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Super_653
The Chinese, a great bunch of lads altogether.
This is the mod kit in question I ordered (silver set): https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001201086844.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.6bba4c4diVy2s2
This is what arrived. Well packaged, celebrating 35th anniversary of the Smithing company. Interesting but completely meaningless. The package has a surprising heft to it.
Inside reveals quick release spring bars, three in total so you've got a spare if needed. There are also four new flathead screws that will secure the case to the carbon core, with two spares. These are about twice as big as the phillips head screws that secure the factory case.
Underneath more foam, everything else. Tools included are a phillips head for removing the existing case screws and two flatheads, the larger blue one for fixing the new screws into the case and the smaller red one for removing bracelet links. The flathead screwdrivers are comically bad but do the job fine and actually make it hard to bork anything as it's difficult to get any meaningful purchase.
Case and bracelet come shrink wrapped. The finishing is a mixture of brushed and polished, the coarseness of the brushing matches on the case and bracelet. The Royal Oak style bolts in the bezel are pretty convincingly sunk in.
The bracelet is fully brushed with a polished chamfer. Overall, I can't find fault with the finish. The case is heavy but the bracelet is a piss take, so be ready for that. It's as if the designers correlated weight with quality.
The clasp is the weak point. It's fine. It doesn't feel flimsy but it could be more reassuring. You fold one side over first and then the other which has a cover bit with "Shock Resist" on it that looks like it might interact with the release system but doesn't. You will fold it wrong at first at least 20 times.
There are no instructions. Soon clear why. If it takes you longer than ten minutes to fit this from start to finish, you're a ham fisted moron. Bracelet link removal is flathead screw pins, deployed well. Link removal affirms overall bracelet quality.
It's heavy as fuck (149g with the mod kit vs 51g standard) to the point that it may be problematic for some. It feels very sturdy. Just as comfortable as the factory configuration from the 8ish hours I've been romping around with it on but without the "sticky" feeling I've gotten from the rubber strap previously. The new case does considerably increase the overall size and profile compared to the original plastic case and that's important to note. I was in dangerous territory size-wise with the original format and so now I'm to-ing and fro-ing as to whether this is now too big for my wrist. Will give it a few days.
It would be helpful if I had experience with some of the factory metal cased G-Shocks to compare as a benchmark but I don't unfortunately. But I'm very happy overall so far. File it under "absolutely worth a punt".
I have already put a tiny ding in the bezel at 10 o'clock. Cos of the uniform design I can take the case and rotate it 180 degrees where it'll be a bit less noticeable maybe at 4 o'clock. You can also buy the case and bracelet separately, which is handy.