Casio W-735H-1AV
G-Shock Looks, With a Vibration Twist
Why I Bought It
Sometimes it's one particular feature that makes a watch stand out.
With my Casio W-735H-1AV, there were two.
First was the white LED illumination. So many Casio digitals use yellow, amber or orange lighting that the cleaner white illumination immediately appealed to me.
Then there was the vibration alarm.
Put those features into a chunky resin Casio that looks as though it could quite easily have G-Shock written across the front and I was sold.
Looks Like a G-Shock - But Isn't One
The resemblance is difficult to ignore.
The W-735H has a large resin case, chunky protective styling, oversized pushers and the sort of purposeful appearance normally associated with Casio's G-Shock range.
But it isn't a G-Shock.
There is no G-Shock shock-resistant construction being claimed here, and I don't think the watch needs it to justify itself.
What you get instead is a tough-looking, practical Casio digital with 100-metre water resistance, a 10-year battery and a useful set of everyday functions.
It gives me plenty of the visual character I like about a G-Shock without pretending to be one.
Module 3416
Inside the W-735H is module 3416.
It's a straightforward module to use, but there are some genuinely useful features hiding behind that large display: Dual Time, a 24-hour countdown timer, 1/100-second stopwatch, daily alarm, hourly signal and the vibration alert system.
That's exactly the sort of feature set I like in an everyday Casio.
Enough to be useful without turning the watch into a menu-driven nightmare.
The Vibration Alarm
The vibration function is probably the feature that gives the W-735H its real personality.
When vibration mode is enabled, alerts can be felt on the wrist rather than relying solely on the traditional Casio beep.
It can be used for the daily alarm, hourly time signal, countdown timer completion and the stopwatch's Auto-Start countdown.
That's useful for more than novelty value.
In a noisy environment, a vibration can be easier to notice than a small watch alarm. At the other end of the scale, if you want an alert without broadcasting a series of beeps to everybody around you, vibration makes much more sense.
It's one of those functions you don't necessarily think you need until you've got a watch that offers it.
White Super Illuminator
Then there's the other reason I bought it.
That white light.
Casio calls the backlight Super Illuminator, and on this model the LED colour is specifically white.
It's a small thing, but I really like it.
The usual amber and yellow Casio lights have plenty of character, but the white illumination gives the W-735H a cleaner, more modern appearance in the dark.
The light stays on for around two seconds and includes afterglow.
Combined with the large LCD, nighttime readability is excellent.
Vibration alert and white illumination?
For me, that's a win-win.
A Big, Clear Display
The W-735H isn't subtle.
The case measures roughly 51.4 x 47.1 x 16.1 mm, and Casio has used that size to give the watch a large, easy-to-read LCD.
The main time display is clear, while the day and date information is easy to pick out at a glance.
I like information-packed Casios, but sometimes there's a lot to be said for a watch that simply gives everything plenty of room.
This does exactly that.
Surprisingly Light
Despite the chunky dimensions, the W-735H weighs only around 50 grams.
That's the advantage of resin construction.
It looks like a substantial sports watch, but it doesn't feel like a lump on the wrist.
For something designed as a practical everyday digital, that's important.
Big enough to be easy to read.
Light enough to forget about once it's on.
A Proper Stopwatch
The stopwatch measures in 1/100-second increments and runs all the way to 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59.99 seconds.
You get elapsed-time measurement, split timing and first/second-place timing.
There's also a five-second Auto-Start countdown.
Enable Auto-Start, start the stopwatch and the watch counts down before timing begins.
And because the vibration system can be used during that countdown, it's another function where module 3416 does something slightly different from a basic Casio digital.
24-Hour Countdown Timer
There's also a countdown timer with a maximum range of 24 hours.
The start time can be set with useful flexibility, making it suitable for everything from short reminders to much longer countdowns.
And once again, the vibration alert can be used when the countdown reaches zero.
For me, that's where the vibration system earns its place.
It isn't just attached to the alarm as a gimmick. Casio integrated it across several of the watch's timing functions.
Dual Time
Dual Time gives you a second independently set time display.
It's simple compared with the multi-city World Time systems found on more expensive Casios, but for most everyday situations it does exactly what's needed.
If you regularly need to keep track of one other time zone, you don't necessarily need 48 cities and a world map on the display.
Sometimes two times are enough.
Ten-Year Battery
The W-735H uses a CR2032, with Casio quoting approximately 10 years of battery life under its standard usage conditions.
I always like seeing that specification.
A vibration motor and bright white LED aren't exactly the least demanding features you can put into a watch, yet Casio still designed the W-735H around a decade-long battery life.
Fit a decent battery, close the case properly and potentially don't think about it again for years.
100 Metres of Water Resistance
Casio rates the W-735H to 100 metres of water resistance when new.
That suits the watch perfectly.
This isn't a delicate digital designed to spend its life avoiding water. The whole thing looks and feels like a practical sports watch.
As with any older or used watch, I wouldn't blindly assume the original rating remains intact without knowing the condition of the seals or having it pressure tested.
But as an original specification, 100 metres is exactly what I want on this style of Casio.
Why It Works for Me
I didn't buy the W-735H because it was rare.
I didn't buy it because I wanted another restoration project.
I bought it because there were specific things about the watch that I liked.
The chunky styling caught my attention.
The vibration alarm made it more interesting.
And the white LED illumination sealed the deal.
That's enough.
Not every watch needs an elaborate backstory.
Sometimes you look through Casio's enormous catalogue, spot a combination of features you like and think:
Yep. I want that one.
The Casio Collector Verdict
The Casio W-735H-1AV is another watch that proves you don't need G-Shock written on the dial to get a chunky, practical Casio.
Yes, it looks like one.
No, it isn't one.
But that's not why I bought it anyway.
I bought the W-735H because I liked two particular features: the vibration alert and the white Super Illuminator LED.
Having owned it, I think both were good reasons.
The vibration alert is genuinely useful, especially because Casio integrates it with the alarm, hourly signal, countdown timer and stopwatch Auto-Start function.
Then the white illumination gives the display a completely different character from the amber and yellow lighting found on many other Casios.
Add 100-metre water resistance, a 10-year battery, Dual Time, a 24-hour countdown timer and a 1/100-second stopwatch and there's plenty of substance behind the chunky styling.
It looks tough.
It's practical.
It's inexpensive to run.
And it vibrates on your wrist instead of annoying everybody else with a beep when you want it to.
What's not to like?
G-Shock looks, with a vibration twist.
That sums it up nicely.
Specifications
Model: Casio W-735H-1AV
Module: 3416
Movement: Quartz digital
Display: LCD
Case/bezel: Resin
Band: Resin
Glass: Resin glass
Dimensions: 51.4 x 47.1 x 16.1 mm
Weight: 50 g
Water resistance: 100 metres
Battery: CR2032
Approximate battery life: 10 years
Accuracy: +/-30 seconds per month
Dual Time: Yes
Stopwatch: 1/100 second
Stopwatch capacity: 23:59'59.99
Stopwatch modes: Elapsed time, split time and first/second-place times
Stopwatch Auto-Start: 5-second countdown
Countdown timer: Up to 24 hours
Alarm: Daily alarm
Hourly time signal: Yes
Vibration alert: Daily alarm, hourly signal, timer completion and stopwatch Auto-Start countdown
Backlight: Super Illuminator LED with afterglow
LED colour: White
Calendar: Full auto-calendar to 2099
Time format: 12/24 hour
Reason I bought it: White LED illumination and vibration alarm
G-Shock: Nope. Fooled you again.
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