The 9 Best Atomic Watches

For a G-Shock that can go with a jacket, the Casio G-Shock MT-G MTG-M900DA-8 pairs a resin case with a steel bezel and bracelet, yet keeps the shock resistance and 200-meter water rating. It sets itself from radio time signals around the world, and solar power keeps it running for months in the dark. The big digits read at a glance. It's heavy, though, and the bracelet runs large until links come out.

Fans of the original square G-Shock get the same look, plus solar power and self-setting time, in the Casio G-Shock GW-M5610U-1B. It's light on the wrist, rated to 200 meters, and a full charge can last close to two years in power-saving mode. This version has a reverse display, light digits on a dark background, which can be hard to read. The plain GW-M5610U-1 flips that and is Casio's regular U.S. model.

Pilots and fans of a dial full of tools get plenty from the Citizen Promaster Skyhawk A-T, an analog watch with two digital windows that sets itself from radio signals in the U.S., Germany, China and Japan. It runs on Citizen's solar movement and adds a stopwatch, a self-correcting calendar, two alarms and a slide-rule bezel for flight math. A five-year warranty backs it. The busy face can be slow to read, and the time-zone setup can be confusing.

Made for hiking and camping, the Casio Pro Trek PRW-3500 adds a compass, an altimeter, a barometer and a thermometer to self-setting radio time, with a steel bezel marked with compass points. Casio rates a full charge for about seven months of normal use, the display stays readable in bright sun, and it holds up to years of daily wear. It's water resistant to 200 meters, but it runs large on smaller wrists.

Dress-watch buyers who hate a heavy wrist should look at the Citizen Eco-Drive PCAT, a titanium chronograph with a black bezel and a sapphire crystal that feels light for its size. It sets itself by radio, keeps a calendar that never needs fixing, shows how much solar charge is left, and adds an alarm and world time for 24 cities. Setting it up takes some patience, and the instructions are hard to follow.

If you want watch hands plus self-setting radio time on a budget, the Casio G-Shock AWG-M100B-1A delivers both, with solar power and two small windows for the date and other functions. It picks up the time signal quickly and holds up to hard work. The all-black look is the catch: the black hands are hard to see against the black dial, and the backlight favors the digital windows over the hands. It also runs a little small.

Anglers and surfers like the Casio G-Shock GW-7900B-1 for the tide graph and moon phase it adds to self-setting radio time. Big buttons are easy to press with gloves on, it's rated to 200 meters, and solar power keeps it going. It's tough and good value. The dark display is the weak spot, since it's hard to read, especially in low light, and the case is thick. Stock comes and goes.

Built for mud, cold and rough country, the Casio G-Shock Rangeman GW-9400-1B carries a compass, altimeter, barometer and thermometer, is rated to 200 meters and for use well below freezing. It sets itself by radio and runs on solar power. Its record for holding up is one of the strongest of any G-Shock, and aBlogtoWatch called it the best G-Shock when it came out. This all-black version's display can be hard to read, and the case is big and thick.

Easy reading is the point of the Casio Wave Ceptor WVA-M630D-7, a plain steel analog watch with a white dial, black numerals and a small digital window. It's solar powered, sets itself by radio, and changes for daylight saving time on its own. The slim case suits smaller wrists. It's a Japanese-market model sold by importers, though, so Casio's U.S. warranty may not cover it, and stock has been thin.