Casio’s new G-SHOCK looks surprisingly sophisticated and weighs half as much as the metal version
The G-STEEL GST-B1000-2A combines a sharp stainless steel bezel and metallic blue dial with the toughness you’d expect from a G-SHOCK
Casio makes plenty of watches that look tough. In fact, for most of G-SHOCK’s history, looking almost indestructible has been an important part of the appeal.
However, G-SHOCK watches come in many flavours, and the G-STEEL GST-B1000-2A proves this.
It still has the shock resistance, 200-metre water resistance and Carbon Core Guard construction associated with the brand, but you could almost mistake it for a considerably more conventional luxury sports watch.
That is partly because the GST-B1000 is one of G-SHOCK’s more restrained designs, featuring a clean, stainless steel bezel with no oversized G-SHOCK lettering around the outside.
Casio uses a mixture of brushed and polished finishes on the metalwork to give it a slightly more premium appearance.
I particularly like the GST-B1000-2A, which pairs the silver bezel with a black bio-based resin strap and a metallic blue dial, creating a watch that looks subtly elegant while still being very much G-SHOCK in terms of durability.
Casio uses vapour deposition for the blue finish, so its appearance changes slightly as light moves across the surface.
Plus, the subtle brick pattern is inspired by the DW-5000C, the original G-SHOCK from 1983. And we all know retro/reissued watches are all the rage!
Same G-STEEL, half the weight
Casio introduced the bracelet-equipped GST-B1000D series in October 2025, including a similar blue-dial GST-B1000D-2A.
The big change for August 2026 is the switch from a stainless steel bracelet to a lightweight resin band.
The steel GST-B1000D weighs 118g, whereas the new GST-B1000-2A comes in at only 58g.
That's just over a 50% reduction, without changing the 46.9 x 44.2 x 11.6mm dimensions of the watch itself.
You still get a stainless steel bezel protecting a carbon-reinforced resin case, 200-metre water resistance, a screw-lock crown and mineral glass.
Tough Solar handles charging, while Bluetooth connects the watch to the Casio Watches app for automatic time adjustment and easier settings.
It also has a stopwatch, 30-minute countdown timer, daily alarm, and Super Illuminator LED.
The Casio G-SHOCK G-STEEL GST-B1000-2A is available now in the UK for £330 (~$447 / €389 / AU$624), with a black-dial GST-B1000-1A also available for the same price.
