As an obsessive watch wearer, who does not take it easy on watches (wear it 24-7, rock climb & take care of 2 kids under 3yrs old who pull at my watch), I have wanted a "baby G" for about 5 or 6 years now.In the past I've typically worn a Timex Ironman & Triathlon.While I've never had problems with the actual timekeeping components, i can't make it more than 9-12 months on a watch band.I was hoping that perhaps since G-shocks 'thing' is it's indestructable..ness...it would carry over to the band as well. I've only had it a few weeks, so not sure how that will pan out.Seems quite sturdy.I was also pleasantly suprised to find that it doesn't look or feel as massively large on my wrist as I expected it to (though it is by far the largest watch I've ever owned).
My problems however are as follows & I suppose I should have "read the fine print" a bit more before buying...made too many 'assumptions' from being used to Timex.
1. The indiglo does not allow more than 3 seconds of light.This means that if I forget to set my alarm after I've gone to bed, I have to get up & turn on a light to do so.I realize this is to conserve battery power, but it has annoyed me more than I expected (see #3 to know why I would need to 'reset' my alarm regularly).
2. There is no 'countdown timer'!!How can this be?What kind of sports watch has only a chrono?A G-shock apparently.I use timers incessantly & this is the biggest issue I have & clearly should have checked to make sure before buying.
3. There is only one alarm option.This is also more annoying than I would have expected.I really got used to the option to be able to set 3 different alarms with my triathlon (morning alarm, "yogurt is done incubating" alarm, "time to get the kids up so you can get to the gym in time" alarm...the list goes on.I'm doing a million things at once & loose track of time easily).
4. This is not really a problem, but a thought I had so figured I'd share: the address 'book'?In the age of cell-phones...quite unnecessary.6yrs ago when I did not have a cell (I was a late adapter), I thought it was an incredibly cool feature.However,I have not even attempted to use it (it would take hours to set that up!).
5. Another feature I don't get is the 'day alarm' or whatever it's called.You can set a date (years in advance) for an alarm to go off which you can label.I suppose if i had trouble remembering my anniversary or something??
Overall, it works fine & looks great, but it does not have the functions I really need (again...sports watch!) & has a few that I really don't need (who needs their mom's phone # while jogging?).Perhaps it's just not marketed to a 29 year old mother of two trying to fit in workout schedules & feeding schedules & using a watch as cooking timer (so I can leave the house while bread is rising & not carry around an egg timer to remind me to get back home!).I'm guessing it's geared more toward highschool/early college gals who are not training for sports competition?I'm going to try to sell it on craigslist & go back to my beloved triathlon (& deal w/the "weak" bands).
***10/9/08 update:I never did get around to selling it & thus have been stuck with the things that annoy me.But thought i'd update on the resilency:It's been just over a year & i'm just as abusive to this watch as any other i've owned & all pieces are still completely intact & showing no signs of wear.However I must add that my husband apparently disagrees on the largness aspect.He thinks it's massive & is not a fan.;)hopefully this means i'll get a timex for christmas ***
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Casio Women's BG169-7V Baby-G Clear Jelly Shock Resistant Sports WatchProduct Description: Keep your most important contact information with you while jogging or mountain biking with this Casio Baby-G women's sport digital watch (model BG169-7V). It features a 20-page databank that allows you to store phone numbers and other valuable contact information (8 characters for name and 12 characters for telephone number). Delightfully stylish with a clear translucent jelly resin case and strap, this shock-resistant watch also offers a 1/100-second stopwatch (up to 24 hours), daily alarm, 12/14-hour formats, world time from 40 cities, and an hourly time signal. You can automatically count down the days from the current date to a target date with the five day counters (each featuring 8 input characters for identification). It will also stand up to the rigors of recreational scuba diving, with water resistance to 200 meters (660 feet). Other features include a scratch-resistant mineral crystal, AfterGlow LED electro-luminescent backlight, and accuracy to +/- 15 seconds per month.
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I received this today and was a little shocked by the wide white brightness of the band. It looks somewhat opaque blue in the picture, but is actually bright bright white as described. I guess it could be changed if my vanity overcomes me. On the other hand, it took 2 seconds to figure the multitude of cool gadgets out and THE coolest thing is seeing the hands of the watch turn by themselves when you select which city you live in. So fun! 
