I’m really starting to become a G-Shock believer. Ever since my purchase of the GWM5610-1 Solar Atomic I’ve been really surprised how often I wear it and how useful it’s become as a simple no hassle daily wear watch. Well, today we’re going to be reviewing the new Rangeman GPRH1000-9 from the Master of G line. The one we have with us is what I would call the “rain coat yellow” version, but it does have a slight orange hue to it.
Where the GWM5610-1 leans towards a bare bone tool and survival watch, this new Rangemaster is multiple steps ahead in terms of build robustness and integrated tech. As many of you know I’m a classic watch fanatic with a strong preference towards mechanical sports watches, metal bracelets, and analog dial layouts – so why am I so into G-Shock all of a sudden? The answer is simple for me, these are watches that are taking up wrist time in-between the use of my Submariner and other regular daily watches. The G-Shock has really proven itself to me as an essential modern tool for the wrist, to throw on when you have a sudden change of plans – or simply to wear during sports or any physical activity that doesn’t warrant the use of something more extravagant from your collection.
As your lifestyle changes and you shift from student, to working professional, to family man – you might also see the use of these types of beater watches increase. This has been my experience so far.
Now that we have some of the practical use ideology out of the way, lets take a look at the design of this watch and some of the really neat features it has packed inside.
Robust Design & Wearability
As you may have noticed already, the Rangeman GPRH1000 is one of the larger watches in the G-Shock collection. Way larger than my GWM5610-1, which I like to use as a comparison due to my extensive use of the watch. Some of the smaller variants in the G-Shock line really compliment smaller wrists fantastically. They wear very compact, light weight, and ergonomically. In the case of the Rangeman GPRH1000 we’re starting to lean into more of a sports activity or outdoor exploration use scenario and less of a get up and go daily watch, that is unless you have really big wrists with a size above 7.5 inches. I say this because the Rangeman is slightly less comfortable and convenient on my smaller wrist.
The GPRH1000 is certainly bulky and heavier on my wrist, and does not slip under a coat sleeve as seamlessly as desired, but it makes up for that with sheer heft in build quality – which is really the moto of this watch. The Rangemaster line is built to withstand some of the toughest drops, hits, and exposures to extreme environments like mud and extreme cold. It absolutely lives up to its name in these categories – so if you’re looking for a survival wilderness watch, or a super duty bugout watch – look not further, this is the one.
The materials used to contrust this watch are really the same throughout all of the G-Shock line, which is heavy use of durable resin. It feels nice to the touch, rubbery but firm and inspires confidence that you could theoretically air-drop this watch down the side of a rocky cliff and still have it fully functional at the bottom.
Despite the large size it does wear relatively comfortable due to the use of the flexible and soft rubber strap and the very smooth plastic like material on the caseback. Some deep thought has gone into the wearability of the GPRH1000, and I would love to have it on wrist during any kind of camping or serious outdoor excursion.
Functions
Functionally speaking the GPRH1000 has it all, even a high-def LCD dial (more screenlike) which is not found on the lower end range of G-Shock. The dial is very clean and crisp and super easy to read with the huge font chosen. One really great standout feature of this watch is the full on GPS signal which is much different than the Atomic Time on other G-Shock watches. The only issue with the GPS function is that its reliant on the watch having full battery power via the included charging cable. It does have solar power “assist” which will keep the watch going for quite some time so it’s not a huge issue. In comparison to the Atomic Clock feature though, the GPS signal won’t last nearly as long – but the GPS signal is more useful anyways.
Since this watch is reliant on charging via the included proprietary cable it’s also powerful enough to connect to your Smartphone. This aspect feels a little weird to me, almost like we’re venturing into smart watch territory. The GPRH1000 is labelled as fully shock resistant which is quite apparent from the get-go, it also has 20-bar of water resistance, and it has a barometric pressure meter and altitude gauge. This was is also listed as being specifically “mud resistant” even though it’s not from the Mudmaster range.
Final Thoughts
This is a very tough do anything watch. It can be worn as a simple daily beater, or it can have a very specific tool use as a outdoor rescue watch, or even military watch if you choose a more subdued color. While it may not be optimal on small wrists, I still think it’s very wearable on my wrist but with more of a functional utilitarian use in mind. The features are also really advanced and useful in many scenarios, and I look forward to seeing where this one lands in my watch collection rotation.
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