The Japanese electronics giant and the NYC-based lifestyle brand have teamed together to introduce a co-branded Casio G-Shock X Alife G5500AL-1 model. With its styling reminiscent of the crazy 80s and a relatively low price, the new collaboration makes it tempting to grab a credit card and make the purchase. Must. Resist. Now.
Overall Impression
I am a bit surprised to see such an inexpensive timekeeper being used as a base model for a limited-edition fashion product: these sorts of things are usually produced by hundreds of thousands to keep costs low.
However, given the fact that Alife is a fairly affordable brand either that targets young customers that often prefer cheaper clothing to longer-lasting ones, the choice is more than adequate. The fact that electronic hardware that powers this thing and Asian labor is now cheap enough to make even relatively inexpensive products produce enough added value to justify the effort, probably also helps.
Also, with its sort of “vintage” vibe (if you are young enough to call vintage products that were all the rage back in the early 1980s), the G-Shock X Alife will probably be popular among hipsters nicely complementing their tastes in clothing and accessories.
The Case
Measuring approximately 45.5 by 46 millimeters in length and width and also being more than 13.5 mm thick, this is by no means a small timepiece.
Yet, thanks to its relatively short lugs and its incredibly low weight of fewer than 55 grams, you will often forget that you actually have an oversized electronic gadget on your wrist and that is not always good. So if you don’t practice self-awareness techniques on a regular basis, there is a good chance that once in a while, you will smash this timekeeper against a wall or, say, your car’s door. Beware.
Dial
The new Casio G-Shock X Alife G5500AL-1 packs in its tough little body almost a dozen of useful functions, including a world time display with 48 preprogrammed cities; four daily alarms; a 1/100th of a second stopwatch; a countdown timer; and, of course, their signature Tough Solar Power self-charging technology.
The information is displayed in an easy-to-grasp way on a highly-contrasting monochrome LCD display that features a comfortable backlighting system allowing for good readability in darkness.
Movement
The features come courtesy of Casio’s relatively new G-Shock 3160 Module. While being a relatively inexpensive job with fairly average specifications, this is still a reliable and accurate piece of hardware given the timekeeper’s relatively low price.
Sure, one would appreciate seeing more of Alife’s presence here rather than a simple logo printed on the thick rubber strap, but you can’t expect that much from a “lifestyle” gadget that retails for only $130, can you?
See also: Casio Pathfinder PAG240-1, PAG240B-2 and PAG240T-7 introduced
Photos: Casio
Casio G-Shock X Alife G5500AL-1 specification
Price: $130 (MSRP)
Movement: G-Shock 3160 Module, electronic, Made in Japan
Functions: World Time (29TZ/48 Cities), 4 Daily Alarms, and 1 Snooze Alarm, 1/100th Sec. Stopwatch, Countdown Timer, Mute Function, 12/24 Hr. Formats, Battery Power Indicator, and Power Saving Function
Power reserve: A couple of years
Case: Plastic
Shape: Rectangular
Dimensions: 45.40 mm x 46.20 mm
Case height: 13.60 mm
Dial: Reverse LCD screen
Numerals: Arabic
Water resistance: 200 meters
Strap: Black rubber
Crystal: Mineral
Back: Solid