Review of a borrowed watch that lead to a NWA

This process was stared a month or so ago via a post by @Deeperblue asking if anyone would WILLINGLY lend out a watch to a total stranger. 

@thekris graciously offered up his B5600 for a loan to any willing stranger no questions asked. He only requested that it be used, not destroyed, and sent back following a review. Challenge accepted.

I have owned and destroyed or given away many G-Shock watches over my lifetime of watchdom and they will always have a firm spot in my collection. My most recent was a larger Rangeman with negative display I purchased years ago to track temp and altitude when hiking in the UK. I was intrigued by the offering of a 5600 as this is one of the few models I haven't actually owned or worn for longer than a few seconds when trying on a friend's. 

I won't go over all of the specs as they're easily found online. The unique part of the watch lent to me is the blue metal case and bracelet mod. I normally stay away from color when it comes to my watches and this one is a screamer of shiny blue but I sized the bracelet and wore it anyway. 

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I wore it to work, around the house, in the pool, and even while carting fairly consistently for about a month. The more I wore it, the more I liked. The bracelet adds some weight but not enough to get in my way. I already have a negative display G-Shock so the display was familiar and setting the time and alarms, etc is a breeze with Bluetooth and the G-Shock app. 

Overall this was a pleasant surprise. I found that I really liked the metal case/bracelet and actually enjoyed the color as well. Not as versatile as black or grey, but still fun. I think that would be my general consensus of the this B5600 as well...fun. It's functional, looks cool, and overall fun to wear. This color also drew a lot of "hey what's that" and "that's a cool color" remarks at work too. 

Thanks to the @thekris, and partially to @Deeperblue for the idea, this watch was so enjoyable that I actually purchased on for myself shortly before sending it back. 

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Borrowing a stranger's watch was defiantly an eye opening experience. This platform has brought many of us together and I've really enjoyed the discussions, topics, sometimes arguments, and laughs with many of you so far. I would've never though about this sharing idea had it not been for the WC platform and community. 

Wearing this watch for an extended period of time, rather than just trying on in a store or at the bar, truly made me want this model for myself... and I think that's the point. Stan Parish wrote an article on Hodinkee early last month about giving away watches to see someone else get enjoyment out of it. In a sense, that was done here and translated to continued enjoyment of my own. 

Review of a borrowed watch that lead to a NWA

4.8
Yes No
4/5
5/5
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5/5
  • Cool factor
  • Comfort
  • Bluetooth
  • Legibility
Reply
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So glad you liked it!  And let me be the first to congratulate you on your new watch, it looks great.  Appreciate you taking me up on this offer, and giving the watch some use.  I don't know exactly what I expected, but I have to say I'm pleased with the results of the experiment.  Going forward, I think it would be cool if others tried this experiment, but understand that's quite a leap.

As you point out, this site brings people together, and I'm happy to be part of that.

Cheers.

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Thanks for the review ☺️ I got the red one, but the Blue 💙🤯💙 Wow

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mjosamannen

Thanks for the review ☺️ I got the red one, but the Blue 💙🤯💙 Wow

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Love it! This color is popping too. 

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Interesting concept and one that makes sense of course!  
Big element of trust, but happily we’ve got a trustworthy crowd at the ‘Cruch.

If trying out new watches for a few days results in needing to buy that watch -  I’d have to be very cautious about accepting that challenge 😬💸.  No AP reviews or RM reviews from me!