Let me preface this by saying I love Casio G-Shock's. They are iconic, reliable and deserving of their place in popular culture. My first ever watch was a G-Shock, and the one I own now is still one of my most worn watches, even up against more costly options and vintage pieces.
I felt the need to add that preface, because I'm struggling to get excited about this new model. Called the Casio G-Shock GMWB5000TCC1, the new watch is an interesting looking piece. It's part of their full-metal range – in this instance a titanium case and strap – with a circuit board camo design etched on top.
For an added dose of cool, the circuit board pattern is taken from the no. 3459 module found inside these watches for over 40 years. And, far from being just any old titanium, this model uses an alloy called TranTixxii. Made by the Nippon Steel Corporation, it retains the lightweight nature of regular titanium, but is twice as hard, with a mirror-like finish, similar to stainless steel.
Elsewhere, you'll find everything you'd expect from a G-Shock – 20 bar water resistance, solar charging through the watch face, and legendary shock resistance are all present and correct here. This model even utilises the G-Shock Connected app for added ease of use.
It all sounds good until you read the price – at $1,800, this is up there with the most expensive G-Shock's ever made. And I'm struggling to get excited by that.
Because irrespective of the materials used or the cool pattern on the case, that's a boatload of cash. For similar money, you could buy a Garmin Marq, with a full complement of smartwatch features like health monitoring and sleep tracking. Or, you could get into a host of more traditional watches from fantastic brands like Junghans, TAG Heuer, and more.
At $600, even the "standard" variant of this model is steep, but at least that is comparatively reasonable. You still get a full metal watch there, albeit in stainless steel rather than fancy titanium. Functionally, that watch is the same as this one.
I have no doubt this watch will find its audience. G-Shock fans are notoriously hardcore, and those looking for a watch with some premium cool factors, coupled with a nod to its heritage will be right at home here – they just might end up with a wallet as light as the watch.
