G-Shock Unveils New Watches Aimed at Surfers at a Low Price with App Integration

G-Shock has unveiled three all new watches with surfers in mind. Now, unless you’re a surfer (and I’m most certainly not), you might not be aware of what a “surf watch” really entails. You’d expect water resistance (these are good to 200 meters) and a certain robustness, but there are a bunch of other features and design characteristics that appeal directly to surfers, and G-Shock has created a watch especially for them. Let’s check out these newly updated G-LIDE models.

G-Shock G-LIDE

• Case Material: Resin
• Dial: MIP LCD
• Dimensions: 50.9 x 46.0 x 14.7mm       
• Water Resistance: 200 meters
• Crown: n/a                       
• Strap/bracelet: Resin
• Price: $160
• Reference Number: GBX100-2, GBX100-7, GBX100-1
• Expected Release: July

Surfers, it should come as no surprise, need to always be armed with data on tides. The GBX100 lineup is capable of displaying high and low tide times and tide levels, and when used with the G-Shock Move app, the watch is capable of tracking steps, enabling tide point location mapping at 3,000 locations across the world, and integrating with your own fitness training plans. Even if surfing is not your sport, there are plenty of features here that athletes can make use of. 

In terms of aesthetics and design, the big news here is the display. Watches in the GBX100 series use a new high resolution Memory in Pixel (MIP) LCD display. The display is sharper, higher contrast, and more detailed than a standard G-Shock display. The idea is that surfers and athletes should be able to see all the information they need at a glance on the new G-LIDE, using a combination of text and symbols rendered in high resolution. 

Being a G-Shock, the new G-Lides are plenty robust. The cases are resin but feature metallic bezels for added strength, rigidity, and durability. The urethane strap is built for comfort with water sports in mind, and includes slits throughout for the water and sweat drainage. In addition to the specialty features meant for surfers, the new GBX100 watches include the standard suite of G-Shock features, which means you’ll have a stopwatch and countdown timer, multiple alarms, and a full calendar. 

While this is certainly a cool and affordable G-Shock (the retail price is $160), I think it’s worth noting that perhaps the most interesting angle on this watch is the continued expansion of timepieces that make use of G-Shock’s connected smartphone apps. The surfing features are nice, but ultimately a novelty for most. But I have a feeling most buyers will be able to squeeze quite a bit out of the watch’s “smart” features, and G-Shock seems to clearly be on a path where integrating these features into as many watches as possible (across even lower price points) is a priority. 

The new watches in the GBX100 line will begin rolling out this month. G-Shock