A bit faster than I expected Casio has now finally debuted its first Bluetooth connected watch. The Casio G-Shock Bluetooth is designed for use with upcoming Bluetooth profile 4.0 mobile phones that are said to be coming soon (a few might already be around). As Bluetooth 4.0 is designated as a “low energy profile,” this watch will retain a 2 year battery life on a single CR2032 battery. So what does it do? In a nutshell the Casio G-Shock Bluetooth with wireless sync with your phone’s time, and help you manage incoming alerts as well as work with your phone’s alarms.

When Casio first introduced its plans to release a Bluetooth connected watch I wrote about it here with a lot of editorial. Not too much has changed in terms of function, but now we know exactly what the watch will look like and the precise features that it has. Style wise this is a pretty standard G-Shock. Glossy black with blue trim, being 53.2mm which and 18.2mm thick – not one of Casio’s smaller pieces. Though at 65 grams it won’t be heavy. The dial and layout of the info hasn’t changed since the concept version of the watch.

The watch dial contains the basic info most G-Shock users are accustomed to. The watch will of course have the time, calendar, alarms, stopwatch, and other host of digital features that Casio always offers. Though like I said, the time will sync via Bluetooth with the connected mobile device. This is ensure accuracy (as the phone is network updated) and to ensure that no matter where you travel, the watch time is correct. This should be an improvement over this function in Casio atomic time controlled watches that can be a bit finicky.

How else will the watch interact with your phone? First of all Casio says that you’ll get an alert on your watch of incoming calls and text messages. I am not sure if this means that called IDs and address book information will sync as well. By just tapping the watch itself you can silence the phone from ringing or vibrating. Also note that this G-Shock vibrates in addition to chiming so that you can have silent notifications on your wrist. That is a great feature. Last, if you lose your phone (within Bluetooth range) you will be able to press a button on the watch to make it ring so that you can find it.

According to Casio the watch will also sync with your phone’s alarm. I believe this function is similar to being able to silence incoming calls. Where by tapping a button on the watch you can silence incoming alerts and alarms. Casio keeps it simple but useful for its first Bluetooth watch. The affordability and durability of the G-Shock collection makes total sense for this product, and I think there will be a wide adoption among gadget, phone, and watch lovers alike. Expect this technology in more Casio watch soon – especially as more Bluetooth profile 4.0 watches come to market. Because really, if you are in a meeting so important that you need to covertly silence your phone, you don’t always want to be wearing a G-Shock sport watch. My best guess on pricing is in the $150 – $200 range. According to Casio, they will release the watch as soon as phone companies start releasing Bluetooth profile 4.0 equipped phones.

Technical details from Casio:

Ref: GB-6900
Case:Shock-resistant
Water Resistance: 20 Bar
Size of Case: 53.2 — 50.0 — 18.3 mm
Total Weight: Approx. 65 g

Communication Specifications
– Data Transfer Rate: 1 Mbps
– Signal Strength: 0 dBm (1mW)
– Signal Range: 2—5 m (may differ depending on surrounding conditions)
– Encryption Method: 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)

Communication Functions
– Time Correction: The watch can be synchronized with time information transmitted from a smart phone
– Incoming Call, E-mail and SMS Alert: The watch alerts users of incoming calls and e-mail and SMS messages sent to a smart phone
– Finder Function: Alarm and vibration functions of a smart phone can be activated using a watch button

Watch Functions
– Alarm: 5 independent daily alarms; hourly time signal; vibration function
– Stopwatch: 1/100-second; measuring capacity: 23:59’59.99?; split time
– Countdown Timer: Measuring unit: 1 second; input range: 1 minute to 24 hours
– World Time: 100 cities (35 time zones, daylight saving on/off) and Coordinated Universal Time
– Light: LED backlight (auto light switch and afterglow, Super Illuminator)
– Other: Full auto-calendar, 12/24-hour format; sleep mode

Power Source: CR2032
Battery Life: Approx. 2 years (assuming the communication function is used for 12 hours per day)