Are Casio G-Shock Watches Waterproof Or Water Resistant?

The short answer is:

• Yes, all G-Shock watches are waterproof.

More precisely, what this means is:

• All G-Shocks are water-resistant up to a depth of 200m (660ft).

This water resistance is enough for anything you might want to do with your watch:

• Swimming
• Diving
• Surfing
• Etc.

Because even if you are a recreational diver, you won't go deeper than ~70m (230 ft.)... ever.

In fact, most of the diving instructors I know dive with a G-Shock strapped right next to their dive computer. It's their backup in case their dive computer fails.

And it's not the professional G-Shock Frogman that they're wearing either, but mostly cheaper G-Shock models (G-Shock DW9052 and G-Shock DW-5600 are especially popular).

P.S. Check out our fresh buyer's guide on The 28 Best G-Shock Watches for sale today. We reviewed a whopping 28 models for the guide and explained every G-Shock feature in an easy-to-understand way. Click the blue link and take a look!

G-Shock models with tide & moon graph are also popular among divers and surfers.

Popular G-Shocks

Casio G-Shock GA100 Military Series

A modern classic, GA-100 "stealth" series sports a rugged masculine appearance with its XL case, analog-digital time display, and a variety of features.

Click Here For Latest Price Casio G-Shock GG1000-1A5 Mudmaster

Meet the king of analog G-Shocks - the GG-1000 Mudmaster. Features include an extra-rugged professoinal construction & twin sensor (compass, thermometer).

Click Here For Latest Price

In this article, we're going to take a closer look at how G-Shock's "water resistance" works, and how Casio has managed to achieve its WR20Bar water resistance.

• Casio's G-Shock Waterproof Test
• Waterproof or Water-Resistant?
• More Depth = More Water Pressure
• Waterproofing F.A.Q.

Ready? Let's get started...

Solar Atomic Picks

Casio G-Shock GWM5610-1 Solar Atomic

This G-Shock square is the smallest Solar Atomic watch you can get that comes with self-charging battery and auto time sync.

Click Here For Latest Price Casio G-Shock GW6900-1 Solar Atomic

G-Shock GW6900-1 is a classic model that has been given a new life with Tough Solar battery and Atomic Time features.

Click Here For Latest Price

Casio's G-Shock WaterproofTest

The Casio G-Shock was originally designed around the 'Triple Ten' criteria: A G-Shock should survive a 10-meter fall, be water-resistant up to 10 bars (100 meters/ 330 ft.) and have 10-year battery life.

But Casio exceeded their own expectations, and G-Shock has always had 20 bars of water resistance instead of 10 bars as they were originally planning.

Casio loves sharing all of the abuse that they put G-Shocks through. Click play below to see the G-Shock being gradually submerged to 200m in depth with a pressure gauge:

Besides divers, G-Shock watches are also the #1 watch pick for military and police officers because of their near-indestructibility in all conditions, including being submerged. They're a great kids' watch for that exact reason, too.

Is G-Shock Waterproof or Water-Resistant? (WR20Bar)

• Waterproof means being impervious to water - like a piece of rubber, for example.
• Water-resistant means being able to resist the penetration of water to some degree - but not 100%.

All watches including G-Shocks are water resistant - not waterproof. That's because they only "resist" water up to a certain depth - usually 50, 100, and 200 meters. A watch can't be waterproof because...

More Depth = More Pressure

The deeper you go, the more water pressure there is in the water. To explain it in other words, all the water that's above is pushing down on the water that's below. The deeper you go, the more water you have pushing down on you.

And since you're diving with your G-Shock, all that water pressure is also pushing down on the case of the watch. Which is why the case of the watch needs to be tough. Only professional dive watches have 200m water resistance.

G-Shock Water Resistance Chart

3 ATM, 30m, 100ft, WR3bar

Suitable for everyday use. Will withstand accidental splashes but not suitable for swimming.

5 ATM, 50m, 165ft, WR5bar

Suitable for everyday use and bathing but not suitable for swimming.

10 ATM, 100m, 330ft, WR10bar

Suitable for everyday use and swimming and snorkeling but NOT suitable for high board diving or sub-aqua diving.

20 ATM, 200m, 660ft, WR20bar

Suitable for all high impact water sports and scuba diving at depths not requiring helium gas. At these depths, it is recommended to purchase a professional watch.

20 - 50 ATM, 200 - 500m

Suitable for all high impact water sports, scuba diving and saturation diving.

100 ATM, 1000m

Suitable for deep-sea diving and intergalactic travels.

See More Waterproof G-Shocks On Amazon

F.A.Q.

Are All Casio G-Shock Watches Waterproof?

Yes, all Casio G-Shock watches are waterproof. To be specific they're water-resistant to 200 meters, but that's as close as a watch can come to being waterproof. That's because its impossible to go deeper than 70m as a recreational diver.

This goes for both basic budget models (e.g. DW-9052, GD-350, or the squares) as well as the more expensive Twin Sensor and Triple Sensor G-Shock watches that come with compass and thermometer features (e.g. Mudman, Mudmaster, Frogman, etc.).

There is always that baseline level of quality that you're getting with every G-Shock, no matter the model. This is in contrast with some of G-Shock's competitors - Pro Trek, for example, generally has only 100 meters of water resistance.

Both Tough Solar and non-solar G-Shock watches are equally water-resistant, as well as smaller and bigger G-Shock models.

Is G-Shock Saltwater / Seawater resistant?

G-Shocks can handle saltwater fine - just remember to wash your G-Shock watch after taking a swim in the ocean. The saltwater will be a problem if you don't rinse your watch properly after exposure. But even then, it will take you years until you'll start seeing any sort of corrosion on the metal - if even that.

Think about it - there are surfers and divers using their G-Shocks in saltwater daily. And the watches are holding up just fine - I couldn't find a single complaint online.

Changing G-Shock Battery & Waterproofing

Be careful when changing the battery on your G-Shock. If you don't seal the caseback correctly, your watch will lose its waterproofness. If you're in doubt, let a professional do it for you.

Can You Press G-Shock Buttons Underwater?

It's safe to press G-Shock buttons underwater, as you won't be going anywhere near the maximum depth range. Your G-Shock is made to withstand that kind of pressure and it's a common myth that you can't press G-Shock buttons underwater.

What Is The Meaning Of WR20Bar on a G-Shock?

WR20bar means that the G-Shock is resistant to water under pressure up to 20 bar. A Bar is a metric unit of pressure that equals to 10m or 33ft in depth.

• WR20Bar = WR 200m = WR 660ft

Are Casio Baby G Watches Waterproof?

While all G-Shocks are water-resistant to 200m, some Baby-G watches will only resist 100m. That's still enough water resistance for diving, even though it is only 50% of a G-Shock. There are many Baby-G watches that will resist the water to 100m as well.

P.S. Check out our fresh buyer's guide on the best G-Shock watches for sale today. We reviewed a whopping 28 models for the guide and explained every G-Shock feature in an easy-to-understand way. Click the blue link and take a look!

Sources:

• Casio Watertightness Technology
• G-Shock Technology