Have you bought a new Casio G-Shock solar watch and the screen does not work or the handles do not move? Have you had a Casio with solar charge stored for a long time and now it does not come back to life? What can happen to him?
You’ve probably had a good scare… especially if it’s a watch you just bought. But it has an easy solution most of the time. You’re just going to have to put your Casio in the sun for a while, how long? It will depend a lot on the model and technology of your battery.
The time interval for a Casio G-Shock Tough Solar to work again varies from a few minutes to several days (usually a 24-hour charge between indirect sunlight and direct sunlight is sufficient).
The screen will gradually come back to life, and in the case of analog clocks, the hands will start to move.
Casio G-Shock solar-charged watches can be in the dark for up to 24 months without a problem: they start up again as if nothing happened.
- 5 months on rechargeable batteries (normal operating time without exposure to light after full charge)
- 24 months on rechargeable batteries (operating time when stored in total darkness, with the power save function, activated after full charge)
It is important to discuss in detail the case of analog clocks.
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How do you know a Casio solar analog watch is low on battery?
If you are looking for the module number of your Casio, in the solar charging section it will tell you what the symptoms of low battery charge and dead battery are:
- Low Battery: The second-hand moves at two-second intervals.
- Dead battery: All hands and date stop.
But not only do they stop, but they also stop at 12:00… all the hands… So you probably found your Casio watch when you took it out of the box.
And the interesting thing about the subject is that a few minutes after putting it in the sun, the second handle should have passed to the 57-second position by turning counterclockwise. What does this indicate? That your Casio watch is charging. That’s good news.
Now you should only wait a certain time for the watch to recover all its functions: the time will depend on the exposure to sunlight and your watch model. They are also indicated in the manuals. In the case of the 5544 module that corresponds to the Casio G-Shock MTG-B1000 (the one in the image):
Required charging time for 1 day of use :
Light level (lux) Approximate charging time
50,000 (Sunny day, outdoor) 8 minutes
10,000 (Sunny day, window) 30 minutes
5,000 (Cloudy day, near a window) 48 minutes
500 (Fluorescent lighting, interior) 8 hours
- FACT! On the screen, you can usually see the indication of the charge level (when the watch starts working): L, M, H (Low, Medium, High). This data refers to the time required for the watch to be able to function from day to day with a daily solar charge.
Initially charging the watch is relatively easy. Going from the Medium to High level is more complicated and can take anywhere from several weeks to a month depending on the light you expose the watch to and the capacity of its battery.
The charge of the solar battery also depends on the model and its functionalities: in models such as the Casio G-Shock GMW-B5000D-1ER, the solar charge time can be much longer since the rechargeable battery is larger (it has Bluetooth and thus spends much more energy).
On the next page, you have many examples of how long each module takes: The standard of charge. But the best thing is that you look in the manual of the watch online. You look at the back of the clock for the module number and put it in the search engine.
You May Also Be Interested In the Best Casio G-Shock Tough Solar Watches
Another important thing to keep in mind is how long the watch has been in the dark. It is not the same that your Casio G-Shock solar has spent 1 day or a couple of weeks in the dark than 1 full year.
The battery recovery time will change. In the worst case, you may need to charge your G-Shock for 24 hours or even a little longer.
And what if your Casio G-Shock Solar is many years old?
According to Casio: What are the normal duration of the solar cell and the rechargeable battery? Normally, the solar cell and the rechargeable battery should last as long as the watch.
The answer is not very helpful. According to internet forums, the approximate duration of the new generation Casio solar batteries is about 20 years, and the old ones are between 15 and 20 years. If at this time your watch does not respond, it may be time to change the battery.
The rechargeable battery of a solar-powered Casio G-Shock can last perfectly between 10 and 15 years without the need to make any changes … if you have been careful to put them in the sun every so often to keep the battery in good health.
More questions and answers about Casio watches with Tough Solar technology
Via: Casio.
- RECOVER or RECOV (blinking or static) on the clock display: If the RECOVER/RECOV indicator appears frequently, the battery is low. The watch must be exposed to direct light for it to charge.
- Do not charge the watch in places where it can produce a lot of heat, such as inside a car in summer, near an incandescent light or another source of intense heat, etc…
- The watch screen is blank: You have to put the watch in a place where it is exposed to light. If the characters on the screen do not reappear or the CHARGE indicator starts flashing on the screen after five seconds, the battery is low. The buttons will not be active until the CHARGE indicator stops flashing on the display.
Do you want to know how the Tough Solar technology of Casio watches works?
A good way to know a few things about these watches is on the Casio Tough Solar website.
Basically, the solar panel on the front of the watch (the shape may vary depending on the model) is used to collect energy from the sun or from a fluorescent light (less efficient) and then transfers it to a rechargeable battery inside. of the watch, which is the one that supplies the energy to all the functions of the watch.
That is why many times, even if you put a Casio watch in the sun, it does not mean that the watch starts working correctly immediately. If the battery is very low, it will have to reach a minimum charge to start working, and sometimes it can take up to 24 hours or more.
Conclusion: How to Revive a Solar Casio G-Shock
The truth is that it depends a lot on where you come from.
Vintage Casio G-Shock watch
If it is more than 10-15 years old… you may have to change the battery, but before doing so leave it in the sun for at least 24 hours to see if it comes back to life.
Casio G-Shock watch new or a few years old
In all likelihood, he has spent a lot of time in the dark. Depending on how long it has been in the dark, your Casio watch will take more or less time to work again.
- If you have been in the dark for a short time, your watch should start working in a few minutes.
- If it has been for a long time (months), you may need it to charge at least 24 hours.
You have to keep in mind that charging in full sunlight (direct sunlight) is not the same as in indirect light or under a light in your house. It will also depend a lot on the time of year. In summer the sunlight is more “powerful” than in winter. It also depends on the time of day: you better put it to charge at noon.
moral. If you’ve left your Casio G-Shock charging with solar charging in broad daylight for 24 hours or more and the buttons still don’t work or the screen won’t turn on (or the handles stay still)… chances are you need to take your watch to the technical service.