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Like a lot of watch lovers, I own more than a handful of G-Shocks, including every one of the Hodinkee releases dating back to before I ever joined the company. If I had to give a rough estimate, I own something like 11 or 12 – I'm honestly not sure how many. They often end up in dresser drawers and somehow multiply. My wishlist stretches about as long. A seemingly endless number of SKUs come out each year, each just different enough that something often supplants another G-Shock at the top of my brand-specific wishlist.
If I'm ever itching for a relatively affordable way to get my "new watch fix," I turn to the G-Shock list and cross one off. It's not like I need an excuse, but when G-Shock introduced two new full-metal options earlier this year – the GMB2100AD-2A and GMWB5000D-2 – it felt like the time was right for another G-Shock in the collection.
I've been jonesing for a full-metal G-Shock for a while now. For the last year or so, I've been looking on eBay at one I missed a while back, the GMWB5000TCF-2 in blue and grey camouflage titanium. It was a part of a trio of really cool watches, alongside the GMW-B5000TVB (copper/black camo) and GMW-B5000TCC-1 (with a circuit board pattern). Still, at around $1,800 each, they edged into "serious watch money" territory far more than the few hundred dollars I'd come to terms with spending for that "new watch fix." Even until now, I've avoided the $800 Mudmaster options – though that was partially because I could never decide which of the many variations I wanted. And that's fair. They are serious watches with serious specs. But the new GMB2100AD-2A and GMWB5000D-2 in steel at $550 felt right on the cusp of the premium G-Shock price I could mentally justify. The question was: which one would win out?
The G-Shock GA2100 1-A-1 or "CasiOak," the first G-Shock the author owned, photographed for a Value Proposition story in 2020.
By my recollection, it came to G-Shock: I was a "longtime fan, first-time caller" with the "CasiOak" – the ref. GA-2100. It seems weird, but I can't remember owning a G-Shock before that watch. The GA-2100 has become an icon in its own right and spawned story after story on its Value Proposition status and design bonafides. I'm also pretty sure it was the first watch I bought from the Hodinkee Shop in 2020 – all $99 of my hard-earned money as a freelance photographer. Many people modded the watch to put it in a metal case and bracelet, but in 2022, the GMB2100 came out and gave the people what they apparently wanted. I wanted it, too, but I was also slightly unconvinced.
The GMB2100 was cool, sure. But it also looked slightly strange. The case looked incredibly highly polished, like watches made of plastic with a plasticized metal coating. I worried the watch might feel cheap.
When I pulled the new GMB2100AD-2A out of the box (essentially the same watch but with a bold blue dial), I was surprised by the heft of the 49.8 x 44.4 x 12.8 mm stainless steel case and bracelet. Had I checked the specs beforehand, I still might not have been prepared for the 165-gram weight of the blue metal "CasiOak" on the wrist. I was surprised that this steel CasiOak weighs more than a Black Bay 58 (145 grams), albeit less than an AP ref. 16202 (in platinum at least, which is around 250 grams). Even in a new material, the watch has the expected G-Shock shock resistance, tough solar charging, 200m of water resistance, and the analog hour and minute hand that sets itself to a neutral position for power saving and then "wind" to the correct time when you take it out of the darkness.
Even now, looking at it on the table next to me, it's hard to believe how solid the watch would feel if I picked it up again. To me, that's a point in its favor. Regardless of what I know about ultra-light materials, a certain part of my brain can't help but equate heft to quality and a premium price. In your hands, it makes tactile sense stepping up from a $99 resin CasiOak to the $550 metal option makes sense.
When you get closer, however, that premium feeling wears off a little bit. The blue dial is eye-catching, though in hindsight maybe it's a little on the nose for me to have gravitated toward a color combination of steel and blue that's iconically associated with the Jumbo Royal Oak. This certainly isn't trying to be a knock-off or homage to AP, but the high-polish case alone is loud enough that it got a few remarks from non-watch friends when I wore it and the blue dial wasn't any less noticeable: "Is that supposed to look like... another watch?" Well, maybe yes, maybe no. But apparently, it does a bit too much for some folks.
The increased price isn't just for looks; the upgraded watch has several added features. Unlike the GA2100, you get Bluetooth connectivity with the Casio Watches app for automatic time adjustment, easy watch settings, a choice between around 300 world time cities, time and place settings, easier ability to set a reminder, and even a phone finder. I immediately use the feature to turn off the beep that occurs every time I press a button. You can see what mode you're set to on a little power-reserve style indicator at nine o'clock, with a digital display for things like world time location, alarm, and 1/100th second stopwatch. But the display is quite small, and in the past, I've found that I used the GA2100 largely just for the time, leaving all other functions gathering digital dust.
Then there's the bracelet. For ease of reading I'm going to combine my thoughts on the full-metal bracelet on both the GMB2100AD-2A and GMWB5000D-2 into one section because if there's any actual differences, I can't find them. The main surfaces of the top and side of the bracelet are slightly brushed, matching the bezel while contrasting against the mirror polish on the facets of the watch. The brushing is very subtle and punctuated by mirror polish in the stamped faux holes of the watch.
While you could ostensibly take the bracelet off the watch via the screws in place of lug holes, I don't know what you'd do next. I'm sure plenty of G-Shock modders have ideas, but I was content with the fact that the bracelet seemed well integrated with just a little flex and a tiny gap apparent if you tugged on the connection. The links were also easily adjusted without having too much flex in them either. Just push the spring bar-style pin on each side of the link at the same time and out the link popped. The watch came with enough links that I could have comfortably removed four to fit my 7.25" wrist.
The final thing that left the GMB2100AD-2A a little flat in my eye was the dual LED light. This is the same as the light-up display we see on the original CasiOak but I forgot how mildly disappointing that luminous feature was. It lights up both the dial and digital display plenty, but it pales compared to the backlit displays of more traditional G-Shocks. With one more point scored for the other watch (before we even get to my official review), you can start to get a sense of the way I'm leaning in this battle.
If the last watch looked a little bit like another model from another brand, you can't argue that the GMWB5000D-2 is anything other than a full-throttle "classic" G-Shock. The watch plays off the design of the original G-Shock, the DW-5000C, but this time, it substitutes steel for the resin case and band. I think that classic styling drew me to the other full-metal offerings I've eyed in the past. I do love watches like the Mudmaster, but this is G-Shock at its purest.
The watch measures nearly identical at 49.3 × 43.2 × 13 mm. If you look at the caseback of the two watches side-by-side you'd be hard-pressed to tell the two apart (see the images below). A lot of the other specs remain the same, including solar charging and many of the timekeeping features, which you can read at the bottom of the story. With the larger digital display, I've found myself more likely to check the date, set an alarm, or use the stopwatch – all features I've ignored on the "CasiOak."
One addition is that the GMWB5000D-2 also features multi-band 6 radio timekeeping capabilities. It's a feature not uncommon with G-Shocks but for those who haven't looked into it, it's kind of fascinating. A tiny shock-resistant antenna inside the watch syncs with radio signals (even indoors, if close enough to a window) that transmit timing data. In the U.S., that signal comes all the way from WWVB in Fort Collins, Colorado, though you can find out more about your region on G-Shock's website. But in many ways, the decision between the two comes down to personal taste.
Between the iconic brick pattern (with blue accents) on the dial and the more premium-looking backlit display, there's little doubt in my mind that the GMWB5000D-2 is the better option for me. Unfortunately, I don't have an unlimited budget, so there's a few rules or guidelines I set for myself when it comes to watch shopping. In addition to considering what might fill a gap in my collection, I often think about what is truly the most emblematic representation of a brand. In the same way I'd hold out for a "Jumbo" Royal Oak rather than buying a 41mm case shape, the "CasiOak" design is novel among G-Shocks for the two hands that give it a bit of mechanical-adjacent flare, but the GMWB5000D-2 just feels more G-Shock-y. If the mirror-polished steel case is too bold, there's also the PVD-coated GMWB5000BPC-1 as well.
Which watch wins? In hindsight, maybe I didn't look carefully enough at all the options, because there's a world in which a metal "CasiOak" would have been right for me. The GMB2100PC-1A or GMB2100BPC1A or "Full Metal Polychromatic" potentially solve some of my qualms with the watch being a bit "on the nose." Each watch has different dial colors and case coatings that add a bit of variety to the brand's offerings without skewing as close to AP's aesthetic territory. But technically, G-Shock wins here by getting more of my money. By the end of writing this story, I ordered two other models, plus the two I reviewed: the GMWB5000TCF-2 and the GW-5000U-1 "Screw-Back Origin." You know how I said that my G-Shocks inexplicably multiply? I'm starting to understand I might have a role to play in that after all.
Casio G-Shock GMB2100AD-2A (Full-Metal "Casioak"); 49.8 × 44.4 × 12.8 mm stainless steel case, with 200m water resistance and screw-lock back. Bluetooth-enabled sync for smartphone connection. Analog two-hand hours and minutes display, plus digital display; High-brightness double LED light; World time (38 time zones), 1/100-second stopwatch, Countdown timer, 5 daily alarms, Full auto-calendar with day and date (until 2099), Hand shift, 12/24-hour format, six possible languages. Quartz solar-powered movement with 7 months on rechargeable battery (operation period with normal use without exposure to light after charge) and 18 months in power save mode. Stainless steel bracelet with three-fold clasp. Price: $550
Casio G-Sho GMWB5000D-2; 49.3 × 43.2 × 13 mm stainless steel case, with 200m water resistance and screw-lock back. Bluetooth-enabled sync for smartphone connection and radio-controlled (Multiband 6). Digital display with full-auto LED backlight (Super Illuminator); Five world times selected from 39 cities, 1/100-second stopwatch, Countdown timer, 5 daily alarms, Full auto-calendar with day and date (until 2099), 12/24-hour format, six possible languages. Quartz solar-powered movement with 10 months on rechargeable battery (operation period with normal use without exposure to light after charge) and 22 months in power save mode. Stainless steel bracelet with three-fold clasp. Price: $550
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