My actual work watch
By Abby Turner, Melbourne ยท
I don't usually say what I wear because it sounds like a sales pitch. But this is it. The square G-Shock with solar and radio sync is the watch I'd be wearing if you walked into my ED right now.
Take everything good about the DW-5600E (shape, toughness, 200 m water resistance, resin case that doesn't care about sanitiser) and add two things that matter a lot to me. Solar means I'll never need a battery swap, it tops itself up under the ward lights. Radio controlled means it sets itself overnight when it can pick up a time signal, so it's always bang on. When I'm handing over and writing times on charts, I like knowing my watch agrees with the clock on the wall.
It's 46.7 mm wide and 12.2 mm thick, a bit slimmer than the DW-5600E. The display is the positive kind (dark digits on a light background), which I find quicker to read than the reverse versions. World time, alarm and stopwatch.
Honest gripes: the radio signal depends on where you live, and I've heard plenty of people say it barely syncs in some parts of the country. You can still set it by hand, it just loses the party trick. The strap is still that narrow 16 mm. And it's a bit plain, which I actually like.
US$130 to $150. If you're a nurse, paramedic or anyone with a messy job, just buy it.