrometer, which means whether you’re trekking in the mountains or waiting for a trout by a river, you’re covered.

The best part about the WSD-F-10 is that it does not look like a smart watch. No one would guess it isn’t G-Shock’s slimmer sibling. That, to me, is damn smart.

Casio WSD-F-10, SGD 699, is available at Casio stores. Product photo: Casio

Casio’s G-Shock watches, now 30 years old, have never been minimalist in appearance. It is, therefore, a surprise to see the nearly bare DW5600SG-7 sitting among its more striking siblings, especially the testosterone-heavy GB6900AA-1, designed as an iPhone buddy (making the pair look like a D&G-suited bodyguard and his Calvin Klein-clad starlet). The clean-cut look is not a bad thing of course; just a little lacking in machismo perhaps, considering that the G-Shock series was designed with sports, military and outdoor pursuits in mind. This plain beauty was modelled after the original DW5600, which appeared around 1986, and was later worn by Keanu Reeves in the movie Speed.

On the wrist, this G-Shock is really stark, and not the least aggressive-looking, especially if you have fair skin. Despite its delicate appearance, the DW5600SG-7 is as shock resistant as the original, and water resistant up to 200m! Together with its almost pristine colouring—the palest silver, this is the perfect watch for an underwater wedding!

Casio DW5600SG-7 is available at Casio authorized dealers for SGD149