Hunting / Guide
Watches with sunrise, sunset and moon phase: which models actually show them, from the manuals
Legal shooting light is a sunrise table, and the phone has no signal in the bottom. Here is which watches show sunrise, sunset and the moon for your position, how each one knows where you are, and the picks.
By Mike M.Updated Researched from the maker's manuals and spec sheets
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Our top pick
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar (50mm)
The GPS watch that can stop meeting a charger: Garmin rates it unlimited in smartwatch mode and 260 hours of GPS with solar, on a 10 ATM, MIL-STD-810 case with a flashlight.
#ad · Price as of November 12, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Garmin Instinct 3 Solar (50mm)
Quick picks
Compared at a glance
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garmin Instinct 3 Solar (50mm) The GPS watch that can stop meeting a charger: Garmin rates it unlimited in smartwatch mode and 260 hours of GPS with solar, on a 10 ATM, MIL-STD-810 case with a flashlight. | Best for a decade of GPS without a chargerSolar GPS | 9.8 /10 | |
| 2 |  G-Shock Rangeman GW-9400 The buy-it-for-life ABC watch: Tough Solar, radio-set time, compass, barometer, altimeter, thermometer and sunrise/sunset in a 200 m mud-resistant case, on sale since 2013 with no charger in the box. | Best for a decade without a chargerSolar, no charger | 9.8 /10 | |
| 3 |  G-Shock Mudman GW-9500 The 2023 Mudman: a slimmer, lighter Tough Solar triple-sensor G-Shock with a duplex LCD that draws compass and pressure pointers, and the same sunrise/sunset data hunters buy the Rangeman for. | Best for deer seasonSolar, no charger | 9.6 /10 |
#ad · Prices come live from Amazon, last checked November 12, 2026. Scores are ours, built from the makers' manuals, battery tables and spec pages. Product photos come from Amazon; anything still on a stock frame is labelled on its card. Tap a row for the full write-up.
Who shows what, from the manuals
| Watch | Sunrise / sunset | Twilight | Moon | Document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garmin Instinct 3 (Solar, AMOLED, Tactical) | Yes | Civil twilight | Moonrise, moonset, phase | Instinct 3 Solar manual, Glances |
| Garmin fenix 8, Enduro 3, tactix 8 | Garmin's glance system; documented here for the Instinct 3 | — | — | Releases do not itemize glances |
| G-Shock Rangeman GW-9400 | Yes, selectable date | Not listed | Not listed | Casio module 3410 guide |
| G-Shock Mudman GW-9500 | Yes, with day selection | Not listed | Not listed | Casio module 3553 guide |
| G-Shock Mudmaster GWG-2000 | Not on the specifications page we read | — | — | Casio module 5678 guide |
| Pro Trek PRW-61 | Not on the specifications page we read | — | — | Casio module 5673 guide |
We only credit what the document lists. If a model is missing from your search, check its operation guide; Casio's are on support.casio.com by module number and Garmin's are on its manuals site by model.
How each watch knows where you are
Sunrise vs legal light
Legal shooting hours are set by each state from sunrise and sunset, commonly a half-hour before and after, and some states use different offsets or civil twilight. The watch gives you the astronomical time; you apply your state's rule. Garmin's civil twilight glance is a convenience for states that use it; on a Casio, add the offset yourself. Neither watch is a substitute for the regulation booklet.
Moon phase: who has it
Among the watches we rank, only Garmin's manual lists a moon glance (moonrise, moonset and phase from GPS position). Casio's guides for the Rangeman, Mudman, Mudmaster and Pro Trek do not list a moon function, and we do not credit one. Whether the moon moves deer is a debate we will stay out of; if you want the data on the wrist, it is the Garmin.
The picks
Our picks for this
Legal light on the wrist
One with GPS-computed sun and moon; two with sunrise/sunset from coordinates you set and no charger.
Best for a decade of GPS without a charger
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar (50mm)
Solar GPS9.8/10Sunrise, sunset, civil twilight and moon from GPS position; unlimited with solar.
$399.99Amazon#ad · Price as of November 12, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Garmin Instinct 3 Solar (50mm)
Best for a decade without a charger
G-Shock Rangeman GW-9400
Solar, no charger9.8/10Sunrise/sunset with selectable date, barometer graph, solar, atomic, 200 m.
$329.99Amazon#ad · Price as of November 12, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to G-Shock Rangeman GW-9400
Best for deer season
G-Shock Mudman GW-9500
Solar, no charger9.6/10The same sunrise/sunset in a thinner case.
$347.00Amazon#ad · Price as of November 12, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to G-Shock Mudman GW-9500
The stand-specific ranking is best watch for deer hunting; the wider field is best hunting watches.
The bottom line
Our recommendation
Buy this one
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar (50mm)
The GPS watch that can stop meeting a charger: Garmin rates it unlimited in smartwatch mode and 260 hours of GPS with solar, on a 10 ATM, MIL-STD-810 case with a flashlight.
#ad · Price as of November 12, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Garmin Instinct 3 Solar (50mm)
How we scored this
What we checked to build this ranking
Every pick here is researched against the documents that decide whether a watch lasts: the maker's own battery table read mode by mode, what the lens and case are actually made of, the water rating, whether a MIL-STD-810 line is on the record and in whose words, and how long the maker keeps updating the line. Each one is then scored on a public rubric weighted for a decade of ownership, and every figure links to where it came from.
That is why the order on this page is worth following: it is built from specs you can open yourself, and commissions never set a score or decide a pick. The rubric and its weights are published.
Questions
Frequently asked
Does the Garmin Instinct show sunrise and sunset?
Yes. The Instinct 3 manual lists a Sunrise & Sunset glance that displays sunrise, sunset and civil twilight times, and a Moon Phase glance with moonrise and moonset based on GPS position.
Which G-Shock has sunrise and sunset?
Casio's guides list sunrise/sunset display on the Rangeman GW-9400 (module 3410) and the Mudman GW-9500 (module 3553). Check the guide for other modules; the Mudmaster GWG-2000 page we read does not list it.
Does any G-Shock show moon phase?
Not among the models we rank; Casio's guides for the Rangeman, Mudman, Mudmaster and Pro Trek do not list a moon function.
Keep reading
Related on Bezel & Bearing
Receipts
Sources
- Garmin — Instinct 3 Solar Series Owner's Manual, Glances (sunrise/sunset, moon phase, ABC) (checked 2026-09-20)
- Casio — Operation Guide, module 3410 (GW-9400 Rangeman), Specifications (checked 2026-09-20)
- Casio — Operation Guide, module 3553 (GW-9500 Mudman), Specifications (checked 2026-09-20)
- Casio — Operation Guide, module 5678 (GWG-2000 Mudmaster), Specifications (checked 2026-09-20)
- Casio — Operation Guide, module 5673 (Pro Trek PRW-61), Specifications (checked 2026-09-20)
Battery, glass, case and water figures come from the maker's own owner's manuals, spec pages and press releases, linked on every product so you can open the page they came from. Prices are set by Amazon and change often, so each buy button takes you to the current one. Read the full method.