G-Shock & Pro Trek / Review
G-Shock Mudman GW-9500 review: the Rangeman's feature list in a case you can wear under a cuff
Casio put its Pro Trek-style duplex display, the triple sensor, sunrise/sunset and Tough Solar into a Mudman 3.4 mm thinner than the Rangeman. Reviewed from the module 3553 operation guide.
By Mike M.Updated Spec-sheet researched, not worn by us
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The verdict
The watch and its alternatives
Stock photoThe watch under review
G-Shock Mudman GW-9500
Solar, no charger8.2 /10Tough Solar (~6 months dark), Multi-Band 6, triple sensor, sunrise/sunset, duplex LCD, 200 m, mud-resistant, 81 g, 14.8 mm. Score below.
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- Stock photo
Alternative: the original
G-Shock Rangeman GW-9400
Solar, no charger8.7 /10Two more months of stated battery, cold rating, 12 g heavier, 3.4 mm thicker.
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Verdict and score
What it is built for
The same job as the Rangeman (a solar, radio-set, sealed sensor watch that never asks for a charger) for the person who tried a Rangeman on and took it off. At 56.7 × 52.7 × 14.8 mm and 81 g, per the spec sheet, it is thinner than a Pro Trek PRW-61 with a G-Shock's 200 m and mud-resistant buttons. The hunting rankings call it the treestand pick for that reason; see best G-Shock for hunting.
The duplex LCD
Casio's Pro Trek line has used a two-layer LCD that draws graphical pointers over the digits; the GW-9500 brings it to the G-Shock line. The practical effect is a compass you read like a needle and a barometer trend you read like a gauge, without switching modes. Casio's guide lists a high-brightness LED with Full Auto Light, Super Illuminator and an afterglow setting of 1.5 or 3 seconds; leave Full Auto Light off in a stand.
Power and sensors, from the guide
"Solar panel and one rechargeable battery." Approximately 6 months of operation under Casio's listed conditions (1.5 seconds of illumination and 10 seconds of beeper daily, 20 compass operations a month and the rest). Altimeter -700 to 10,000 m, barometer 260 to 1,100 hPa, thermometer -10 to 60°C, compass 0 to 359°, sunrise and sunset times with day selection, power saving and a battery level indicator. Multi-Band 6 and 200 m come from the spec sheet. Two months less stated battery than the Rangeman is the price of the slimmer module; on a wrist in daylight neither figure is ever reached.
Durability and what fails first
Carbon, resin and bio-based resin case and bezel, mineral crystal, 200 m, shock and mud resistant. The carbon reinforcement is the structural upgrade over the Rangeman's resin; the mineral crystal is the same soft spot.
Who should skip it
Anyone who wants the longest-proven Casio module and does not mind the thickness: the Rangeman GW-9400. Anyone who wants sapphire: the Mudmaster GWG-2000. Anyone who wants a track: a Garmin, per G-Shock vs Garmin Instinct.
In detail
Spec sheet and score
Stock photoThe watch under review
G-Shock Mudman GW-9500
Tough Solar (~6 months dark), Multi-Band 6, triple sensor, sunrise/sunset, duplex LCD, 200 m, mud-resistant, 81 g, 14.8 mm. Score below.
EvidenceResearched · not worn by us
| Power class | Solar, no charger. A solar cell that recharges from any light and never meets a charger. The rechargeable cell is a watchmaker-replaceable part. |
|---|---|
| Battery (cell) | Approximately 6 months with no light (Casio's stated usage conditions) |
| Power | Solar panel and one rechargeable battery |
| Glass | Mineral |
| Bezel & case | Carbon, resin and bio-based resin |
| Water rating | 200 meters; shock resistant; mud resistant |
| Sensors | Digital compass, altimeter, barometer, thermometer; sunrise/sunset times |
| Weight | 81 g |
| Size | 56.7 × 52.7 × 14.8 mm |
How the 8.2 score breaks down
- Battery & power independence (25%)
- 9
- Durability of materials (25%)
- 7
- Serviceability & lifespan (20%)
- 9
- Field usability (15%)
- 7
- Value per decade (10%)
- 9
- Mission fit (5%)
- 9
What the spec sheet supports
- 3.4 mm thinner and 12 g lighter than the Rangeman GW-9400 by the published figures.
- Mud-resistant buttons and a carbon-reinforced case.
- Sunrise/sunset and a barometer graph for reading weather in a stand.
Where it falls short
- Six months of stated dark-running versus the Rangeman's eight.
- Mineral crystal.
Skip this if…
…you want the longest-proven G-Shock module; the Rangeman has a decade more history behind it.
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Stock photoAlternative: the original
G-Shock Rangeman GW-9400
Two more months of stated battery, cold rating, 12 g heavier, 3.4 mm thicker.
EvidenceResearched · not worn by us
| Power class | Solar, no charger. A solar cell that recharges from any light and never meets a charger. The rechargeable cell is a watchmaker-replaceable part. |
|---|---|
| Battery (cell) | Approximately 8 months from full charge to Level 4 with no light (Casio's stated usage conditions) |
| Power | Solar panel and one rechargeable battery (Tough Solar) |
| Glass | Mineral crystal |
| Water rating | 200 meters |
| Sensors | Digital compass, barometer, altimeter, thermometer; sunrise/sunset; Multi-Band 6 time calibration (WWVB, DCF77, MSF, JJY, BPC) |
| Weight | 93 g |
| Size | 55.2 × 53.5 × 18.2 mm |
| Operating temp | Low-temperature resistance -10°C (14°F) |
How the 8.7 score breaks down
- Battery & power independence (25%)
- 10
- Durability of materials (25%)
- 7
- Serviceability & lifespan (20%)
- 10
- Field usability (15%)
- 7
- Value per decade (10%)
- 10
- Mission fit (5%)
- 8
What the spec sheet supports
- Solar and atomic: it sets itself from a radio signal and never sees a cable.
- A module that has been in production for over a decade; parts, straps and bezels are everywhere.
- Sunrise/sunset on the watch, the one hunting feature the Garmin Instinct does without a phone.
Where it falls short
- Mineral crystal, not sapphire; the Rangeman lives behind a raised bezel for a reason.
- No GPS, no maps, no heart rate. It tells you where north is, not where you are.
- Big and thick at 18.2 mm.
Skip this if…
…you want a track of where you walked; an ABC watch measures the world, it does not map it.
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How we scored this
Watches we claim to have worn or tested: 0
Plenty of sites say they took every watch up a mountain. We didn't, and we say so. What we do instead: read the maker's own battery table mode by mode, check what the lens and case are actually made of, note the water rating and whether a MIL-STD-810 claim exists, ask how long the maker keeps updating the line, and score every pick on a public rubric weighted for a decade of ownership. Every figure links to where it came from.
Scores are editorial judgments from that documented research, not test results. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick. The rubric and its weights are published.
Questions
Frequently asked
Is the G-Shock Mudman GW-9500 solar?
Yes. Casio's guide lists a solar panel and one rechargeable battery, rated about 6 months of operation under its usage conditions with no light.
Does the Mudman GW-9500 have sunrise and sunset?
Yes. Sunrise and sunset times with day selection are listed in Casio's module 3553 guide.
Mudman GW-9500 or Rangeman GW-9400?
Mudman for the wrist (81 g, 14.8 mm) and the duplex display; Rangeman for two more months of stated battery, a cold rating and a decade of production record. Same sensors, same solar, same radio time.
Keep reading
Related on Bezel & Bearing
Receipts
Sources
- Casio — Operation Guide, module 3553 (GW-9500 Mudman), Specifications (checked 2026-09-20)
- G-Central — G-Shock GW-9500 Mudman spec sheet (checked 2026-09-20)
- Casio — Operation Guide, module 3410 (GW-9400 Rangeman), Specifications (checked 2026-09-20)
- Pilot Mall — Casio G-Shock Rangeman GW9400-1 listing (case size, weight, water rating) (checked 2026-09-20)
We don't own or wear-test these watches and we don't pretend to. Battery, glass, case and water figures come from the maker's own owner's manuals, spec pages and press releases (linked on every product), and where a figure isn't published we say so. Prices are set by Amazon and change often, so we don't print them. Read the full method.