New Casio G-Shock is half sci-fi nightmare, half Y2K chic

It's been a while since a new Casio G-Shock model was launched. Sure, we get new variants of the classic shapes, but a true new entity within the catalogue? That's rare.

Fortunately, the good folks behind the watches have blessed us with something entirely new. It's called the Casio G-Shock GA-V01 and I'm predicting it's going to turn a few heads.

You'll know exactly what I mean when you look at it. Looking half like the Covid-19 virus up close and half like a discerningly crafted piece of Y2K nostalgia, it's going to be a real marmite piece. Indeed, I shared the press image around the office and there were a lot of strong reactions.

Me, though? I like this. It's different, and unusual and that's a really good thing in the world of watches. For too long we've sat idly by watching brands churn out copycat pieces, making something truly unique a rare thing indeed.

Beyond the angry teeth bezel, you'll find a dial which is split almost in half. The top is plain, coloured to match the case and strap, and showcases the Casio G-Shock logo.

The lower half features an LCD display, which offers a seconds readout and the day indicator. The opposite side allows users to control some of the other functions on board, including a world timer, 5 daily alarms, a stopwatch, a timer and a mute button.

Of course, as a G-Shock, there are a couple of other givens which are present here. The piece is shock resistance, naturally, and also water resistant to 200m, making it a fairly competent dive watch when the occasion calls.

The dimensions read 49.1mm x 58.2mm x 19.6mm which is almost impossible to imagine. Presumably, that means we're looking at a 49mm case diameter, with a lug-to-lug of 58mm and a stupendous near-20mm case height. It's going to make my wrists look like overboiled Super Noodles, frankly.

Still, if this sounds like a piece of you – and no judgement if it does – you can snag one for £119 here in the UK and $140 in the USA (approx. AU$250).