What do most people think when they hear the name, Casio? I think the word “durable” would be a fair one. And that’s putting it mildly. How about when you hear the word, G-Shock? “Bomb-proof watch” might be a fair assessment, in my mind. So, does the Casio Mudman G-Shock watch measure up to these descriptions? Keep reading to find out!
G-Shock Mudman Features and Specs
As the name implies, the Mudman’s main claim to fame is that it’s extremely mud-resistant and, being a G-Shock, it is very shock-resistant. Here’s a rundown of the watch’s features.
Display Window
The Mudman’s window is a mineral crystal glass, which is excellent because it is far less prone to shatter than other materials. It is possible, however, to scratch it if a sharp, hard object contacts it. One great feature is that the crystal is recessed, or sunken, into the case. A very generous ridge of the resin case protrudes above the display window, which goes a long way in protecting the display. The light blue backlight is great for low-light conditions.
Mineral crystal glass is preferable to the more expensive sapphire crystal glass because sapphire crystal glass will shatter more readily, although it is less prone to scratching. Everything has its benefits and drawbacks.
Case Size and Construction
The Mudman’s case diameter is 51mm and it is 18mm thick. The case is aluminum with a stainless steel back and a thick resin covering, and it will take a ridiculous amount of abuse. This is not a massive watch (as some G-Shocks are), but it is not dainty, either. It weighs 2.41 ounces, or 68.5 grams, which is pretty light, especially considering its size. It’s a good-sized watch that wears well on the wrist. And if I might say so, it has the requisite “Macho” appeal that people in Cool-Guy jobs often crave (myself included). It’s a decidedly masculine-looking watch.
When I mentioned that the watch isn’t overly large, consider that I often wear a G-Shock Frogman, which has a pretty massive case size. Compared to many other watches, the Mudman will be fairly large.
Water Resistance
The Mudman is water resistant down to 200 meters, or 660 feet underwater. That’s quite a bit deeper than I ever plan on going. A friend of mine, who was a member of Marine Recon, confided that he used a G-Shock during combat diving operations, during which he was about 100 feet underwater. He reported that the watch performed admirably. If G-Shocks stand up to combat diving operations, it’s pretty likely that they’ll take anything a normal person throws at them.
Buttons
The adjustment and mode buttons are very large and have checkering knurled into them, making them easy to manipulate. The knurling helps the fingers to not slip off, even if they’re wet and…muddy. The large size of the buttons also helps.
To prevent accidental activation, these buttons are recessed into the case so they don’t stick out excessively, which is a thoughtful touch. Each button is marked by its function, such as Adjust, Mode, Search, Light, or Comp (for Compass).
Solar Power
The Mudman features Tough Solar power, so we never have to concern ourselves with dying batteries with this watch. Just give it some sunlight and it will be happy.
The solar battery stores up to eight months of power, so even if it sits in a dark place for a while, it will be okay. On top of that, there is a Power Save (PS) mode, so when the watch is in the dark for several minutes, it goes to sleep. Show it some light, and it wakes back up again, ready for duty. It’s a great feature that Casio equips their G-Shocks with. If kept in the dark on the power save mode, the watch’s battery has enough energy for 23 months. A battery level indicator lets us know if the battery is at Low, Medium, or High levels.
Wrist Strap
Constructed of supple resin, the strap is 20mm wide and its pliability goes a long way in adding to the comfort factor. The buckle is made of stainless steel and is sturdy. Unfortunately, the keeper that holds the tail end of the strap secure is made from resin. A metal keeper would be a better choice for durability. Despite that, the resin keeper will probably be okay.
One point that I’ll make special mention of is that I can adjust this band very well to my wrist size. I have more expensive watches that I can’t seem to adjust well to my wrist; they’re either too loose or too tight, but never just right. I can get this one just right.
Comfort And Feel
I don’t have huge wrists, but this is a substantial watch that fits me pretty well. Personally, I like the comfort level and the feel of it. The band is soft enough and highly adjustable, which lends itself well to comfort. The Mudman’s light weight also contributes to the comfort level.
Display Features
So what do you get when you look at the display? Well, quite a lot, actually. Besides the time, date, and day of the week, you also get some other useful information.
Compass
I’ve found the compass to be both accurate and useful. It can be accessed instantly by pressing a button on the right side of the case. It’s marked “Comp” in red and has an arrow, so there’s no mistaking this one.
Moon Phase Graph
A moon phase graph lets us know what to expect from the moon. It can be useful in helping to determine what the level of moonlight is going to be once the sun goes down. I’ll admit that this isn’t a feature that I use a whole lot.
Thermometer
There’s also a thermometer for telling the temperature. If you plan to use this one and get an accurate reading, you’ll have to remove the watch from your wrist for about 20 or so minutes to let it give a true reading.
Other Display Features
Aside from telling time, date, and day of the week, the Mudman also tells world time in 31 time zones. There is a stopwatch, along with five alarms (including one snooze alarm). A countdown timer also exists (one minute to 24 hours). There’s also a little, circular window that acts as a minute hand, giving us a measurement of 60 seconds. The display is bright and the numbers/letters are easy to read due to their generous size.
The Bottom Line
Overall, Casio has hit another home run with the G-Shock Mudman. It’s comfortable to wear while being a substantially sized watch, without being so huge that it’s gaudy.
It has an attractive, masculine look that many wearers will be pleased with. As well, it’s about as durable a watch as you’re going to be able to find on planet Earth. With 200 meters of water resistance, you’ll be hard-pressed to dive deep enough to kill this watch (without killing yourself at the same time). The controls and buttons are easy to work with and not overly confusing. It’s a simple, straightforward watch that will do anything you’d reasonably need a watch to do without a bunch of goofy features that you’d probably never use.
Were there any aspects of the watch that I disliked? I’ll honestly say no, there were not. The small caveat is that I’d prefer to see a metal keeper on the watch’s band, but that detail is not the end of the world and is more of a personal preference.
As this is written, the Casio G-Shock Mudman is available from GunMag Warehouse for $220. For this caliber of watch, that’s not an unreasonable price at all, considering you’ll never have the hassle of sending it in for a battery change.
Honestly, the more I wear this one, the more I like it. The Mudman gets a solid two thumbs up!
