A Look at the Casio Frogman GWF-1000
Posted By: petew
“Be careful what you ask for.” This English expression is very applicable to Casio’s new GWF-1000 Frogman. For as long as I’ve been reading the WUS G-Shock Forum, I’ve seen posts begging Casio to update the Frogman with a new design, updated case technology and atomic timekeeping. However, as soon as Casio announced the new Frogman a couple of months ago, the complaining started.
“It’s too expensive”, ”the display is too crowded”, “it’s too big”, it’s too heavy”, and “it’s not titanium.” These seem to be the most common criticisms of the watch. To be honest, I too have had a few concerns about this new release, specifically the price and the size. The display however, was the least of my worries. I’ve never been a fan of the dial layout of any Frogman release. So for me, any change would probably be an improvement, and being a fan of the older all steel 82XX Frogman designs; size, stainless steel construction and weight were other issues that didn’t worry me. Regardless, I’ve been very anxious to see how Casio would go about improving their iconic top of the line G-Shock dive watch.
Yes it’s big and while it is heavier than a titanium GW-200, the weight feels very close to that of a DW-8250. On the wrist, it’s not uncomfortable at all. It certainly doesn’t feel heavy like a Panerai. Sure it looks goofy on my little (less than 7 inches) wrist, but pretty much all the Frogman releases did already. The wrist presence audacity of the Frogman releases, and many other G-Shocks for that matter, have always been a hallmark of the brand. Why should this one be any different?
The new 3184 module adds some new features for the recreational diver. In addition to the normal Frogman functionality, we now get a ten interval dive time logbook, tide functions and also a moon phase indicator. Should you wish, you can also display a second timezone on the main screen instead of the day and date.
The display doesn’t seem cluttered at all when viewed live. To my eye it’s considerably more legible than my other Frogmen. In fact, I would not be surprised if the area of the LCD panel on the GWF was at least 30% larger than that of the GW-200.
The DLC treatment on the stainless steel case is probably the major factor in the increased cost of this watch. Stainless steel can rust, and anyone who’s taken apart enough older screwback G’s probably has encountered rust spots on the watches under the plastic housings. While the plastic bezels do a great job in protecting the watch, they also can trap water for long periods of time. Presumably, the DLC treatment could provide enhanced rust protection. If nothing else, it looks cool.
The buttons are the nicest seen on a Frogman, and yes, the large ones are metal. They are considerably larger than standard G-Shock buttons. The operation is the best yet that I’ve encountered on a G. These pushers are silky smooth. The left side pushers have a high shine finish (I think they might be DLC coated) with a circular bevel.
Why does it say “Zoom” on the side of the watch? 
Like many newer G’s, there is a two tone design to the plastic area on the back. I’m not sure what to make of this new Frogman logo on the caseback.
Only you can decide if this new Frogman is an improvement and/or worthy of it’s increased cost. For me, it’s a natural progression of the line. For those overly concerned about the cost and weight, I’d be surprised if we don’t see a less expensive titanium version released in the next year or two. In the meantime, I’ll happily walk around with this big ugly watch on my wrist probably looking a bit ridiculous to everyone but myself.
September 23rd, 2009 at 2:42 am
Hello Petew,
Very good review of this new G-Shock icon watch. I am too much surprised the dial actually does not seem to be busy, altough it has a tidegraph and a moonphase included. I think your photo’s say the most. It’s a very nice looking BIG Frogman. While everyone was afraid for a smaller follow up, Casio made it even bigger than the 4 previous models. I never expected that.
I can’t afford a Frog right now, but I think eventually a GWF-1000 will end up in my collection too.
Cheers,
sjors
September 23rd, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Thanks for posting the review!
As someone who once owned many frogmen, I am really surprised by the direction of the 5th generation design. It looks like Casio bred a gulfman and frogman together, and then stuck an antenna on the offspring. Why oh why could they not have just stuck an spf-100 temp/depth module in there? Throw in atomic reception as well. Now that would have been perfection.
And despite it all, I will still end up buying it. Sigh.
September 23rd, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Hi Sjors,
Glad to hear that you enjoyed the article. Gosh, you made me wonder….how many people would have been upset if Casio released a smallest ever version of a Frogman instead of this large GWF!
I have no doubt that you’ll end up with a GWF Frogman of some sort in your collection sometime in the future!
Thanks for reading!
petew
September 23rd, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Hi Lenni,
Before this Frogman was released, I was convinced that Casio would add a depth meter to their next version. I was surprised to see that they didn’t. I guess I wasn’t the only one secretly hoping for this. Now we’ll have to wait for the 6th generation. I’m already looking forward to it.
Thank for reading!
petew
September 27th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
I knew you’d have a new Froggie post up really soon Pete!
Judging by the picture, it really does seem that the new Frogman has evolved to become even more tool-like and the new buttons do look very impressive indeed. What leaves me lukewarm is the sharp price jump, and I wouldn’t be complaining if this price increase came with a depth meter.
The new Frogman looks like a really mean piece of gear, but we’ll have to wait and see if this Frogman can pull off the wild colours like its predecessor! Hopefully Casio will release a less expensive “lite” version of the current Frogman…hopefully.
September 30th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Hey pete,
is it larger then the pathfinder 1300?
October 2nd, 2009 at 5:19 am
Hi ptolemy,
A quick web search shows that the 1300 is about 48mm wide by 11.5mm thick. This frog measures about 50mm from the 9:00 to 3:00 position, 54mm wide from the 10:00 - 4:00 position and about 17mm thick.
It’s a big boy.
Thanks for reading,
petew
October 5th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
does it work with adapters? caue i like my 1300 but only thing i dont like is that its way too thin
the frogman would be a much better choice…
but, i am wearing 1300 on a nato, and it works good, i wonder if same can be done for the frogman?
October 6th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
ah very nice size then.
wow, i just saw the price of it. surely an upscale model:)
October 9th, 2009 at 3:11 am
Hi ptolemey,
Unfortunately, I don’t think you can use the adapters on the new Frogman. Like the Riseman, Casio is using a slightly different strap connection method on this watch. If anyone reading this knows the answer definitively, please chime in!
petew
October 11th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Hi petew,
Actually the wordings at the side is not “Zoom”, but “200M” -> 200 metres =D
October 16th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Hi walfisch,
Thanks for the post. Actually, I knew the Zoom was really 200M, but for some reason, on this particular Frog, the 200M lettering is very bold and really stands out on the watch. As I was looking at it I thought….”gee, I wonder if someone would see this and think it said ‘Zoom’”?
I guess my humor didn’t translate well in the post.
Thanks for reading,
petew
November 16th, 2009 at 10:22 am
as always, great review.
And you were never one to shy away from wearing big, ugly watches, so why start now