World Casio followers wanting all of the goodies from Japan have a brand new purpose to have fun, because the Casio Oceaunus assortment is now accessible in additional markets — together with the USA. Individuals who have traveled to Japan and checked out native watch shops have in all probability all seen these curious high-end high-tech costume watches from the model greatest related to G-Shock. The Oceanus components is simply that: to take the perfect of G-Shock watch know-how and place it in a slimmer, extra elegant, but nonetheless high-performance, “formal watch” profile.
To assist place the construct high quality and worth proposition of those extra high-end Casio watches, I’d need to point out that the Oceanus watches are constructed by Casio in Japan. It occurs at their extra elite Yamagata manufacturing facility which I visited just a few years in the past. That is the place the extra high-end and specialised Casio watches get made, and it’s a actually spectacular lab-like facility. You may try my report on the aBlogtoWatch go to to the place Casio G-Shock [and Oceanus] watches are made right here.
Citizen Oceanus now debuts within the U.S. with a moderately fancy mannequin assortment that known as the “Manta.” As we speak, I take a look at three fashions accessible within the U.S., together with the reference OCWS5000ME1A (maki-e dial), OCWS5000APA2 (mother-of-pearl dial), and OCWS5000B-1A (DLC-coated black case). One fascinating factor concerning the Oceanus Manta is simply how small it’s. It even wears small given the revealed 42.3mm-wide dimension. Casio isn’t even measuring how the Swiss do, which is often simply the bezel distance. The Japanese are, if something, “too trustworthy” with their revealed measurements. The bezel diameter of the Oceanus Manta is 39mm-wide. I’d say that watch wears like a 40mm timepiece.
The case can also be skinny at simply 9.5mm-thick in a slick titanium case that has a domed, AR-coated sapphire crystal over the dial. The watches really feel very gentle on the wrist at simply 82 grams in weight. That’s crazy-light for a full-metal timepiece with one of these {hardware} inside. The module contained in the watch is a “Robust Photo voltaic,” which means it’s successfully the identical know-how (simply thinner) that you simply discover within the fashionable Casio G-Shock assortment of watches. The Oceanus Manta case is water resistant to 100 meters.
Robust Photo voltaic actions are powered by gentle and have arms that can realign if they’re displaced as a result of sudden case shock. The actions even have an antenna that’s meant to choose up the radio alerts from atomic clocks in locations like Japan the place the alerts are robust. Most individuals nonetheless will respect that the motion connects by way of Bluetooth to your smartphone and will be managed and up to date vial an app. That is very useful know-how that actually permits extra individuals to take advantage of out of the options in these sophisticated actions.
Casio’s Bluetooth-connected telephone apps regulate the watches if you enter new time zones and likewise enable you to do issues like set the alarm or a second time zone extra simply than with the pushers on the case, although, on the finish of the day, the Bluetooth connection is non-obligatory for the carrying expertise. The multi-function dial has rather a lot happening, together with a subsidiary dial to point a second time zone in 12-hour format, and twin AM/PM indicators. Whereas the dial can carry out chronograph options, the Manta is a journey watch at coronary heart.
In some ways, the Casio Oceanus Manta is the proper approach to put on a high-end G-Shock watch below your sleeve. Given the slimmer profile and extra elegant options, Casio isn’t pretending that Oceanus watches are as sturdy as G-Shock watches. As an alternative, that is G-Shock-style know-how built-in into a standard costume watch package deal that’s actually fairly beautiful and suited to many tastes. I’d name the design “future workplace apparel stylish.” And Casio is clearly having enjoyable with a number of the dial kinds.
The fanciest of the three is the OCWS5000ME1A with the standard Japanese “maki-e” dial artwork. This has the dial and bezel elegantly mix collectively in a single sequence of gold waves over a deep black texture. It’s not for everybody, however it’s very nice and paired with a pure titanium case and matching bracelet. The subsequent model is equally ornamental and is the OCWS5000APA2 which has a royal blue-toned bezel and mother-of-pearl dial. Casio is, after all, very pleased with these dials as a result of gentle nonetheless must enter them in an effort to cost the photovoltaic cells that energy the battery. I occur to be among the many guys who like mother-of-pearl dials on a males’s watch, however it’s nonetheless an acquired style within the Western world.
Let me add right here that Casio included a neat consolation characteristic within the deployant clasp bracelet closing system. It really works very like the “consolation regulate” on a Rolex GMT-Grasp II for example. You get one 3mm or so adjustment that may be opened or closed. It really works by urgent the deployant opening pushers after which tugging in, or pulling out the sliding adjustment. It’s also a straightforward characteristic to overlook if you happen to aren’t in search of it.
The ultimate of those three fascinating Casio Oceanus Manta watches is the reference OCWS5000B-1A with its stealthy-looking black DLC-coated case and bracelet. Not solely does the DLC coating obtain a gorgeous black tone, however it’s also extremely scratch resistant and can make this mannequin essentially the most sturdy of the three fashions in my estimation. The deep blue on black dial isn’t as legible as the opposite fashions, however the total good-looking and mysterious guise of this watch is tough to disregard. It’s also the least costly of the fashions with a worth of $1,900 USD. The Oceanus Manta with the mother-of-pearl dial is $2,000 USD, and the mannequin with the Japanese maki-e dial is $2,400 USD. Study extra on the Casio watches web site right here.
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