CASIO G-SHOCK DW-5600UHR-1DR STANDARD DIGITAL BLACK WATCH

What is the bi-colour band?

The band is moulded in two colours rather than printed or coated — black on the outer face, red on the inner face that sits against your wrist. Because the colour runs through the moulding rather than sitting on the surface, it is not a finish that can rub off. In wear the watch reads as all black; the red appears as a flash when you put it on or take it off.

What is the flash alert?

The backlight pulses in time with the buzzer for alarms, the hourly signal and the end of a countdown. It is useful in two opposite situations: somewhere loud, where you might not hear the beep, and somewhere you would rather catch a light than have attention drawn to you.

Is the battery really five years?

Casio specifies approximately five years on a CR2016 cell, helped by the fact that there is no analog movement drawing power. It is an approximate figure and heavy use of the backlight, stopwatch and alarms will shorten it, but in practice this is a watch you can wear for years without thinking about power. When it does run down, bring it to any City Chain outlet — having it changed by a service centre keeps the case seal correctly reseated, which protects the 200-metre rating.

How readable is it in the dark?

Through the Super Illuminator backlight, a white LED with an afterglow that keeps the display lit for a moment after you release the button. Worth setting expectations: Casio lists no luminous treatment for this reference, so it will not glow on its own — you press the button to read it at night.

Will it fit my wrist?

Casio lists a compatible band size of 145mm to 205mm, which covers most adult wrists. The square case is 48.9 × 42.8mm and 13.4mm thick at 53 grams — compact and light by G-SHOCK standards, which is a good part of why this shape has stayed in the range as long as it has. The resin band fastens through holes with no in-store sizing step.

Can I swim or snorkel with it?

Yes. 200-metre (20 BAR) water resistance covers swimming, snorkelling and surface water sports. It is not a scuba diving watch — the rating is a laboratory pressure measurement rather than a depth you should descend to — and you should not press the buttons while the watch is submerged.

What warranty does this watch come with?

The DW-5600UHR-1DR comes with Casio's official 1-year warranty when purchased from City Chain Singapore, an authorised Casio retailer.