I finally found a smartwatch for people who actually hate smartwatches

Being a tech journalist and analog watch enthusiast takes a bit of creativity.

Even though I loved the smartwatch concept and early iterations in the 1980s and 1990s, the modern-day variants don’t do much for me. They can almost be assaults on the senses.

And while I finally found uses for my Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra that feel less intrusive, I’m always looking for a better solution.

Wear OS devices aren’t my go-to for wristwear, but I sometimes want the benefits of a smartwatch, without feeling like I’m wearing one.

Thankfully, Casio has an answer.

When I originally reviewed the G-Shock Move DW-H5600, I liked it — but it’s slowly becoming the watch I want on my wrist more often. Here’s why.

All the benefits of a smartwatch without the aesthetic

I bought a Casio to wear a Casio

I love that Casio didn’t strip the G-Shock essence from the DW-H5600. It’s a vintage G-Shock and will feel right at home on the wrist of every 5600 fan.

Sure, it’s a little thicker than its quartz brethren, but the trade-off is worth it, and I picked up a range of health and fitness sensors.

Too often, I see companies that make analog watches attempt to make a smartwatch, and aside from a splash screen at startup, I have no idea who made the watch (I’m looking at you, Fossil).

Casio focused on making a solid G-Shock first, then worried about how it functions as a smartwatch, and it shows.

It also lives up to the G-Shock legacy, with 200m of water resistance and a durable build.

The mineral crystal is recessed to help prevent damage, and the band is stiff towards the lugs, adding shock absorption in case of a fall.

I’m usually more delicate with expensive smartwatches, but I don’t need to take the same precautions with the DW-H5600.

I don’t find the G-Shock DW-H5600 form factor limiting

I get everything I need in a smartwatch

The DW-H5600 features an MIP LCD screen. It’s high-contrast and power-efficient, essentially a significantly improved version of what we’re used to on typical quartz watches. It’s ideal for the DW-H5600, but it is limiting.

This G-Shock isn’t a watch you buy if you want Google Maps on your wrist, and I can’t use it to respond to WhatsApp messages.

Still, I don’t feel limited.

The DW-H5600 includes an impressive array of health and fitness sensors.

In addition to the standard heart rate monitoring, it also includes a blood oxygen sensor. It’ll track workouts and give a readout of your daily activity right on the watch.

I may not be able to respond to messages, but I still get notifications through my G-Shock.

Casio included some standard features found in other G-Shock watches. I get a stopwatch and timer, as well as a world time function.

I appreciate that Casio lets me view a log of my activities for the week on the watch, since the Casio Watch app leaves much to be desired.

You can port data into Strava, but Google Fit is not supported. That’s not a dealbreaker for me, but it’s worth noting if you rely on third-party apps to analyze your fitness data.

The DW-H5600 has more advantages than disadvantages

Battery life is a significant plus

Not having a fancy OLED screen and high-powered chipset has its advantages.

The battery life on the DW-H5600 is outstanding. I can easily make it last a full month on a single charge, and the solar cells recharge as I wear it.

You can also plug the watch into its proprietary charger for a faster top-off, but you won’t worry about battery life much.

I love all these smartwatches with sleep-tracking capabilities, but they don’t have the battery life to be useful.

If I constantly have to charge my smartwatch by nightfall, how am I supposed to wear it to bed?

Even though the Galaxy Watch Ultra can get me through a second day, I still have to find time to charge it if I want to sleep with it on.

I don’t have those worries with the DW-H5600. I like a watch that lets me use all its functions properly, and superior battery life means I can wear it nightly to track my sleep.

It’s not perfect, but for a watch enthusiast, it feels like home

If you want a full smartwatch experience, with apps and Wear OS functionality, the DW-H5600 isn’t for you.

However, if you’re an enthusiast like me, who doesn’t love the idea of wearing a computer on their wrist but still wants health and fitness trackers, the G-Shock Move is an ideal choice.