First Look - The Casio MTG-1000
The Casio MTG-1000 is a great introduction to higher end Casios without the MRG price tag. At a street price of just under $400.00, the MTG-1000 is certainly not a cheap watch until one considers the cost of the four-figure high end MRG series.
To bring down the cost of the MTG relative to the MRG, Casio dropped the DLC titanium case and bracelet replacing them with a resin case sandwiched by two nicely finished plates of stainless steel. With the exception of the resin case, this is a very high quality watch. Notice the multiple angles on the case and how Casio has signed the lower pusher.
Take a look at the screws on the front bezel. Not only are they properly polished and bevelled, but they line up symmetrically too. You often don’t see this on high end Swiss watches or even some other MRG’s.
These two raised plastic inserts in the clasp not only are a styling cue carried over from the case and bracelet, but they also are an ingenious solution to a common clasp problem. Because the inserts are raised, they protect the clasp from scratches. Well done Casio.
Close ups of the dial do reveal the typical solar panel translucence. Casio has added some textures to break up the homogenous look.
The gold highlights capture and reflect the light in interesting ways.
The caseback is typical on what one sees on mid grade G-Shocks. A substanial plate secured with 4 phillips screws. Like many limted production G-Shocks, this one has a serial number.
The MTG-1000 is an excellent choice for those interested in getting a taste of the MRG experience at a lower cost. You get a fantastic bracelet, a movement and dial styled like a MRG and finishing details more typical to a dress watch than a G-Shock. It looks like Casio is aware of the price gap that the MRG series created in the G-Shock lineup and with this newest MTG, they are filling it in quite nicely.
MTG-1000G-9AJF Specifications:
Price - 47,000 Yen (Japan Only)
Diameter - 47mm
Thickness - 16mm
Functions - Time, Multi-Band Solar Atomic, World Time, 60 Minute Stopwatch & Timer, Alarm, Perpetual Calendar.
December 2nd, 2007 at 4:34 pm
Hi Pete…thank you for the photographs and the writeup on the MTG watch.
You have pointed out several things that I would not have noticed such as
the screws being beveled and the slots carefully pointing the an arranged
direction. Great observations!
I have a question I wanted to ask you…what is the difference between
this watch and the “Giez” watch that costs about $280. Does the Giez watch
have a solid stainless steel body? Aside from the screws, how are these
watches different? Thanks in advance. Paul
PS. The name “Giez” is not short for “old giezer” is it?
)))
December 2nd, 2007 at 5:19 pm
Hi blackdial,
Here’s a quick synopsis on the differences between the two watches.
1.) The Giez has a stainless steel case with a rubber surround and a screw in back. The MTG has a resin case with the 4 screw back. While I’d give the nod to the Giez 1000 for its stainless case, the case shape and finishing of the steel parts of the MTG have more finishing than on the Giez. It’s well done.
2.) The movements are similar but I actually prefer the movement on the Giez because its stopwatch measures hours whereas the MTG only goes up to 60 minutes. The MTG also has enhanced RC functions with its 5 band receiver. The MTG also has a countdown timer (it’s fun to watch the hands move backwards) If I remember correctly, the Giez does not have a countdown timer.
3.) The main difference is the bracelet. The Giez comes with a rubber strap whereas the MTG has the bracelet. This is a nice bracelet too. If this bracelet was Swiss, it would cost $200.00 - 300.00.
I’d be interested in hearing from other owners to see if their screws line up or if I just got lucky. I looked at some catalog and other internet shots and in them, it seems like the screws are all lined up correctly.
Thanks for reading.
petew
December 4th, 2007 at 5:44 am
Hello Petew,
First of all, thanks for the great review. I was very happy Casio made this model. I think it has a place between the MR-G and the Giez models. I believe the module is also found in certain Giez models. I always was a bit sceptic about the Giez model. The bezel of the Giez is not raised all around the crystal. Therefore I think the MTG crystal is much better protected. Also I think a complete round raised protection makes the watch look better.
I think a very nice detail on the gold model are the gold colored screws on the front. It’s a nice accent and also gives the watch a sturdy tough look. Also the resin inserts on the watchband (giving this series its name “Metal Twisted G-Shock”) probably make this watch very comfortable to wear. Personally I think it also looks better than a full metal bracelet.
I hope you will wear your watch a lot in good health. I think you won’t be a bit suprised if I say I am a bit jealous
Kind Regards,
Sjors
December 4th, 2007 at 6:14 am
Hi Sjors,
Thanks for reading. You raised an excellent point about the crystal’s exposure on the Giez model. The crystal is certainly better protected on the MTG. The MTG is very comfortable on my wrist. It’s a unique watch in that while it does convey a tough sturdy vibe, the accents do dress it up just enough.
One note about the module that I failed to mention in the initial review is the fact that the chrono is always available. You don’t have to scroll to a different mode to get the chronograph to engage. I like this quite a bit. I frequently time things during the day and with the MTG, if I do want to time something, I can just hit the start button from the time mode instead of scrolling through the different funtions to get to the chronograph.
Best,
petew
December 4th, 2007 at 8:35 am
To post #2. Giez do not have CDTs (model 1000 or 1100 at least).
I have bot the red and gold versions of the MTG-1000 and both have symmetry of the screws on the face.
December 4th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Another cool option on the MTG-1000s is that you can interrupt the actions. For example if you change to the world time mode and don’t feel like waiting till the hands move 12hrs to GMT you can just hit mode and go back to home time CDT or alarm set. With the Giez you could not do this. Once you picked something you had to wait till the hands got there then get out of it. While it’s not that big of a deal with the Giez 1000 as the secondary functions are on the sub-dials it could get annoying with the 1100 where the alarm time and world time are show with the main hands.