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John Hawley has kindly allowed me to share this video which I made to convey an issue that has arisen with this historically important and very beautiful watch. It is only viewable to members of this website.
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The desire for a new watch is perfectly understandable; folks like new stuff! It’s just the way it is. Whether or not it is the right way to go when dropping $7K on a watch is ultimately only something the person buying the watch can make a judgement on. What is certain however is that it is not the only option. In my work as a watchmaker I routinely service Vintage Rolex watches and I am constantly struck by just how functional and resilient these pieces are.
The ubiquitous Submariner has been through an interesting evolution in terms of both movement and subtle styling on the case. The transition to high beat (28,800 vph) was fundamental in terms of its power pack improvement and the 3135 movement which as I write this in September 2019 still powers the latest models is a very business like engine. The 3035 movement is also highly functional and the 1500 movements still hold their own very nicely.
So, with the internal technology then there is a compelling argument that this evolution has seen steady and demonstrable improvement. The criteria for measuring this is reasonably objective and hence contention is low on this issue. However, when we consider the concurrent evolution in case design the same lack of contention is missing. There is no raging agreement that Rolex has got the styling of its current submariner range case ‘right’. Such judgements are of course much more subjective and with Rolex stoking demand by constricting the pipeline to the Authorised Dealers effective analysis of sales based on true ‘consumer taste’ is tricky. There is a feeling that the modern watches are in demand because they are hard to get not because of some fabulous intrinsic design triumph.
This dissatisfaction with the modern styling is something quite commonly voiced and the look of a watch is of course very important. There is a feeling maybe that the design of the earlier models, the Rolex 16610, Rolex 16613 (probably the best vintage Rolex in my view of them all) The answer to all this aggravating nonsense with waiting lists to me seems pretty obvious … do not buy new!
The answer to all this aggravating nonsense with waiting lists to me seems pretty obvious … do not buy new!
Buying a vintage piece is in the current climate not a bad option at all.
This article compliments the video I made for my YouTube channel on this watch. So if you would like a really good look at this vintage Rolex in action then take a look ….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRq87jJ0BuU
The advantages and disadvantages of buying a vintage Rolex are …
Like a lot of good things in life this review of a Casio G-Shock Carbon Core Guard Watch was the result of an opportunity seized rather than outcome of any careful planning. It all started on a recent trip to London during which my daughter announced an urgent need for Puma training shoes which could apparently be best procured from the Puma store on Carnaby Street. When we arrived there I was delighted to see that right next door was a bright little shop which, as made clear to all the world from the sign above its very clean window, was dedicated to the sale of Casio G-Shock watches. My daughter and her mum when off to peruse the offerings by Puma and I scuttled into the Casio G-Shock shop like a kid into a sweet shop.
Now quartz watches are not normally my thing and the watches that were lit up around the store were all pretty funky quartz watches and thus quite different to my area of specialization which is mechanical watches (particularly automatic wristwatches and vintage pocket watches).
I decided, for the record (and for my YouTube channel), to make a video of this work and much of what is contained within this article you can also see in detail by watching this.
The exact model of the watch tested in this review was …
CASIO G-SHOCK CARBON CORE GUARD – GA 2000 1A9ER
You can checkout the latest price of this watch at both my UK Amazon Store and my US Amazon Store
As always for this to be a genuinely helpful review I was determined that it should be as scientific and dispassionate as possible. The plan I came up with was a simple one. Firstly, as soon as I took it out of the box, I would test the watch’s waterproofing to 50 meters in the pressure testing tank. After that I would do a detailed inspection of the watch. Finally using the information gathered and in knowledge of the attractive price tag I would judge its value for money.
I used my normal scoring system with the following criteria which were to be scored as follows.
The watch would judged in three main categories, both scored from 0 to 10
I also do a quick run through what I see as the strengths and weaknesses of the watch
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