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 Spec-sheet researched, not worn by us
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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.
Stock photoBest for a decade of GPS without a charger
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar (50mm)
Solar GPS8.7/10Sunrise, sunset, civil twilight and moon from GPS position; unlimited with solar.
Check price · Amazon#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Garmin Instinct 3 Solar (50mm)
Stock photoBest for a decade without a charger
G-Shock Rangeman GW-9400
Solar, no charger8.7/10Sunrise/sunset with selectable date, barometer graph, solar, atomic, 200 m.
Check price · Amazon#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to G-Shock Rangeman GW-9400
- Stock photo
Best for deer season
G-Shock Mudman GW-9500
Solar, no charger8.2/10The same sunrise/sunset in a thinner case.
Check price · Amazon#ad · Price set by Amazon · 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.
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
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)
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.