As a watch enthusiast, my relationship with smartwatches has always been complicated. As a child of the 80s and 90s, there was nothing cooler than the idea of having a computer on my wrist, but I missed the versatility that watches offered. It’s a shame that smartwatches have become regular glass dials on our wrists, lacking the charm of their analogue predecessors.
Casio is looking to change that with the G-Shock Move DWH5600. It’s Casio’s signature model number for a unique hybrid watch from Casio that offers premium features with an analog look and feel. If you’re not a fan of wearing smartwatches but can’t live without the health data they provide, the DWH5600 should be your next watch.
G-Shock Move DWH5600 Watch
Featuring a resin case and water resistance up to 200 meters, the G-Shock Move DWH5600 combines the features of a hybrid smartwatch with a classic design. It looks like a classic 5600 but is capable of monitoring heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and workouts. The watch’s battery lasts for over a month, with a combination of wired and solar charging.
- Classic G-Shock design
- Great battery life
- Incredibly readable screen
- Smartphone app is weak
- recessed buttons
Price and availability
The Casio DWH5600 is available through Casio and Amazon for $300. Like many watches in the G-Shock lineup, Casio offers the 5600 in a variety of colors, giving you a personal touch on your wrist.
What are the good features of the G-Shock Move DWH5600?
Classic design with health tracking features.
I love that Casio kept the classic G-Shock design for the DWH5600. It has a silhouette that any fan of the series will instantly recognize. Unlike the Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition I reviewed, Casio hasn’t ditched the G-Shock design elements we love just to add some smartwatch functionality. If you gave me the DWH5600 and told me it was another 5600 quartz watch with a passive display, I wouldn’t question it, which is something I can’t say about many smartwatches.
It’s also important that Casio maintains the durability we’ve come to expect from the G-Shock name, with water resistance up to 200 meters. Additionally, the mineral crystal that protects the display is recessed, reducing the chance of accidental scratches. And while you can technically replace the band on the 5600, it’s not easy without adapters and a little know-how.
It’s not that Casio doesn’t want you to accessorize it; the band is part of the G-Shock’s shock absorption system. If the watch is dropped, the band acts as a spring, protecting the sensors and the stainless steel back. It’s an all-resin design, but it’s durable—you’ll never suspect you’re wearing a real G-Shock on your wrist.
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I spend more time designing a smartwatch than I normally would. However, this is an important point to stress – the DWH5600 looks like a regular G-Shock, making it ideal for those who hate being limited by the choice between wearing a heritage watch and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Casio has nailed the backlighting on the DWH5600. It’s a pure white backlight that does a great job of evenly illuminating the display. I’m not usually a fan of passive displays, but the viewing angles on the 5600 are amazing. I could tilt the watch nearly 170 degrees from the center and still read the time easily—perfect for cyclists or runners who need information at a glance. Even without a backlight, the Memory in Pixel LCD reflects minimal backlight, allowing for excellent readability in most conditions.
I refer to the DWH5600 as a smartwatch, but it’s actually a hybrid watch. It adds traditional smartwatch functionality to a classic digital watch design. And while you won’t find Wear OS or downloadable apps on your G-Shock Move, Casio does include the most important smartwatch features.
The DWH5600 can monitor your heart rate and blood oxygen levels. It also does a good job of recognizing when you start a workout and logging your activities. It can also track your sleep. A calendar widget gives you sunrise and sunset information, and smartphone notifications are also available for reading text messages or alerts. Scrolling through messages requires a few more button presses than on a traditional smartwatch, but the sacrifice is worth it.
Like other Casio digital watches, you can set a second time zone or use the stopwatch and timer functions. Overall, it’s a great experience. The DWH5600 is a smartwatch when I need it, but a digital wristwatch when I don’t. Battery life is also impressive. Without a color OLED display or complicated apps, the watch sips power. Plus, it features partial solar recharging, so the more time you spend outdoors, the less you have to worry about charging your Casio. I barely used 25% of the battery in over ten days of testing.
What’s bad about the G-Shock Move DWH5600?
The application needs work urgently.
While I enjoy the DWH5600, Casio needs to go back to the drawing board with the watch app. I own several G-Shock watches with tracking capabilities, and I’ve used at least three apps to control them—it’s a mess. Worse, if I go to put on another G-Shock and try to log into one of the other apps, it threatens to disconnect me.
The company should have a single app to handle all of its watches, whether they’re simple step trackers or full-blown smartwatches like the DWH5600. On top of that, the app is slow and lacking in features. While I can control most settings on my phone from the app, I’d like a way to chart data points for heart rate, sleep, blood oxygen, and exercise without the need for third-party software.
On the other hand, the DWH5600 can be easily connected to the Strava app, offering additional functionality for a price. Unfortunately, it doesn’t support Google Fit yet, but if you’re an iOS user, it’s possible to send data to Apple Health.
One part of the design that I don’t like are the buttons. I understand that the buttons are recessed on a regular G-Shock to avoid accidental pressing and to keep dirt and debris from getting into the case, but on the DWH5600, they make things difficult. Scrolling through the widgets requires multiple presses of the buttons, which can be difficult with the watch on your wrist. On a regular G-Shock, you don’t usually press buttons all day, but if you want to use the DWH5600 to its full potential, you’ll have to get used to the awkward button layout.
Should you buy it?
The G-Shock Move DWH5600 ticks a lot of boxes if you’re looking for a smartwatch that offers health tracking while still maintaining the classic Casio feel. While the design doesn’t lend itself to being a smartwatch, I like that Casio has stayed true to the G-Shock name and heritage.
It’s clearly not for everyone, nor should it be, but the DWH5600 does an excellent job of balancing the old with the new and giving us something more interesting on our wrists than any other generic glass watch.
G-Shock Move DWH5600 Watch
The G-Shock Move DWH5600 ticks many of the boxes for a smartwatch with its hybrid aesthetic while maintaining the classic look of the G-Shock 5000 series. If you’re allergic to regular smartwatches, the DWH5600 has a lot to offer, thanks to its rugged design and great battery life. Plus, solar charging will keep your Casio watch going for longer.
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