This watch was not high on my wish list when it came out. Infact, I was one of the few people to point out the glaring issue that this thing has which is the LCD screen having a black area because it does not fit the faceplate properly. But then again, the QC with Casio's modules in their entry level watches seem to include more lemons these days as we also saw with the WS-1700H.
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The watch has a retro-futuristic look to it
While this watch was not something I was going to get, an opportunity came up for an exchange with a DW-280 that I had laying around and the rest is history.
Honestly speaking, even when I bemoaned about that black area in the top left of the screen, it is something easy to forget once you start using this watch. As the big time and calendar display might be an indication, this watch focuses on readability first and on fancy animations, second. When you glance at this watch to see the time, you will easily get the desire information. The top gobbledygook is easily forgotten.
The same can't be said for its supposed predecessor though, the AE-1300.
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I've never liked the waste of screen real estate and the AE-1300 personifies that quite well. Half of the faceplate is occupied with text and counters that the user does not even need. When you glance at this watch, this all sticks out to you like an ugly duckling first and the time is secondary thing you see. Another point going against this watch is the thin display for the time as well as the tiny space allocated for the calendar data. Although the AE-1200, the sister watch to this one is even worse in displaying calendar data, the nostalgia surrounding that watch because of the visual similarities to the Seiko G-757 saved it from much criticism and elevated it to a cult classic status. Something which can't be said about the AE-1300.
Casio is known to repackage their watches. But not every repackage goes according to plan. The WS-1600H is however, is a masterclass in how repackaging is done right. By focusing on legibility and minimizing the crap that was taking half the faceplate, Casio turned an obscure, less known watch into a sales success. You will find more people talking about the WS-1600H than the AE-1300 and even showcasing the popular mods done to the ever more popular AE-1200.
While the internet would have you believe that the WS-1600H is a repackage of the AE-1300, thats just the tip of the iceberg. When you get to the test screen of this watch, things start to get a little interesting.
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The module number displayed here, actually traces back to another obscure G-Shock from the mid-2000s. A quick google search traces the module number back to this gem here.
![Image]()
Thats the DW-56RT referee timer G-Shock, circa 2006. An obscure square that not many people know about because of its limited time on the market as well as limited availability. The internals of both the AE-1300 and WS-1600H actually come from the G-Shock of old. But that should not come as a surprise as unique modules are uncommon for Casio which is understandable given the affordable nature of their timepieces. Afterall, the AE-1200 also does not have a unique module of its own but shares it with many world timers as well as some G-Shocks in the Xtra large series. Its just cool to discover the intricacies and the extent of how much the internals of one Casio are being utilized across other models.
Back to the cons of this watch, its not the features that bother me unlike the reviewers have said, I actually like a digital watch to have as much features it can get, its actually how the main time is displayed in the other modes of the watch. Its only useful when the watch is in 24-hour time display. For the 12-hour time display, you have no idea whether its morning or evening. This is true if you have the watch in world time mode to use as a dual timer, you have to make that estimation every single time in that mode. This oversight, although a minor one (as it only involved printing a small "P" on the top row of the segmented display and having it activate in the afternoon hours) contains major implications. The fact that this quirk has been there for almost 20 years without any real effort put into fixing it, makes it all the more frustrating.
![Image]()
For me, the two cons do not outweigh the pros of this watch. I owned a DW-56RT a few years ago and its good to reacquaint myself with its cheaper derivative once again. The good backlight, excellent legibility of the time, the twin-graph-II esque style graphs on top of the display occupying lesser space than before as well as the focus on timers make this a great watch. The easily availability for replacement parts and the fact that the parts made for the AE-1200 by the modding community can also fit this one makes it a plus for me to see what is possible to make this one better, because honestly I do not like acrylic crystals all that much in daily use.
As the title of this review puts it, the referee G-Shock lives on, albeit more accessible than ever but on the downside, carrying the few defects from the last time we saw it, and then some.
The watch has a retro-futuristic look to it
While this watch was not something I was going to get, an opportunity came up for an exchange with a DW-280 that I had laying around and the rest is history.
Honestly speaking, even when I bemoaned about that black area in the top left of the screen, it is something easy to forget once you start using this watch. As the big time and calendar display might be an indication, this watch focuses on readability first and on fancy animations, second. When you glance at this watch to see the time, you will easily get the desire information. The top gobbledygook is easily forgotten.
The same can't be said for its supposed predecessor though, the AE-1300.
I've never liked the waste of screen real estate and the AE-1300 personifies that quite well. Half of the faceplate is occupied with text and counters that the user does not even need. When you glance at this watch, this all sticks out to you like an ugly duckling first and the time is secondary thing you see. Another point going against this watch is the thin display for the time as well as the tiny space allocated for the calendar data. Although the AE-1200, the sister watch to this one is even worse in displaying calendar data, the nostalgia surrounding that watch because of the visual similarities to the Seiko G-757 saved it from much criticism and elevated it to a cult classic status. Something which can't be said about the AE-1300.
Casio is known to repackage their watches. But not every repackage goes according to plan. The WS-1600H is however, is a masterclass in how repackaging is done right. By focusing on legibility and minimizing the crap that was taking half the faceplate, Casio turned an obscure, less known watch into a sales success. You will find more people talking about the WS-1600H than the AE-1300 and even showcasing the popular mods done to the ever more popular AE-1200.
While the internet would have you believe that the WS-1600H is a repackage of the AE-1300, thats just the tip of the iceberg. When you get to the test screen of this watch, things start to get a little interesting.
The module number displayed here, actually traces back to another obscure G-Shock from the mid-2000s. A quick google search traces the module number back to this gem here.
Thats the DW-56RT referee timer G-Shock, circa 2006. An obscure square that not many people know about because of its limited time on the market as well as limited availability. The internals of both the AE-1300 and WS-1600H actually come from the G-Shock of old. But that should not come as a surprise as unique modules are uncommon for Casio which is understandable given the affordable nature of their timepieces. Afterall, the AE-1200 also does not have a unique module of its own but shares it with many world timers as well as some G-Shocks in the Xtra large series. Its just cool to discover the intricacies and the extent of how much the internals of one Casio are being utilized across other models.
Back to the cons of this watch, its not the features that bother me unlike the reviewers have said, I actually like a digital watch to have as much features it can get, its actually how the main time is displayed in the other modes of the watch. Its only useful when the watch is in 24-hour time display. For the 12-hour time display, you have no idea whether its morning or evening. This is true if you have the watch in world time mode to use as a dual timer, you have to make that estimation every single time in that mode. This oversight, although a minor one (as it only involved printing a small "P" on the top row of the segmented display and having it activate in the afternoon hours) contains major implications. The fact that this quirk has been there for almost 20 years without any real effort put into fixing it, makes it all the more frustrating.
For me, the two cons do not outweigh the pros of this watch. I owned a DW-56RT a few years ago and its good to reacquaint myself with its cheaper derivative once again. The good backlight, excellent legibility of the time, the twin-graph-II esque style graphs on top of the display occupying lesser space than before as well as the focus on timers make this a great watch. The easily availability for replacement parts and the fact that the parts made for the AE-1200 by the modding community can also fit this one makes it a plus for me to see what is possible to make this one better, because honestly I do not like acrylic crystals all that much in daily use.
As the title of this review puts it, the referee G-Shock lives on, albeit more accessible than ever but on the downside, carrying the few defects from the last time we saw it, and then some.
