Comparison Casio G-Shock GG-B100BA-1A vs Casio G-Shock GG-B100-1B

Watches produced in a limited edition — that is, in limited quantities and with some feature that distinguishes them from more traditional models produced in larger quantities. Most often, this feature is an unusual design — for example, in the "flight" style, when the dial resembles the scale of an aviation instrument; in the style of a particular brand (with a logo) or country (with a coat of arms and/or flag); in the Skeleton format or with an open balance (see below), etc.

In general, you should pay attention to products with this feature mainly in those cases when you need not just a watch, but an exclusive fashion accessory. Models of limited editions are much more expensive than standard counterparts, while most often they do not differ (or almost do not differ) from them in terms of functionality.

— Brass. Inexpensive material used mainly in watches of the corresponding price category. The composition is an alloy based on copper and zinc. Brass bodies have a pleasant golden colour, but their resistance to corrosion is usually very low. Because of this, such watches darken very quickly, and oxides can stain the wearer's skin and even lead to irritation. To correct the situation, various protective coatings, stainless steel covers, etc. can be used; however, even these measures are not able to completely eliminate this drawback.

— Stainless steel. Inexpensive and at the same time very practical material found in watches of all price categories. "Stainless steel" looks good, perfectly resists corrosion and scratches, retains its presentation for a long time and does not cause allergies. However it has a rather large weight, but for many users, the massiveness of the watch is an advantage, not a disadvantage.

— Titan. Premium material used in watches of the corresponding price level. Titanium alloys combine lightness and high strength, in addition, they are less thermally conductive than steel, due to which they do not “cool” the hand. They are practically not subject to corrosion, do not require protective coatings and are hypoallergenic. On the other hand, such cases are quite sensitive to scratches.

— Plastic. Common features of all types o...f plastic are ease of processing, relatively low cost, low weight, hypoallergenicity, moisture resistance and poor thermal conductivity. For a number of reasons, this material is considered optimal primarily for sports watches, including “diving” (waterproof) watches. At the same time, it should be noted that many types of plastic are used in modern watches, including high-strength varieties that are not inferior in reliability to steel. Therefore, this material is found in all price categories, from low-cost to top; The quality of the case is usually directly related to the cost of the watch.

— Aluminium. "Watch metal", considered a little more advanced than stainless steel. The aluminium alloy is also durable, resistant to corrosion and scratches, and has a solid appearance. At the same time, on the one hand, it is noticeably lighter, on the other hand, it is more expensive.

— Copper. By itself, copper has a pleasant reddish-brown tint, but it does not tolerate prolonged contact with the skin — the surface begins to oxidize, which leads not only to skin contamination, but also to irritation. Therefore, this material is usually used in combination with protective coatings. In fact, it has no advantages over the same "stainless steel", and therefore it is used quite rarely — and not so much for practical or even aesthetic reasons, but in order to distinguish watches from other models.

— Carbon. Composite material, in fact, is high-quality plastic: carbon fiber strands filled with polymer filler. Carbon is notable for its combination of low weight with very high strength; in general, it surpasses even steel in reliability; at the same time, it has many advantages of plastic, such as moisture resistance and low thermal conductivity. The disadvantage of such housings, in addition to high cost, is sensitivity to point impacts.

— Ceramics. Ceramics are various materials obtained by sintering and firing at high temperatures. Watch cases are usually made of high-quality ceramics, which are distinguished by their solid appearance and very high scratch resistance, and they cost accordingly. At the same time, they are quite sensitive to shocks, so a ceramic case is often combined with a stainless steel or other metal back cover.

— Gold. The case is made of jeweler's gold or has a gold-plated finish. Note that the colour of such a case can be different: in addition to the classic yellow, there are also white and red gold. Anyway, such watches are very expensive, and look accordingly; they are designed mainly for those who need not so much a device for determining the time as a rich fashion accessory.

— Silver. Although cases made of silver jewelry are much cheaper than gold ones, this material still belongs to the status ones, and is used not so much for practical reasons, but as a symbol of the high cost of watches and the wealth of their owner. However, for a number of reasons, silver has not received much popularity in watches.

— Wolfram. Tungsten alloys are not cheap, but they are very strong and reliable, and also look stylish. Another feature of this material is its very high melting point; from the practical point of view, this point is not significant, but it is important as a fashion detail, emphasizing the high reliability of tungsten. At the same time, for a number of reasons, such alloys are not widely used in watches.

— Bronze. Quite a rare and specific option, used similarly to copper — in order to give the watch a stylish look. The basis of bronze, in fact, is copper, and tin is most often added to this alloy, but other components can also be used. Accordingly, the colour of such material can be different — yellowish, reddish, brown.

The main colour of the watch case.

Modern watches are quite diverse in colour options. The most widespread models are in shades of " stainless steel ", golden and black ; however, in addition to this, on the market you can find, in particular, white, yellow, green, brown, red, orange, pink, silver, grey, blue and purple cases.

In general, the colour of the case is a fairly obvious parameter; Let's note only some of the nuances associated with marking:

— Multi-coloured models include models in which there is no clearly defined primary colour. If there is such a colour, it is indicated in the characteristics. And for two-tone cases, an additional colour can be specified, for example, "stainless steel with gold " or "black with blue "

— Silver, among other things, are plastic cases without additional coloring.

— "Stainless steel" in this case is a colour, not a material; other metals (e.g. alumin...ium and titanium) that are not complemented by PVD coating (see “Case Coating”) may have this shade. And the cases of gold watches, in turn, are not necessarily made of gold — red and white gold are also used in jewelry.

— Camouflage coloring is indicated separately — such watches are designated as "military", and here, again, the main shade of the coloring is given. However, not every military model has camouflage on the body; see below for details.

The main colour of the watch strap/bracelet.

The most popular shades nowadays are stainless steel(the colour of most metal bracelets, not necessarily steel ones), golden(bracelets made of gold and "gold"), black(strap made of different materials, including rubber and nylon, as well as separate bracelets) and brown(mostly leather straps). Other colour options include beige, white, yellow, green, camouflage ( military style), red, orange, pink, silver, grey, blue, and purple.

In addition, some models of watches are equipped with two-tone straps. Most often, white, gold and black are used as secondary colours, and this colour is specified after the main one — for example, “blue with white” or “stainless steel with gold”. If this paragraph lists several colours separated by commas — for example, "black, red, blue" — this means...that the watch is either sold in several versions that differ in the colour of the strap, or comes with several interchangeable straps / bracelets of the corresponding colours at once. This nuance should be clarified separately.

The nominal size of a watch case in diameter (for round cases) or width (for other options, see "Case Shape"). In the most miniature modern models, this size is 21 – 25 mm or even less, among the largest there are cases of 46 – 50 mm and even larger.

Larger watches are more convenient in the sense that the dial readings are better visible on them, and it is easier to provide various additional functions in the design. On the other hand, small watches look neater and create less discomfort directly when worn. In addition, female models (see "Gender") are traditionally made more miniature than male ones. So the choice for this indicator depends mainly on the intended specifics of the application: for example, large cases are best suited for outdoor activities and tourism, about 41 – 45 mm in size, for household wear (regardless of gender) — about 31 – 35 mm, and as an accessory to an evening dress, a small watch of 30 mm or less would be more appropriate.

Also note that the size of a compatible strap/bracelet is associated with this indicator — see "Strap Width" for details.

The thickness of the watch case. A fairly obvious parameter; we only note that nowadays it is customary to attribute watches with a thickness of less than 7 mm to ultra-thin models. This design has both aesthetic and quite practical meaning — a thin watch will be useful for those who wear narrow sleeves with tight-fitting cuffs.

Total weight of the watch. As a rule, it is indicated taking into account the complete strap/bracelet.

The lightest modern watch weighs no more than 50 g. The most popular models weigh 50 - 100 g, and weight more than 150 g most often means not only a large, but also a fairly advanced device, usually for sports and tourism purposes.

Both light and heavy weight have their advantages: light watches create minimal inconvenience when worn, while massive watches are subconsciously perceived as a solid and reliable device.