In Review: G-Shock Move GBD200

I think that, even if you’re not into watches, you’re aware of the G-Shock line, and quite likely had one on your wrist some point (even if it was back when you were a kid). There’s no denying how tough their watches are, and they tend to embrace technology in those robust packages. One of the latest to grace my wrist is the G-Shock Move GBD200.

That’s right, this is part of their Move line (which we introduced you to here), which means there’s a focus on fitness and, well, movement. While that prior review was a watch that was VERY focused on tracking your workouts as you’re on the go, I’d say that the G-Shock Move GBD200 is more for the casual fitness tracking. I mean, yes, it will track your steps and calculate a caloric burn, but it’s not going to be keeping an eye on your heart rate and map your run route.

That means that we’re getting into the subject of who this watch is for, something we normally reserve more for the end of the article. I think the target is those who just want some sort of casual step tracking to see how they’re doing throughout the day, but don’t necessarily want to strap an obvious step tracker to their wrist. You know, perhaps for your teen who’s outgrown wearing their kid-oriented Fitbit, or even an adult who wants it to just look like they’re wearing a regular watch, with those additional benefits.

Then again, if you’re looking for just a basic digital watch that looks a lot like this, you could save some money (by stripping out the fitness tracking specific stuff) with a watch like this one. Still, in the wider range of the digital G-Shocks, the $150 price tag for the G-Shock Move GBD200 is really rather in-line with the rest of the range. And hey, if you’re going for a digital watch, why not get all the functionality you can?

To get that data off of the G-Shock Move GBD200, you’ll be syncing it to the G-Shock Move app on your phone, which means you’ve got a bluetooth radio in the case. This is of the low-energy variety, and it’s not trying to send notifications to your wrist from the phone. Which means this is NOT a watch you’re charging every other day; the standard coin cell in it should last you about two years.

The other thing the app will help you with is remembering how to utilize the functions of the watch, as well as getting it set up and configured. The more I’ve interacted with the various Casio smart phone apps (and yeah, they’re segmented by sub-brand for marketing purposes as far as I can tell), I’ve really come to appreciate them as an extension of the watch. Rather than diving into a small book with it’s tiny print to remember how to do something, I’ve got my phone screen telling me what to do. A+ upgrade in my book, and one of the very few reasons I’d want a watch talking with my phone.

If you like the classic G-Shock look, you’ll no doubt be a fan of the G-Shock Move GBD200. This looks like those that have come before it, along with all the technical upgrades we get these days. Which also includes that robust shock protection in a case that is really surprisingly thin. Whatever you’re doing to quantify your days during the week, I think the G-Shock Move GBD200 fits in very cleanly for weekend and days-off wear, especially if you’re getting into scenarios that are a little more rough-and-tumble. While the exact version we’ve reviewed here is out of stock from G-Shock (we do see it at Amazon), there is a newer colorway in-stock that you can see right over at gschock.com.