2+ years of daily use.

After years of using smartwatches, tired of the constant need for charging and poor readability of the time, I initially turned to the DW-5600. I wanted a watch with a slim profile and durability for any situation. The 5600 is exceptional, but after getting it, I missed the step tracking and analog hands. I inevitably turned to this one.

-Profile that is just acceptable for me (I constantly wear gloves and work clothes with half-gloves/closed sleeves). Anything thicker doesn't suit me.
-Extremely lightweight.
-Excellent illumination.
-Very good sound for alarms.
-Classic stopwatch and countdown timer features for various sports activities (set time/rest time, etc.).
-Classic G-Shock durability. I have really put it through the wringer at work (hits, water, high temperatures, banging against metal elements, you name it). It hasn't suffered the slightest damage, has never glitched.
-Quite good readability of the time with the hands. It would help a bit more if the elements at the 5-minute marks had minimal lume.
-The digits on the screen are visible even with polarized glasses (many LCD screens are cut off by polarized glasses).
-The buttons are very comfortable to use. They are not pressed accidentally, they are easily pressed for functions.
-It is VERY CONVENIENT that the illumination button is located on the lower middle side. The thumb goes there naturally.
-Time accuracy: excellent, as it updates with every connection to the mobile phone.
-Step tracking accuracy: practically excellent. Much more accurate than any cheap activity tracker I have used in the past (Huawei, Xiaomi). In comparison to more expensive models from other companies (Samsung, etc.), it doesn't seem to lag significantly in accuracy. It never counts steps with a simple hand movement (the accelerometers obviously "capture" the entire body movement).
-Mobile connectivity: sufficient for watch functions/settings and simple step tracking statistics. Although it doesn't measure heart rate, the app software (after the latest upgrades, previously it was a disaster!) is quite "smart" in calculating energy consumption based on the time "condensation" of the activity.
-It is obvious that we are not talking about a "smartwatch" in the sense that we mean today, despite the Bluetooth connectivity and step tracking. Therefore, any review that treats it as such is at least inaccurate and meaningless!
-The mobile app was a disaster, however, after the latest upgrades, it has become relatively decent. Of course, don't expect the graphs/analyses of smartwatches, as we said, it's not that kind of watch.
-Comfort: The strap is made of soft polyurethane (softer than the classic 5600) with many more holes. You will easily find the ideal position, however, the material is such that it initially "grabs" hairs and of course gives an unnecessarily wide profile to the watch (even though the watch is not in sleeves, the point where the strap overlaps is so thick that it finds itself). I don't know if it serves any purpose (e.g. running - I'm not a runner) but I didn't like the strap from the start. After trying various alternatives (converters and using nylon straps, etc.), I ended up with a cheap, plastic Chinese bracelet that I really like aesthetically and suits me incredibly well as it gives it minimal profile and zero weight! Also, it makes it more "all around" even for more "serious" outfits!

What I don't like / would like to be different:
-Battery life: Casio gives 2 years. However, over time, the battery starts to struggle and the watch regularly goes into "power-saving mode" (at this stage, an R flashes on the screen and there is no response, but the watch continues to keep time and count steps. When power is restored to normal, the watch functions normally again). Maybe it has some issues with heat (because it mainly goes into this phase during summers), but the battery hasn't completed two years yet. Cost of replacement at the dealership (with waterproof check) is around €15, cost of replacement at home is around €0.5-3 (depending on the battery and silicone grease you use).
-I would like it to have a mode in the time display where the screen shows the date and the round window shows the step count towards the goal. It's not something extraordinary, but personally, it would be convenient for me, obviously no Japanese designer thought of it!
-MAJOR WARNING if you like to constantly change straps! The case is resin, but that doesn't mean it doesn't get damaged! In fact, if you use the well-known Chinese metal converters that adjust the "ears" opening so that it can take regular straps / nylon straps, it is almost certain that you will damage the case when trying to remove them. I would advise you to avoid them. Personally, after 6 months of using such converters, and as the spring bars inside them had rusted, I caused such a problem during removal that I had to change the case of the watch (€45 at the dealership)!

Finally, a comparison with the GBA-900 that surely concerns many (the -900 is newer and supposed to replace the -800, but the -800 is still in circulation!): I got my hands on my friend's -900 and compared them side by side for quite some time.
-The -800 has better readability for the time with the hands (stronger lume and more legible elements, although the -900 seems to have a larger surface area of the hands with phosphorescent coating!)
-The screen of the -800 is also more readable (the -900 has more information on the same surface, so all the digits are smaller!)
-And also, the -900 is marginally thicker.
For my own needs (size, profile, readability, lume), the -800 is more practical and a better choice.

I have been searching for a watch that can meet all my needs for a long time, as well as have some smart advantages and better file maintenance, because I do trekking, hiking, open water swimming, and cycling. However, at the same time, I belong to the conservative group. I primarily want the watch to be a watch, and until now I have only had automatic watches, which have a completely different mindset. Like living organisms. So, I didn't really like the idea of ​​getting a battery-powered watch.

I read many reviews and concluded that the gshock would meet my needs, and indeed it does. I am uploading a photo because it was purchased from the official dealer, with a bracelet. One compromise I didn't intend to make was that I wanted to wear a bracelet. And I didn't want anything from the general market or unapproved. Additionally, I wanted it to be installed by someone who knows the peculiarities of this particular watch because installing a bracelet is not an easy process.

In hiking measurements, it is very reliable, but we need to remember something. It is a watch and not a smartwatch, which means that in order to record steps, the arm needs to move with the wrist in the way it happens when we walk. It does not record unnecessary steps and missteps, even when getting up from the table to go to the refrigerator. Similarly, it is accurate in calculating calories.

For cycling, I intentionally left the bracelet long so that I can wear it on my ankle, which, due to measurements and experiments, allows me to calculate virtual steps in distance and cadence with the corresponding deviation, of course.

Someone who wants a regular smartwatch to measure heart rate, again through proportion, can calculate activity, and in this case, it mainly concerns those who are interested in calories, which does not particularly concern me. I mostly need it to know how much more I need to eat based on what I have burned, in addition to the basic metabolism.

It connects very easily to my phone, it is clear, sturdy, and I have not encountered any problems, as I read in other reviews, with clothing. I find it beautiful and practical. It finds my phone, which I leave anywhere, and although I have not used it for swimming yet, in everything I have done with my hand submerged in water, I have not encountered any problems. However, I chose a watch from the 20-bar category because usually the 5-bar ones can betray you even when showering.

Finally, because my girlfriend resides in England for long periods of time, it is very convenient that I can see the time in Greece with the hands and the time in England digitally below.

The overall feeling is one of reliability and sturdiness, and it is important to remember that it is primarily a sports watch that connects to the phone and not a smartwatch based on the usual definition.